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EGFR-positive lung cancer

Learning your lung cancer has an EGFR change is actually helpful news: it means there are pills made for your cancer that many people take for years while living their lives.

ℹ️ General information to help you and your loved ones talk with your care team, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.

The quick guide

What it means: A mutation in the EGFR gene drives the cancer to grow. The most common are exon 19 deletions and L858R.

How it's found: Found with biomarker testing (a gene panel) on tumor tissue or blood.

How common it is: Roughly 10 to 15% of non-small cell lung cancers in the US, and more often in people who never smoked and people of Asian descent.

How treatment works

🌱 Early-stage

After surgery, Tagrisso is usually taken for 3 years. After chemoradiation for stage III, Tagrisso can also be used.

🔁 Advanced or metastatic

Tagrisso alone, Tagrisso with chemo, or amivantamab plus lazertinib are common first treatments.
Later, chemo-based options or amivantamab. Immunotherapy alone usually works poorly for EGFR-positive cancer.

Approvals depend on stage and prior treatment. Your care team will decide what fits you.

Drug guides

Biomarker tests that matter

Side effects you may notice

❓ Questions you and your loved ones can ask

Which EGFR change do I have?
Should I take Tagrisso alone or with chemo?
What should we do if the cancer grows on treatment?

Back to Lung cancer overview. Other types: ALK-positive lung cancer, KRAS-positive lung cancer (including G12C), Lung cancer with ROS1, BRAF, MET, RET, NTRK, HER2 or NRG1 changes, Lung cancer with no driver mutation (PD-L1 guides treatment), Small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Written by the Cancer Side Effects Guide team from FDA labels and leading cancer centers. Not medical advice. · Last updated: October 15, 2026 · How we write

Not medical advice. This page is general information to help you talk with your care team. It can't replace advice from your doctor or nurse. If you have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during treatment, or any symptom that worries you, call your care team now. In an emergency, call 911.