Germline EGFR T790M mutation and lung cancer risk.

Germline EGFR T790M mutation significantly increases lung cancer risk, especially in never-smokers, surpassing the risk from smoking in over 3.3 million individuals.

• Why it matters: Understanding inherited genetic factors like EGFR T790M is crucial because they contribute to lung cancer risk beyond environmental factors such as smoking, yet remain poorly characterized.
• What they did: The study analyzed data from more than 3.3 million people, identifying the T790M germline variant's strong association with lung cancer risk, with no increased risk for other cancers or interaction with polygenic risk.
• The result: Findings reveal regional and ancestral differences in T790M prevalence, highlighting the potential for targeted genetic testing and screening to identify high-risk individuals and improve early detection.