Immunological features of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer and clinical practice: a narrative review

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved outcomes for patients with advanced driver-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, targeted therapy remains the preferred treatment for advanced driver-positive NSCLC, including cases with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Considering the variability in EGFR-mutant NSCLC, including expression levels of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor mutation burden (TMB), and other immunological features, the application of immunotherapy in this group is still a subject of investigation. Therefore, we have summarized and analyzed the immunological characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of different EGFR mutations in NSCLC, as well as the current clinical application of immunotherapy in the EGFR-mutant population, to provide a reference for future research.