Imaging Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer EGFR Del19 and L858R with Radiolabeled Small Molecule

Non-small cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer death, with approximately 1.3 million deaths annually worldwide. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) are used as therapy for NSCLC patients. However, patients receiving first and second-generation TKIs will usually develop drug resistance within 6-12 months after treatment. Resistance occurs because of EGFR mutations that interfere with the therapeutic process. Therefore, detecting the type of EGFR mutation before treatment by TKIs is necessary. Molecular imaging techniques such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) promise non-invasive techniques for mutation detection. This study aims to review articles on radiotracers developed to detect common EGFR mutations, such as exon 19-del and exon 21 L858R mutation in NSCLC. The method used in this research is to search for articles through international databases such as Scopus, SciFinder, and PubMed with inclusion and exclusion parameters. The results showed that several radiotracers were selective for EGFR 19-del and L858R. However, some compounds need to be modified structurally to have high specificity.