Oesophageal cancer: is there a small group of responding patients that can be identified who will benefit from gefitinib treatment?

The primary results of a randomised multicentre parallel group placebo-controlled trial of gefitinib versus placebo in oesophageal cancer patients progressing after chemotherapy was published online in The Lancet Oncology on Wednesday 18th June 2014: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2814%2970... with a comment by Hugo Ford an expert in the field: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2814%2970... .
Below is a synopsis of the results:
“The COG trial (Gefitinib for oesophageal cancer progressing after chemotherapy) was published online on 18th June 2014. 450 patients who had progressed after chemotherapy were recruited and randomised 1:1 to 500mg gefitnib or identical placebo taken daily until progression, toxicity or patient choice. Although it did not reach its primary end point of improved overall survival there were improvements in progression free survival, palliation of symptoms, particularly the pre-specified patient reported outcome, odynophagia (pain on swallowing) and improved disease control rate at 8 weeks for patients on gefitinib. Rapid and durable responses to gefitinib were observed in a small subset of patients. The translational substudy (TRANSCOG) is analysing tissue samples from patients recruited to the COG study to further explore and potentially identify this subgroup. Dr Russell Petty presented the preliminary results from the TRANSCOG study at ASCO earlier this month after exploring EGFR FISH 295/450 (65%) of the COG patient population.”