EGFR Mutations, Other Molecular Alterations Related To Sensitivity to EGFR Inhibitors, and Molecular Testing for EGFR-Targeted Therapies in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Author(s):  
David A. Eberhard
Lung Cancer ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 136 ◽  
pp. 6-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenjie Tang ◽  
Xiaolin Li ◽  
Xueqi Xie ◽  
Xindong Sun ◽  
Jie Liu ◽  
...  

Molecular testing and the development of targeted therapies have revolutionized the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the advantages of molecular testing in patients with NSCLC and guideline recommendations, there is no specific standard testing method, resulting in variable testing practices based on institution protocol and access. Pharmacists can help to improve coordination of care around appropriate testing as results are important in determining the most appropriate targeted treatment course. The majority of patients with NSCLC are tested for PD-L1, EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and BRAF mutations. These biomarkers and their corresponding targeted therapies are more understood than the remaining biomarkers, such as KRAS, RET, MET exon 14 (METex14), and NTRK. Multiple new and emerging therapies target these latter biomarkers, and this article will focus on these lesser-known biomarkers. As the treatment of NSCLC becomes increasingly biomarker-driven and more therapies are added to the armamentarium for the management of NSCLC, pharmacists will be called upon to assist the oncology care team to optimize NSCLC treatment to improve patient outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9609-9609
Author(s):  
Elias Makhoul ◽  
Jong Taek Kim ◽  
Wenjuan Zhang ◽  
Jean Raphael Lopategui ◽  
Ani Sarkis Balmanoukian ◽  
...  

9609 Background: Targeted therapy in EGFR and ALK mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been the standard of care for nearly a decade with subsequent FDA approvals for ROS1 and BRAF V600 mutated NSCLC occurring in 2016 and 2017. However, recent studies have shown suboptimal utilization of genomic profiling results in these patients. In 1 recent study of community oncologists, ~70% of EGFR/ALK+ patients received appropriate targeted therapy, while patients with other gene mutations (including BRAF and ROS1) only received targeted therapy ~30% of the time. Left unanswered was what patients were receiving instead and why. Additionally, it is unknown if this finding is generalizable to the academic setting. We aimed to investigate whether in our patient population, NSCLC patients with actionable mutations received associated FDA approved therapies and if not why. Methods: The pathology database was queried for all NSCLC with molecular testing (including qPCR, FISH and NGS) from 2009 to 2019. Patients with sensitizing EGFR, ALK, ROS1 or BRAF mutations that were detected after the first FDA approval for their respective targeted therapies were included for analysis with those lost to follow up subsequently excluded. Basic demographic and clinical variables were collected as well as treatment records. Results: 2160 NSCLC patients were evaluated (2160 EGFR, 1417 ALK, 810 ROS1, 589 BRAF). 468 patients were identified with targetable mutations (411 EGFR, 46 ALK, 5 ROS1, 6 BRAF). No patient had more than 1 targetable mutation. Of those patients, 248 were at an advanced stage and had clinical follow up (202 EGFR, 37 ALK, 4 ROS1, 5 BRAF). Of those patients 197/202 (97.5%), 33/37 (89.2%), 3/4 (75%) and 1/5 (20%) received EGFR, ALK, ROS1 or BRAF targeted therapy respectively. Across biomarkers 14/248 patients (5.6%) did not receive subsequent targeted therapy. 10 patients (5 EGFR, 3 ALK, 1 ROS1 and 1 BRAF) passed away before targeted therapy could be initiated. Physician choice and missed findings accounted for the remaining four cases. Conclusions: The vast majority of advanced NSCLC patients analyzed in this study received appropriate targeted therapy matched to genomic findings. The main reason (~4% of total cases) that patients did not receive therapy was due to rapidly progressive disease and death before it could be initiated. These findings are at odds with those published from the community setting. This may be due to multiple factors, including clinician education, ease of access to targeted therapies across patient populations and incomplete data in the previous study populations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (01) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Tu Nguyen-Ngoc ◽  
Martin Reck ◽  
Daniel SW Tan ◽  
Solange Peters ◽  
◽  
...  

In the last decade, the emergence of targeted therapies has changed the treatment paradigm for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The growing availability of therapies targeting specific genetic alterations, such as epidermal growth factor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements, have led to changes in the guidelines to reflect the need for molecular profiling. More recently, immunotherapeutic approaches have been investigated in the treatment setting of NSCLC, and these may provide superior outcomes and have substantially better tolerability compared to chemotherapy. Immunotherapies currently available for NSCLC include the checkpoint inhibitors anti-PD-1 antibodies nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Several other anti-PD-L1 compounds such as atezolizumab, durvalumab and avelumab are also very advanced in clinical investigation, in monotherapy as well as in combination with immune priming phase activators anti-CTLA4 ipilimumab and tremelimumab, across all treatment lines. The challenge facing oncologists is identifying which therapy is best suited to the individual patient.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (03) ◽  
pp. 409-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zorawar S. Noor ◽  
Amy L. Cummings ◽  
McKenna M. Johnson ◽  
Marshall L. Spiegel ◽  
Jonathan W. Goldman

AbstractLung cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and the availability of comprehensive genomic profiling has allowed for the characterization of its molecular subtypes. This has increased the ability to deliver “personalized medicines” by tailoring therapies to target driver mutations in a patient's cancer. The development of targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has helped define the era of precision medicine throughout oncology. This article aims to contextualize recent research and provide an updated summary of targeted therapies available for patients with NSCLC. With practitioners and clinical researchers in mind, we note standard of care therapies, important approvals, practice guidelines, and treatments in development. The first section discusses mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, and the second section examines rearrangements in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and ROS1 fusions. Finally, we explore the rarer molecular alterations in BRAF, RET, MET, HER2, and KRAS. Given the many available therapies, it is important to understand the molecular alterations in NSCLC, and how to target them.


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