scholarly journals Molecular findings reveal possible resistance mechanisms in a patient with ALK-rearranged lung cancer: a case report and literature review

ESMO Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. e000561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Kougioumtzi ◽  
Panagiotis Ntellas ◽  
Eirini Papadopoulou ◽  
George Nasioulas ◽  
Eleftherios Kampletsas ◽  
...  

Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is recognised as a particularly heterogeneous disease, encompassing a wide spectrum of distinct molecular subtypes. With increased understanding of disease biology and mechanisms of progression, treatment of NSCLC has made remarkable progress in the past two decades. Molecular testing is considered the hallmark for the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC, with liquid biopsies being more and more often applied in the clinical setting during the recent years. Rearrangement of the ALK gene which results in the generation of fusion oncogenes is a common molecular event in NSCLCs. Among ALK fusion transcripts, EML4-ALK fusion is frequently observed and can be targeted with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). However, acquired resistance and disease progression in many cases are inevitable.Method: Here, we present the case of a patient with NSCLC treated with TKIs, in which molecular profiling of the tumour was performed with different methods of tissue and plasma testing at each disease progression. A review of the literature was further conducted to offer insights into the resistance mechanisms of ALK-rearranged NSCLC.Conclusions: Based on the results, the EML4-ALK fusion initially detected in tumour tissue was preserved throughout the course of the disease. Two additional ALK mutations were later detected in the tissue and plasma and are likely to have caused resistance to the administered TKIs. Continued research into the mechanisms of acquired resistance is required in order to increase the benefit of the patients treated with targeted ALK TKIs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arlou Kristina Angeles ◽  
Petros Christopoulos ◽  
Zhao Yuan ◽  
Simone Bauer ◽  
Florian Janke ◽  
...  

AbstractTargeted kinase inhibitors improve the prognosis of lung cancer patients with ALK alterations (ALK+). However, due to the emergence of acquired resistance and varied clinical trajectories, early detection of disease progression is warranted to guide patient management and therapy decisions. We utilized 343 longitudinal plasma DNA samples from 43 ALK+ NSCLC patients receiving ALK-directed therapies to determine molecular progression based on matched panel-based targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS), and shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS). ALK-related alterations were detected in 22 out of 43 (51%) patients. Among 343 longitudinal plasma samples analyzed, 174 (51%) were ctDNA-positive. ALK variant and fusion kinetics generally reflected the disease course. Evidence for early molecular progression was observed in 19 patients (44%). Detection of ctDNA at therapy baseline indicated shorter times to progression compared to cases without mutations at baseline. In patients who succumbed to the disease, ctDNA levels were highly elevated towards the end of life. Our results demonstrate the potential utility of these NGS assays in the clinical management of ALK+ NSCLC.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. S433-S434
Author(s):  
Kenichi Suda ◽  
Leslie Rozeboom ◽  
Christopher Rivard ◽  
Hui Yu ◽  
Mary Ann Melnick ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 1537-1547
Author(s):  
Fumio Imamura ◽  
Madoka Kimura ◽  
Yukihiro Yano ◽  
Masahide Mori ◽  
Hidekazu Suzuki ◽  
...  

Aim: Osimertinib is a key drug for EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As the hazards ratio of overall survival in comparison with first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors was almost similar between FLAURA and ARCHER 1050, salvage use of osimertinib is still a treatment option. Patients & methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical courses of EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC patients who were potential candidates for salvage osimertinib. Results: Among 524 patients enrolled from five hospitals, 302 patients underwent biopsy, with 52.6% detection rate of T790M. Osimertinib was administered in 93.6% of the T790M-positive patients. The overall response rate and median progression-free survival time of osimertinib were calculated with 147 patients, to be 55.6% and 17.2 months, respectively. Conclusion: Osimertinib is active for T790M-driven acquired resistance in EGFR-mutant NSCLC, but the detection of T790M was unsatisfactory. Clinical Trial Registration: UMIN000028989 (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry)


Author(s):  
chao wang ◽  
lihui liu ◽  
sini li ◽  
hua bai ◽  
jie wang

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and a leading cause of death from cancer in men and women in the world. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are considered as the first-line treatment of EGFR mutated NSCLC. However, almost all patients eventually develop acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, with a median PFS of 9-14 months. With the development of immunotherapy, people realize that the interaction between tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and tumor cells can also affect EGFR-TKIs treatment. TIME contains a variety of elements and previous researches of TIME in EGFR-TKIs therapy on NSCLC are decentralized. Here, we review the characteristics of TIME in NSCLC from EGFR-TKIs therapy and its role in TKIs resistance.


Author(s):  
Frances A. Shepherd ◽  
Paul A. Bunn ◽  
Luis Paz-Ares

Lung cancer is the leading worldwide cause of cancer death and the majority of patients present with metastatic stage IV disease. At diagnosis, clinical, histologic, and molecular features must be considered in therapeutic decision-making for systemic therapy. Molecular testing for at least epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) and ALK should be performed in all patients before therapy. Platinum doublet chemotherapy may be considered for “fit” patients who do not have a molecular driver genetic abnormality. Bevacizumab can be considered for addition to the doublet in patients with nonsquamous cancers who have no contraindications. A pemetrexed combination is considered only in nonsquamous histology. Patients with EGFR mutations or ALK fusions should be treated with erlotinib or crizotinib, respectively, even in patients with tumor-related poor performance. The tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may be continued until multisite, symptomatic progression. For patients initially treated with a platinum doublet, maintenance chemotherapy with pemetrexed, erlotinib, gemcitabine, or possibly docetaxel is an option with selection based on clinical features, histology, type of initial therapy, and response to first-line therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. a004630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Dietz ◽  
Petros Christopoulos ◽  
Lisa Gu ◽  
Anna-Lena Volckmar ◽  
Volker Endris ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Pradnya Dinkar Patil ◽  
Frances Shepherd ◽  
David H. Johnson

The landscape of treatments for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has evolved dramatically over the past 3 decades. A better understanding of the disease biology and identification of actionable genetic alterations heralded an era of targeted therapies that has led to unprecedented survival benefits in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC. More recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy led to the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors that have changed the treatment paradigm for patients with advanced NSCLC because of their ability to produce durable responses, resulting in improved survival outcomes. Despite the unparalleled success of these agents, primary and acquired resistance to these therapies pose a formidable challenge. In this article, we provide an overview of the therapeutic advances in the treatment of NSCLC, mechanisms of resistance, and potential strategies to overcome resistance to targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors.


Author(s):  
Christine M. Lovly

The prospective identification and therapeutic targeting of oncogenic tyrosine kinases with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has revolutionized the treatment for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TKI therapy frequently induces dramatic clinical responses in molecularly defined cohorts of patients with lung cancer, paving the way for the implementation of precision medicine. Unfortunately, acquired resistance, defined as tumor progression after initial response, seems to be an inevitable consequence of this treatment approach. This brief review will provide an overview of the complex and heterogeneous problem of acquired resistance to TKI therapy in NSCLC, with a focus on EGFR-mutant and ALK-rearranged NSCLC. In vitro models of TKI resistance and analysis of tumor biopsy samples at the time of disease progression have generated breakthroughs in our understanding of the spectrum of mechanisms by which a tumor can thwart TKI therapy and have provided an important rationale for the development of novel approaches to delay or overcome resistance. Numerous ongoing clinical trials implement strategies, including novel, more potent TKIs and rational combinations of targeted therapies, some of which have already proven effective in surmounting therapeutic resistance.


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