Abstract

Recently many actionable driver oncogenes such as EGFR, ALK, RET, ROS1, BRAF and MET have been identified in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, most of these driver oncogenes are rare and found in only about 1-2% of lung adenocarcinomas. To develop new molecular targeted agents for rare alterations, efficient genomic screening is needed to identify patients. A nationwide genomic screening platform (LC-SCRUM-Japan) was established to primarily screen for ALK, RET and ROS1 fusions using RT-PCR and FISH in advanced non-squamous NSCLC without EGFR mutations in February 2013. From March 2015, this project was expanded to an academic-industrial collaboration initiative with broader eligibility criteria and tumor samples were analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS multiplex analysis with OncomineTM Cancer Research Panel). In addition, non-squamous NSCLC regardless of EGFR mutation status and other histological type of lung cancer including squamous NSCLC and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were enrolled. Clinical information of all patients have also been collected to generate a clinical-genomic database that enables detailed outcome analysis of the cohort. Since its inception, more than 200 Japanese hospitals participated in this project and 7739 patients were enrolled into LC-SCRUM-Japan. 776 squamous NSCLCs and 823 SCLCs were enrolled. Through this platform, many patients with rare driver oncogenes were identified for approved targeted therapies or successfully enrolled into various clinical trials that have helped develop new targeted agents. Based on our project, crizotinib and dabrafenib/trametinib were approved for ROS1 fusions and BRAF mutation positive lung cancers in Japan, respectively. From December 2017, liquid screening with Guardant 360 (LC-SCRUM-Liquid) was initiated and a large concordance study between tissue and liquid NGS analysis was performed in 2000 patients. Additionally, to identify novel biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors, an immuno-oncology biomarker study (LC-SCRUM-IBIS) was conducted with 1017 patients enrolled from February 2017 to May 2018. PD-L1 assessment by IHC and whole exon sequencing was performed. The LC-SCRUM platform was recently expanded to hospitals in Taiwan and we will expand the collaboration to China and other Southeast Asia to establish an integrated Asia cancer clinical genomic database. Genomic screening in LC-SCRUM has provided clinical value by identifying patients with actionable mutations and has helped accelerate clinical development of novel agents. To continue to elevate the standard of cancer care and treatment options for patients in Asia, we are establishing a high quality platform of genomic screening technologies and a mechanism of collecting clinical data that will help elevate precision medicine and drug development in Asia.

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