Oncogene-driven Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Research Articles

The ASCENT Trial: a phase 2 study of induction and consolidation afatinib and chemoradiation with or without surgery in stage III EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

The role of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in early-stage and metastatic oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is established, but it remains unknown how best to integrate TKIs with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) in locally advanced disease. The phase 2 ASCENT trial assessed the efficacy and safety of afatinib and cCRT with or without surgery in locally advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant NSCLC. Adults ≥18 years with histologically confirmed stage III (AJCC 7th edition) NSCLC with activating EGFR mutations were enrolled at Mass General and Dana-Farber/Brigham Cancer Centers, Boston, Massachusetts. Patients received induction afatinib 40mg daily for 2 months, then cisplatin 75mg/m2 and pemetrexed 500mg/m2 IV every 3 weeks during RT (definitive or neoadjuvant dosing). Patients with resectable disease underwent surgery. All patients were offered consolidation afatinib for 2 years. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) to induction TKI. Secondary endpoints were safety, conversion to operability, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Analyses were performed on the intention-to-treat population. Nineteen patients (median age 56 years; 74% female) were enrolled. ORR to induction afatinib was 63%. Seventeen patients received cCRT; 2/9 previously unresectable became resectable. Ten underwent surgery; 6 had a major or complete pathological response. Thirteen received consolidation afatinib. With a median follow-up of 5.0 years, median PFS and OS were 2.6 (95% CI, 1.4-3.1) and 5.8 years (2.9-NR), respectively. Sixteen recurred or died; 6 recurrences were isolated to CNS. The median time to progression after stopping consolidation TKI was 2.9 months (95% CI, 1.1-7.2). Four developed grade 2 pneumonitis. There were no treatment-related deaths. We explored the efficacy of combining TKI with cCRT in oncogene-driven NSCLC. Induction TKI did not compromise subsequent receipt of multimodality therapy. PFS was promising, but the prevalence of CNS-only recurrences and rapid progression after TKI discontinuation speak to unmet needs in measuring and eradicating micrometastatic disease.

Immunotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring oncogenic driver alterations other than EGFR: a multicenter real-world analysis.

The administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with oncogenic driver alterations other than epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) aroused a heated discussion. We thus aimed to evaluate ICI treatment in these patients in real-world routine clinical practice. A multicenter, retrospective study was conducted for NSCLC patients with at least one gene alteration (KRAS, HER2, BRAF, MET, RET, ALK, ROS1) receiving ICI monotherapy or combination treatment. The data regarding clinicopathologic characteristics, clinical efficacy, and safety were investigated. A total of 216 patients were included, the median age was 60 years, 72.7% of patients were male, and 46.8% had a smoking history. The molecular alterations involved KRAS (n=95), HER2 (n=42), BRAF (n=22), MET (n=21), RET (n=14), ALK (n=14), and ROS1 (n=8); 56.5% of patients received immunotherapy in the first-line, and the rest 43.5% were treated as a second-line and above. For the entire cohort who received immunotherapy-based regimens in the first-line, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.5 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 24.8 months. For the entire cohort who received immunotherapy-based regimens in the second-line and above, the median PFS was 4.7 months and median OS was 17.1 months. KRAS mutated NSCLC treated with immunotherapy-based regimens in the first-line setting had a median PFS and OS were 7.8 and 26.1 months, respectively. Moreover, the median PFS and OS of immunotherapy-based regimens for KRAS-mutant NSCLC that progressed after chemotherapy were 5.9 and 17.1 months. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression level was not consistently associated with response to immunotherapy across different gene alteration subsets. In the KRAS group, PD-L1 positivity [tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1%] was associated with better PFS and OS according to the multivariate Cox analysis. No statistically significant association was found for smoking status, age, or gender with clinical efficacy in any gene group analyses. KRAS-mutant NSCLC could obtain clinical benefits from ICIs either for treatment-naive patients or those who have experienced progression after chemotherapy, and PD-L1 positive expression (TPS >1%) may be a potential positive predictor. For NSCLC with ALK, RET and ROS1 rearrangement, MET exon 14 skipping mutation, or BRAF V600E mutation, effectiveness of single or combined ICI therapy remains limited, therefore, targeted therapies should be considered prior to immunotherapy regimens. Future studies should address the investigation of better predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy response in oncogene-driven NSCLC.

New Treatment Options for Patients With Oncogene-Addicted Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Focusing on EGFR-Mutant Tumors.

Druggable oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer has led to innovative systemic treatment options, improving patients' outcome. This benefit is not only achieved in the metastatic setting but also in the postsurgical setting, such as in lung cancers harboring a common sensitizing EGFR mutation or ALK-rearrangement. To enhance the outcome of these patients, we need to understand the mechanisms of acquired resistance and evaluate the role of new drugs with novel mechanisms of action in the treatment landscape. In this chapter, we review treatment strategies of EGFR-mutant tumors in all stages, the mechanisms of acquired strategies, and novel therapies in this subset.

Abstract 2006: Deciphering the interplay of β-catenin/YAP signaling and alveolar lineage plasticity during targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Molecularly targeted therapies have significantly enhanced clinical outcomes by directly addressing oncogenic driver mutations in genes such as EGFR. However, despite the success of treatments targeting these mutations, long-term patient survival remains limited. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying drug-tolerance in response to targeted therapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using single-cell RNA sequencing of oncogene-driven human NSCLCs at the residual disease (RD) state during active targeted therapy, our investigation reveals an increase of an alveolar type I/II (AT1/2) mixed lineage program in surviving cancer cells, resembling an alveolar cell-like state. We observed increased WNT3A/4 ligands, FZD2 receptors, β-catenin signaling, and AT1/2 signatures at the RD stage. Consistent with clinical results, AT1/2 signatures and target genes of β-catenin and YAP are increased in drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells in preclinical models. Additionally, we discovered that β-catenin and YAP form a stable nuclear protein complex in DTP cells. Disrupting β-catenin/YAP protein expression and stability in DTP cells by knocking down FZD2 or interrupting the destruction complex of β-catenin/YAP leads to re-sensitization to the EGFR inhibitor Osimertinib, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach. Furthermore, this therapeutic strategy decreased AT1/2 gene signatures. Our results highlight an interdependence between β-catenin and YAP, with both proteins playing crucial roles in sustaining DTP cells and promoting the alveolar cell like lineage plasticity. These findings shed light on the complex interplay between β-catenin/YAP signaling and alveolar signatures in the residual cancer state, offering mechanistic insights and potential therapeutic strategies to address drug tolerance and improve clinical outcomes. Citation Format: Yu-Ting Chou, Wei Wu, Daniel Kerr, Macey Slota, Trever Bivona. Deciphering the interplay of β-catenin/YAP signaling and alveolar lineage plasticity during targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2006.

Treatment outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with driver mutant non-small cell lung cancer and de novo brain metastases

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases can be seen at a rate of 30% in advanced stages for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Growing evidence indicates the predictive roles of driver gene mutations in the development of brain metastases (BM) in recent years, meaning that oncogene-driven NSCLC have a high incidence of BM at diagnosis. Today, 3rd generation targeted drugs with high intracranial efficacy, which can cross the blood–brain barrier, have made a positive contribution to survival for these patients with an increased propensity to BM. It is important to update the clinical and pathological factors reflected in the survival with real-life data. A multi-center, retrospective database of 306 patients diagnosed with driver mutant NSCLC and initially presented with BM between between November 2008 and September 2022 were analyzed. The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 12.25 months (95% CI, 10–14.5). While 254 of the patients received tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), 51 patients received chemotherapy as first line treatment. The median intracranial PFS (iPFS) was 18.5 months (95% CI, 14.8–22.2). The median overall survival (OS) was 29 months (95% CI, 25.2–33.0). It was found that having 3 or less BM and absence of extracranial metastases were significantly associated with better mOS and iPFS. The relationship between the size of BM and survival was found to be non-significant. Among patients with advanced NSCLC with de novo BM carrying a driver mutation, long-term progression-free and overall survival can be achieved with the advent of targeted agents with high CNS efficacy with more conservative and localized radiotherapy modalities.

Targeting MEK in non-small cell lung cancer

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK or MEK) pathway modulates tumor cell survival and proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unlike RAS or EGFR, activating mutations in MEK are exceedingly rare in NSCLC. Instead, enhanced activation of the MEK pathway is often linked to increased signaling by upstream oncogenic driver mutations. Thus far, MEK inhibitor monotherapy has shown little promise. However, treatment strategies involving MEK inhibition in combination with other targeted therapies in other oncogene-driven NSCLC has proven to be encouraging. For example, MEK inhibition - when combined with BRAF inhibition, - has shown strong anti-tumor activity in BRAF V600 mutated NSCLC. In this review, recent data on MEK inhibitor strategies in NSCLC are summarized. Furthermore, ongoing early phase trials investigating MEK inhibitor combination therapy with immunotherapy, chemotherapy and other oncogene drivers are highlighted. These and other studies could help inform future rational combination strategies of MEK-ERK inhibition in oncogene-driven NSCLC.

Efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Immunotherapy is an emerging antitumor therapy that can improve the survival of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only about 20% of NSCLC patients can benefit from this treatment. At present, whether patients with driving gene-positive NSCLC can benefit from immunotherapy is one of the hot issues. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC and concluded the efficacy of altered subtypes. A literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The primary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and median overall survival (mOS) in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC. In all, 86 studies involving 4524 patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled ORRs in clinical trials treated with monoimmunotherapy of EGFR, ALK, and KRAS alteration were 6%, 0%, and 23%, respectively. In retrospective studies, the pooled ORRs of EGFR, ALK, KRAS, BRAF, MET, HER2, RET, and ROS1 alteration were 8%, 3%, 28%, 24%, 23%, 14%, 7%, and 8%, respectively. Among them, the pooled ORRs of KRAS non-G12C mutation, KRAS G12C mutation, BRAF V600E mutation, BRAF non-V600E mutation, MET-exon 14 skipping, and MET-amplification were 33% 40%, 20%, 34%, 17%, and 60%, respectively. In addition, the pooled mPFS rates of EGFR, KRAS, MET, HER2, and RET alteration were 2.77, 3.24, 2.48, 2.31, and 2.68 months, while the pooled mOS rates of EGFR and KRAS alteration were 9.98 and 12.29 months, respectively. In prospective data concerning EGFR mutation, the pooled ORR and mPFS treated with chemo-immunotherapy (IC) reached 38% and 6.20 months, while 58% and 8.48 months with chemo-immunotherapy plus anti-angiogenesis therapy (ICA). Moreover, the pooled mPFS and mOS of monoimmunotherapy was 2.33 months and 12.43 months. EGFR-, ALK-, HER2-, RET-, and ROS1-altered NSCLC patients have poor reactivity to monoimmunotherapy but the efficacy of immune-based combined therapy is significantly improved. KRAS G12C mutation, BRAF non-V600E mutation, and MET amplification have better responses to immunotherapy, and more prospective studies are needed for further research.

Abstract C168: Prognostic value of tumor microenvironment (TME) features in advanced, EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Abstract Background: Prognostic role of tumor microenvironment (TME) features, although well-studied in the context of immunotherapy responses, remains unclear for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we interrogate the impact of TME features on survival outcomes of patients with advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was carried out on patients with advanced EGFR-mutant (exon 19 deletion/L858R) NSCLC who underwent first-line targeted therapy or chemotherapy. Clinical, radiological, molecular, pathological data were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin diagnostic tissue slides, digitalized at 20x magnification, were analyzed by an expert pathologist and a medical oncologist, blinded to clinical data, to describe TME. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), excluding polymorphonucleates, were assessed in the stromal compartment as positive (+) or negative (-), with positivity threshold of 10% of stromal tissue area. Fibrosis, necrosis, tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and lymphangitis were assessed with a positivity threshold of 1%. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from the start of first-line therapy and compared by log-rank test. Multivariable analysis by Cox regression model for OS included age, gender, PS-ECOG, number (n) of metastatic sites, presence of brain metastases and TME features. Results: A total of 118 patients were included: 52 treated with first-line osimertinib, 47 with gefitinib/erlotinib, 19 with platinum-based chemotherapy. The patient population included 84 (71%) females, 77 (65%) never smokers. Median age was 64 years (range 34-91), median n of metastatic sites was 2, PS ECOG was <2 in 91 (77%) and brain metastases were present in 48 (41%) cases. Most common biopsy site was lung (70%). Fibrosis, TILs, lymphangitis, necrosis, TLSs were found in 76/95 (80%), 34/93 (37%), 35/95 (37%), 28/94 (30%), and 12/92 (13%) of evaluable samples, respectively. After a median follow-up of 50.3 months (m), median OS was 35.2 (95%CI 27.8-41.6) m in the overall population; 23.1 (95%CI 18.2-39.3) vs 36.3 (95%CI 32.1-51.3) m (p=0.007) in necrosis+ vs -; 27.7 (95%CI 26.6- not reached, NR) vs 35.5 (95% CI 27.8-48.5) m (p=0.85) in TILs+ vs TILs-; 38.1 (95%CI 36.6-NR) vs 32.1 (95%CI 27-44.7) m (p=0.94) in TLS+ vs TLS-. Nine (26%) TILs+ tumors were also necrosis+. Necrosis (HR 2.05, p=0.026) and PS>1 (HR 2.52, p<0.01) were independently associated with worse OS in the multivariable analysis. In necrosis+ vs -, median PFS to first-line was 11.4 (95%CI 3,6-NR) vs 11.2 (95%CI 9.3-NR) m in osimertinib (p=0.67) and 7.8 (95%CI 5.4-NR) vs 13 (95%CI 8.7-20.1) in erlotinib/gefitinib group (p=0.84). Conclusions: Necrosis emerges as a negative prognostic factor for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. The role of osimertinib in counteracting the impact of necrosis should be elucidated on a larger scale to yield more substantial data. Further analyses will be performed on patients treated with anti-angiogenic agents. Citation Format: Lodovica Zullo, Maria Rosa Ghigna, Wael Salem Zrafi, Arianna Marinello, Damien Vasseur, Maxime Frelaut, Pamela Abdayem, Marco Tagliamento, Pernelle Lavaud, Anas Gazzah, Jean-Yves Scoazec, Jordi Remon, Fabrice Barlesi, Benjamin Besse, David Planchard, Mihaela Aldea. Prognostic value of tumor microenvironment (TME) features in advanced, EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2023 Oct 11-15; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2023;22(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C168.

Path Less Traveled: Targeting Rare Driver Oncogenes in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Over the past decade, tremendous efforts have been made in the development of targeted agents in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with nonsquamous histology. Pivotal studies have used next-generation sequencing to select the patient population harboring oncogenic driver alterations that are targetable with targeted therapies. As treatment paradigm rapidly evolves for patients with rare oncogene-driven NSCLC, updated comprehensive overview of diagnostic approach and treatment options is paramount in clinical settings. In this review article, we discuss the epidemiology, molecular testing, and landmark clinical trials addressing the targeted agents for ROS1 rearrangement, METex14 skipping mutation, EGFR exon 20 insertion, KRAS G12C mutation, HER2 mutation, RET fusion, NTRK fusion, and BRAF mutations.

Emerging therapeutics and evolving assessment criteria for intracranial metastases in patients with oncogene-driven non-small-cell lung cancer.

The improved survival outcomes of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), largely owing to the improved control of systemic disease provided by immune-checkpoint inhibitors and novel targeted therapies, have highlighted the challenges posed by central nervous system (CNS) metastases as a devastating yet common complication, with up to 50% of patients developing such lesions during the course of the disease. Early-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) often provide robust systemic disease control in patients with oncogene-driven NSCLCs, although these agents are usually unable to accumulate to therapeutically relevant concentrations in the CNS owing to an inability to cross the blood-brain barrier. However, the past few years have seen a paradigm shift with the emergence of several novel or later-generation TKIs with improved CNS penetrance. Such agents have promising levels of activity against brain metastases, as demonstrated by data from preclinical and clinical studies. In this Review, we describe current preclinical and clinical evidence of the intracranial activity of TKIs targeting various oncogenic drivers in patients with NSCLC, with a focus on newer agents with enhanced CNS penetration, leptomeningeal disease and the need for intrathecal treatment options. We also discuss evolving assessment criteria and regulatory considerations for future clinical investigations.

FDA analysis of toxicity profiles of oral TKIs recently approved for non-small cell lung cancer based on receipt of prior immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

9119 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-(L)1 are standard front-line therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Molecularly targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard of care for subsets of oncogene-driven NSCLC. Published literature suggests the possibility of increased toxicity in patients who receive ICIs followed by EGFR or ALK TKI treatment. However, the toxicity profile in patients who receive ICIs followed by TKIs with other genomic targets has not been well described. Methods: Marketing applications for TKIs in patients with NSCLC submitted to the Office of Oncologic Diseases between Jan 2019 to Dec 2022 were reviewed. Datasets were analyzed for demographics, treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE), and prior anti-cancer therapies for TKI-treated patients in the primary efficacy population. Drug classes for which < 5% of patients received prior ICI were excluded. Grade 3-4 TEAE, serious adverse events (SAE), discontinuation TEAE and TEAE of interest (hepatotoxicity, rash, and interstitial lung disease [ILD]) were summarized. Results: 9 applications were identified and 2 were excluded. The remaining applications involved TKIs targeting EGFR exon 20 insertion, KRAS G12C, MET exon 14 skipping, and RET fusion alterations. Analyses included 867 patients; 61% received prior ICI therapy. Patient characteristics and results of analyses are presented in the table. In our pooled analysis, the incidence of Grade 3-4 AEs, SAEs, and hepatotoxicity were slightly higher in the prior ICI group, while the incidence of discontinuation TEAE, ILD, and rash were similar between groups. Analysis for hepatotoxicity was limited to reported AEs (did not include analysis of laboratory data). Review of toxicity data across individual drug classes did not show major differences compared to the overall results. Conclusions: Our analysis of safety data for newer TKIs with varied genomic targets does not appear to show excessive toxicity in patients with NSCLC who received prior ICI compared to those who did not. In future clinical trials evaluating TKIs in this population, inclusion of patients who have received prior ICI therapy should be considered when appropriate. [Table: see text]

Abstract 2264: Role of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors monotherapy for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Though improvement of overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was observed, their efficacy varies greatly among different immune and molecular profiles in tumors. Particularly, the clinical significance of ICIs for oncogene-driven NSCLC has been controversial. In this study, after excluding NSCLC patients harboring driven oncogenes as EGFR, ALK and ROS1 mutation, twenty NSCLC patents with higher Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression (PD-L1 ≧ 50%, immunohistochemical stained by SP263 or 22C3) were administered with Pembrolizumab alone as first-line immunotherapy. NSCLC patients with more higher PDL1 expression (PD-L1 ≧ 80%) had longer progression-free survival (PFS) PD-L1 ≧ 80% v.s. PD-L1 < 80%, PFS, median, 11.2 v.s 7.0 months, hazard ratio [HR]: 0.52, p = 0.03). 10 of them had other driven oncogenes (5 for KRAS, 3 for MET, 1 for BRAF and 1 for NRAS) were detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) (Illumina iSeq 100 Sequencing System; AmpliSeq for Illumina Focus Panel). Patients harboring driven oncogene had shorter PFS by first-line immunotherapy as Pembrolizumab (With driven oncogene v.s. without, PFS, median, 4.2 v.s.10.8 months, HR: 2.76, p = 0.001). In conclusion, NGS analysis was recommended even the NSCLC patients with higher PD-L1 expression before immunnotherapy. First-line ICIs monotherapy should be cautious for oncogene-driven NSCLC patients. Citation Format: Ying-Yin Chen, Chen-Wen Lin, Yenh-Chen Hsein, Chung-Yu Chen. Role of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors monotherapy for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2264.

Challenges of neoadjuvant targeted therapy in early stage non-small cell lung cancer—a narrative review

Background and Objective: There has been little advancement in the management of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) regarding neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting for almost two decades. Five-year survival rates for radically resected early stage NSCLC remain disappointing. The objective of this narrative review is to assess the current aspects and challenges of neoadjuvant targeted therapy in oncogene-driven NSCLC patients.

Changes of tumor microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer after TKI treatments.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common lung cancer diagnosis, among which epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS), and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations are the common genetic drivers. Their relative tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have shown a better response for oncogene-driven NSCLC than chemotherapy. However, the development of resistance is inevitable following the treatments, which need a new strategy urgently. Although immunotherapy, a hot topic for cancer therapy, has shown an excellent response for other cancers, few responses for oncogene-driven NSCLC have been presented from the existing evidence, including clinical studies. Recently, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is increasingly thought to be a key parameter for the efficacy of cancer treatment such as targeted therapy or immunotherapy, while evidence has also shown that the TME could be affected by multi-factors, such as TKIs. Here, we discuss changes in the TME in NSCLC after TKI treatments, especially for EGFR-TKIs, to offer information for a new therapy of oncogene-driven NSCLC.

Treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with driver mutations: current applications and future directions.

With the improved understanding of driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), expanding the targeted therapeutic options improved the survival and safety. However, responses to these agents are commonly temporary and incomplete. Moreover, even patients with the same oncogenic driver gene can respond diversely to the same agent. Furthermore, the therapeutic role of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in oncogene-driven NSCLC remains unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to classify the management of NSCLC with driver mutations based on the gene subtype, concomitant mutation, and dynamic alternation. Then, we provide an overview of the resistant mechanism of target therapy occurring in targeted alternations ("target-dependent resistance") and in the parallel and downstream pathways ("target-independent resistance"). Thirdly, we discuss the effectiveness of ICIs for NSCLC with driver mutations and the combined therapeutic approaches that might reverse the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment. Finally, we listed the emerging treatment strategies for the new oncogenic alternations, and proposed the perspective of NSCLC with driver mutations. This review will guide clinicians to design tailored treatments for NSCLC with driver mutations.

MET Amplification as a Resistance Driver to TKI Therapies in Lung Cancer: Clinical Challenges and Opportunities.

Targeted therapy has emerged as an important pillar for the standard of care in oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which significantly improved outcomes of patients whose tumors harbor oncogenic driver mutations. However, tumors eventually develop resistance to targeted drugs, and mechanisms of resistance can be diverse. MET amplification has been proven to be a driver of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-treated advanced NSCLC with its activation of EGFR, ALK, RET, and ROS-1 alterations. The combined therapy of MET-TKIs and EGFR-TKIs has shown outstanding clinical efficacy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC with secondary MET amplification-mediated resistance in a series of clinical trials. In this review, we aimed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of MET amplification-mediated resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, discuss the ways and challenges in the detection and diagnosis of MET amplifications in patients with metastatic NSCLC, and summarize the recently published clinical data as well as ongoing trials of new combination strategies to overcome MET amplification-mediated TKI resistance.

Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Patients with Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Future Directions.

While cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy has been the standard of care for the past two decades, the recent introduction of immunotherapy has heralded an important milestone in the adjuvant landscape of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The landmark approval of adjuvant atezolizumab based on disease-free survival (DFS) benefit in IMpower010 was swiftly followed by the recent data for use of adjuvant pembrolizumab in PEARLS/KEYNOTE-091, and similar trials involving other immune checkpoint inhibitors are eagerly anticipated. Although both atezolizumab and pembrolizumab demonstrated a significant DFS benefit in the intention-to-treat population, key subgroup analyses have raised questions about the role of predictive biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression and EGFR-mutation status. In this review, we examine the data from the two important trials (IMpower010 and PEARLS/KEYNOTE-091), discuss the controversies surrounding adjuvant immunotherapy including appropriate endpoints, biomarker selection and highlight key considerations in oncogene-driven NSCLC. Finally, we propose future directions including the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on developments in the adjuvant immunotherapy paradigm and role of minimal residual disease (MRD).

Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) in Oncogene-Driven NSCLC: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives.

Simple SummaryPersonalized medicine has significantly changed the clinical outcome of oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) due to the efficacy of molecular targeted therapies. Despite the advances in the management of this group of patients, the need for powerful biomarkers with the potential for a real-time assessment of the tumor genomic profile as well as for detecting and monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) remains unmet. The aim of this article is to present the current knowledge and the future perspectives regarding the prognostic value of ctDNA in NSCLC, focusing on the most common druggable driver mutations, including those in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1), rearranged during transfection (RET), kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS), B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF), and mesenchymal epithelial transition factor receptor (MET) genes.As we enter an unprecedented era of personalized medicine, molecular targeted therapies have the potential to induce improved survival outcome in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a significant percentage of oncogene-driven NSCLC patients will relapse even after definitive treatment, whereas chronic and durable response to targeted therapies is a less common event in advanced-stage lung cancer. This phenomenon could be attributed to minimal residual disease (MRD), defined as a population of disseminated tumor cells that survive during the course or after treatment, eventually leading to recurrence and limiting patient survival. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a powerful biomarker for MRD detection and monitoring and is a non-invasive approach of treating cancer, and especially NSCLC, based on a real-time assessment of the tumor genomic landscape. In this review, we present the key findings of studies that have used ctDNA with regard to its prognostic value and in respect to the most common druggable driver mutations of genes in NSCLC, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1), rearranged during transfection (RET), Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS), B-Raf proto-oncogene (BRAF), and mesenchymal epithelial transition factor receptor (MET).

Research Progress of Acquired Resistance Mediated by MET Amplification in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

间质-上皮细胞转化因子（mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor, MET）扩增是表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR）阳性非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）耐药的重要驱动因素，MET-酪氨酸激酶抑制剂（tyrosine kinase inhibitors, TKIs）联合EGFR-TKIs的治疗策略可以克服MET介导的获得性耐药。研究表明，MET扩增也是间变性淋巴瘤激酶（anaplastic lymphoma kinase, ALK）、RET、ROS1等驱动基因阳性NSCLC患者接受TKIs类药物治疗后耐药的驱动因素。本文综述了近年来关于MET扩增作为驱动基因阳性NSCLC靶向治疗耐药驱动因素的研究进展，并总结了克服这种耐药机制的治疗策略。

Therapeutic restoring p53 function with small molecule for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer by targeting serine 392 phosphorylation

p53 inactivation by disabling its function is a hallmark in lung carcinomas, emphasizing the significance of restoring p53 function as an attractive therapeutic strategy. However, the clinical efficacy of existing p53 activators is limited due to their inability to effectively activate p53 within the tumors. Here, we established a p53 activator screening assay in EGFR-driven lung cancer cells and identified a small molecular, MX-C4, as a promising candidate. Using high throughput compound screening and combination analyses, we found that MX-C4 effectively promoted the phosphorylation of p53 at serine-392 (s392). It exhibited potent antitumor activity in a variety of cancer cell lines, but only limited toxicity to NCI-H1299 (p53-null) and normal cell lines such as LX2 and HL-7702. Overexpression of p53 in NCI-H1299 cells by a p53 expressing virus vector sensitized cells to MX-C4 treatment, suggesting a p53-dependent anticancer activity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MX-C4 bound to p53 and exerted its anticancer activity through cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis induction. Mechanistic study indicated that p53 activation regulated cell cycle and cell survival related targets at protein levels. Moreover, p53 activation raised phospho-p53 translocation to mitochondria and subsequently reorganized the Bcl-xl-Bak complex, thus conformationally activating Bak and inducing apoptosis. It is noteworthy that MX-C4 could effectively activate p53 within the tumors in EGFR-driven xenograft models, where tumor was significantly suppressed without obvious toxicity. Our study identified a promising candidate for lung cancer therapy by restoring p53 function.