Retrospective Multicenter Study Investigating the Role of Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing of Selected Cancer Genes in Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Lung

Exploring circular MET RNA as a potential biomarker in tumors exhibiting high MET activity

BACKGROUND

MET-driven acquired resistance is emerging with unanticipated frequency in patients relapsing upon molecular therapy treatments. However, the determination of MET amplification remains challenging using both standard and next-generation sequencing-based methodologies. Liquid biopsy is an effective, non-invasive approach to define cancer genomic profiles, track tumor evolution over time, monitor treatment response and detect molecular resistance in advance. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a family of RNA molecules that originate from a process of back-splicing, are attracting growing interest as potential novel biomarkers for their stability in body fluids.

METHODS

We identified a circRNA encoded by the MET gene (circMET) and exploited blood-derived cell-free RNA (cfRNA) and matched tumor tissues to identify, stratify and monitor advanced cancer patients molecularly characterized by high MET activity, generally associated with genomic amplification.

RESULTS

Using publicly available bioinformatic tools, we discovered that the MET locus transcribes several circRNA molecules, but only one candidate, circMET, was particularly abundant. Deeper molecular analysis revealed that circMET levels positively correlated with MET expression and activity, especially in MET-amplified cells. We developed a circMET-detection strategy and, in parallel, we performed standard FISH and IHC analyses in the same specimens to assess whether circMET quantification could identify patients displaying high MET activity. Longitudinal monitoring of circMET levels in the plasma of selected patients revealed the early emergence of MET amplification as a mechanism of acquired resistance to molecular therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that measurement of circMET levels allows identification and tracking of patients characterized by high MET activity. Circulating circMET (ccMET) detection and analysis could be a simple, cost-effective, non-invasive approach to better implement patient stratification based on MET expression, as well as to dynamically monitor over time both therapy response and clonal evolution during treatment.

Gefitinib improves severe bronchorrhea and prolongs the survival of a patient with lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma: A case report

BACKGROUND

Lung invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (LIMA), formerly referred to as mucinous bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, is a rare disease that usually presents as bilateral lung infiltration, is unsuitable for surgery and radiotherapy, and shows poor response to conventional chemotherapy.

CASE SUMMARY

We report a 56-year-old Chinese man with a history of smoking and epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positivity who was initially misdiagnosed as severe pneumonia, but was ultimately diagnosed as a case of invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung by computed tomography -guided percutaneous lung biopsy. Bronchorrhea and dyspnea were improved within 24 h after initiation of gefitinib therapy and the radiographic signs of bilateral lung consolidation showed visible improvement within 30 d. After more than 11 months of treatment, there is no evidence of recurrence or severe adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Although the precise mechanism of the antitumor effects of gefitinib are not clear, our experience indicates an important role of the drug in LIMA and provides a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Metastatic mucinous ovarian carcinoma simulating lung primary: an integrated diagnostic lesson

We herein document a rare instance of primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma metastatic to the left lung, whose deceptive secondary derivation was already envisaged according to the spectacular thromboembolism involving small pulmonary vessels, thereby realizing a centrifugal and centripetal metastatizing loop. This presentation was indicative of dismal prognosis. A multimodal biomarker key approach is herein emphasized, which included close clinico-pathologic data integration.

Clinicopathological Features and Survival Outcomes of Primary Pulmonary Invasive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma

Simple Summary

Pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) is a recognized variant of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) that has unique histological patterns. Comprehensively clinical studies and pathological analyses on IMAs have been limited because IMA is rarely diagnosed compared with other subtypes. We compared the clinical characteristics, pathological features, and survival outcomes of 77 IMA patients with 520 non-IMA-type ADC patients. Currently, IMAs lack a simple pathological prognostic grading system to predict survival. We therefore proposed a simple two-tier grading system, which was modified from the low- and high-grade PanIN grading system, to evaluate its prognostic value. We found that IMAs have more distinct clinicopathological characteristics compared to non-IMA-type ADCs. For patients with stage I–IIIA IMA, a new two-tier grading system might be useful in predicting recurrence-free survival. We demonstrated that stage I and II IMAs have better overall survival compared with non-IMA-type ADCs.

Abstract

Pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) has unique histological patterns. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the clinicopathological features, prognosis, and survival outcomes of IMAs. We retrospectively identified 77 patients with pulmonary IMA and reviewed their clinical and pathological features. Another 520 patients with non-IMA-type ADC were retrieved for comparison with patients with IMA. A new two-tier grading system (high-grade and low-grade IMAs) modified from the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia classification system was used for survival analyses. Compared to patients with non-IMA-type ADC, patients with IMA tended to have never smoked (p = 0.01) and had early-stage IMA at initial diagnosis (p < 0.001). For stage I–II diseases, the five-year overall survival (OS) rates were 76% in IMAs and 50% in non-IMA-type ADCs, and a longer OS was observed in patients with IMA (p = 0.002). KRAS mutations were the most commonly detected driver mutations, which occurred in 12 of the 28 (43%) patients. High-grade IMAs were associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) for stage I–IIIA diseases (p = 0.010) than low-grade IMAs but not for OS. In conclusion, patients with stage I and II IMA had better OS than those with non-IMA-type ADC. A new two-tier grading system might be useful for predicting RFS in stage I–IIIA IMAs.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival of pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma based on surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database

Background

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death globally. In 2015, the cancer classification guidelines of the World Health Organization were updated. The term “invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA)” aroused people’s attention, while the clinicopathological factors that may influence survival were unclear.

Methods

Data of IMA patients was downloaded from SEER database. Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank tests were used to compare the differences in OS and LCSS. The nomogram was developed based on the result of the multivariable analysis. The discrimination and accuracy were tested by Harrell’s concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analyses (DCA). Integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) index was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy.

Results

According to multivariate analysis, the prognosis of IMAs was associated with age, differentiation grade, TNM stage and treatments. Surgery might be the only way that would improve survival. Area under the curve (AUC) of the training cohort was 0.834and 0.830 for3-and 5-year OS, respectively. AUC for 3-and 5-year LCSS were separately 0.839 and 0.839. The new model was then evaluated by calibration curve, DCA and IDI index.

Conclusion

Based on this study, prognosis of IMAs was systematically reviewed, and a new nomogram was developed and validated. This model helps us understand IMA in depth and provides new ideas for IMA treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07811-x.

Genomic Profiling and Prognostic Value Analysis of Genetic Alterations in Chinese Resected Lung Cancer With Invasive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma

Background

Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) of the lung is a distinct histological subtype with unique clinical and pathological features. Despite previous genomic studies on lung IMA, the genetic characteristics and the prognosis-related biomarkers in Chinese surgically resected lung IMA remain unclear.

Methods

We collected 76 surgically resected primary tumors of invasive lung adenocarcinoma, including 51 IMA and 25 non-mucinous adenocarcinomas (non-IMA). IMA was further divided into pure-IMA (mucinous features≥90%) and mixed-IMA subgroups. Comprehensive genomic profiling based on targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 425 genes was explored and genomic characteristics were evaluated for the correlation with postoperative disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

IMA had a unique genetic profile, with more diverse driver mutations and more tumor drivers/suppressors co-occurrence than that of non-IMA. The frequency of EGFR (72.0% vs. 40.0% vs. 23.1%, p=0.002) and ALK (undetected vs. 20.0% vs. 26.9%, p=0.015) alterations showed a trend of gradual decrease and increase from non-IMA to mixed-IMA to pure-IMA, respectively. The frequency of KRAS mutations in pure-IMA was higher than that in mixed-IMA, albeit statistically insignificant (23.1% vs. 4.0%, p=0.10). TP53 mutation was significantly less in pure-IMA compared to mixed-IMA and non-IMA (23.1% vs. 52.0% vs. 56.0%, p=0.03). Besides, IMA exhibited less arm-level amplifications (p=0.04) and more arm-level deletions (p=0.004) than non-IMA, and the frequency of amplification and deletion also showed a trend of gradual decrease and increase from non-IMA to mixed-IMA to pure-IMA, respectively. Furthermore, prognosis analysis in stage III IMA patients showed that patients harboring alterations in EGFR (mDFS=30.3 vs. 16.0 months, HR=0.19, P=0.027) and PI3K pathway (mDFS=36.0 vs. 16.0 months, HR=0.12, P=0.023) achieved prolonged DFS, while patients with poorly differentiated tumors (mDFS=14.1 vs. 28.0 months, HR=3.75, p=0.037) or with KRAS mutations (mDFS=13.0 vs. 20.0 months, HR=6.95, p=0.027) had shorter DFS. Multivariate analysis showed that KRAS mutations, PI3K pathway alterations, and tumor differentiation status were independent factors that have statistically significant influences on clinical outcomes of IMA patients.

Conclusion

Our study provided genomic insights into Chinese surgically resected lung IMA. We also identified several genomic features that may serve as potential biomarkers on postoperative recurrence in IMA patients with stage III disease.

Primary lung adenocarcinoma in three adolescent patients affected by bone sarcomas

Pediatric primary lung carcinomas are extremely rare. Apart from known associations with congenital adenomatoid malformations, cases of primary lung adenocarcinomas after prolonged treatments of pediatric malignancy have been reported. We describe the morphological and molecular features of three cases of lung adenocarcinoma developed in adolescents aged 8 to 17 years during progression of their bone osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcomas. The morphological features overlapped those of adult lung adenocarcinoma including in situ, minimally invasive, and invasive forms. EGFR gene mutations were found in all three cases by targeted next-generation sequencing. The two patients with Ewing sarcoma had no progression of their lung cancer and no further progression of the metastatic bone tumor after additional chemo- and radio-therapy. Conversely, the osteosarcoma patient refused further treatments after thoracic surgery for metastatic osteosarcoma and locally advanced adenocarcinoma and died 2 years later of widespread distant metastases. Our results indicate that primary lung cancer might originate in pediatric patients during prolonged adjuvant therapies for primary bone neoplasm, and this possibility should be considered in the presence of suspected lung disease progression to correctly monitor the primary tumor evolution and define the appropriate therapeutic strategy at each time point. If appropriately treated, second primary lung cancer may not affect the patients' prognosis. The pathogenetic mechanisms of these rare lung adenocarcinomas are not clear, but the presence of EGFR mutations in all three cases indicates an oncogene addiction of the lung tumor, rather than a direct cancerogenic effect of the sarcoma-related treatment.

[Advanced Pneumonic-type Lung Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study of Clinical-radiological-pathological Characteristics with Survival Analysis in A Single Chinese Hospital]

背景与目的

肺炎型肺癌是一种临床和影像表现特殊的肺癌。本研究旨在总结此类肺癌的临床、影像及病理学特征，诊断手段，治疗方案及预后情况。

方法

肺炎型肺癌定义为：肺部计算机断层扫描（computed tomography, CT）以磨玻璃或实变影为主要表现，经组织学或细胞学明确诊断的肺癌。收集2013年1月1日-2018年8月30日期间，就诊于北京协和医院呼吸与危重症医学科的晚期肺炎型肺癌病例，回顾性分析这些患者临床资料并进行生存随访。

结果

共纳入46例患者，均为肺腺癌。咳嗽（41/46, 89.1%）、咳痰（35/46, 76.1%）是最常见的临床表现。胸部CT常见表现为磨玻璃影（87.0%）、实变影（84.8%）、以及多发磨玻璃结节（84.8%），多发囊样变和空洞分别为40.0%和13.0%。同侧及对侧肺转移分别见于95.3%和84.8%的病例。从出现症状到明确诊断的中位时间为214天（95%CI: 129-298）。CT引导肺穿刺活检及外科肺活检的确诊率为100%，支气管镜下的支气管肺泡灌洗（BAL）联合经支气管肺活检（TBLB）的确诊率为80.9%（17/21），痰液病理学检查的确诊率为45.0%（9/20）。病理亚型，26例（26/46, 56.5%）为浸润性粘液腺癌，20例患者因缺乏足够的病理标本量而无法进一步区分亚型。38例进行了EGFR基因检测，6例（6/38, 15.8%）有突变。33例进行ALK基因检测，仅1例（1/33, 3.0%）有ALK重排。中位总生存期（overall survival, OS）为522天（95%CI: 424-619）。EGFR野生型或ALK融合基因阴性的患者，化疗明显延长中位OS（HR=0.155, P=0.002, 2），接受化疗者中位OS 547天（95%CI: 492-602），不接受化疗者中位OS 331天（95%CI: 22-919）。

结论

肺炎型肺癌由于其临床和影像特征与肺部感染相似而经常导致延误诊断。支气管镜下的BAL联合TBLB有相当高的确诊率。浸润性粘液腺癌为肺炎型肺癌的主要病理亚型。肺炎型肺癌EGFR突变及ALK重排发生率很低。对于无明确驱动基因的患者，应积极行化疗，延长患者生存期。

Next generation sequencing of lung adenocarcinoma subtypes with intestinal differentiation reveals distinct molecular signatures associated with histomorphology and therapeutic options

OBJECTIVES

We aim to provide a better understanding of the molecular landscape of primary lung adenocarcinomas with intestinal differentiation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Five invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas (IMA) and seven pulmonary enteric adenocarcinomas (PEAD) were included in this study. Furthermore, we analyzed six pulmonary colloid adenocarcinomas (CAD), including one primary tumor, one metastasis, and two sample pairs consisting of the primary colloid lung tumor and a matching metastasis and an acinar component, respectively. All samples were characterized using immunohistochemistry (TTF-1, CK7, CK20, CDX2, Ki-67, ALK and PD-L1) and a next generation sequencing panel covering 404 cancer-related genes (FoundationOne® gene panel).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

While Ki-67 expression was comparably low in IMA (range: 8-15%) and in primary CAD (range: 5-8%), we observed considerably higher proliferation rates in the non-colloid tumor compartment (16%) and metastases (72%) from CAD, as well as in the PEAD-group (36-71%). The overall tumor mutational burden was lowest in IMA (2.5 mutations per megabase), intermediate in CAD (5.8 mutations per megabase) and highest in PEAD (16.8 mutations per megabase). KRAS mutations were frequent in all three tumor subtypes, but TP53 mutations were mostly limited to PEAD. While chromosomal alterations were rare in IMA, we discovered MYC amplifications in three of four CAD. Comparing primary and metastatic CAD, we observed the acquisition of multiple mutations and chromosomal alterations. PEAD had a variety of chromosomal alterations, including two cases with RICTOR amplification. PD-L1 expression (20%, 50% and 80% of tumor cells) was limited to three PEAD samples, only. In conclusion, we provide a detailed insight into the molecular alterations across and within the different subtypes of pulmonary adenocarcinomas with intestinal differentiation. From a clinical perspective, we provide data on potential treatment strategies for patients with PEAD, including immunotherapy.

A case of invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung showing stepwise progression at the primary site

OBJECTIVE

Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) is a variant of lung adenocarcinoma. We present one case of IMA with mixed mucinous and non-mucinous components, suggesting stepwise progression within the tumor.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The two different components of IMA were separately examined by immunohistochemistry and performed amplicon sequencing (Ion Ampliseq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2, ilumina, San Diego, CA).

RESULT

Macroscopically, the IMA contained a small and well demarcated solid part. Tumor cells in the main part showed abundant intracytoplasmic mucin, whereas those in the solid part showed scant intracytoplasmic mucin and high-grade nuclear atypia. Both parts harbored the same KRAS p.G12 V mutation. The amplicon sequencing of the IMA showed oncogenic TP53 p.P278 L mutation was detected only in the solid part.

CONCLUSION

Oncogenetic TP53 mutation might promote stepwise progression of this case of IMA.

Molecular and Morphological Profiling of Lung Cancer: A Foundation for "Next-Generation" Pathologists and Oncologists

The pathological diagnosis of lung cancer has largely been based on the morphological features observed microscopically. Recent innovations in molecular and genetic technology enable us to compare conventional histological classifications, protein expression status, and gene abnormalities. The introduction of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project along with the widespread use of the next-generation sequencer (NGS) have facilitated access to enormous data regarding the molecular profiles of lung cancer. The World Health Organization classification of lung cancer, which was revised in 2015, is based on this progress in molecular pathology; moreover, immunohistochemistry has come to play a larger role in diagnosis. In this article, we focused on genetic and epigenetic abnormalities in non-small cell carcinoma (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma), neuroendocrine tumor (including carcinoids, small cell carcinoma, and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma), and carcinoma with rare histological subtypes. In addition, we summarize the therapeutic targeted reagents that are currently available and undergoing clinical trials. A good understanding of the morphological and molecular profiles will be necessary in routine practice when the NGS platform is widely used.

Pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinomas: a clinicopathologic series with emphasis on the prognostic significance of spread through alveolar spaces, and presence of solid growth component

Background

Mucinous adenocarcinoma is often considered a relatively poor prognostic group among adenocarcinomas of the lung and has a high rate of pulmonary recurrence. Pathologic parameters predicting poor outcome have not been extensively studied, including the presence of spread through alveolar spaces (STAS).

Methods

We retrospectively studied time to lung recurrence and time to distant metastasis in 30 mucinous lung tumors, in relationship to histologic parameters, including spread through alveolar spaces, tumor size, invasive size, % invasive size, growth pattern (solid or cribriform, acinar, papillary, micropapillary, and lepidic), type of mucin-producing cell, and TTF-1 positivity.

Results

Median follow-up was 40 months. There were 7 patients (23%) with lung recurrence (mean 22 months) and 7 (23%) with distant metastases (mean 3.7 months). Columnar / goblet cell type was inversely correlated with TTF-1 expression (p = 0.01). The only pathologic parameters associated with outcome were STAS for lung recurrence (p = .005) and solid/cribriform growth (≥ 20% of tumor) for distant metastasis (p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Mucinous adenocarcinomas of the lung are similar to non-mucinous prognostically, in that STAS and solid growth are poor prognosticators, for local and distant recurrence, respectively. The growth patterns of mucinous adenocarcinomas should be reported similar to reporting of non-mucinous adenocarcinomas.

Requirement for MUC5AC in KRAS-dependent lung carcinogenesis

With more than 150,000 deaths per year in the US alone, lung cancer has the highest number of deaths for any cancer. These poor outcomes reflect a lack of treatment for the most common form of lung cancer, non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) is the most prevalent subtype of NSCLC, with the main oncogenic drivers being KRAS and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Whereas EGFR blockade has led to some success in lung ADC, effective KRAS inhibition is lacking. KRAS-mutant ADCs are characterized by high levels of gel-forming mucin expression, with the highest mucin levels corresponding to worse prognoses. Despite these well-recognized associations, little is known about roles for individual gel-forming mucins in ADC development causatively. We hypothesized that MUC5AC/Muc5ac, a mucin gene known to be commonly expressed in NSCLC, is crucial in KRAS/Kras-driven lung ADC. We found that MUC5AC was a significant determinant of poor prognosis, especially in patients with KRAS-mutant tumors. In addition, by using mice with lung ADC induced chemically with urethane or transgenically by mutant-Kras expression, we observed significantly reduced tumor development in animals lacking Muc5ac compared with controls. Collectively, these results provide strong support for MUC5AC as a potential therapeutic target for lung ADC, a disease with few effective treatments.

Detailed genomic characterization identifies high heterogeneity and histotype-specific genomic profiles in adrenocortical carcinomas

Molecular characterization of adrenocortical carcinoma has been recently established, but the correlation between molecular profiles and clinical and pathological characteristics is still poorly defined with no data available about genetic heterogeneity along disease progression. In this scenario, a detailed molecular profile was correlated with clinical and pathological characteristics in adrenocortical carcinoma patients to identify potentially novel biomarkers. Targeted next-generation sequencing and copy number variation analyses for 18 most frequently altered genes in adrenocortical carcinoma were assessed on 62 adult cases (including 10 with matched primary and metastatic/recurrence samples) and results correlated with major clinical and pathological characteristics of tumors. A total of 433 somatic deleterious genetic alterations (328 gene mutations and 105 copy number variations) were identified in 57/62 cases, five resulted wild type for all genes tested. TERT, CDK4, ZNRF3,and RB1 were altered in more than 30% of cases. Among histological variants genotypes were significantly different. Lowest mutation burden was found in the oncocytic type (p = 0.006), whereas the highest with a prevalence of RB1 (p = 0.001) and CDK4 (p = 0.002) was found in the conventional and myxoid ones, respectively. None of the 10 cases with matched samples showed a stable genotype along tumor progression, although allelic frequencies or percentages of altered nuclei at fluorescence in situ hybridization were in most cases similar among different tumor samples for genes that were stable along tumor progression. Among individual genes, an altered p53/Rb1 pathway was the strongest adverse molecular signature, being associated with high Ki-67 index, high tumor stage, aggressive disease status, and shorter disease-free survival. The genomic signature in adrenocortical carcinoma is changing along tumor progression and is associated with specific clinical and pathological features, including histological variant and prognosis.

Diagnosis, clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma

Primary pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma (PPMA) is an uncommon subtype of lung adenocarcinoma. The present study attempted to clarify the diagnosis, clinicopathological characteristics, and pathologic significance of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) mutations and the prognosis of PPMA. A total of 29 patients with PPMA from among 1,469 surgically resected patients with lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. All of the tumours expressed CK7 and 5 cases exhibited co-expression with CK20. A total of 8 cases expressed EGFR, 14 cases expressed P53 and 2 cases expressed CEA. The majority of mucinous adenocarcinomas expressed thyroid transcription factor 1, Napsin A, Villin and Cam5.2 proteins. KRAS mutations were observed in 62% of patients and were more prevalent in the lower lung lobe and in patients with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. A total of 2 cases exhibited an EGFR mutation, and the co-mutation of KRAS and EGFR was only detected in 1 case. The relapse-free and overall survival rates at 5 years were 70.4, and 81.5%, respectively. The results may assist to identify a molecular target and supply important information for a therapeutic strategy for patients with PPMA.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma with mucin production modulates phenotype according to common genetic traits: a reappraisal of mucinous adenocarcinoma and colloid adenocarcinoma

Whether invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) and colloid adenocarcinoma (ICA) of the lung represent separate tumour entities, or simply lie within a spectrum of phenotypic variability, is worth investigating. Fifteen ICA, 12 IMA, 9 ALK‐rearranged adenocarcinomas (ALKA), 8 non‐mucinous KRAS‐mutated adenocarcinomas (KRASA) and 9 mucinous breast adenocarcinomas (MBA) were assessed by immunohistochemistry for alveolar (TTF1, cytoplasmic MUC1), intestinal (CDX‐2, MUC2), gastric (membrane MUC1, MUC6), bronchial (MUC5AC), mesenchymal (vimentin), neuroendocrine (chromogranin A, synaptophysin), sex steroid hormone‐related (oestrogen and progesterone receptors), pan‐mucinous (HNF4A) and pan‐epithelial (keratin 7) lineage biomarkers and by targeted next generation sequencing (TNGS) for 50 recurrently altered cancer genes. Unsupervised clustering analysis using molecular features identified cluster 1 (IMA and ICA), cluster 2 (ALKA and KRASA) and cluster 3 (MBA) (p < 0.0001). Cluster 1 showed four histology‐independent sub‐clusters (S1 to S4) pooled by HFN4A and MUC5AC but diversely reacting for TTF1, MUC1, MUC2, MUC6 and CDX2. Sub‐cluster S1 predominantly featured intestinal‐alveolar, S2 gastrointestinal, S3 gastric and S4 alveolar differentiation. In turn, KRASA and ALKA shared alveolar lineage alongside residual MUC5AC expression, with additional focal CDX2 and diffuse vimentin, respectively. A proximal‐to‐distal scheme extending from terminal (TB) and respiratory (RB) bronchioles to alveolar cells was devised, where S3 originated from distal TB (cellular mucinous adenocarcinoma), S2 from proximal RB (secreting mucinous adenocarcinoma), S1 from intermediate RB (mucin lake‐forming colloid adenocarcinoma), S4 from distal RB (colloid alveolar adenocarcinoma), KRASA from juxta‐alveolar RB (KRAS‐mutated non‐mucinous adenocarcinoma) and ALKA from juxta‐bronchial alveolar cells (ALK‐translocated adenocarcinoma). TNGS analysis showed KRAS, LKB1, TP53, APC and CDKN2A mutation predominance. In conclusion, IMA and ICA are basket categories, which likely originate from distinct domains of stem/progenitor cells spatially distributed along bronchioles upon common molecular features and genetic alterations.