The Unique Spatial-Temporal Treatment Failure Patterns of Adjuvant Gefitinib Therapy: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ADJUVANT Trial (CTONG 1104)

Real-World Treatment Patterns and Survival Among Patients with Stage I-III, Non-Squamous, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Surgery as Primary Treatment

INTRODUCTION

Approximately half of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present with early-stage disease at diagnosis. Real-world outcomes data are limited for this population but are of interest given recent and impending results from trials evaluating epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and immunotherapies in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative settings.

METHODS

A retrospective, longitudinal, population-level study was conducted in patients diagnosed with resected stage I-III non-squamous NSCLC in Ontario, Canada, between April 2010 and March 2019. Study outcomes included patient characteristics and median overall survival (mOS), with stratification by disease stage and treatment exposure. Patients receiving EGFR-TKIs (assumed EGFR mutation-positive by proxy) were a key population of interest.

RESULTS

Among 8255 cases, 4881 had stage I, 2124 had stage II, and 1250 had stage III NSCLC at diagnosis. The mean patient age was 68 years; 53.5% were female. In the overall cohort, 19.6% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with significantly longer mOS than not receiving such therapy: stage II (7.6 [95% confidence interval: 6.5-8.5] vs. 4.4 [4.0-4.9] years) or stage III (4.4 [3.6-5.1] vs. 2.7 [2.3-3.3] years), both p < 0.0001. Patients receiving treatment (EGFR-TKIs and chemotherapy) were assumed to have experienced disease recurrence/relapse; mOS was longer among those receiving an EGFR-TKI than among those receiving chemotherapy (2.3 [1.8-3.0] vs. 1.1 [1.0-1.3] years).

CONCLUSION

In Ontario, between 2010 and 2019, uptake of adjuvant therapy was low among patients with resected NSCLC, despite such therapy being associated with improved survival. Patients assumed to have recurred/relapsed had markedly reduced mOS, regardless of subsequent therapy, compared with those who did not relapse/recur. Novel peri-adjuvant treatment options are needed to enhance outcomes after lung resection.

Perioperative Treatment Strategies in EGFR-Mutant Early-Stage NSCLC: Current Evidence and Future Challenges

Treatment with 3 years of adjuvant osimertinib is considered a new standard in patients with completely resected stage I to IIIA NSCLC harboring a common sensitizing EGFR mutation. This therapeutic approach significantly prolonged the disease-free survival and the overall survival versus placebo and revealed a significant role in preventing the occurrence of brain metastases. However, many unanswered questions remain, including the optimal duration of this therapy, whether all patients benefit from adjuvant osimertinib, and the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in this population. Indeed, there is a renewed interest in neoadjuvant strategies with targeted therapies in resectable NSCLC harboring oncogenic drivers. In light of these considerations, we discuss the past and current treatment options, and the clinical challenges that should be addressed to optimize the treatment outcomes in this patient population.

Effectiveness comparison of third-generation EGFR-TKI as initial and sequential therapy in adjuvant treatment for EGFR mutation-sensitive stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer after surgery

Introduction

Although third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) Osimertinib has been approved as adjuvant therapy for resected stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR-sensitive mutations, the optimal treatment sequencing of EGFR-TKIs, particularly whether Osimertinib should be the initial or sequential therapy following the first-generation EGFR-TKIs remains uncertain.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of patients with EGFR-mutated stage IIIA NSCLC who received treatment with either first-generation EGFR-TKIs or Osimertinib (third-generation) alone, or in sequential combination, at a single institution. The data analysis involved using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox regression.

Results

Out of the total 148 patients with stage IIIA NSCLC included in the study, 76 individuals underwent treatment with either first-generation EGFR-TKIs (referred to as subgroup "1″) or exclusively Osimertinib (subgroup "0 + 3″), or a sequential combination of the two (subgroup "1 + 3″) following surgery. Both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that there were no discernible disparities in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival between subgroup " 1″ and " 1 + 3," nor between subgroup " 0 + 3″ and "1 + 3".

Conclusion

The findings from this study indicate that the introduction of third-generation EGFR-TKI Osimertinib did not yield enhanced survival benefits when compared to the first-generation drug in patients with stage IIIA completely resected NSCLC who were administered EGFR-TKIs as part of their postoperative adjuvant treatment. Additionally, within the observed sample size of this cohort, the sequential use of Osimertinib alongside first-generation EGFR-TKI did not demonstrate superiority over using either the first-generation EGFR-TKI or Osimertinib alone in terms of postoperative survival.

Randomized phase II adjuvant trial to compare two treatment durations of icotinib (2 years versus 1 year) for stage II-IIIA EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients (ICOMPARE study)

BACKGROUND

Despite the prolonged median disease-free survival (DFS) by adjuvant targeted therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, the relationship between the treatment duration and the survival benefits in patients remains unknown.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II trial, eligible patients aged 18-75 years with EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma and who had not received adjuvant chemotherapy after complete tumor resection were enrolled from eight centers in China. Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to receive either 1-year or 2-year icotinib (125 mg thrice daily). The primary endpoint was DFS assessed by investigator. The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01929200).

RESULTS

Between September 2013 and October 2018, 109 patients were enrolled (1-year group, n = 55; 2-year group, n = 54). Median DFS was 48.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 33.1-70.1 months] in the 2-year group and 32.9 months (95% CI 26.6-44.8 months) in the 1-year group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.51; 95% CI 0.28-0.94; P = 0.0290]. Median OS for patients was 75.8 months [95% CI 64.4 months-not evaluable (NE)] in the 2-year group and NE (95% CI 66.3 months-NE) in the 1-year group (HR 0.34; 95% CI 0.13-0.95; P = 0.0317). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were observed in 41 of 55 (75%) patients in the 1-year group and in 36 of 54 (67%) patients in the 2-year group. Grade 3-4 TRAEs occurred in 4 of 55 (7%) patients in the 1-year group and in 3 of 54 (6%) patients in the 2-year group. No treatment-related deaths or interstitial lung disease was reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Two-year adjuvant icotinib was shown to significantly improve DFS and provide an OS benefit in EGFR-mutant, stage II-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma patients compared with 1-year treatment in this exploratory phase II study.

Adjuvant Treatments for Surgically Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Mutations: A Review

Importance

The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage IB-IIIA resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has limited benefit for improving cure rates. The proportion of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alterations among patients with resected NSCLC is comparable to that observed in patients with advanced disease, and the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been demonstrated to prolong disease-free survival (DFS). With recent approval of osimertinib in this context, a focus on the rapidly evolving scenario and future perspective in clinical practice is needed and was the aim of the current review.

Observations

Randomized phase 3 clinical trials demonstrated DFS benefit with adjuvant EGFR TKI therapy in patients with resected EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. The most recent trial (ADAURA) assessed 3-year adjuvant osimertinib and showed consistent DFS benefit and a significant role of the intervention in preventing the occurrence of brain metastasis. However, the role of adjuvant chemotherapy, the appropriate duration of treatment, the management of disease relapse, and the effective cure rate remain undetermined. A deeper investigation on molecular biomarkers, covariant patterns, and dynamic monitoring of postsurgical circulating DNA would be helpful for the implementation of future strategies to further improve survival rates after adjuvant therapy for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

Conclusions and Relevance

Adjuvant osimertinib revolutionized the treatment algorithm for patients with stage IB-IIIA resected EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Further evidence driven by clinical issues will be key for further optimization of the goals of adjuvant treatment in these patients.

Overall Survival with Osimertinib in Resected EGFR-Mutated NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Among patients with resected, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated, stage IB to IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), adjuvant osimertinib therapy, with or without previous adjuvant chemotherapy, resulted in significantly longer disease-free survival than placebo in the ADAURA trial. We report the results of the planned final analysis of overall survival.

METHODS

In this phase 3, double-blind trial, we randomly assigned eligible patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive osimertinib (80 mg once daily) or placebo until disease recurrence was observed, the trial regimen was completed (3 years), or a discontinuation criterion was met. The primary end point was investigator-assessed disease-free survival among patients with stage II to IIIA disease. Secondary end points included disease-free survival among patients with stage IB to IIIA disease, overall survival, and safety.

RESULTS

Of 682 patients who underwent randomization, 339 received osimertinib and 343 received placebo. Among patients with stage II to IIIA disease, the 5-year overall survival was 85% in the osimertinib group and 73% in the placebo group (overall hazard ratio for death, 0.49; 95.03% confidence interval [CI], 0.33 to 0.73; P<0.001). In the overall population (patients with stage IB to IIIA disease), the 5-year overall survival was 88% in the osimertinib group and 78% in the placebo group (overall hazard ratio for death, 0.49; 95.03% CI, 0.34 to 0.70; P<0.001). One new serious adverse event, pneumonia related to coronavirus disease 2019, was reported after the previously published data-cutoff date (the event was not considered by the investigator to be related to the trial regimen, and the patient fully recovered). Adjuvant osimertinib had a safety profile consistent with that in the primary analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant osimertinib provided a significant overall survival benefit among patients with completely resected, EGFR-mutated, stage IB to IIIA NSCLC. (Funded by AstraZeneca; ADAURA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02511106.).

Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor following complete surgical resection in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION

Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are one of the most common targetable oncogenic drivers of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that selectively inhibits EGFR-TKI sensitizing (ex19del or L858R) and T790M mutations and has superior CNS penetration. Osimertinib is approved in EGFR mutant stage IB-IIIA NSCLC following complete tumor resection.

AREAS COVERED

This review opinion article summarizes the pivotal studies that led to the approval of current adjuvant therapies in NSCLC with the primary focus on EGFR-TKI osimertinib and outlines the future strategies in the era of neoadjuvant immunotherapy and emerging novel roles of EGFR targeting therapies. The literature search has been performed using PubMed, Food and Drug Administration website, and Google search.

EXPERT OPINION

Osimertinib showed significant and clinically meaningful disease-free survival benefit compared to placebo in EGFR mutant stage IB-IIIA NSCLC following complete tumor resection. Whether this will lead to improvement in overall survival and the optimal length of treatment remain open questions and are much-debated topic in the lung cancer field.

Adjuvant Osimertinib for Resected EGFR-Mutated Stage IB-IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Updated Results From the Phase III Randomized ADAURA Trial

PURPOSE

The phase III ADAURA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02511106) primary analysis demonstrated a clinically significant disease-free survival (DFS) benefit with adjuvant osimertinib versus placebo in EGFR-mutated stage IB-IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete tumor resection (DFS hazard ratio [HR], 0.20 [99.12% CI, 0.14 to 0.30]; P < .001). We report an updated exploratory analysis of final DFS data.

METHODS

Overall, 682 patients with stage IB-IIIA (American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control, seventh edition) EGFR-mutated (exon 19 deletion/L858R) NSCLC were randomly assigned 1:1 (stratified by stage, mutational status, and race) to receive osimertinib 80 mg once-daily or placebo for 3 years. The primary end point was DFS by investigator assessment in stage II-IIIA disease analyzed by stratified log-rank test; following early reporting of statistical significance in DFS, no further formal statistical testing was planned. Secondary end points included DFS in stage IB-IIIA, overall survival, and safety. Patterns of recurrence and CNS DFS were prespecified exploratory end points.

RESULTS

At data cutoff (April 11, 2022), in stage II-IIIA disease, median follow-up was 44.2 months (osimertinib) and 19.6 months (placebo); the DFS HR was 0.23 (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.30); 4-year DFS rate was 70% (osimertinib) and 29% (placebo). In the overall population, DFS HR was 0.27 (95% CI, 0.21 to 0.34); 4-year DFS rate was 73% (osimertinib) and 38% (placebo). Fewer patients treated with osimertinib had local/regional and distant recurrence versus placebo. CNS DFS HR in stage II-IIIA was 0.24 (95% CI, 0.14 to 0.42). The long-term safety profile of osimertinib was consistent with the primary analysis.

CONCLUSION

These updated data demonstrate prolonged DFS benefit over placebo, reduced risk of local and distant recurrence, improved CNS DFS, and a consistent safety profile, supporting the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib in resected EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Perioperative systemic therapies for non-small-cell lung cancer: Recent advances and future perspectives

The mainstay of treatment for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is surgical resection. Traditionally, chemotherapy has been used perioperatively in locally extensive disease to improve the oncologic outcomes of surgery, with a 5-year absolute survival benefit of approximately 5%. In recent years, immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy have shown excellent results in the treatment of locoregionally advanced and metastatic NSCLC, replacing chemotherapy as first-line treatment in certain cases. Consequently, researchers have been increasingly investigating the use of immunotherapy or targeted therapy in combination with surgery for the treatment of early-stage disease. This growing research interest has resulted in several published and ongoing studies of various size and design. In this mini review, we provide a succinct and up-to-date overview of recently published, phase 3 randomized clinical trials on adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapy or targeted therapy for NSCLC. We subsequently discuss some important unresolved clinical issues, including the optimal duration of treatment, scheduling with respect to surgery, and potential combinations of different systemic therapies. Finally, we reference large, randomized, phase 3 studies that are currently in progress and may give answers to those and other clinical questions.

Osimertinib for EGFR-Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Central Nervous System Metastases: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives on Therapeutic Strategies

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are common in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and associated with poor prognosis and high disease burden. Effective options are needed to treat CNS metastases, and delay or prevent their formation. For epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive (EGFRm) advanced NSCLC and brain metastases, upfront EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are recommended by the joint European Association of Neuro-Oncology-European Society for Medical Oncology and experts. While early-generation EGFR-TKIs have limited CNS efficacy, the third-generation, irreversible, EGFR-TKI osimertinib has potent efficacy in NSCLC CNS metastases. This review discusses the CNS data of osimertinib in the context of therapeutic strategies and future prospects based on expert review of published literature and relevant clinical, real-world, and ongoing studies in this setting. Osimertinib penetrates the blood-brain barrier and achieves greater exposure in the brain compared with other EGFR-TKIs. Osimertinib has demonstrated CNS efficacy, including in leptomeningeal metastases, in EGFRm advanced disease. In EGFRm stage IB-IIIA NSCLC, adjuvant osimertinib reduced CNS disease recurrence versus placebo. The burden and poor prognosis of CNS metastases necessitate more therapeutic options for their management and reduced risk of recurrence in patients with EGFRm NSCLC. Clinical studies are ongoing in advanced disease to investigate osimertinib combinations with chemotherapy/radiation therapy and optimal treatment post-CNS progression with osimertinib. Further prospective research evaluating treatments using CNS-specific endpoints and evaluating CNS resistance is needed to improve outcomes for patients with CNS metastases.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer

Studies have revealed that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations has a high incidence of brain metastases (BMs). However, the association between EGFR mutations and BMs remains unknown. This review summarizes detailed information about the incidence of BMs, clinical and imaging characteristics of BMs, brain surveillance strategies, influence of treatments on BMs, prognosis after BMs, and differences in EGFR mutations between paired primary tumors and BMs in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. The prognostic results demonstrate that patients with mutated EGFR have a higher incidence of BMs, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) (afatinib and osimertinib) delay the development of BMs, and patients with mutated EGFR with synchronous or early BMs have better overall survival after BMs than those with wild-type EGFR. The EGFR mutation status of BM sites is not always in accordance with the primary tumors, which indicates that there is heterogeneity in EGFR gene status between paired primary tumors and BMs. However, the EGFR gene status of the primary site can largely represent that of BM sites. Among patients developing synchronous BMs, patients with mutated EGFR are less likely to have central nervous system (CNS) symptoms than patients with wild-type EGFR. However, the possibility of neuro-symptoms is high in patients with metachronous BMs. Patients with mutated EGFR tend to have multiple BMs as compared to patients with wild-type EGFR. Regarding very early-stage NSCLC patients without neuro-symptoms, regular neuroimaging follow-up is not recommended. Among advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation, liberal brain imaging follow-up in the first several years showed more advantages in terms of cost.

The Effect of Gefitinib on Treatment Necessity and Prognosis of NSCLC Patients with Early EGFR Mutations

Objective

To investigate the need for and prognostic impact of gefitinib on the treatment of patients with early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Clinical data of patients with stage IB-IIA non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer admitted to our thoracic surgery department from January 2020 to January 2022 were collected, and a total of 94 cases were included, divided into 44 cases in the control group (EGFR mutation-negative) and 50 cases in the experimental group (EGFR mutation-positive (including those on medication (19 cases) and those not on medication (31 cases)) according to the outcome of EGFR mutation. To evaluate the necessity and prognostic effect of gefitinib in the treatment of NSCLC patients with early EGFR mutations.

Results

The lung cancer recurrence rate in the experimental group (66.00%) was higher than that in the control group (40.91%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ ² = 5.937, P=0.015); in the subgroup analysis of the experimental group samples, the pharmacological intervention of gefitinib had a significant effect on lung cancer recurrence (χ ² = 7.797, P=0.005), and the proportion of lung cancer recurrence in patients not taking the drug (80.65%) was significantly higher than in the drug-taking group (42.11%); the median survival time was 53.6 months using EGFR mutation type as the study factor, with a statistically significant difference in change in 5-year survival rate for EGFR mutation type (χ ² = 6.095, P=0.047) and the lowest 5-year survival rate for subjects with EGFR mutation type Exon 20 T790M.

Conclusion

Patients with early gene drive positive lung adenocarcinoma are significantly more likely to recur and metastasise and have shorter survival times in the absence of pharmacological intervention.

The value of disease-free survival (DFS) and osimertinib in adjuvant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC): an international Delphi consensus report

Background

Rates of disease recurrence and death following surgery remain high in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), despite adjuvant treatment and curative intent. Recently, osimertinib showed overwhelming evidence for disease-free survival (DFS), as demonstrated by an overall reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death in the adjuvant setting of 80% versus control in the ADAURA study (stage IB-IIIA; hazard ratio 0.20; 99.12% confidence interval 0.14-0.30; P < 0.001). However, due to the early unblinding of ADAURA and lack of mature overall survival data, there is a need to qualitatively confirm consensus on the clinical and patient relevance of DFS.

Materials and methods

We conducted a modified Delphi panel study consisting of two rounds of surveys, followed by a consensus meeting. An international panel of experts in the field of NSCLC and epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) (n = 13) was asked to rate agreement and comment on a list of pre-defined statements covering key consensus gaps. Statements were eliminated or updated between surveys, depending on the level of agreement. A final list of agreed-upon statements was drafted in the consensus meeting.

Results

Consensus was reached on 32 qualitative statements, with topics including unmet needs in early-stage NSCLC, the value of DFS, and the value of osimertinib. Crucially, DFS was agreed to be a clinically and patient-relevant endpoint in adjuvant NSCLC. The relevance of DFS was found to relate to the ability of an adjuvant therapy, such as osimertinib, to keep patients in the clinically valuable curative intent setting, while preventing the burden associated with distant and locoregional recurrence, and progressive disease.

Conclusions

Addressing the need for measures that reflect clinical benefit is essential to continue improving outcomes for NSCLC patients. To that end, this work provides a qualitative framework for clinicians to consider the clinical and patient relevance of DFS in adjuvant NSCLC and the benefit demonstrated in ADAURA thus far.

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There is a need for qualitative consensus assessment of the clinical and patient relevance of DFS in the adjuvant setting.

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An international panel of experts viewed DFS as a clinically and patient-relevant endpoint in adjuvant NSCLC.

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DFS relevance in adjuvant therapy, e.g. osimertinib, relates to keeping early-stage patients in a curative intent setting.

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Curative intent prevents or significantly delays locoregional and distant (CNS) recurrence burden and progressive disease.

EGFR mutation prevalence, real-world treatment patterns, and outcomes among patients with resected, early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer in Canada

OBJECTIVES

The ADAURA trial demonstrated the benefit of adjuvant osimertinib among patients with resected, early-stage, epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To understand the potential population impact, it is critical to deduce the prevalence, management, and outcomes of this patient population in the real-world setting before use of adjuvant osimertinib.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using PALEOS (Pan-cAnadian Lung cancEr Observational Study) data (2012-2019), a retrospective, multi-center, observational cohort study was conducted among patients with early-stage (IB-IIIA) resected NSCLC who had not received neoadjuvant therapy. Study outcomes included EGFRm prevalence, treatment patterns, recurrence outcomes, and overall and disease-free survival (OS/DFS).

RESULTS

Among patients undergoing reflexive EGFRm testing by a pathologist at time of diagnosis irrespective of disease stage (N = 535), 23 % were EGFRm-positive; 15.9 % had common mutations and 5.6 % had uncommon mutations. Within the EGFRm-positive cohort (N = 156), mean age at diagnosis was 68 years, 65 % of patients were female, and 35 % were of Asian descent. At diagnosis, 48 %, 31 %, and 21 % had stage IB, II, or IIIA disease, respectively; 46 % received adjuvant therapy after resection. Half of patients experienced disease recurrence, typically involving distant sites; central nervous system metastasis varied from 12 % to 15.0 % across disease stages. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors were the most commonly received therapy after first metastatic recurrence. Median OS (DFS) was not reached, 71.2 (22.8) months, and 50.1 (18.0) months among stage IB, II, and IIIA patients. Patients with uncommon EGFRm had a lower probability of survival than those with common EGFRm (2 years: 87 % vs 91 %-94 %; 4 years: 56 % vs 73 %-82 %).

CONCLUSION

Approximately-one-quarter of patients with resected, early-stage NSCLC were EGFRm-positive in this study. These patients had high recurrence rates and suboptimal long-term survival after treatment with current therapies. New adjuvant treatments are warranted.

Targeted Therapy in Early Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have dramatically improved tumor response rates and survival benefits in advanced oncogenic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Given the impressive success, a renewed interest has been raised in the study of these agents in the perioperative setting. Preliminary data have shown dramatic effectiveness compared to conventional chemotherapy. Given the explicit need to induce durable responses and raise cure rates, we summarize the current progression, identify key challenges, and raise potential opportunities for perioperative targeted therapy that range from precise biomarkers to optimal adjuvant regimens for individual patients. As perioperative treatment indeed provides researchers with a unique platform to address the challenges mentioned above, investigators could obtain a comprehensive analysis of genomic profiling and trace resistance mechanisms. Multidisciplinary collaboration and adaptive clinical trial designs are warranted to integrate translational research into personalized perioperative TKI treatment paradigms.

Longitudinal Undetectable Molecular Residual Disease Defines Potentially Cured Population in Localized Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The efficacy and potential limitations of molecular residual disease (MRD) detection urgently need to be fully elucidated in a larger population of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We enrolled 261 patients with stages I to III NSCLC who underwent definitive surgery, and 913 peripheral blood samples were successfully detected by MRD assay. Within the population, only six patients (3.2%) with longitudinal undetectable MRD recurred, resulting in a negative predictive value of 96.8%. Longitudinal undetectable MRD may define the patients who were cured. The peak risk of developing detectable MRD was approximately 18 months after landmark detection. Correspondingly, the positive predictive value of longitudinal detectable MRD was 89.1%, with a median lead time of 3.4 months. However, brain-only recurrence was less commonly detected by MRD (n = 1/5, 20%). Further subgroup analyses revealed that patients with undetectable MRD might not benefit from adjuvant therapy. Together, these results expound the value of MRD in NSCLC.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study confirms the prognostic value of MRD detection in patients with NSCLC after definitive surgery, especially in those with longitudinal undetectable MRD, which might represent the potentially cured population regardless of stage and adjuvant therapy. Moreover, the risk of developing detectable MRD decreased stepwise after 18 months since landmark detection. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1599.

Radioresistance of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers and Therapeutic Perspectives

Survival in unresectable locally advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains poor despite chemoradiotherapy. Recently, adjuvant immunotherapy improved survival for these patients but we are still far from curing most of the patients with only a 57% survival remaining at 3 years. This poor survival is due to the resistance to chemoradiotherapy, local relapses, and distant relapses. Several biological mechanisms have been found to be involved in the chemoradioresistance such as cancer stem cells, cancer mutation status, or the immune system. New drugs to overcome this radioresistance in NSCLCs have been investigated such as radiosensitizer treatments or immunotherapies. Different modalities of radiotherapy have also been investigated to improve efficacity such as dose escalation or proton irradiations. In this review, we focused on biological mechanisms such as the cancer stem cells, the cancer mutations, the antitumor immune response in the first part, then we explored some strategies to overcome this radioresistance in stage III NSCLCs with new drugs or radiotherapy modalities.

Survival after recurrence following surgical resected non-small cell lung cancer: A multicenter, prospective cohort study

Objectives

The optimal treatment for recurrent non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been standardized. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated post-recurrence survival (PRS) after treatment of recurrent NSCLC and identified prognostic factors after recurrence.

Methods

This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in 14 hospitals. The inclusion criteria for this study were patients with recurrence after radical resection for NSCLC. Information about the patient characteristics at recurrence, tumor-related variables, primary surgery, and treatment for recurrence was collected. After registration, follow-up data, such as treatment and survival outcomes, were obtained every 3 months.

Results

From 2010 to 2015, 505 cases were enrolled, and 495 cases were analyzed. As initial treatment for recurrence, 263 patients (53%) received chemotherapy, 46 (9%) received chemoradiotherapy, 98 (20%) had definitive radiotherapy, 14 (3%) received palliative radiotherapy, and 31 (6%) underwent surgical resection. The remaining 43 patients (9%) received supportive care. The median PRS and 5-year survival rates for all cases were 30 months and 31.9%, respectively. The median PRS according to the initial treatment was as follows: supportive care, 8 months; palliative radiotherapy, 16 months; definitive radiotherapy, 30 months; chemotherapy, 31 months; chemoradiotherapy, 35 months; and surgery, not reached. A multivariate analysis showed that the age, gender, performance status, histology presence of symptoms, duration from primary surgery to recurrence, and number of recurrent foci were independent prognostic factors for PRS.

Conclusions

The PRS of patients with recurrent NSCLC was different depending on the patient's background characteristics and initial treatment for recurrence.

Management of Early-Stage Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Consensus Statement of the Lung cancer Consortium

BACKGROUND

Management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) has evolved over the last few years especially in terms of work-up and the use of systemic therapy. This consensus statement was developed to present updated guidelines for the management of this disease.

METHODS

Multidisciplinary team (MDT) of lung cancer experts convened to discuss a set of pertinent questions with importance relevance to the management of ES-NSCLC. ES-NSCLC includes stages I, II and resected stage III. The experts included consultants in chest imaging, thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. Questions were discussed in virtual meetings and then a written manuscript with supporting evidence was drafted, reviewed, and approved by the team members.

RESULTS

The Consensus Statement included 9 questions addressing work-up and management of ES-NSCLC. Background information and literature review were presented for each question followed by specific recommendations to address the questions by oncology providers. The Statement was endorsed by various oncology societies in the Gulf region.

CONCLUSION

The Consensus Statement serves as a guide for thoracic MDT members in the management of ES-NSCLC. Adaptation of these to the local setting is dictated usually by available resources and expertise, however, all efforts should be excreted to provide the optimal care to all patients whenever possible.

[Pattern of Recurrence and Metastasis after Radical Resection of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer]

The rate of recurrence and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer after radical resection is still very high. The risk factors for recurrence and metastasis have been extensively studied, but the dynamic pattern of postoperative recurrence hazard over time is relatively lacking. The dynamic recurrence hazard rate curve is applied to describe the rate of recurrence at any point time among the "at-risk" patients. In this article, by reviewing the previous literature, the characteristics of the dynamic recurrence and metastasis pattern after radical resection of non-small cell lung cancer and the clinical factors affecting the recurrence and metastasis pattern are summarized, in order to screen out specific populations with high recurrence risk and give them personalized follow-up strategy and diagnosis and treatment.
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Comparison of first-generation EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib, and icotinib) as adjuvant therapy in resected NSCLC patients with sensitive EGFR mutations

Background

Several randomized controlled trials have suggested that adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were associated with prolonged disease-free survival (DFS) in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients after radical resection, comparing with chemotherapy or placebo. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of different first-generation EGFR-TKIs as adjuvant treatment in real-world setting.

Methods

Early-stage EGFR mutated NSCLC patients who underwent radical resection and treated with first-generation EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib, icotinib) as adjuvant therapy between Feb 2010 and Jan 2019 were retrieved from a prospectively-maintained database in our center. The primary endpoint was DFS in stage II/III (TNM 8th) patients with exploratory endpoint regarding DFS in stage I patients. Sensitivity analyses were based on propensity score matched (PSM) cohorts. Treatment failure patterns among different TKIs were also compared.

Results

Of 588 eligible patients, 198 patients (33.7%) received gefitinib, 106 patients (17.9%) received erlotinib, and 284 patients (48.2%) received icotinib. The median DFS of stage II/III patients in the gefitinib, erlotinib and icotinib group were 36.1 months (95% CI, 23.9–49.4), 42.8 months (95% CI, 29.6–97.8), and 32.5 months (95% CI, 23.9–49.4), respectively, with no significant difference (log-rank test P=0.22). There was also no significant difference in DFS among stage I patients receiving different TKIs (P=0.12). PSM adjustments and multivariate analyses adjusting for other confounders revealed similar results. In addition, there were no significant differences in treatment failure pattens in different EGFR-TKI arms, especially in terms of brain metastases (6.1% in gefitinb, 7.5% in erlotinib, 3.9% in icotinib) and bone metastases (8.6% in gefitinb, 9.4% in erlotinib, 7.0% in icotinib).

Conclusions

This first and largest real-world study showed that gefitinib, erlotinib, and icotinib demonstrated comparable clinical effectiveness as adjuvant therapy for patients with early-stage EGFR mutated NSCLC.

LncRNA NFYC-AS1 promotes the development of lung adenocarcinomas through autophagy, apoptosis, and MET/c-Myc oncogenic proteins

Background

Nuclear transcription factor Y subunit C antisense RNA 1 (NFYC-AS1) was revealed to be a potential prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma (LAUD) by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. However, the function of NFYC-AS1 has not been verified in cancers, including LAUD. We plan to verify the function of NFYC-AS1 in LAUD through this study.

Methods

We determined NFYC-AS1 expression in 4 LAUD cell lines, and 1 normal lung cell line (HBE) by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). small interfering RNA (siRNA) was employed to specifically knockdown NFYC-AS1 in H1299 and PC9 cell lines. Cell growth and invasion activity of LAUD cells was assessed by WST-1, colony formation and transwell assay, respectively. The effect of NFYC-AS1 expression on cell apoptosis was then assessed by flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, the expression of downstream proteins of NFYC-AS1 was investigated by Western blot.

Results

The proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells were inhibited and apoptosis was increased after NFYC-AS1 knockdown in LAUD cells. The cells transfected with NFYC-AS1 siRNA had a higher rate of apoptosis compared with that in control cells. The apoptosis-related proteins p53 and PARP were upregulated. These suggested NFYC-AS1 could inhibit the apoptosis of LAUD cells. In terms of the expression of major autophagy proteins, p62 was downregulated while Beclin 1 was upregulated after NFYC-AS1 knockdown, which suggested that autophagy was activated. The expression of oncogenic proteins MET and c-Myc was downregulated.

Conclusions

In summary, the above results suggest that NFYC-AS1 may promote the proliferation of LAUD through autophagy and apoptosis.

The dawn of a new era, adjuvant EGFR inhibition in resected non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy is standard of care for patients with resected stage IIA/B or IIIA NSCLC. Overall survival is suboptimal due to the high metastatic potential of early-stage NSCLC and there is substantial clinical need for additional efficacious adjuvant treatment options.

METHODS

PubMed (all time to 4 February 2021) and related conference databases were searched using the key search terms 'NSCLC' AND 'Adjuvant' AND 'EGFR inhibitor' OR respective aliases.

RESULTS

The literature search identified five adjuvant phase III trials of EGFR inhibitors in early NSCLC. The earlier BR19 and RADIANT trials failed to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in either OS or DFS for gefitinib and erlotinib, respectively, compared with placebo in patients with EGFR mutation-unselected NSCLC. Three subsequent phase III trials, ADAURA, CTONG1104, and IMPACT, were conducted in EGFR-mutant NSCLC. IMPACT showed no statistically significant DFS benefit for adjuvant gefitinib, and although CTONG1104 did report improved DFS for gefitinib (HR = 0.56, p = 0.001), this benefit was not enduring, resulting in comparable 5-year DFS rates. Statistically significant and clinically meaningful DFS benefits were observed in ADAURA for osimertinib compared with placebo in patients with stage IB-IIIA and II-IIIA disease (7th Edition Staging), and these benefits, coupled with a meaningful improvement in 2-year CNS DFS and favorable HRQoL, make osimertinib an important new treatment option for the adjuvant treatment of EGFR exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R-mutated stage II-IIIA NSCLC (UICC/AJCC 8th Edition Staging), with final mature OS data eagerly awaited.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant osimertinib used alone or following platinum-based chemotherapy is now recommended in patients with stage II-IIIA EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Randomized Phase III Study of Gefitinib Versus Cisplatin Plus Vinorelbine for Patients With Resected Stage II-IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer With EGFR Mutation (IMPACT)

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficacy of gefitinib as an adjuvant therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

IMPACT (WJOG6410L; University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry: UMIN000006252), a randomized, open-label, phase III study, included patients with completely resected pathologic stage II-III non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR mutations (exon 19 deletion or L858R) during September 2011 to December 2015. Patients were randomly assigned to receive gefitinib (250 mg once daily) for 24 months or cisplatin (80 mg/m² on day 1) plus vinorelbine (25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8; cis/vin) once every 3 weeks for four cycles. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Overall, 234 patients were randomly assigned. Among 232 eligible patients (116 each; excluding two who withdrew consent), the median DFS was 35.9 and 25.1 months in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively. However, Kaplan-Meier curves crossed around 4 years after surgery with no statistically significant difference (stratified log-rank P = .63; hazard ratio by stratified Cox proportional hazards model = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.28). Overall survival (OS) was also not different (stratified log-rank P = .89; hazard ratio = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.65 to 1.65), with the 5-year OS rates being 78.0% and 74.6% in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively. Treatment-related deaths occurred in 0 and three patients in the gefitinib and cis/vin groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Although adjuvant gefitinib appeared to prevent early relapse, it did not prolong DFS or OS. However, similar DFS and OS may justify adjuvant gefitinib in the selected patient subsets, especially those deemed ineligible for platinum-doublet adjuvant therapy; however, this was not a noninferiority trial.

Icotinib versus chemotherapy as adjuvant treatment for stage II-IIIA EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (EVIDENCE): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Icotinib has provided survival benefits for patients with advanced, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to compare icotinib with chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutant stage II-IIIA NSCLC after complete tumour resection. Here, we report the results from the preplanned interim analysis of the study.

METHODS

In this multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial done at 29 hospitals in China, eligible patients were aged 18-70 years, had histopathogically confirmed stage II-IIIA NSCLC, had complete resection up to 8 weeks before random assignment, were treatment-naive, and had confirmed activation mutation in exon 19 or exon 21 of the EGFR gene. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) with an interactive web-based response system to receive either oral icotinib 125 mg thrice daily for 2 years or four 21-day cycles of intravenous chemotherapy (vinorelbine 25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 of each cycle plus cisplatin 75 mg/m² on day 1 of each cycle for adenocarcinoma or squamous carcinoma; or pemetrexed 500 mg/m² plus cisplatin 75 mg/m² on day 1 every 3 weeks for non-squamous carcinoma). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival assessed in the full analysis set. Secondary endpoints were overall survival assessed in the full analysis set and safety assessed in all participants who received study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02448797.

FINDINGS

Between June 8, 2015, and August 2, 2019, 322 patients were randomly assigned to icotinib (n=161) or chemotherapy (n=161); the full analysis set included 151 patients in the icotinib group and 132 in the chemotherapy group. Median follow-up in the full analysis set was 24·9 months (IQR 16·6-36·4). 40 (26%) of 151 patients in the icotinib group and 58 (44%) of 132 patients in the chemotherapy group had disease relapse or death. Median disease-free survival was 47·0 months (95% CI 36·4-not reached) in the icotinib group and 22·1 months (16·8-30·4) in the chemotherapy group (stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·36 [95% CI 0·24-0·55]; p<0·0001). 3-year disease-free survival was 63·9% (95% CI 51·8-73·7) in the icotinib group and 32·5% (21·3-44·2) in the chemotherapy group. Overall survival data are immature with 14 (9%) deaths in the icotinib group and 14 (11%) deaths in the chemotherapy. The HR for overall survival was 0·91 (95% CI 0·42-1·94) in the full analysis set. Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in two (1%) of 156 patients in the icotinib group and 19 (14%) of 139 patients in the chemotherapy group. No interstitial pneumonia or treatment-related death was observed in either group.

INTERPRETATION

Our results suggest that compared with chemotherapy, icotinib significantly improves disease-free survival and has a better tolerability profile in patients with EGFR-mutant stage II-IIIA NSCLC after complete tumour resection.

FUNDING

Betta Pharmaceuticals TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

EGFR-mutant NSCLC: emerging novel drugs

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Despite the significant advances in EGFR-mutant nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), some challenges remain. One of the permanent and inevitable issues is the emergence of acquired resistance. Therefore, blocking the activation of EGFR pathway and overcoming drug resistance with novel agents are still in high demand. Here, we review the development of novel drugs in EGFR-mutant, advanced NSCLC, including targeting EGFR exon 20 insertion (EGFR20ins), and novel role of epidermal growth factor receptor, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKIs) in early-stage NSCLC.

RECENT FINDINGS

EGFR-TKIs as adjuvant therapy or neoadjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage NSCLC with EGFR-sensitizing mutations have shown promising efficacy. The resistance mechanisms of third-generation EGFR-TKIs can be divided into two types: EGFR dependent and EGFR independent. Several clinical trials have demonstrated that the addition of MET inhibitors to EGFR-TKIs was an effective option for patients who had acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs caused by hepatocyte growth factor receptor gene (MET) amplification or overexpression. Novel compounds that selectively and potently inhibit EGFR20ins are being investigated in phase III studies.

SUMMARY

A better characterization and understanding of resistance mechanisms to first-line osimertinib and adjuvant osimertinib is helpful to guide further treatment.

Adjuvant EGFR-TKIs for Patients With Resected EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of 1,283 Patients

Background

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was previously considered as the standard adjuvant therapy for improved overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgery. However, the benefit was limited due to high risks of recurrence and adverse events. In the present study, the efficacy of adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) for EGFR-mutant patients after surgery was investigated using the latest updated data.

Methods

This meta-analysis included a comprehensive range of relevant studies identified from database searches. Disease-free survival (DFS) and OS with hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using random-effect or fixed-effect models. Subgroup analysis was also performed.

Results

A total of seven randomized clinical trials were included in the meta-analysis and involved 1,283 NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations. In resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients, adjuvant EGFR-TKIs were significantly better than chemotherapy in terms of DFS (HR: 0.41; 95%CI: 0.24-0.70, P = 0.001), without showing any benefit in OS (HR: 0.72; 95%CI: 0.37-1.41, P = 0.336). No significant difference in DFS was observed between patients with EGFR exon 19 deletion and those with L858R mutation. Resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients treated with osimertinib experienced improved DFS and a lower risk of brain recurrence than those treated with gefitinib or erlotinib. Adjuvant EGFR-TKIs reduced the risk of bone and lung relapse, without decreasing the risk of local recurrence and liver relapse.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis shows that adjuvant EGFR-TKI therapy could significantly prolong DFS in patients with resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Treatment with osimertinib showed improved DFS with a lower risk of brain recurrence than treatment with gefitinib or erlotinib for resected disease.

Comprehensive Comparison Between Adjuvant Targeted Therapy and Chemotherapy for EGFR-Mutant NSCLC Patients: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Background

Chemotherapy has been the current standard adjuvant treatment for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, while recent studies showed benefits of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis to comprehensively evaluate the benefit of EGFR-TKI compared with chemotherapy for early-stage EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients after resection from the perspective of the Chinese health care system.

Method

A Markov model was established. Clinical data were based on the phase 3, ADJUVANT trial, where stage II-IIIA, EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients were randomized into gefitinib group or chemotherapy group after resection. Cost parameters mainly included costs of drugs, examinations, and adverse events (AEs). Effect parameters were evaluated by quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Outcomes contained incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER), average cost-effective ratio (ACER), and net benefit. The willingness-to-pay threshold was set as 3 times per capita gross domestic product ($30,828/QALY). Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to verify the stability of the model.

Results

Patients who received gefitinib had both a higher cost ($12,057.98 vs. $11,883.73) and a higher QALY (1.55 vs. 1.42) than patients who received chemotherapy. With an ICER of $1,345.62/QALY, adjuvant gefitinib was of economic benefit compared with chemotherapy. The ACER and net benefit were also consistent (gefitinib vs. chemotherapy, ACER: $7,802.30/QALY vs. $8,392.77/QALY; net benefit: $35,584.85 vs. $31,767.17). Sensitivity analyses indicated the stability of the model and the impact of utility.

Conclusion

Adjuvant EGFR-TKI application for early-stage EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients was cost-effective compared with chemotherapy, which might provide a reference for clinical decision-making and medical insurance policy formulation in China.

Gefitinib Versus Vinorelbine Plus Cisplatin as Adjuvant Treatment for Stage II-IIIA (N1-N2) EGFR-Mutant NSCLC: Final Overall Survival Analysis of CTONG1104 Phase III Trial

ADJUVANT-CTONG1104 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01405079), a randomized phase III trial, showed that adjuvant gefitinib treatment significantly improved disease-free survival (DFS) versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin (VP) in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive resected stage II-IIIA (N1-N2) non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we report the final overall survival (OS) results.

Osimertinib in Resected EGFR-Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Osimertinib is standard-of-care therapy for previously untreated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The efficacy and safety of osimertinib as adjuvant therapy are unknown.

METHODS

In this double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with completely resected EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC in a 1:1 ratio to receive either osimertinib (80 mg once daily) or placebo for 3 years. The primary end point was disease-free survival among patients with stage II to IIIA disease (according to investigator assessment). The secondary end points included disease-free survival in the overall population of patients with stage IB to IIIA disease, overall survival, and safety.

RESULTS

A total of 682 patients underwent randomization (339 to the osimertinib group and 343 to the placebo group). At 24 months, 90% of the patients with stage II to IIIA disease in the osimertinib group (95% confidence interval [CI], 84 to 93) and 44% of those in the placebo group (95% CI, 37 to 51) were alive and disease-free (overall hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.17; 99.06% CI, 0.11 to 0.26; P<0.001). In the overall population, 89% of the patients in the osimertinib group (95% CI, 85 to 92) and 52% of those in the placebo group (95% CI, 46 to 58) were alive and disease-free at 24 months (overall hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.20; 99.12% CI, 0.14 to 0.30; P<0.001). At 24 months, 98% of the patients in the osimertinib group (95% CI, 95 to 99) and 85% of those in the placebo group (95% CI, 80 to 89) were alive and did not have central nervous system disease (overall hazard ratio for disease recurrence or death, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.33). Overall survival data were immature; 29 patients died (9 in the osimertinib group and 20 in the placebo group). No new safety concerns were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with stage IB to IIIA EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC, disease-free survival was significantly longer among those who received osimertinib than among those who received placebo. (Funded by AstraZeneca; ADAURA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02511106.).

Quality of life with adjuvant gefitinib versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin in patients with completely resected stage II-IIIA (N1-N2) EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer: Results from the ADJUVANT (CTONG1104) study

OBJECTIVES

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data complement conventional clinical endpoints when comparing adjuvant gefitinib with chemotherapy in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. This study aimed to assess changes in HRQoL with adjuvant gefitinib vs chemotherapy in this patient group.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the phase III ADJUVANT trial, patients with completely resected, stage II-IIIA (N1-N2), EGFR-mutant NSCLC were randomized (1:1) to receive either gefitinib for 24 months or vinorelbine plus cisplatin (VP) every 3 weeks for four cycles. HRQoL was assessed as a secondary endpoint using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung Cancer (FACT-L), Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS) questionnaires, and Trial Outcome Index (TOI) composite score. HRQoL dynamics, improvements, and time to deterioration were compared between groups.

RESULTS

At baseline, 104 of 106, and 80 of 87 patients receiving gefitinib and VP, respectively, completed two questionnaires (FACT-L and LCSS). Baseline scores were balanced between groups. Although HRQoL fluctuated and gradually improved in both groups, longitudinally higher scores were reported with gefitinib than VP (FACT-L, odds ratio 418.16, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.75-63509.05, p =  0.019; LCSS, 1.13, 1.04-1.22, p =  0.003; TOI, 88.39, 4.40-1775.05, p =  0.003). Time to deterioration in HRQoL was delayed with gefitinib compared with VP (FACT-L, median 69 vs 6 weeks, hazard ratio 0.62, 95 % CI 0.42-0.90, p =  0.013; LCSS, median 45 vs 6 weeks, 0.63, 0.43-0.93, p =  0.020; TOI, median 164 vs 9 weeks, 0.51, 0.33-0.77, p =  0.001).

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant gefitinib is associated with improved HRQoL over VP, supporting its use in patients with stage II-IIIA (N1-N2), EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Long-Term Recurrence of Completely Resected NSCLC

Introduction

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical backgrounds, including driver mutations, of those patients with early stage NSCLC who experienced recurrence beyond 5 years after complete resection.

Methods

We used a cohort of 512 consecutive cases of surgically resected NSCLC without other malignances from 2006 to 2011 in Aichi Cancer Center Hospital. The inclusion criteria for this cohort were patients with primary NSCLC who underwent a surgically curable operation.

Results

A total of 172 patients (32.8%) had recurrence after the surgery. Among the recurrent cases, 17 patients (3.3%) had a relapse more than 5 years after the surgery, and all except one (16 of 17, 94.1%) had driver mutations, including gene rearrangements.

Conclusions

Even in early stage NSCLC after complete resection, it was found that some cases had a relapse more than 5 years after the surgery. Most of these cases had some kind of driver mutations; so more than 5 years of postoperative surveillance may be beneficial, especially in those with driver gene mutants.

Postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy reduces local recurrence and improves overall survival in III-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: A single-center, retrospective study

Purpose

To determine the postoperative effects of radiotherapy (PORT) on the local recurrence‐free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS) of stage III‐N2 non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials and Methods

183 patients with resected stage III‐pN2 NSCLC from Hunan Cancer Hospital between 2013 and 2016 were divided into two groups for postoperative chemotherapy (POCT) (n = 105) or combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy (POCRT) (n = 78). The LRFS and OS were compared and the factors affecting local recurrence were illustrated in these two groups. The sites of failure based on the lobe of the primary tumor in two groups were described.

Results

PORT leads to a strikingly lower risk for local recurrence and brought superior OS benefit. For different pN2 Subclassification, Patients with multiple‐station pN2 ± pN1 disease had the worst LRFS (11 months) and single‐station pN2 + multiple station pN1 disease had a relatively short LRFS (24 months) in group POCT. Short LRFS is correlated with multiple‐station pN2, older age (Y > 55), patients with a high positive LN ratio > 1/3 and a poor tumor histological differentiation degree. In group POCT, the most frequent failure site occurs at the ipsilateral hilum (21.0%), the bronchial stump (20.0%), followed by LNs4R (19.0%), LNs4L (18.1%), LNs7 (15.2%), most of left‐sided tumors more frequently involved the contralateral mediastinum, whereas the ipsilateral recurrences dominated for right‐sided tumors, especially for LNs4R. In group POCRT, the highest failure site was the bronchial stump (11.5%), followed by LNs4L (8.97%), LNs1 (7.69%), the ipsilateral hilum (6.41%) and LNs4R (6.41%).

Conclusion

PORT remarkably reduced local recurrence and improved OS in stage III‐pN2 NSCLC, especially in the multiple‐station pN2 group.

Patterns and risks of postoperative recurrence in completely resected EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer: prognostic significance of routine immunohistochemical markers

Background

Recent studies indicate that EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a heterogeneous disease with varying prognosis. In order to design an optimized surveillance strategy and identify potential candidates for adjuvant therapy, the patterns and risks of postoperative recurrence in completely resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC should be investigated, which are currently largely unknown.

Methods

Consecutive patients with curatively resected EGFR-positive NSCLC receiving standard adjuvant chemotherapy without EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), with or without adjuvant radiotherapy, from January 2007 to December 2017 in our cancer center, were retrospectively reviewed. Prognostic significance of ten routine immunohistochemical (IHC) markers were examined.

Results

After a median follow-up of 32 (range, 5-122) months, disease recurrence occurred in 197 (37.1%) of the 531 enrolled patients. The frequencies of thoracic recurrence, brain recurrence, bone recurrence, abdominal recurrence and neck recurrence, were 69.0%, 20.8%, 20.8%, 7.1% and 6.6%, respectively. Using the Cox regression model, tumor size, Ki67, CK20, and N stage were identified as independent predictors of overall recurrence. A nomogram predicting the 1-, 2-, and 3-year cumulative rate of overall recurrence was then developed and internally validated, with a bias-corrected C-index of 0.723 (95% CI, 0.675 to 0.771) and a small extent of "over-fitting" (0.8%). Risk factors of site-specific recurrence were also discovered. Additionally, using competing risk analyses, N stage, lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and CK5/6 were found as independent predictors of loco-regional recurrence. Among patients with N2-positive disease (n=91), adjuvant radiotherapy tended to prolong disease free survival (DFS) (P=0.067), but not overall survival (OS) (P=0.271).

Conclusions

This study provides the proof of concept of using routine IHC markers, along with common clinical-pathological parameters, in predicting postoperative recurrence among completely resected EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Adjuvant radiotherapy may improve DFS, but hard to prolong OS in N2-positive EGFR-mutant NSCLC without further biomarker-guided patients' selection.

Early-Stage NSCLC: Advances in Thoracic Oncology 2018

2018 was a banner year for all thoracic oncology, but especially for early-stage NSCLC. Three seminal events occurred in the approximately 18 months from mid-2017 to the end of 2018: in June 2017 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting a small, relatively unheralded study from Max Diehn's group at Stanford University reported on the use of a novel "cancer personalized profiling by deep sequencing" circulating tumor-DNA technology to identify minimal residual disease in patients after curative-intent radiation or surgery for NSCLC; in April 2018 at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Drew Pardoll presented a small pilot study of 21 patients who had received two doses of preoperative nivolumab; in September 2018, at the 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer, Harry J. De Koning presented the long-awaited results of the Dutch-Belgian Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NELSON). These three seminal studies, along with others which are reviewed in this paper, promise to accelerate our progress towards a world in which lung cancer is identified early, more patients undergo curative-intent treatment that achieves the promised cure, and those at risk for failure after treatment are identified early, when the cancer remains most vulnerable. The day is around the corner when lung cancer is defanged and no longer the worldwide terror it currently is. We herein present an overview of the most recent body of work that moves us inexorably towards that day.