Impact of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations on intracranial treatment response and survival after brain metastases in lung adenocarcinoma patients

E-cadherin expression in the tumor microenvironment of advanced epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and the association with prognosis

BACKGROUND

The expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), E-cadherin, and vimentin in lung cancer tumor microenvironment is known to impact patient survival or response to therapy. The expression of these biomarkers may also differ between primary lung tumors and brain metastatic tumors. In this study, we investigated the interaction between these biomarkers in lung tumors with or without concomitant brain metastasis and the interaction with paired brain metastatic tumors.

METHODS

The study included 48 patients with stage IV epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Sixteen of the forty-eight patients were diagnosed with brain metastasis, while the remaining thirty-two were not. All sixteen patients with brain metastasis had brain tumors. The expression of PD-L1, TILs (CD8⁺ T lymphocytes and FOXP3⁺ regulatory T lymphocytes), E-cadherin, and vimentin were evaluated using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.

RESULTS

Patients with brain metastasis exhibited a higher frequency of exon 19 deletion and uncommon EGFR mutations, a higher lung tumor vimentin score, worse progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) than patients without brain metastasis. IHC staining showed no difference between paired lung and brain tumors. Patients with low PD-L1 expression had better PFS and OS. After multivariate analysis, higher body mass index, the presence of brain metastasis, bone metastasis, and uncommon EGFR mutations were correlated with worse PFS, while the presence of brain metastasis and high lung tumor E-cadherin score was associated with worse OS.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with stage IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, high E-cadherin expression in the lung tumor might be associated with worse OS. Vimentin expression in the lung tumor was positively related to the risk of brain metastasis.

Use of thyroid transcription factor 1 and napsin A to predict local failure and survival after Gamma Knife radiosurgery in patients with brain metastases from lung adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), combined with contemporary targeted therapies and immunotherapies, has improved the overall survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Given that histological subtypes reflect prognosis in patients with primary ADC, it is important to integrate pathological biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes after SRS in patients with brain metastases from lung ADC. Therefore, the authors investigated the prognostic relevance of various biomarkers of primary lung ADC for clinical outcomes after SRS.

METHODS

A total of 95 patients with 136 brain metastases (1-4 oligometastases) who were treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery between January 2017 and December 2020 were included. The Kaplan-Meier method and univariate and multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to identify prognostic factors for local control, survival, and distant brain control.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis revealed thyroid transcription factor 1 as an independent prognostic factor for local control (HR 0.098, 95% CI 0.014-0.698, p = 0.0203) and napsin A as a significant predictor of overall survival after SRS (HR 0.080, 95% CI 0.017-0.386, p < 0.01). In a subset analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, patients with EGFR exon 19 mutations showed better distant brain control than those with EGFR exon 21 mutations (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Pathological biomarkers of primary cancer should be considered to predict clinical outcomes after SRS in patients with lung ADC. Use of such biomarkers may help to provide personalized treatment to each patient, improving clinical outcomes after SRS.

A new prognostic model for brain metastases of specific primary tumors with stereotactic radiotherapy

PURPOSE

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) was widely used in brain metastases (BM), especially in oligometastases. It is imperative to develop a new prognostic score to predict the overall survival (OS) of brain metastases based on prognostic factors for specific primary tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

One hundred and ninety-seven patients were involved in the training cohort to develop a new prognostic score to predict the overall survival (OS) of brain metastases for specific primary tumors. Independent prognostic factors were confirmed using a Cox regression model. The score was developed based on clinical prognostic factors of OS with Cox proportional hazards model. The result was validated in another cohort with 56 participants to evaluate the performance of the score.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-seven patients with 329 brain metastases received SRT. For NSCLC, the significant prognostic factors were extracranial metastases, target therapy and number of brain metastases. For gastrointestinal cancer, the significant prognostic factors were target therapy and number of brain metastases.

CONCLUSION

The prognostic factors scores were varied by the histologic types which can be used to efficiently stratify for selected patients with brain-metastasis.

Correlation of EGFR mutation subtypes and survival in surgically treated brain metastasis from non-small-cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is a positive prognostic factor for survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In such patients, brain metastasis signifies negative outcomes. Patients with NSCLC brain metastasis that may benefit from neurosurgery is under investigation. We aim to investigate the impact of different mutation loci in surgically treated NSCLC brain metastasis patients.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients with NSCLC brain metastasis who underwent brain lesionectomy, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Demographics and tumor characteristics were compared between the EGFR mutant type and wild type groups. Postoperative survival and risk factors were analyzed using log rank and Cox regression methods.

RESULTS

Overall, 101 patients were included, with 57 belonging to the EGFR mutant type group and 44 to the EGFR wild type group. The median postoperative survival was 17 months for the entire cohort, with the duration being 19 and 14 months for EGFR mutant type and wild type patients (p = 0.013), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that exon 19 del (p = 0.02) and a high Karnofsky Performance Scale score (p < 0.01) were independent positive prognostic factors to predict survival. The timing of development of the brain metastasis or the location of the intracranial metastasis was not associated with EGFR mutations.

CONCLUSION

EGFR mutations are associated with better survival outcomes in patients with NSCLC brain metastasis suitable for surgical treatment. This advantage was attributed to patients having a specific mutation of exon 19 deletion.

Stereotactic radiotherapy for brain oligometastases

Brain metastases, the most common metastases in adults, will develop in up to 40% of cancer patients, accounting for more than one-half of all intracranial tumors. They are most associated with breast and lung cancer, melanoma and, less frequently, colorectal and kidney carcinoma.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnosis. For the treatment plan, computed tomography (CT ) images are co-registered and fused with a gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI where tumor volume and organs at risk are contoured. Alternatively, plain and contrast-enhanced CT scans are co-registered. Single-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT ) is used to treat patients with good performance status and up to 4 lesions with a diameter of 30 mm or less that are distant from crucial brain function areas. Fractionated SRT (2–5 fractions) is used for larger lesions, in eloquent areas or in proximity to crucial or surgically inaccessible areas and to reduce treatment-related neurotoxicity. The single-fraction SRT dose, which depends on tumor diameter, impacts local control. Fractionated SRT may encompass different schedules. No randomized trial data compared the safety and efficacy of single and multiple fractions. Both single-fraction and fractionated SRT provide satisfactory local control rates, tolerance, a low risk of transient acute adverse events and of radiation necrosis the incidence of which correlated with the irradiated brain volume.

Molecular typing of lung adenocarcinoma with computed tomography and CT image-based radiomics: a narrative review of research progress and prospects

Objective

The purpose of this paper was to perform a narrative review of current research evidence on conventional computed tomography (CT) imaging features and CT image-based radiomic features for predicting gene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma and discuss how to translate the research findings to guide future practice.

Background

Lung cancer, especially lung adenocarcinoma, is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma with the emergence of molecular testing, the prediction of oncogenes and even drug resistance gene mutations have become key to individualized and precise clinical treatment in order to prolong survival and improve quality of life. The progress of imageological examination includes the development of CT and radiomics are promising quantitative methods for predicting different gene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma, especially common mutations, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) mutation.

Methods

The PubMed electronic database was searched along with a set of terms specific to lung adenocarcinoma, radiomics (including texture analysis), CT, computed tomography, EGFR, ALK, KRAS, rearranging transfection (RET) rearrangement and c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS-1), v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutations et al. This review has been reported in compliance with the Narrative Review checklist guidelines. From each full-text article, information was extracted regarding a set of terms above.

Conclusions

Research on the application of conventional CT features and CT image-based radiomic features for predicting the gene mutation status of lung adenocarcinoma is still in a preliminary stage. Noninvasively determination of mutation status in lung adenocarcinoma before targeted therapy with conventional CT features and CT image-based radiomic features remains both hopes and challenges. Before radiomics could be applied in clinical practice, more work needs to be done.

The number of brain metastases predicts the survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutation status

Background

Lung cancer is the common cause of cancer‐related deaths throughout the world, and brain is a frequent metastatic site of lung cancer.

Aim

This research sought to evaluate the impact of the number of brain metastases in prognosticating non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients accounting to the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations.

Methods and Results

NSCLC patients with brain metastases diagnosed/treated in West China Hospital, Sichuan University between 2009 and 2017 were identified retrospectively. Kaplan–Meier approach was adopted to estimate OS. And we performed univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses of characteristics related to overall survival (OS) in both EGFR‐mutated and wild‐type cohorts. In total, this study included 611 eligible NSCLC patients with brain metastases. Extracranial metastases and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors of OS in both cohorts. As the disease progressed, EGFR‐mutated patients had brain metastasis significantly earlier (P < .0001), but they also had notably better survival outcomes than wild‐type patients (P < .0001). And the number of brain metastases impacted the survival incidence in the progression significantly in both EGFR‐mutated and wild‐type groups (P = .0087/.037, respectively).

Conclusion

The number of brain metastases was a prognostic factor for lung cancer patients either with EGFR mutations or with wild‐type EGFR, with larger number indicating more unfavorble clinical outcomes. Patients with EGFR mutations had a better survival.

Cancer driver gene and non-coding RNA alterations as biomarkers of brain metastasis in lung cancer: A review of the literature

Brain metastasis (BM) is the most common event in patients with lung cancer. Despite multimodal treatments and advances in systemic therapies, development of BM remains one of the main factors associated with poor prognosis and mortality in patients with lung cancer. Therefore, better understanding of mechanisms involved in lung cancer brain metastasis (LCBM) is of great importance to suppress cancer cells and to improve the overall survival of patients. Several cancer-related genes such as EGFR and KRAS have been proposed as potential predictors of LCBM. In addition, there is ample evidence supporting crucial roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in mediating LCBM. In this review, we provide comprehensive information on risk assessment, predictive, and prognostic panels for early detection of BM in patients with lung cancer. Moreover, we present an overview of LCBM molecular mechanisms, cancer driver genes, and ncRNAs which may predict the risk of BM in lung cancer patients. Recent clinical studies have focused on determining mechanisms involved in LCBM and their association with diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. These studies have shown that alterations in EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and ALK, as the most frequent coding gene alterations, and dysregulation of ncRNAs such as miR-423, miR-330-3p, miR-145, piR-651, and MALAT1 can be considered as potential biomarkers of LCBM.

Prognostic model of long-term advanced stage (IIIB-IV) EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors using real-life data

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of useful diagnostic tools to identify EGFR mutated NSCLC patients with long-term survival. This study develops a prognostic model using real world data to assist clinicians to predict survival beyond 24 months.

METHODS

EGFR mutated stage IIIB and IV NSCLC patients diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2017 included in the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (SLCG) thoracic tumor registry. Long-term survival was defined as being alive 24 months after diagnosis. A multivariable prognostic model was carried out using binary logistic regression and internal validation through bootstrapping. A nomogram was developed to facilitate the interpretation and applicability of the model.

RESULTS

505 of the 961 EGFR mutated patients identified in the registry were included, with a median survival of 27.73 months. Factors associated with overall survival longer than 24 months were: being a woman (OR 1.78); absence of the exon 20 insertion mutation (OR 2.77); functional status (ECOG 0-1) (OR 4.92); absence of central nervous system metastases (OR 2.22), absence of liver metastases (OR 1.90) or adrenal involvement (OR 2.35) and low number of metastatic sites (OR 1.22). The model had a good internal validation with a calibration slope equal to 0.781 and discrimination (optimism corrected C-index 0.680).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival greater than 24 months can be predicted from six pre-treatment clinicopathological variables. The model has a good discrimination ability. We hypothesized that this model could help the selection of the best treatment sequence in EGFR mutation NSCLC patients.

Therapeutic Sequencing in ALK+ NSCLC

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (ALK⁺ NSCLC) is a model disease for the use of targeted pharmaceuticals in thoracic oncology. Due to higher systemic and intracranial efficacy, the second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) alectinib and brigatinib have irrevocably displaced crizotinib as standard first-line treatment, based on the results of the ALEX and ALTA-1L trials. Besides, lorlatinib and brigatinib are the preferred second-line therapies for progression under second-generation TKI and crizotinib, respectively, based on the results of several phase II studies. Tissue or liquid rebiopsies at the time of disease progression, even though not mandated by the approval status of any ALK inhibitor, are gaining importance for individualization and optimization of patient management. Of particular interest are cases with off-target resistance, for example MET, HER2 or KRAS alterations, which require special therapeutic maneuvers, e.g., inclusion in early clinical trials or off-label administration of respectively targeted drugs. On the other hand, up to approximately half of the patients failing TKI, develop anatomically restricted progression, which can be initially tackled with local ablative measures without switch of systemic therapy. Among the overall biologically favorable ALK⁺ tumors, with a mean tumor mutational burden uniquely below 3 mutations per Mb and the longest survival among NSCLC currently, presence of the EML4-ALK fusion variant 3 and/or TP53 mutations identify high-risk cases with earlier treatment failure and a need for more aggressive surveillance and treatment strategies. The potential clinical utility of longitudinal ctDNA assays for earlier detection of disease progression and improved guidance of therapy in these patients is a currently a matter of intense investigation. Major pharmaceutical challenges for the field are the development of more potent, fourth-generation TKI and effective immuno-oncological interventions, especially ALK-directed cell therapies, which will be essential for further improving survival and achieving cure of ALK⁺ tumors.

A new immune signature for survival prediction and immune checkpoint molecules in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most frequent subtype of lung cancer. The prognostic signature could be reliable to stratify LUAD patients according to risk, which helps the management of the systematic treatments. In this study, a systematic and reliable immune signature was performed to estimate the prognostic stratification in LUAD.

Methods

The profiles of immune-related genes for patients with LUAD were used as one TCGA training set: n = 494, other validation set 1: n = 226 and validation set 2: n = 398. Univariate Cox survival analysis was used to identify the candidate immune-related genes from each cohort. Then, the immune signature was developed and validated in the training and validation sets.

Results

In this study, functional analysis showed that immune-related genes involved in immune regulation and MAPK signaling pathway. A prognostic signature based on 10 immune-related genes was established in the training set and patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. Our 10 immune-related gene signature was significantly related to worse survival, especially during early-stage tumors. Further stratification analyses revealed that this 10 immune-related gene signature was still an effective tool for predicting prognosis in smoking or nonsmoking patients, patients with KRAS mutation or KRAS wild-type, and patients with EGFR mutation or EGFR wild-type. Our signature was negatively correlated with B cell, CD4+ T cell, CD8+ T cell, neutrophil, dendritic cell (DC), and macrophage immune infiltration, and immune checkpoint molecules PD-1 and CTLA-4 (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings suggested that our signature was a promising biomarker for prognosis prediction and can facilitate the management of immunotherapy in LUAD.

Response rate of patients with baseline brain metastases from recently diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer receiving radiotherapy according to EGFR, ALK and KRAS mutation status

Background

Previous studies have identified that patients with EGFR mutations tend to have better responses to targeted therapy, as well as chemotherapy; however, the effect of genetic alterations in terms of radiotherapy (RT)‐related outcomes has not been fully assessed. We studied the impact of common non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) genetic alterations (EGFR, ALK and KRAS) in relation to objective response rate (ORR) to RT in patients with brain metastases.

Methods

From 2009–2015, 153 patients with an available genotyping status were treated with whole‐brain irradiation (WBI) before receiving systemic therapy. Primary outcome was ORR; secondary outcomes included intracranial progression‐free survival (IPFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

Overall, ORR was 47.1%. ORR to RT varied significantly according to molecular status: EGFR (64.5%) ALK (54.5%) KRAS (20%) and WT (35.4%) (P = 0.001). EGFR mutation was the only independently associated factor for response to WBI (RR 3.52 [95% CI 1.6–7.7]; P = 0.002). Median IPFS was 10.8 months [95% CI 8.2–13.5] overall; however, IPFS also varied significantly according to molecular status: EGFR (18.2 months), ALK (18.4 months), KRAS (6.0 months) and WT (8.7 months) (P < 0.0001). OS for EGFR, ALK, KRAS and WT patients was 36.6, 32.2, 15.5 and 22.4 months, respectively (P = 0.014). Intracranial‐ORR (HR 0.4 [95% CI 0.2–0.6], P < 0.001) and mutation status (HR 0.7 [95% CI 0.6–0.9], P < 0.042) were independently associated with a higher OS.

Conclusions

RT response varies as per tumor molecular status. The presence of EGFR mutations favors the organ‐specific response to RT, and is associated with longer OS in patients with NSCLC and BM.

Key points

This study addressed for the first time the difference in radiotherapy‐related outcomes in patients with different genotypes of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) before they received systemic therapy.

Results show that response to radiotherapy varies as per tumor molecular status, particularly EGFR‐mutated tumors, have a favorable response to radiotherapy, contrary to KRAS‐mutated tumors.

Brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR or ALK mutations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of multidisciplinary approaches

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To analyze outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases harboring EGFR or ALK mutations and examine for differences between tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) alone, radiotherapy (RT) alone (either whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)), or combined TKIs and RT.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty studies were identified.

PATIENTS

with brain metastases from NSCLC.

INTERVENTION

initial TKIs alone with optional salvage RT, RT alone, or TKIs and RT.

CONTROL

wild-type NSCLC and TKIs alone for mutational and treatment analysis, respectively.

OUTCOMES

overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression-free survival (PFS).

SETTING

studies with mutation information.

RESULTS

A total of 2649 patients were included. Patients with ALK and EGFR mutations had significantly higher median OS (48.5 months, p < 0.0001; and 20.9 months; p = 0.0006, respectively) compared to wild-type patients (9.9 months). Similar median OS was noted between TKIs and RT (28.3 months), RT alone (32.2 months; p = 0.22), or TKIs alone (23.9 months; p = 0.2). Patients treated with TKIs and RT had higher median PFS (18.6 months; p = 0.06) compared to TKIs alone (13.6 months) with no difference between TKIs and RT vs. RT alone (16.9 months; p = 0.72). No PFS difference was found between WBRT and TKI (23.2 months; p = 0.72) vs. WBRT alone (24 months) or SRS and TKI (16.7 months; p = 0.56) vs. SRS alone (13.6 months).

CONCLUSION

NSCLC patients with brain metastases harboring EGFR or ALK mutations have superior OS compared to wild-type patients. No PFS or OS benefit was found with the addition of TKIs to RT.

The role of EGFR mutation as a prognostic factor in survival after diagnosis of brain metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The brain is a common site for metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the mutational of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients with brain metastases.

Methods

Searches were performed in PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane Library to identify studies evaluating the association of EGFR mutation with OS in NSCLC patients through September 2017.

Results

4373 NSCLC patients with brain metastases in 18 studies were involved. Mutated EGFR associated with significantly improved OS compared with wild type. Subgroup analyses suggested that this relationship persisted in studies conducted in Eastern, with retrospective design, with sample size ≥500, mean age of patients ≥65.0 years, percentage male < 50.0%, percentage of patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor ≥30.0%. Finally, although significant publication bias was observed using the Egger test, the results were not changed after adjustment using the trim and fill method.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggests that EGFR mutation is an important predictive factor linked to improved OS for NSCLC patients with brain metastases. It can serve as a useful index in the prognostic assessment of NSCLC patients with brain metastases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5331-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Brain metastases: epidemiology

Brain metastases (BM) are the most commonly diagnosed type of central nervous system tumor in the United States. Estimates of the frequency of BM vary significantly, as there is no nationwide reporting system for metastases. BM may be the first sign of a previously undiagnosed cancer, or occur years or decades after the primary cancer was diagnosed. Incidence of BM varies significantly by primary cancer site. Lung, breast, and melanoma continue to be the leading cause of BM. These tumors are increasingly more common as new therapeutics, advanced imaging, and improved screening have led to lengthened survival after primary diagnosis for cancer patients. BM are difficult to treat, and for most individuals the diagnosis of BM generally portends a poor prognosis.

A retrospective analysis in patients with EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma: is EGFR mutation associated with a higher incidence of brain metastasis?

Lung adenocarcinomas are more commonly associated with brain metastases (BM). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations have been demonstrated to be both predictive and prognostic for patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We aimed to explore the potential association between EGFR mutation and the risk of BM in pulmonary adenocarcinoma patients. Data of 234 patients from 2007 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 108 patients had EGFR mutations in the entire cohort. Among them, 76 patients developed BM during their disease course. The incidence of BM was statistically higher in patients with EGFR mutations both at initial diagnosis (P=0.014) and at last follow-up (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that EGFR mutation significantly increased the risk of BM at initial diagnosis (OR=2.515, P=0.022). In patients without BM at initial diagnosis, the accumulative rate of subsequent BM was significantly higher with EGFR mutations (P=0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified EGFR mutation as the only independent risk factor for subsequent BM (HR=3.036, P=0.001). Patients with EGFR mutations demonstrated longer overall survival (OS) after BM diagnosis than patients with wild-type EGFR (P=0.028). Our data suggest that EGFR mutation is an independent predictive and prognostic risk factor for BM and a positive predictive factor for OS in patients with BM.

Influence of EGFR mutational status on metastatic behavior in non squamous non small cell lung cancer

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutated Non Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLCs) are a molecularly subgroup of patients with peculiar clinic-pathological characteristics. Previous studies have suggested a possible interaction between oncogene status and metastatic behavior in non squamous NSCLCs with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to compare the different metastatic patterns, at baseline and during the course of the disease, in a cohort of 137 Caucasian patients with non-squamous NSCLC according to the EGFR mutational status and survival differences according to the different metastatic behavior. We observed unique metastatic distributions between EGFR-mutated and EGFR wild type non-squamous NSCLCs. These data support the hypothesis that tumor bio-molecular characteristics and genotype may influence the metastatic process in NSCLC and might help the development of enrichment strategies for tumor genotyping in these tumors, especially in the presence of limited tissue availability.

Applicability of graded prognostic assessment of lung cancer using molecular markers to lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastases

Several scoring systems are available to estimate prognosis and assist in selecting treatment methods for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastasis, including recursive partitioning analysis (RPA), basic score for brain metastases (BS-BM), and diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (DS-GPA). Lung-molGPA is an update of the DS-GPA that incorporates EGFR and/or ALK mutation status. The present study tested the applicability of these four indexes in 361 lung adenocarcinoma patients with brain metastasis. Potential predictive factors in our independent multivariate analysis included patient age, Karnofsky performance status, EGFR and ALK mutation status, and use of targeted therapy. In the log-rank test, all four systems predicted overall survival (OS) (P<0.001). Harrell^’s C indexes were 0.732, 0.724, 0.729, and 0.747 for RPA, BS-BM, DS-GPA, and Lung-molGPA, respectively. Our results confirmed that the Lung-molGPA index was useful for estimating OS in our patient cohort, and appeared to provide the most accurate predictions. However, the independent prognostic factors identified in our study were not entirely in agreement with the Lung-molGPA factors. In an era of targeted therapy, Lung-molGPA must be further updated to incorporate more specific prognostic factors based on additional patient data.

Prognostic model for brain metastases from lung adenocarcinoma identified with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation status

BACKGROUND

Several indices have been developed to predict survival of brain metastases (BM) based on prognostic factors. However, such models were designed for general brain metastases from different kinds of cancers, and prognostic factors vary between cancers and histological subtypes. Recently, studies have indicated that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status may be a potential prognostic biological factor in BM from lung adenocarcinoma. Thus, we sought to define the role of EGFR mutation in prognoses and introduce a prognostic model specific for BM from lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Data of 256 patients with BM from lung adenocarcinoma identified with EGFR mutations were collected. Independent prognostic factors were confirmed using a Cox regression model. The new prognostic model was developed based on the results of multivariable analyses. The score of each factor was calculated by six-month survival. Prognostic groups were divided into low, medium, and high risk based on the total scores. The prediction ability of the new model was compared to the three existing models.

RESULTS

EGFR mutation and Karnofsky performance status were independent prognostic factors and were thus integrated into the new prognostic model. The new model was superior to the three other scoring systems regarding the prediction of three, six, and 12-month survival by pairwise comparison of the area under the curve.

CONCLUSION

Our proposed prognostic model specific for BM from lung adenocarcinoma incorporating EGFR mutation status was valid in predicting patient survival. Further verification is warranted, with prospective testing using large sample sizes.

Expression of Neuroendocrine Factor VGF in Lung Cancer Cells Confers Resistance to EGFR Kinase Inhibitors and Triggers Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Mutations in EGFR drive tumor growth but render tumor cells sensitive to treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Phenotypic alteration in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been linked to the TKI resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. However, the mechanism underlying this resistance remains unclear. Here we report that high expression of a neuroendocrine factor termed VGF induces the transcription factor TWIST1 to facilitate TKI resistance, EMT, and cancer dissemination in a subset of lung adenocarcinoma cells. VGF silencing resensitized EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma cells to TKI. Conversely, overexpression of VGF in sensitive cells conferred resistance to TKIs and induced EMT, increasing migratory and invasive behaviors. Correlation analysis revealed a significant association of VGF expression with advanced tumor grade and poor survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In a mouse xenograft model of lung adenocarcinoma, suppressing VGF expression was sufficient to attenuate tumor growth. Overall, our findings show how VGF can confer TKI resistance and trigger EMT, suggesting its potential utility as a biomarker and therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Res; 77(11); 3013-26. ©2017 AACR.

Efficacy of Second-line Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Metastatic Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Harboring Exon 19 and 21 EGFR Mutations

Background: Although superior clinical benefits of first-line epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had been reported with different sensitivity, the sensitivity of second-line TKIs in NSCLC patients with different EFGR mutations was unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical outcome of second-line EGFR-TKIs in the treatment of NSCLC patients according to different EGFR genotypes.

Methods: The treatment outcomes of 166 NSCLC patients with different EGFR mutations treated by second-line TKIs were retrospectively reviewed. The efficacy was evaluated with Pearson chi-square or Fisher's exact tests, Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model.

Results: The disease control rate (DCR) and objective response rate (ORR) of enrolled NSCLC patients were 77.7% and 11.4%, respectively. The exon 19 deletion group had a significantly longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (6.7 vs. 4.5 months, P=0.002) and overall survival (OS) (13.7 vs. 11.7 months, P=0.02) compared with the exon 19 L858R mutation group for NSCLC patients, as well for patients with brain metastasis [PFS: (6.7 vs. 3.9 months, p<0.001), OS: (13.7 vs. 7.9 months, p=0.006)]. No significant difference on PFS and OS was observed between exon 19 deletion and L858R mutation group for patients with bone metastasis. EGFR genotype and ECOG PS were independent predictors of PFS. Never smoking, exon 19 deletion, EGOC PS (0-1) and no brain metastasis were correlated with longer OS. No significant difference on side effect between exon 19 and 21 mutation group was observed.

Conclusions: NSCLC patients harboring exon 19 deletion achieved better PFS and OS than those with L858R mutation, indicating that EGFR mutation is a significant prognostic factor for advanced NSCLC patients with and without brain metastasis receiving second-line EGFR-TKIs treatment.

The impact of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations on patterns of disease recurrence after chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a literature review and pooled analysis

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status on disease recurrence in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A literature search was conducted and a total of three studies were analyzed. There was no significant difference in the objective response rate between the EGFR mutation group and the EGFR wild-type group (odds ratios [OR] 1.46, 95% CI, 0.79-2.70, P = 0.228), and there was no significant difference in the incidence of disease recurrence (OR 1.37, 95% CI, 0.68-2.75, P = 0.379) between the two groups. There were significant difference in the incidence of local/locoregional progression (LP) (OR 0.35, 95% CI, 0.18-0.71, P = 0.003) and distant progression (DP) (OR 2.97, 95% CI, 1.59-5.54, P < 0.001). Brain metastasis (BM) was one of the main recurrence patterns of DP, and the incidence was significantly higher in the EGFR mutant group (OR 2.75, 95% CI, 1.43-5.31, P = 0.003). There were no statistically significant heterogeneities in these pooled analyses. The patterns of recurrence after CRT for locally advanced NSCLC were different according to EGFR mutation status. LP after CRT in patients with EGFR mutation was less frequent, but the high incidence of DP, especially BM, continued to be the major problem. On the other hand, LP continued to be the major problem in EGFR wild-type patients. In multimodality treatment for inoperable locally advanced NSCLC, we may need to consider different treatment strategies according to EGFR mutation status.

Icotinib combined whole brain radiotherapy for patients with brain metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutation

BACKGROUND

The brain is a metastatic organ that is most prone to lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). However, the prognosis of patients with brain metastasis remains very poor. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of icotinib plus whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for treating patients with brain metastasis from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated LAC.

METHODS

All patients received standard WBRT administered to the whole brain in 30 Gy in 10 daily fractions. Each patient was also instructed to take 125 mg icotinib thrice per day beginning from the first day of the WBRT. After completing the WBRT, maintenance icotinib was administered until the disease progressed or intolerable adverse effects were observed. Cranial progression-free survival (CPFS) and overall survival (OS) times were the primary endpoints.

RESULTS

A total of 43 patients were enrolled in this study. Two patients (4.7%) presented a complete response (CR), whereas 20 patients (46.5%) presented a partial response (PR). The median CPFS and OS times were 11.0 and 15.0 months, respectively. The one-year CPFS rate was 40.0% for the patients harboring EGFR exon 19 deletion and 16.7% for the patients with EGFR exon 21 L858R (P=0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

The concurrent administration of icotinib and WBRT exhibited favorable effects on the patients with brain metastasis. EGFR exon 19 deletion was predictive of a long CPFS following icotinib plus WBRT.

Combined action of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and whole-brain radiotherapy on EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer patients with brain metastasis

Background

Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer to spread to the brain (brain metastasis [BM]). This study assessed the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in combination with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) on EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with BM.

Patients and methods

Thirty-nine patients, who had receieved different EGFR TKIs plus 30 Gy WBRT until disease progression, were retrospectively analyzed between 2010 and 2014. Treatment response was evaluated and survival data were collected and analyzed.

Results

Among the 39 patients, 18 had an EGFR exon 19 deletion and 21 had an EGFR exon 21 point mutation. After therapy, 19 (48.7%) patients had complete remission, 12 (30.8%) had partial remission, and eight (20.5%) had stable disease in the intracranial lesions. Besides, there was no single case of complete remission, 21 (53.8%) had partial remission, and 18 (46.2%) had stable disease of the extracranial lesions. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of intracranial lesions and extracranial lesions was 18 and 12 months, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was 26 months. The univariate analysis showed that graded prognostic assessment (P=0.006) and Karnofsky Performance Scale (P=0.045) were associated with intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), while recursive partitioning analysis (P=0.049) was associated with OS of patients.

Conclusion

EGFR TKIs plus concomitant WBRT controlled intracranial lesions of lung cancer metastasis and significantly improved OS of patients. Further studies will be needed to confirm whether this combination treatment could be used as a standard therapy for EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with BM.

Impact of EGFR mutations and KRAS amino acid substitution on the response to radiotherapy for brain metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Our study aimed to evaluate response rate (RR) to brain metastasis radiotherapy (RT), depending on the genomic status of non-small-cell lung cancer.

MATERIAL & METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 1971 non-small-cell lung cancer files of patients with EGFR and KRAS testing and focused on 157 patients who had undergone RT for brain metastasis.

RESULTS

A total of 16 patients (10.2%) harbored EGFR mutations (mEGFR) and 45 patients (28.7%) KRAS (mKRAS). In univariate analysis, RR was significantly higher for mEGFR compared with wild-type EGFR/KRAS (odds ratio [OR]: 4.96; p = 0.05) or mKRAS (OR: 1.81; p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, KRAS G12V or G12C status was associated with both poor RR (OR: 0.1; p < 0.0001) and overall survival (OR: 3.41; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

mEGFR are associated with higher RR to brain RT than wild-type EGFR/RAS or mKRAS.

Exon 19 deletion of epidermal growth factor receptor is associated with prolonged survival in brain metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer

Brain metastasis (BM) is a poor prognostic factor for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent studies have shown that oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) were effective for BM from NSCLC with EGFR mutation. However, the relationship between EGFR mutations and prognosis of NSCLC BM patients remains to be determined. In this study, we investigated the impact of EGFR mutation status on the survival of BM patients from NSCLC. One hundred six patients with BM from NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-three subjects (24.3 %) were confirmed to have an exon 19 deletion, while another 33 had an exon 21 point mutation (L858R) (24.3 %). Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the impact of variables on survival. The median survival of NSCLC with BM was 8 months. Log-rank test analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) at BM (p < 0.0001), control of primary tumor (p = 0.005), pathology (p = 0.01), EGFR mutations (p = 0.045), and 19 exon deletion (p = 0.007) were associated with a longer survival. In a Cox proportional hazards model, EGFR exon 19 deletion (p = 0.034), control of primary tumor (p = 0.024), and ECOG PS at BM (p = 0.006) were found to be independent prognostic factors. Moreover, there were prognostic differences between groups according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) classification system (p < 0.0001). Exon 19 deletion is an independent prognostic factor in BM from NSCLC. It should be integrated into the prognostic scoring classification system for NSCLC.

Does lung cancer mutation status and targeted therapy predict for outcomes and local control in the setting of brain metastases treated with radiation?

BACKGROUND

We investigated effects of genetic alterations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), and Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) on overall survival (OS) and local control after stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

A cohort of 89 out of 262 NSCLC patients (2003-2013) treated with gamma knife radiosurgery for brain metastases had genotyping available and were selected as our study population.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 12 months. Median OS rates for the EGFR, KRAS, echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK mutated, and wild-type cohorts were 17, 7, 27, and 12 months, respectively (P = .019), and for targeted versus nontargeted therapy 21 and 11 months, respectively (P = .071). Targeted therapy was a strong predictor of increased OS on univariate (P = .037) and multivariate (P = .022) analysis. Gender, primary tumor controlled status, recursive partitioning analysis class, and graded prognostic assessment score were associated with OS (P < .05). On multivariate analysis, positive EGFR mutational status was a highly significant predictor for decreased survival (hazard ratio: 8.2; 95% CI: 2.0-33.7; P = .003). However, when we recategorized EGFR-mutant cases based on whether they received tyrosine kinase inhibitor, OS was no longer significantly shorter (hazard ratio: 1.5; P = .471). Median OS for patients with and without local failure was 17 and 12 months, respectively (P = .577). Local failure rates for EGFR, KRAS, EML4-ALK mutated, and wild-type cohorts by lesion were 8.7%, 5.4%, 4.3%, and 5.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that EGFR tyrosine kinase mutation and ALK translocation results in improved survival to targeted therapies and that mutation status itself does not predict survival and local control in patients with brain metastases from NSCLC.

[Supportive care, cognition and quality of life in brain metastases]

Brain metastases impact on the survival of the patients, but on their quality of life as well. The objective of the management of these patients is then double. Currently, due to medical advances, survivals tend to improve, especially for some tumor subtypes. During the course of the disease, different neurological signs and symptoms can be observed according to the location, the number and the volume of the metastase(s). Patients and caregivers are especially worried about the loss of autonomy and cognitive impairments. A permanent dialogue, during the course of the disease, is mandatory, in order to adapt the management to the objectives determined by the patients and the medical team. These objectives may vary according to the objective response rates of the disease to anticancer therapies, according to the impact of the disease and its management in daily living. Anticancer therapies and supportive care must be appreciated according to their impact on the survival, on the preservation of the functional independence and the quality of life of the patient, on their abilities to preserve the neurological status and delay the apparition of new neurological signs and symptoms, and their adverse events. Supportive care, cognition and quality of life should be regularly evaluated and adapted according to the objectives of the management of brain metastases patients. Different approaches are described in this paper.

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors versus cranial radiation therapy for EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

EGFR TKIs alone have demonstrated activity against intracranial disease in EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to determine if upfront cranial radiotherapy improves intracranial disease control and survival outcomes in EGFR mutant NSCLC with brain metastases relative to TKIs alone.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and various conference proceedings from 2008 to July 2014 for eligible studies where patients received upfront cranial radiotherapy or TKIs alone. Outcomes of interest were overall intracranial disease response rate (ORR), four-month intracranial disease progression-free survival (PFS), two-year overall survival (OS) and neurological adverse events (AE). We used random effects models to pool outcomes across studies and compared them using interaction tests.

RESULTS

We found 12 non-comparative observational studies (n=363) with severe methodological limitations. Upfront cranial radiotherapy results in similar intracranial disease ORR (relative risk (RR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-1.06; interaction p value (p)=0.53), improved four-month intracranial disease PFS (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00-1.12; p=0.03), improved two-year OS (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.00-1.77; p=0.05) but caused more neurological AEs than TKIs alone.

CONCLUSION

There is evidence, albeit of low quality, that upfront cranial radiotherapy may improve intracranial disease control and survival outcomes compared with TKI alone.

Frequency of brain metastases in non-small-cell lung cancer, and their association with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations

BACKGROUND

The brain is a frequent site of metastases from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the frequency of brain metastases (BMs) from NSCLC in the era of magnetic resonance images, and evaluated the correlation between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and BMs among East Asian patients.

METHODS

Frequency, number, and size of BMs, and survival of 1,127 NSCLC patients were retrospectively reviewed. Mutation status of EGFR was evaluated in all cases, and its association with BMs was statistically evaluated.

RESULTS

EGFR mutations were found for 331 cases (29.4 %). BM was the cause of primary symptoms for 52 patients (4.6 %), and found before initiation of treatment for 102 other patients (9.1 %); In addition to these 154 patients, 107 patients (9.5 %) developed BMs, giving a total of 261 patients (23.2 %) who developed BMs from 1,127 with NSCLC. BM frequency was higher among EGFR-mutated cases (31.4 %) than EGFR-wild cases (19.7 %; odds ratio: 1.86; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.39-2.49; P < 0.001). BMs from EGFR-mutated NSCLC were small, but often became disseminated. EGFR mutations accounted for 39.9 % of BMs, but patient survival after BMs was significantly longer for EGFR-mutated cases than for EGFR-wild cases (hazard ratio: 2.23; 95 % CI 1.62-3.10; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC were more likely to develop BMs, but apparently also survived longer after BMs.

Prognostic factors for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutation: influence of stable extracranial disease and erlotinib therapy

The aim of this study was to explore prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BM) on the basis of EGFR mutation status. Among 779 consecutive NSCLC patients who underwent EGFR mutation screening, all 197 patients with BM were divided according to the EGFR mutation status. The prognostic factors, including patient characteristics at the time of BM diagnosis, treatment history, and radiologic features, were analyzed. Of 197 patients with BM, 108 had wild-type EGFR and 89 had EGFR mutation. The patients with EGFR mutation presented longer overall survival after BM diagnosis (OS) than those with wild-type EGFR, regardless of whether BM was synchronous or metachronous. For the patients with EGFR mutation, favorable prognostic factors in multivariate analysis were age<65 (p=0.037), good performance status (PS) (p<0.0001), cranial radiotherapy (p=0.020), previous chemotherapy≤1 regimen (p=0.009), stable extracranial disease at BM diagnosis (p=0.022), and erlotinib therapy after BM diagnosis (p=0.0015). On the other hand, favorable prognostic factors for the patients with wild-type EGFR were only good PS (p=0.0037) and cranial radiotherapy (p=0.0005). Among patients treated with erlotinib after BM diagnosis, the patients with exon 19 deletion showed longer OS than those with exon 21 point mutation (p=0.019). The prognostic factors for NSCLC patients with BM were different according to the EGFR mutation status. Particularly in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation and stable extracranial disease, regular cranial evaluation for detecting asymptomatic BM would lead to good prognosis. In addition, erlotinib therapy would be preferable in NSCLC patients with BM and EGFR mutation, especially those with exon 19 deletion.

Brain metastases in lung adenocarcinoma: impact of EGFR mutation status on incidence and survival

Background

The brain represents a frequent progression site in lung adenocarcinoma. This study was designed to analyse the association between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status and the frequency of brain metastases (BM) and survival in routine clinical practice.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively analysed the medical records of 629 patients with adenocarcinoma in Slovenia who were tested for EGFR mutations in order to analyse the cumulative incidence of BM, the time from the diagnosis to the development of BM (TDBM), the time from BM to death (TTD) and the median survival.

Results

Out of 629 patients, 168 (27%) had BM, 90 patients already at the time of diagnosis. Additional 78 patients developed BM after a median interval of 14.3 months; 25.8 months in EGFR positive and 11.8 months in EGFR negative patients, respectively (p = 0.002). EGFR mutations were present in 47 (28%) patients with BM. The curves for cumulative incidence of BM in EGFR positive and negative patients demonstrate a trend for a higher incidence of BM in EGFR mutant patients at diagnosis (19% vs. 13%, p = 0.078), but no difference later during the course of the disease. The patients with BM at diagnosis had a statistically longer TTD (7.3 months) than patients who developed BM later (3.1 months). The TTD in EGFR positive patients with BM at diagnosis was longer than in EGFR negative patients (12.6 vs. 6.8, p = 0.005), while there was no impact of EGFR status on the TTD of patients who developed BM later.

Conclusions

Except for a non-significant increase of frequency of BM at diagnosis in EGFR positive patients, EGFR status had no influence upon the cumulative incidence of BM. EGFR positive patients had a longer time to CNS progression. While EGFR positive patients with BM at diagnosis had a longer survival, EGFR status had no influence on TTD in patients who developed BM later during the course of disease.

Erlotinib with pemetrexed/cisplatin for patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma with brain metastases

Erlotinib and pemetrexed have been approved for the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Recent reports indicated that erlotinib and pemetrexed exerted synergistic effects against lung adenocarcinoma. The available treatment options for lung cancer with brain metastases (BM) are currently limited. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of the combined administration of erlotinib and pemetrexed in 9 patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type lung adenocarcinoma with BM. Pemetrexed (500 mg/m²) and cisplatin (20 mg/m²) were administered on day 1 and days 1-3, respectively. Erlotinib (150 mg) was administered daily on days 4-20. The 9 patients harbored EGFR wild-type mutation in the primary tumor tissues. With regard to the BM, no patients achieved complete remission, 7 patients exhibited a partial response (PR), 1 had stable disease (SD) and 1 had progressive disease (PD). As regards the extracranial tumors, 3 patients exhibited a PR, 2 had SD, 3 had PD and 1 was not applicable. The performance status and the symptoms improved in 3 patients following treatment. The median progression-free survival for intracranial and extracranial disease control was 179 and 146.5 days, respectively. The median overall survival was 197.4 days. Therefore, erlotinib combined with pemetrexed/cisplatin, was found to be effective in the treatment of patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma.

EGFR mutated non-small cell lung cancer patients: more prone to development of bone and brain metastases?

OBJECTIVES

Both bone and brain are frequent sites of metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Conflicting data exist whether EGFR mutant (+) patients are more prone to develop brain metastases or have a better outcome with brain metastases compared to EGFR/KRAS wildtype (WT) or KRAS+ patients. For bone metastases this has not been studied.

METHODS

In this retrospective case-control study all EGFR+ (exons 19 and 21) patients diagnosed at two pathology departments were selected (2004/2008 to 2012). For every EGFR+ patient a consecutive KRAS+ and WT patient with metastatic NSCLC (mNSCLC) was identified. Patients with another malignancy within 2 years of mNSCLC diagnosis were excluded. Data regarding age, gender, performance score, histology, treatment, bone/brain metastases diagnosis, skeletal related events (SRE) and subsequent survival were collected.

RESULTS

189 patients were included: 62 EGFR+, 65 KRAS+, 62 WT. 32%, 35% and 40%, respectively, had brain metastases (p=0.645). Mean time to brain metastases was 20.8 [± 12.0], 10.8 [± 9.8], 16.4 [± 10.2] months (EGFR+-KRAS+, p = 0.020, EGFR+-WT, p = 0.321). Median post brain metastases survival was 12.1 [5.0-19.1], 7.6 [1.2-14.0], 10.7 [1.5-19.8] months (p = 0.674). 60%, 52% and 50% had metastatic bone disease (p=0.528). Mean time to development of metastatic bone disease was 13.4 [± 10.6], 23.3 [± 19.4], 16.4 [± 9.6] months (p = 0.201). Median post metastatic bone disease survival was 15.0 [10.6-20.3], 9.0 [5.2-12.9], 3.2 [0.0-6.9] months (p = 0.010). Time to 1st SRE was not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

Incidence of brain and bone metastases was not different between EGFR+, KRAS+ and WT patients. Post brain metastases survival, time from mNSCLC diagnosis to metastatic bone disease and 1st SRE did not differ either. Post metastatic bone disease survival was significantly longer in EGFR+ patients. Although prevention of SRE's is important for all patients, the latter finding calls for a separate study for SRE preventing agents in EGFR+ patients.

Challenges relating to solid tumour brain metastases in clinical trials, part 2: neurocognitive, neurological, and quality-of-life outcomes. A report from the RANO group

Neurocognitive function, neurological symptoms, functional independence, and health-related quality of life are major concerns for patients with brain metastases. The inclusion of these endpoints in trials of brain metastases and the methods by which these measures are assessed vary substantially. If functional independence or health-related quality of life are planned as key study outcomes, then the reliability and validity of these endpoints can be crucial because methodological issues might affect the interpretation and acceptance of findings. The Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) working group is an independent, international, and collaborative effort to improve the design of clinical trials in patients with brain tumours. In this report, the second in a two-part series, we review clinical trials of brain metastases in relation to measures of clinical benefit and provide a framework for the design and conduct of future trials.