Fatal acute disseminated intravascular coagulation as presentation of advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer: Does oncogene addiction matter?

Changing profile of lung cancer clinical characteristics in China: Over 8-year population-based study

Background

Although examinations and therapies for bronchial lung cancer, also called lung cancer (LC), have become more effective and precise, the morbidity and mortality of LC remain high worldwide. Describing the changing profile of LC characteristics over time is indispensable. This study aimed to understand the changes in real-world settings of LC and its characteristics in China.

Methods

In this study, 119,785 patients were enrolled from 2012 to 2020 in the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital. The patients' medical records were extracted from the hospital's database. Demographic characteristics, general clinicopathological information, and blood coagulation indices at the initial diagnoses were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis, Nemenyi, chi-squared, and Bonferroni tests. Changes in demographic characteristics during the 8-year study period, namely dynamic changes among different stages and different pathological types, were evaluated.

Results

The percentages of female (from 38.50% [323/839] in 2012 to 48.29% [5112/10,585] in 2020) and non-smoking LC (from 69.34% [475/685] to 80.48% [8055/10,009]) patients increased significantly during the study period, with a trend toward a younger age at diagnosis (from 3.58% [30/839] to 8.99% [952/10,585]). Over the study period, the proportion and absolute number of lung adenocarcinoma cases increased (from 67.97% [433/637] to 76.31% [6606/8657]) while the proportion of lung squamous cell carcinoma decreased (from 21.19% [135/637] to 12.08% [1046/8657]). Comprehensive driver gene mutation examination became more common, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation occurred more frequently in female vs. male (62.03% [12793/20625] vs. 29.90% [8207/27,447]) and non-smoking vs. smoking (53.54% [17,203/32,134] vs. 23.73% [3322/13,997]) patients (both P < 0.001). The distribution of the common driver genes differed among different stages of LC. EGFR mutation was detected most frequently at each stage, and other driver gene alterations were more common in advanced stages (P <0.001). The combination of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, as a comprehensive management regimen, gradually became predominant over the study period (P < 0.001). A hypercoagulable state was shown in advanced-stage LC patients and patients with the anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion, indicated by significantly elevated levels of d-dimer, fibrinogen, and fibrinogen degradation products.

Conclusions

This study comprehensively depicted the changing characteristics of Chinese LC patients over an 8-year period to provide preliminary insights into LC treatment.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05423236.

Impact of the mutation profile on thrombotic risk in cancer patients

Patients with cancer present with an elevated risk of thrombosis, which entails high morbidity and mortality. Various predictive scales that incorporate clinical and biological data have been developed to identify those at high risk of thrombosis, but, in general, they do not allow for the optimal selection of subjects who are candidates for thromboprophylaxis. Recent studies have demonstrated that the mutation profile has a high impact on the risk of thrombosis; this will facilitate developing new predictive models of thrombosis in patients with cancer.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation complicating diagnosis of ROS1-mutant non-small cell lung cancer: A case report and literature review

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a rare paraneoplastic complication in advanced solid malignancies, with success of treatment and survival dependent on treatment of the underlying malignancy. Best estimates suggest an incidence of 1.6–6.8% in cancer, with risk factors being advanced disease, older age, and adenocarcinoma, especially of lung origin. Few cases, however, have reported on an association between DIC and oncogene‐addicted lung cancers, especially those containing ROS proto‐oncogene 1 (ROS1) mutations, however precedent exists to suggest increased prothrombotic rates in tumors harboring this mutation. We present a young woman with ROS1‐mutant non‐small‐cell lung cancer who presented in DIC and subsequently developed complications of both hemorrhage and thrombosis. Following initiation of targeted treatment, rapid resolution of laboratory coagulation derangement was observed and clinical improvement quickly followed. This event underscores the need for rapid evaluation of lung molecular panels and the dramatic resolution of life‐threatening illness that can occur with institution of appropriate therapy. This case contributes to growing evidence for a possible underlying link between oncogene addicted tumors and abnormalities of coagulation.

EML4-ALK induces cellular senescence in mortal normal human cells and promotes anchorage-independent growth in hTERT-transduced normal human cells

BACKGROUND

Chromosomal inversions involving anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 (EML4) generate a fusion protein EML4-ALK in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The understanding of EML4-ALK function can be improved by a functional study using normal human cells.

METHODS

Here we for the first time conduct such study to examine the effects of EML4-ALK on cell proliferation, cellular senescence, DNA damage, gene expression profiles and transformed phenotypes.

RESULTS

The lentiviral expression of EML4-ALK in mortal, normal human fibroblasts caused, through its constitutive ALK kinase activity, an early induction of cellular senescence with accumulated DNA damage, upregulation of p16INK4A and p21WAF1, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity. In contrast, when EML4-ALK was expressed in normal human fibroblasts transduced with telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), which is activated in the vast majority of NSCLC, the cells showed accelerated proliferation and acquired anchorage-independent growth ability in soft-agar medium, without accumulated DNA damage, chromosome aberration, nor p53 mutation. EML4-ALK induced the phosphorylation of STAT3 in both mortal and hTERT-transduced cells, but RNA sequencing analysis suggested that the different signaling pathways contributed to the different phenotypic outcomes in these cells. While EML4-ALK also induced anchorage-independent growth in hTERT-immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro, the expression of EML4-ALK alone did not cause detectable in vivo tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that the expression of hTERT is critical for EML4-ALK to manifest its in vitro transforming activity in human cells. This study provides the isogenic pairs of human cells with and without EML4-ALK expression.

Impact of Tumor Genomic Mutations on Thrombotic Risk in Cancer Patients

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in patients with cancer and is an important contributor to morbidity and mortality in these patients. Early thromboprophylaxis initiated only in those cancer patients at highest risk for VTE would be optimal. Risk stratification scores incorporating tumor location, laboratory values and patient characteristics have attempted to identify those patients most likely to benefit from thromboprophylaxis but even well-validated scores are not able to reliably distinguish the highest-risk patients. Recognizing that tumor genetics affect the biology and behavior of malignancies, recent studies have explored the impact of specific molecular aberrations on the rate of VTE in cancer patients. The presence of certain molecular aberrations in a variety of different cancers, including lung, colon, brain and hematologic tumors, have been associated with an increased risk of VTE and arterial thrombotic events. This review examines the findings of these studies and discusses the implications of these findings on decisions relating to thromboprophylaxis use in the clinical setting. Ultimately, the integration of tumor molecular genomic information into clinical VTE risk stratification scores in cancer patients may prove to be a major advancement in the prevention of cancer-associated thrombosis.

Impact of ALK Rearrangement on Venous and Arterial Thrombotic Risk in NSCLC

INTRODUCTION

Clinical venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk prediction scores, such as the Khorana Risk Score, perform poorly in NSCLC, possibly because the tumor molecular subtype is omitted. Previous studies suggest a possible increased VTE risk in ALK-rearranged NSCLC, but data are conflicting.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC diagnosed between 2009 and 2019. Multivariable, time-to-event analyses modeling the risk of first venous or arterial thrombosis in ALK and non-ALK NSCLC groups, controlling for covariates known to impact thrombosis risk (15 in VTE model and 17 in arterial thrombosis model), were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression and competing-risks regression. Multivariable negative binomial regression modeled the total VTE rate.

RESULTS

A total of 422 patients with ALK-rearranged and 385 patients with non-ALK-rearranged NSCLC were included. Patients with an ALK rearrangement were younger, had better performance status, and had lower rates of most thrombotic risk factors but had significantly higher rates of initial VTE (42.7% versus 28.6%, p < 0.0001), recurrent VTE (13.5% versus 3.1%, p < 0.0001), and similar rates of arterial thrombosis (5.0% versus 4.4%, p = 0.71) compared with non-ALK NSCLC. VTE risk attributable to ALK was significant (Cox model: hazard ratio 3.70, [95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.51-5.44, p < 0.001], competing risks: subhazard ratio 3.91 [95% CI: 2.55-5.99, p < 0.001]). Negative binomial modeling revealed higher VTE rates in patients with an ALK rearrangement (incidence rate ratio 2.47 [95% CI: 1.72-3.55, p < 0.001]). The OR for recurrent VTE was 4.85 (95% CI: 2.60-9.52, p < 0.001). Arterial thrombosis risk attributable to ALK was significant (Cox model: hazard ratio 3.15 [95% CI: 1.18-8.37, p = 0.021], competing risks: subhazard ratio 2.80 [95% CI: 1.06-7.43, p = 0.038]).

CONCLUSIONS

In time-to-event analyses controlling for thrombosis risk factors, the ALK rearrangement conferred a fourfold increase in VTE risk and a threefold increase in arterial thrombosis risk in NSCLC. These patients may benefit from pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis.

Managing the competing risks of thrombosis, bleeding, and anticoagulation in patients with malignancy

The association between malignancy and thrombosis has been recognized for over a century and a half. Patients with cancer have an elevated risk of both initial and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with patients without cancer owing to cancer- and patient-specific factors. Recurrent VTE is common despite anticoagulation, presenting additional management challenges. Patients with cancer also have an increased risk of bleeding when on anticoagulants compared with patients without cancer. This bleeding risk is heightened by the thrombocytopenia common in patients with hematologic malignancies and those treated with intensive myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens. Despite the advancements in cancer-directed therapy made over the past 15 years, numerous large studies have confirmed that bleeding and VTE recurrence rates remain high in cancer patients. Balancing the increased and competing risks of clotting and bleeding in these patients can be difficult, because management of cancer-associated thrombosis requires anticoagulation despite known increased risks for bleeding. In the context of challenging illustrative cases, this review will describe management approaches to clinical scenarios in which data are sparse: cancer patients with recurrent VTE despite anticoagulation and cancer patients with a new VTE in the setting of severe thrombocytopenia.

Managing the competing risks of thrombosis, bleeding, and anticoagulation in patients with malignancy

The association between malignancy and thrombosis has been recognized for over a century and a half. Patients with cancer have an elevated risk of both initial and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with patients without cancer owing to cancer- and patient-specific factors. Recurrent VTE is common despite anticoagulation, presenting additional management challenges. Patients with cancer also have an increased risk of bleeding when on anticoagulants compared with patients without cancer. This bleeding risk is heightened by the thrombocytopenia common in patients with hematologic malignancies and those treated with intensive myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens. Despite the advancements in cancer-directed therapy made over the past 15 years, numerous large studies have confirmed that bleeding and VTE recurrence rates remain high in cancer patients. Balancing the increased and competing risks of clotting and bleeding in these patients can be difficult, because management of cancer-associated thrombosis requires anticoagulation despite known increased risks for bleeding. In the context of challenging illustrative cases, this review will describe management approaches to clinical scenarios in which data are sparse: cancer patients with recurrent VTE despite anticoagulation and cancer patients with a new VTE in the setting of severe thrombocytopenia.

ROS1-rearranged Non-small-cell Lung Cancer is Associated With a High Rate of Venous Thromboembolism: Analysis From a Phase II, Prospective, Multicenter, Two-arms Trial (METROS)

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), and 8% to 15% of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experience a VTE event during the course of their disease. The incidence of VTE in molecularly defined NSCLC subgroups is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the incidence and the clinical correlates of VTE in patients with ROS1-rearranged NSCLC enrolled in the METROS trial (NCT02499614).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The METROS trial is a prospective phase II study designed to assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability of crizotinib in patients with pre-treated metastatic NSCLC ROS1 rearrangement (cohort A) or with MET amplification or MET exon 14 mutation (cohort B). Patients with ROS1-rearranged NSCLC enrolled within cohort A and the expansion cohort of the trial were included in the primary analysis.

RESULTS

Among 48 patients with ROS1-rearranged NSCLC enrolled in the METROS study, 20 (41.6%) of 48 had at least 1 VTE event. Among them, 7 (35%) of 20 patients had ≥ 2 VTE events. VTE events consisted of pulmonary embolism (46.4%), deep vein thrombosis (39.2%), renal vein thrombosis (7.1%), internal jugular thrombosis (3.5%), and peripheral inserted central catheter-related thrombosis (3.5%). VTE events occurred at disease progression in 35.7% of cases, at diagnosis in 32.1% of cases, and during chemotherapy or crizotinib in 17.8% and 14.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of VTE is 3- to 5-fold higher in patients harboring ROS1-rearrangment than previously observed for the general population with NSCLC. Larger studies are warranted to confirm our findings and determine whether the molecular profile of NSCLC should be incorporated into a risk-stratification tool and decision-making algorithm for VTE diagnosis and prophylaxis.