Comparing the benefits of chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy for resectable stage III A/N2 non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Patients with Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Completely Resected after Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiation: A Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Trial

PURPOSE

Optimal treatment for stage IIIA/N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant pembrolizumab for stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC completely resected after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this open-label, single-center, single-arm phase 2 trial, patients with stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC received adjuvant pembrolizumab for up to 2 years after complete resection following neoadjuvant CCRT. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. As an exploratory biomarker analysis, we evaluated the proliferative response of blood CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells using fold changes in the percentage of proliferating Ki-67+ cells from days 1 to 7 of cycle 1 (Ki-67D7/D1).

RESULTS

Between October 2017 and October 2018, 37 patients were enrolled. Twelve (32%) and three (8%) patients harbored EGFR and ALK alterations, respectively. Of 34 patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 assessment, 21 (62%), nine (26%), and four (12%) had a tumor proportion score of < 1%, 1%-50%, and ≥ 50%, respectively. The median follow-up was 71 months. The median DFS was 22.4 months in the overall population, with a 5-year DFS rate of 29%. The OS rate was 86% at 2 years and 76% at 5 years. Patients with tumor recurrence within 6 months had a significantly lower Ki-67D7/D1 among CD39+PD-1+CD8+ T cells than those without (p=0.036). No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant pembrolizumab may offer durable disease control in a subset of stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients after neoadjuvant CCRT and surgery.

[Prevention, Diagnosis, Therapy, and Follow-up of Lung Cancer - Interdisciplinary Guideline of the German Respiratory Society and the German Cancer Society - Abridged Version]

The current S3 Lung Cancer Guidelines are edited with fundamental changes to the previous edition based on the dynamic influx of information to this field:The recommendations include de novo a mandatory case presentation for all patients with lung cancer in a multidisciplinary tumor board before initiation of treatment, furthermore CT-Screening for asymptomatic patients at risk (after federal approval), recommendations for incidental lung nodule management , molecular testing of all NSCLC independent of subtypes, EGFR-mutations in resectable early stage lung cancer in relapsed or recurrent disease, adjuvant TKI-therapy in the presence of common EGFR-mutations, adjuvant consolidation treatment with checkpoint inhibitors in resected lung cancer with PD-L1 ≥ 50%, obligatory evaluation of PD-L1-status, consolidation treatment with checkpoint inhibition after radiochemotherapy in patients with PD-L1-pos. tumor, adjuvant consolidation treatment with checkpoint inhibition in patients withPD-L1 ≥ 50% stage IIIA and treatment options in PD-L1 ≥ 50% tumors independent of PD-L1status and targeted therapy and treatment option immune chemotherapy in first line SCLC patients.Based on the current dynamic status of information in this field and the turnaround time required to implement new options, a transformation to a "living guideline" was proposed.

Locally Advanced Lung Cancer

Consolidation immunotherapy after concurrent chemoradiation has improved five-year survival rates in unresectable, locally advanced lung cancer, but disease progression and treatment personalization remain challenges. New treatment approaches with concurrent immunotherapy and consolidative novel agents are being investigated and show promising efficacy data, but at the risk of additive toxicity. Patients with PD-L1 negative tumors, oncogenic driver mutations, intolerable toxicity, or limited performance status continue to require innovative therapies. This review summarizes historical data that galvanized new research efforts, as well as ongoing clinical trials that address the challenges of current therapeutic approaches for unresectable, locally advanced lung cancer.

Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: An Overview of Treatment Options

Lung cancer is the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The most common histological type is non-small-cell lung cancer, accounting for 85% of all lung cancer cases. About one out of three new cases of non-small-cell lung cancer are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage—mainly stage III—consisting of a widely heterogeneous group of patients presenting significant differences in terms of tumor volume, local diffusion, and lymph nodal involvement. Stage III NSCLC therapy is based on the pivotal role of multimodal treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy, and a wide-ranging option of systemic treatments. Radical surgery is indicated in the case of hilar lymphnodal involvement or single station mediastinal ipsilateral involvement, possibly after neoadjuvant chemotherapy; the best appropriate treatment for multistation mediastinal lymph node involvement still represents a matter of debate. Although the main scope of treatments in this setting is potentially curative, the overall survival rates are still poor, ranging from 36% to 26% and 13% in stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC, respectively. The aim of this article is to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art treatments for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

The beginning of a new era in induction treatment for operable non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review

Background and Objective

The survival benefit of induction therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Recently, the outcomes of systemic therapy for NSCLC have dramatically changed with the advent of molecular target drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). The present review was conducted to investigate the outcomes of induction therapy with reference to randomized control trials (RCTs).

Methods

We reviewed RCTs and ongoing clinical trials between 1990 and 2022 using relevant databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE database. We investigated the outcomes of induction therapy.

Key Content and Findings

Induction therapy was associated with longer overall survival in comparison to surgery alone in several RCTs for stage III disease. However, its benefit in early-stage (I-II) disease was unclear. Regarding induction chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, the safety and survival outcomes did not differ between the two arms. Epidermoid growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors as induction therapy in patients with proven EGFR mutations may be a sufficient choice for the improvement of overall survival. In ongoing single arm clinical trials and a randomized control study, the administration of ICIs as induction therapy was associated with a good pathological response and satisfactory safety, which will lead to a better survival outcome. Long-term observation is needed to evaluate the toxicity and survival impact of induction therapy with ICIs.

Conclusions

Induction chemotherapy and EGFR-TKIs for stage IIIA NSCLC may contribute to the improvement of survival outcomes although the effect of systemic therapy on stage I-II remains controversial. ICIs may be considered as a valuable treatment option because of their feasibility and safety for induction therapy.

Current Management of Stage IIIA (N2) Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

There have been numerous recent advances in the treatmetn of stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. The most significant involve the addition of targeted therapies adn immune checkpoint inhibitors into perioperative care. These exciting advances are improving survival in this challenging patient population, but some-decade old controveries around the definition of resectability, prognositic importance of tumor response to induction therapy, and the role of pneumonectomy persist.

Clinical Stage III NSCLC Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy and Surgery: The Prognostic Role of Nodal Characteristics

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic factors in patients that underwent induction therapy and surgery for clinical stage III NSCLC. METHODS: Clinical and pathological characteristics of stage III NSCLC patients for N2 involvement that underwent neoadjuvant treatment (NAD) and surgery from 1/01/1998 to 31/12/2017 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Tumor characteristics, yClinical, yPathological stage and lymph node characteristics were correlated to Overall Survival (OS). RESULTS: The analysis was conducted on 180 patients. Five-year OS (5YOS) was 50.9%. Univariable analysis results revealed old age (p = 0.003), clinical N2 post-NAD (p = 0.01), pneumonectomy (0.005), persistent pathological N2 (p = 0.039, HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.09−2.68) and adjuvant therapy absence (p = 0.049) as significant negative prognostic factors. Multivariable analysis confirmed pN0N1 (p = 0.02, HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.13−0.62) as a favorable independent prognostic factor and adjuvant therapy absence (p = 0.012, HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.23−5.50) as a negative prognostic factor. Patients with persistent N2 presented a 5YOS of 35.3% vs. 55.8% in pN0N1 patients. Regarding lymph node parameters, the lymph node ratio (NR) significantly correlated with OS: 5YOS of 67.6% in patients with NR < 50% vs. 29.5% in NR > 50% (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Clinical response aided the stratification of prognosis in patients that underwent multimodal treatment for stage III NSCLC. Adjuvant therapy seemed to be an important option in these patients, while node ratio was a strong prognosticator in patients with persistent nodal involvement.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone in surgically treated stage III/N2 non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective single-center cohort study

BACKGROUND

There is lack of consensus whether neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CHT/RT) is superior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CHT) alone in patients with potentially resectable stage III/N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated clinical parameters and outcomes in patients with clinical stage III/N2 NSCLC treated with neoadjuvant CHT/RT versus CHT followed by surgery. Nearest-neighbor propensity score (PS) matching was used to correct for pretreatment differences.

RESULTS

A total of 84 patients were enrolled. Thirty-four (40%) and 50 (60%) patients received CHT/RT or CHT followed by curative-intent surgery, respectively. Overall 90-day mortality and morbidity were 0% versus 0.04% and 21% versus 18%, respectively, with no significant difference between the CHT/RT and the CHT-alone cohorts (P = 0.51 and P = 0.70). In the PS-matched cohort, complete pathological response was recorded in 25% after CHT/RT versus 0% after CHT at the time of surgery. Patients receiving neoadjuvant CHT/RT exhibited significantly better 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) [45% versus 16% CHT group; hazard ratio (HR) 0.43, P = 0.04]; 5-year overall survival (OS) was 75% after CHT/RT and 21% after CHT (HR 0.37, P = 0.001). CHT/RT more often induced pathological mediastinal downstaging (P = 0.007), but CHT/RT remained the only independent factor for DFS and OS and did not depend on mediastinal downstaging.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective PS-matched long-term analysis, neoadjuvant CHT/RT conferred improved DFS and OS compared with CHT alone in stage III/N2 NSCLC. These highly challenging results require confirmation in well-designed randomized controlled trials conducted at highly specialized thoracic oncology centers.

Social determinants and facility type impact adherence to best practices in operable IIIAN2 lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to identify patient- and facility-specific predictors of collective adherence to 4 recommended best treatment practices in operable IIIAN2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and test the hypothesis that collective adherence is associated with superior survival.

METHODS

We queried the National Cancer Database for clinical stage IIIAN2 NSCLC patients undergoing surgery during 2010-2015. The following best practices were examined: performance of an anatomic resection, performance of an R0 resection, examination of regional lymph nodes and administration of induction therapy. Multivariable regression models were fitted to identify independent predictors of guideline-concordance.

RESULTS

We identified 7371 patients undergoing surgical resection for IIIAN2 lung cancer, of whom 90.8% underwent an anatomic resection, 88.2% received an R0 resection, 92.5% underwent a regional lymph node examination, 41.6% received induction therapy and 33.7% received all 4 best practices. Higher income, private insurance and treatment at an academic facility were independently associated with adherence to all 4 best practices (P < 0.01). A lower level of education and residence in a rural county were associated with a lack of adherence (P < 0.05). Adherence to all 4 practices correlated with improved survival (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

National adherence to best treatment practices in operable IIIAN2 lung cancer was variable as evidenced by the majority of patients not receiving recommended induction therapy. Socioeconomic factors and facility type are important determinants of guideline-concordance. Future efforts to improve outcomes should take this into account since guideline concordance, in the form of collective adherence to all 4 best practices, was associated with improved survival.

PROSPECTS OF NEOADJUVANT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH STAGE III A NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER AS A METHOD OF IMPROVING SURVIVAL

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To study the survival rate and count the number of complications in groups with NCRT, NCT and NCT + adjuvant radiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: The studied patients were divided into three groups with a total number of 304 people, Patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy-149 people, who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant radiation therapy-90 people. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in accordance with Cisplatin/Docetaxel or Carboplatin/Paclitaxel 4 Mg and simultaneous radiation therapy with a total radiation dose 30 gray with a single dose of 2 Mg. After neoadjuvant treatment, patients of all groups underwent radical surgery. It consisted of lobectomy, bilobectomy and pneumonectomy. Postoperative complications and the duration of stay in the clinic after surgery were studied. Survival was assessed on the Kaplan and Mayer scale.

RESULTS

Results: The study analyzed the main results of treatment, which showed that the 5 years survival in the main group was 28.1±5.9 %, in the control groups-the first control group (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) - 10.4±3.8 % and the second control group (neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant radiation therapy) - 5.8±2.0 %, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: 1. The overall survival rate of patients receiving NCT compared to patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy is higher than in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and 13 months higher than in the adjuvant radiation therapy group. 2. Patients who had the phenomenon of a complete morphological response have a significantly higher survival rate (45 and 39 months, respectively).

Management of Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: ASCO Guideline

PURPOSE

To provide evidence-based recommendations to practicing clinicians on management of patients with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

An Expert Panel of medical oncology, thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, pulmonary oncology, community oncology, research methodology, and advocacy experts was convened to conduct a literature search, which included systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials published from 1990 through 2021. Outcomes of interest included survival, disease-free or recurrence-free survival, and quality of life. Expert Panel members used available evidence and informal consensus to develop evidence-based guideline recommendations.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 127 relevant studies to inform the evidence base for this guideline.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Evidence-based recommendations were developed to address evaluation and staging workup of patients with suspected stage III NSCLC, surgical management, neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches, and management of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC.Additional information is available at www.asco.org/thoracic-cancer-guidelines.

Pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy with chemotherapy vs chemoradiotherapy in stage III NSCLC-contribution of IASLC recommendations

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant treatment (NT) with chemotherapy (Ch) is a standard option for resectable stage III (N2) NSCLC. Several studies have suggested benefits with the addition of radiotherapy (RT) to NT Ch. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) published recommendations for the pathological response (PHR) of NSCLC resection specimens after NT.

AIM

To contribute to the IASLC recommendations showing our results of PHR to NT Ch vs NT chemoradiotherapy (ChRT).

METHODS

We analyzed 67 consecutive patients with resectable stage III NSCLC with positive mediastinal nodes treated with surgery after NT Ch or NT ChRT between 2013 and 2020. After NT, all patients were evaluated for radiological response (RR) according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours criteria and evaluated for surgery by a specialized group of thoracic surgeons. All histological samples were examined by the same two pathologists. PHR was evaluated by the percentage of viable cells in the tumor and the resected lymph nodes.

RESULTS

Forty patients underwent NT ChRT and 27 NT Ch. Fifty-six (83.6%) patients underwent surgery (35 ChRT and 21 Ch). The median time from ChRT to surgery was 6 wk (3-19) and 8 wk (3-21) for Ch patients. We observed significant differences in RR, with disease progression in 2.5% and 14.8% of patients with ChRT and Ch, respectively, and partial response in 62.5% ChRT vs 29.6% Ch (P = 0.025). In PHR we observed ≤ 10% viable cells in the tumor in 19 (54.4%) and 2 cases (9.5%), and in the resected lymph nodes (RLN) 30 (85.7%) and 7 (33.3%) in ChRT and Ch, respectively (P = 0.001). Downstaging was greater in the ChRT compared to the Ch group (80% vs 33.3%; P = 0.002). In the univariate analysis, NT ChRT had a significant impact on partial RR [odds ratio (OR) 12.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21 - 128.61; P = 0.034], a decreased risk of persistence of cancer cells in the tumor and RLN and an 87.5% increased probability for achieving downstaging (OR 8; 95%CI: 2.34-27.32; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found significant benefits in RR and PHR by adding RT to Ch as NT. A longer follow-up is necessary to assess the impact on clinical outcomes.

Management of Resectable Stage III-N2 Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in the Age of Immunotherapy

Simple Summary

The treatment of resectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer with N2 lymph node involvement is usually multimodal and is generally based on neoadjuvant chemotherapy +/− radiotherapy followed by surgery, but the cure rate is still low. Immunotherapy based on anti-PD1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors has improved survival in advanced and stage III non-resectable NSCLC patients and is being studied in earlier stages to improve the cure rate of lung cancer. In this article, we review all therapeutic approaches to stage III-N2 NSCLC, analysing both completed and ongoing studies that evaluate the addition of immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Abstract

Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with N2 lymph node involvement is a heterogeneous group with different potential therapeutic approaches. Patients with potentially resectable III-N2 NSCLC are those who are considered to be able to receive a multimodality treatment that includes tumour resection after neoadjuvant therapy. Current treatment for these patients is based on neoadjuvant chemotherapy +/− radiotherapy followed by surgery and subsequent assessment for adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In addition, some selected III-N2 patients could receive upfront surgery or pathologic N2 incidental involvement can be found a posteriori during analysis of the surgical specimen. The standard treatment for these patients is adjuvant chemotherapy and evaluation for complementary radiotherapy. Despite being a locally advanced stage, the cure rate for these patients continues to be low, with a broad improvement margin. The most immediate hope for improving survival data and curing these patients relies on integrating immunotherapy into perioperative treatment. Immunotherapy based on anti-PD1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors is already a standard treatment in stage III unresectable and advanced NSCLC. Data from the first phase II studies in monotherapy neoadjuvant therapy and, in particular, in combination with chemotherapy, are highly promising, with impressive improved and complete pathological response rates. Despite the lack of confirmatory data from phase III trials and long-term survival data, and in spite of various unresolved questions, immunotherapy will soon be incorporated into the armamentarium for treating stage III-N2 NSCLC. In this article, we review all therapeutic approaches to stage III-N2 NSCLC, analysing both completed and ongoing studies that evaluate the addition of immunotherapy with or without chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Clinical efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective real-world study

BACKGROUND

The clinical efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy (MT) for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been determined in the real word. This retrospective study of real-world data analyzed these issues in patients with advanced NSCLC and stable or responsive tumors after 4-6 cycles of first-line chemotherapy.

METHODS

We classified 158 patients into MT (34 IIIB and 37 IV stage) and non-MT (47 IIIB and 40 IV stage) groups and then compared the clinical outcomes of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The influences of maintaining chemotherapy or targeted drugs, regimens, and duration on PFS were also investigated. Prognostic factors for OS were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Among the patients, 71 received MT and 87 did not. The median PFS and OS were significantly prolonged in the MT group than non-MT group (5.6 and 14.2 vs. 2.8 and 9.8 months, respectively; both p < 0.0001). The PFS was extended when patients were maintained with targeted drugs compared with chemotherapy, > 4 cycles of chemotherapy, and targeted drugs for > 3 months (all P < 0.0001). Patients with adenocarcinoma and without distant metastasis derived a better OS benefit from MT (P = 0.041 and P = 0.037, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex and MT were independent prognostic factors for extended OS (P = 0.039 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The major adverse events of MT comprised tolerable hematological toxicity and gastrointestinal reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

MT was advantageous and tolerable for patients with advanced NSCLC, especially those with adenocarcinomas without distant metastasis who were treated with targeted drugs, which was an independent prognostic factor for OS.

Tumor Immune Microenvironment Characterization of Primary Lung Adenocarcinoma and Lymph Node Metastases

Background

The essential roles of the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been recognized during the initiation and progression of primary lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The aim of the present study was to delineate the immune landscape in both primary cancer and matched lymph node metastasis from a cohort of locally advanced stage LUAD patients with distinct outcomes.

Methods

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples were collected from 36 locally advanced LUAD patients. Transcriptome data of the tumor immune microenvironment were resolved using an immune oncology panel RNA sequencing platform. Bioinformatics approaches were used to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), dysregulated pathways, and immune cell fraction between patients with early recurrence (ER) and late recurrence (LR).

Results

Here, we showed that in primary cancer tissues, 23 DEGs were obtained between patients with ER and LR. Functional analysis revealed that the LR in LUAD patients may be associated with enriched gene sets belonging to the antigen presentation and MHC protein complex, innate immune response, and IFN-γ signaling pathways. Next, the transcriptome data were adopted to quantify immune cell fractions, indicating that high infiltration of mast cells and neutrophils was correlated with ER. Interestingly, similar findings were observed in metastatic lymph nodes from patients suffering from ER or LR. By analyzing the shared immune features of primary cancers and lymphatic metastases, we unraveled the prognostic value and joint utility of two DEGs, CORO1A and S100A8.

Conclusions

In LUAD, the enrichment in antigen presentation, MHC protein complex, and IFN-γ signaling, and low infiltration of neutrophils in primary or metastatic nodules may be indications for a favorable prognosis. Integrated with bioinformatics approaches, transcriptome data of immune-related genes from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples can effectively profile the landscape of the tumor immune microenvironment and help predict clinical outcomes.

Synchronous Esophageal and Lung Cancers - Is Combined Anatomic Resection Appropriate?

BACKGROUND

This study evaluates the safety and feasibility of combined resection for patients with synchronous pulmonary and esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Patients undergoing esophagectomy between 1997 and 2019 were identified from prospectively collected databases at three tertiary referral centers, and those with combined anatomic lung resection at the same setting were identified. This cohort was then matched in a 1:3 ratio to esophagectomy alone cases, based on age, sex, pathologic stage, neoadjuvant therapy, and surgical procedure. Demographic data, peri-operative data, post-operative complications were compared. Statistical analysis included unpaired t-test, Fisher's exact or chi-squared test and Gehan-Breslow analysis.

RESULTS

Of 4729 esophagectomies, combined anatomic lung resection was performed in 18 patients with discrete pulmonary lesions. Matching yielded 49 patients who underwent esophagectomy only and was statistically similar compared to patients undergoing combined resections. Ivor Lewis esophagectomy and lobectomy were the most frequent procedures. Combined resections did not have a higher overall complication rate than esophagectomy alone, rather these patients had fewer overall complications (56% vs 84%; p=0.02). Specifically, there was not difference in anastomotic leak (17% vs. 18%) or pulmonary complications (39% vs. 33%) between combined resection and esophagectomy alone. No post-operative mortality was identified, and median overall survival was 4.1 years versus 6.5 years (p=0.10).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with synchronous localized lung and esophageal cancer, although rare, should not be biased towards non-surgical therapy, as the morbidity associated with combined esophagectomy and anatomic lung resection does not differ significantly from esophagectomy alone in this highly selected group of patients.

Advances in multimodal treatment for stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIM

In Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the accuracy of combined positron-emission tomography/computed tomography imaging (PET-CT), together with mediastinal staging techniques, has led to a wide range of challenging clinical scenarios in terms of therapeutic management. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation immunotherapy remains the standard of care. In patients with potentially-resectable disease, surgery plays an important role in multimodal therapy. The introduction of targeted therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors has revolutionized multimodal treatment. In the present article, we review current treatment options and future trends in stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC.

RELEVANCE FOR PATIENTS

This article provides insight into the current status of multimodal treatment for NSCLC to support decision-making in routine clinical practice.

Preoperative and postoperative radiotherapy (RT) for non-small cell lung cancer: still an open question

Preoperative and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) with or without chemotherapy has been used in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for decades. Numerous trials have investigated the potential survival benefit of this strategy, but despite greater knowledge of the disease, considerable technological developments in imaging and radiotherapy, and significant progress in surgery, many questions remain unsolved. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on this problem and discuss issues which still require elucidation.

[Perioperative treatment for resected non-small cell lung cancer: Which option in 2020?]

Surgery is the ultimate curative treatment for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognosis for operated patients remains disappointing. Multiple randomized studies have shown that administering perioperative chemotherapy improves the prognosis and increases the cure rate by around 3-5%. The purpose of this article is to take stock of the role of perioperative treatments for NSCLC, which can be completely resected. Six questions were evaluated: 1) What is the place of (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy in 2020, among others in the early stages (IB)? 2) Can new chemotherapy agents be combined with a platinum derivative? 3) What is the place of radiochemotherapy for resectable NSCLC? 4) Is there a place for postoperative radiotherapy (PORT)? 5) Is there a place for targeted therapies for resectable NSCLC? 6) What is the place of immunotherapies in the perioperative period?

Surgery after neoadjuvant immunotherapy in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer

Surgery is the standard of care for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, as a single modality, surgery for early stage or locally advanced NSCLC remains associated with high rates of local and distant recurrence. The addition of neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy has modestly improved outcomes. While systemic therapy paired with surgery for other malignancies such as breast cancer have resulted in far better outcomes for equivalent stage designations, outcome improvements for operable NSCLC have lagged in part as a result of trials where adjuvant chemotherapy seemed to incur harm for stage IA patients and only modest survival benefit for stage IB-IIIA patients (AJCC 7th ed.). In recent years, immunotherapy for NSCLC has emerged as a systemic therapy with significant benefit over traditional chemotherapy regimens. These advances with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have opened the door to administering peri-operative immunotherapy for operable NSCLC. As a result, a great multitude of studies investigating the use of immunotherapy in combination with surgery for NSCLC as well as several other malignancies have emerged. In this review, we outline the rationale for neoadjuvant immunotherapy in the treatment of operable NSCLC and summarize the available evidence that include preoperative ICI as a single modality or in combination with systemic agents and/or radiotherapy. Further, we summarize how such treatment trajectories open multiple unique windows of opportunity for scientific discovery and potential therapeutic gains for these vulnerable patients.

The optimal immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy (CT) have strikingly expanded the therapeutic landscape for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but little is known about which is superior. We performed a meta-analysis that compared the efficacy and safety of PD-1 inhibitor + CT with PD-L1 inhibitor + CT.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and major international scientific meetings were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and the indirect analysis was performed for PD-1 + CT vs PD-L1 + CT. The outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR) and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs).

RESULTS

8 phase III RCTs with 4253 patients comparing PD-1/PD-L1 + CT in NSCLC were included. The PD-1 + CT led to notably longer OS most in low/negative expression of PD-L1 for NSCLC patients compared with PD-L1 + CT. In terms of Grade 3-5 TRAEs, the results showed that PD-1 + CT and PD-L1 + CT exclusively increased the risk of adverse incidence than CT alone, especially for PD-L1 + CT (p < 0.00001). For subgroups including female, young patients, patients with nonsmoker, and EGFR/ALK wild-type, PD-1 + CT was associated with prolonged OS (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, for no liver metastasis of NSCLC patients, we found obviously OS advantage for patients treated with PD-1 + CT compared to PD-L1 + CT.

CONCLUSIONS

ICIs + CT seemed to be more effective first-line regimen and PD-1 + CT could be recommended as the first-rank therapy for advanced NSCLC patients with low/negative expression of PD-L1. However, we should be particularly vigilant about the occurrence of the Grade 3-5 TRAEs.

Comparison of early tumour-associated versus late deaths in patients with central or >7 cm T4 N0/1 M0 non-small-cell lung-cancer undergoing trimodal treatment: Only few risks left to improve

BACKGROUND

The optimal treatment for patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung-cancer (NSCLC) cT4 cN0/1 cM0 is still under debate. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term survival of cT4 cN0/1 cM0 NSCLC patients undergoing induction chemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy before surgery.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with confirmed NSCLC (cT4 cN0/1 cM0) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, concurrent radiochemotherapy (RT/CTx) (45-46 Gy) and surgical resection between 2000 and 2015 were included. According to the UICC guidelines (8th edition), T4 stage was reanalysed by an expert radiologist. The mediastinal staging was performed by systematic EBUS-TBNA or mediastinoscopy. The primary end-point was overall-survival (OS). The power to detect an increase of early tumour-associated mortality (hazard ratio > 3.5) within the first 5 years after treatment in comparison to late deaths beyond 96 months was >80%.

RESULTS

Overall, 67 patients were treated with concurrent RT/CTx. T4 criteria were fulfilled by all patients, and multiple T4 criteria by 53 patients. Seventy percent of patients had an initial PET/CT staging. The median follow-up period was 134 months. OS rates at 2, 5, 10 and 15 years were 83.6 ± 4.5%, 65.4 ± 5.9%, 53.3 ± 6.3% and 36.6 ± 6.8%, respectively. A total of 44.8% of patients achieved a pathologic complete response. In multivariable analysis, ypT category was the most predictive factor. OS at 5 years for ypT0 (n = 31) was 80.5%, and ypT1 (n = 11) was 62.5%. Main sites of failure were brain and pulmonary metastases in seven and three patients, respectively. The intercurrent annual death rate was estimated from the survival curve beyond 96 months and was found to be 4.75% (95% CI 2.40-9.27%). No significant increased mortality was observed during the first 5 years (annual death rate: 8.31% [95% CI 5.60-12.24%], hazard-ratio = 1.72 [95% CI 0.81-3.65]).

CONCLUSIONS

The effectiveness of this trimodality schedule is high in patients with cT4 cN0/1 cM0 NSCLC with excellent local control rates. Considering the annual death rate beyond 8 years of survival as an intercurrent death rate due to comorbidity, this treatment schedule reduces annual mortality to background even in the first 5 years after therapy.

Results of neoadjuvant chemo(radio)therapy and resection for stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer in The Netherlands

Introduction: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy remains the main treatment strategy for patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); stage cT3N1 or cT4N0-1 may be eligible for surgery and potentially resectable stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC for neoadjuvant therapy followed by resection. We evaluated treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with stage IIIA NSCLC in The Netherlands.Material and Methods: Primary treatment data of patients with clinically staged IIIA NSCLC between 2010 and 2016 were extracted from The Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patient characteristics were tabulated and 5-year overall survival (OS) was calculated and reported.Results: In total, 9,591 patients were diagnosed with stage IIIA NSCLC. Of these patients, 41.3% were treated with chemoradiotherapy, 11.6% by upfront surgery and 428 patients (4.5%) received neoadjuvant treatment followed by resection. The 5-year OS was 26% after chemoradiotherapy, 40% after upfront surgery and 54% after neoadjuvant treatment followed by resection. Clinical over staging was seen in 42.3% of the patients that were operated without neoadjuvant therapy.Conclusion: In The Netherlands, between 2010 and 2016, 4.5% of patients with stage IIIA NSCLC were selected for treatment with neoadjuvant therapy followed by resection. The 5-year OS in these patients exceeded 50%. However, the outcome might be overestimated due to clinical over staging.

High-dose neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone followed by surgery in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. A multi-institutional retrospective study by the Oncologic Group for the Study of Lung Cancer (Spanish Radiation Oncology Society)

Background

The optimal induction treatment in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC remains undefined.

Aim

To compare neoadjuvant high-dose chemoradiotherapy (CRT) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CHT) in patients with resectable, stage IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Retrospective, multicentre study of 99 patients diagnosed with stage cT1-T3N2M0 NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant treatment (high-dose CRT or CHT) followed by surgery between January 2005 and December 2014.

Results

47 patients (47.5%) underwent CRT and 52 (52.5%) CHT, with a median follow-up of 41 months. Surgery consisted of lobectomy (87.2% and 82.7%, in the CRT and CHT groups, respectively) or pneumonectomy (12.8% vs. 17.3%). Nodal downstaging (to N1/N0) and Pathologic complete response (pCR; pT0pN0) rates were significantly higher in the CRT group (89.4% vs. 57.7% and 46.8% vs. 7.7%, respectively; p < 0.001)). Locoregional recurrence was significantly lower in the CRT group (8.5% vs. 13.5%; p = 0.047) but distant recurrence rates were similar in the two groups. Median PFS was 45 months (CHT) vs. "not reached" (CRT). Median OS was similar: 61 vs. 56 months (p = 0.803). No differences in grade ≥3 toxicity were observed. On the Cox regression analysis, advanced pT stage was associated with worse OS and PFS (p < 0.001) and persistent N2 disease (p = 0.002) was associated with worse PFS.

Conclusions

Compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, a higher proportion of patients treated with preoperative CRT achieved nodal downstaging and pCR with better locoregional control. However, there were no differences in survival. More studies are needed to know the optimal treatment of these patients.

Factors Associated With Survival in Complete Pathologic Response Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES

There is a strong association with improved survival for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have developed a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy. A national database was used to investigate factors associated with long-term survival in this cohort of patients.

PATIENTS

Retrospective review was completed of the National Cancer Database of patients who obtained pCR and had neoadjuvant therapy for stage I to stage III NSCLC between 2004 and 2014. All patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.

METHODS

Univariate and multivariable analysis was performed on factors associated with overall survival (OS), including gender, clinical stage, and nodal count. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the Commission on Cancer-recommended median number of lymph nodes (LNs) examined: 0 to 9 LNs and ≥10 LNs. Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were used to compare patient, hospital, and clinical variables between groups.

RESULTS

Increased age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.03), neoadjuvant radiation therapy (HR 1.48, 95% CI, 1.10-2.00), and pneumonectomy (HR 1.64, 95% CI, 1.22-2.22) were associated with worse survival in the 759-patient cohort. Multivariable regression demonstrated having ≥10 nodes harvested (HR 0.71, 95% CI, 0.56-0.89) was associated with improved survival as was every increase in LN harvest up to 17 LNs. No significant differences in 5-year OS were found between clinical stage I, II, and III, respectively (66.1% vs. 60.9% vs. 58.6%, P = .288).

CONCLUSION

This study shows that younger age, increasing LN harvest, female sex, the absence of neoadjuvant radiation therapy and non-pneumonectomy resections are all associated with improved OS in patients with NSCLC who have developed pCR.

Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors as the First Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to explore if immunotherapy or chemotherapy alone or in combination is a better first line treatment strategy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: Electronic databases including Google Scholar, PMC, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the major conference proceedings were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing outcomes of immune-checkpoint inhibitor combined with chemotherapy or immune-checkpoint inhibitor alone over chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced NSCLC without previous treatment. Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test. Results: A total of 14 RCTs including 8,081 treatment naïve advanced NSCLC patients were enrolled in this study. Our results showed that in comparison to chemotherapy alone, introducing immunotherapy into first-line chemotherapy has significant benefit in tumor response (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.48), progression-free survival (PFS) (HR, -0.43; 95% CI, -0.56 to -0.31), and overall survival (OS) (HR, -0.30; 95% CI, -0.45 to -0.14) but with an increased risk of grade3 - 5 toxicity (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.18). The pooled results of comparison of immune therapy alone with chemotherapy alone in selected patients with positive expression of Programmed Death-ligament (PD-L1) or with a high tumor mutational burden, demonstrated similar tumor response (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.46), 3 - 5 grade toxicity (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.19) and long-term outcomes, including OS (HR, -0.20; 95% CI, -0.43 to 0.03) and PFS (HR, -0.24; 95% CI, -0.61 to 0.14). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis showed the superiority of combination therapy over monotherapy with chemotherapeutic agents in terms of tumor response, and long-term survival, but with an increased the 3 - 5 grade toxicity. And immune-checkpoint inhibitors alone showed similar tumor response, toxicity and long-term outcomes compared to platinum-based chemotherapy in selected patients.

Optimal Surgical Timing After Neoadjuvant Therapy for Stage IIIa Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with clinically/pathologically diagnosed stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) considered for surgery are recommended to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation. The timing of an operation after therapy is not standardized; therefore, we investigated the timing of intervention after neoadjuvant therapy and the impact on outcomes in this demographic.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried between 2010 and 2015 for patients with clinical/pathologic stage IIIa NSCLC. Patients were then divided into short (<77 days), mid (77-114 days), and long delay (>114 days) groups based on interquartile values. These groups were then compared for age, race, gender, insurance type, Charlson-Deyo score, length of stay, readmission rate, and overall survival based on timing of operation.

RESULTS

There were 31,357 patients with clinical/pathologic stage IIIa NSCLC, and 5946 patients underwent surgical intervention. Preoperatively 3593 patients underwent chemoradiotherapy, 2185 underwent chemotherapy only, and 168 received radiation alone. The short, mid, and long delay groups were clinically and statistically similar in age, gender, insurance type, comorbidity index, treating facility type, and distance from home. Long delay groups had larger tumor size compared with other groups. Postoperative length of stay, rates of 30-day readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality were similar across all groups. Cox modeling demonstrated a significant difference in survival when patients underwent earlier operative intervention compared with late operative intervention and when patients received chemoradiation compared with chemotherapy alone. Short, mid, and long delay group 1-year survivals were 82%, 83%, and 80% and 3-year survival 59%, 58%, and 52%, respectively (P = .0003).

CONCLUSIONS

The delay in surgical resection of stage IIIa NSCLC is not associated increased early mortality; however, it is associated with worse 3-year postresection survival.

Transcriptional Characterization Of The Tumor Immune Microenvironment And Its Prognostic Value For Locally Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma In A Chinese Population

Objective

We investigated the relationship of the transcriptional tumor immune microenvironment with prognosis of patients with locally advanced lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Materials and methods

A targeted RNA-Seq approach was used to measure the abundance of 395 immune-related transcripts of 24 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens from our institution and transcription data of 85 matched LUAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to identify gene sets related to prognosis, and the microenvironment cell-population (MCP)-counter method was used to quantify infiltrated immune cells. Survival analysis with the log rank test was used to determine the relationships of different immune-related transcripts with prognosis. Cox proportional hazards models were also used to identify risk factors associated with poor prognosis.

Results

Among our patients, GSVA and the log rank test demonstrated that enrichment of the antigen processing pathway (P = 0.01) correlated with a favorable prognosis. MCP-counter and survival analysis demonstrated that greater CD8 T cell infiltration correlated with a favorable prognosis (P = 0.05), but greater infiltration of neutrophils (P = 0.014) and NK cells (P = 0.015) correlated with poor prognoses. Cox hazard analysis showed that greater infiltration of neutrophils was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis. These results were consistent with LUAD data from TCGA.

Conclusion

When integrated with computational bioinformatics methods, targeted RNA-Seq from FFPE specimens provides profiles of the tumor immune microenvironment that have prognostic value for patients with locally advanced LUAD.

Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors as the First Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: This meta-analysis aimed to explore if immunotherapy or chemotherapy alone or in combination is a better first line treatment strategy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: Electronic databases including Google Scholar, PMC, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the major conference proceedings were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing outcomes of immune-checkpoint inhibitor combined with chemotherapy or immune-checkpoint inhibitor alone over chemotherapy alone in patients with advanced NSCLC without previous treatment. Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test.

Results: A total of 14 RCTs including 8,081 treatment naïve advanced NSCLC patients were enrolled in this study. Our results showed that in comparison to chemotherapy alone, introducing immunotherapy into first-line chemotherapy has significant benefit in tumor response (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.48), progression-free survival (PFS) (HR, -0.43; 95% CI, -0.56 to -0.31), and overall survival (OS) (HR, -0.30; 95% CI, -0.45 to -0.14) but with an increased risk of grade3 - 5 toxicity (RR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.18). The pooled results of comparison of immune therapy alone with chemotherapy alone in selected patients with positive expression of Programmed Death-ligament (PD-L1) or with a high tumor mutational burden, demonstrated similar tumor response (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.46), 3 - 5 grade toxicity (RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.19) and long-term outcomes, including OS (HR, -0.20; 95% CI, -0.43 to 0.03) and PFS (HR, -0.24; 95% CI, -0.61 to 0.14).

Conclusions: Our meta-analysis showed the superiority of combination therapy over monotherapy with chemotherapeutic agents in terms of tumor response, and long-term survival, but with an increased the 3 - 5 grade toxicity. And immune-checkpoint inhibitors alone showed similar tumor response, toxicity and long-term outcomes compared to platinum-based chemotherapy in selected patients.

Multidisciplinary consensus statement on the clinical management of patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a very heterogeneous disease that encompasses patients with resected, potentially resectable and unresectable tumours. To improve the prognostic capacity of the TNM classification, it has been agreed to divide stage III into sub-stages IIIA, IIIB and IIIC that have very different 5-year survival rates (36, 26 and 13%, respectively). Currently, it is considered that both staging and optimal treatment of stage III NSCLC requires the joint work of a multidisciplinary team of expert physicians within the tumour committee. To improve the care of patients with stage III NSCLC, different scientific societies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease have agreed to issue a series of recommendations that can contribute to homogenise the management of this disease, and ultimately to improve patient care.

En Bloc Resection of Thoracic Tumors Invading the Spine: A Single-Center Experience

BACKGROUND

Vertebral involvement by a thoracic tumor has long been considered as a limit to surgical treatment, and despite advances, such an invasive operation remains controversial. The aim of this study was to characterize a single-center cohort and to evaluate the outcome, focusing on survival and complications.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients operated on for tumors involving the thoracic spine in an 8-year period. En bloc resection was generally performed by a double team involving thoracic and orthopedic surgeons. Distant follow-up was recorded for oncologic and functional analysis.

RESULTS

There were 31 patients operated on. An induction therapy was administered in 20 patients. Spinal resection (mostly including ≥2 vertebral levels) was combined with lobectomy in 48.3% of the patients, and osteosynthesis was required in 22 patients. We observed no in-hospital death and a major complications rate of 32.3%, including 5 patients with early neurologic complications. There were 61.3% primary lung carcinomas, 12.9% extrapulmonary primaries, 9.7% metastases, and 16.1% benign tumors. Mean follow-up was 32.1 months. The 5-year overall survival rate was 81.3% in the entire cohort and 75.0% in patients with a malignant tumor. Occurrence of an early postoperative major complication was the only factor significantly associated with shorter overall survival (p = 0.03). The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 37.0% in malignancies. Delayed complications occurred in 35.5% of patients, including persistent neurologic deficit in 12.9%, instrumentation migration in 19.4%, and local infection in 12.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

En bloc resection of spinal thoracic tumors offers long-term survival and few recurrences in highly selected patients but is associated with significant delayed mechanical or infectious complications.

A Comparative Study of Genetic Profiles of Key Oncogenesis-Related Genes between Primary Lesions and Matched Lymph Nodes Metastasis in Lung Cancer

Background: The genetic heterogeneity between primary and metastatic lesions has rarely studied. Purpose: This study aims to compare the mutation profiling of key cancer-related genes in primary lung cancers and their matched lymph nodes (LN) metastasis. Methods: The gene mutation profiling of both primary cancers and their matched LN metastasis was constructed using a hybridization capture-based massively parallel sequencing assay and the sequencing of 1,408 key cancer genes in 37 NSCLC patients. Results: There are differences in the repertoire of somatic mutations and CNVs between primary lesions and metastatic lymphatic lesions in NSCLC. More mutations were discovered in the primary lesion than LN metastasis lesion, indicating that tumor mutation burden is higher in primary lesion than that in LN metastasis lesion. The copy number profiles were largely preserved through the progression of the metastasis in lung cancer individually. Regarding to the mutation context, more prevailing of signature 1 in LN metastasis lesion was observed than that of primary lesion, indicating that the spontaneous deamination of cytosine may contribute to the accumulation of mutations during tumor development and immigration. Furthermore, the LN metastasis exclusive somatic mutation (LME-SMs) genes were enriched in peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation, peptidyl-tyrosine modification, protein tyrosine kinase activity, and transmembrane receptor protein kinase. The KEGG pathway analysis revealed that these genes might participate in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway. Conclusion: Since the heterogeneity of genetic profiling exists between primary lesion and LN metastasis lesion, multi-region lesion mutation profiling is required to fully understand the progression of NSCLC, and develop an appropriate therapeutic guide. Mutations in genes involved in cell proliferation, invasion and migration may be the genetic mechanism of metastasis.

Clinical implication of UCA1 in non-small cell lung cancer and its effect on caspase-3/7 activation and apoptosis induction in vitro

Since urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) was discovered in human bladder cancer, it has been reported to be dysregulated expressed in various kinds of solid tumors. But the clinical role and the function of UCA1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains incompletely understood. In this study, we mined the data of UCA1 expression in NSCLC from Oncomine, Gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) and cBioPortal to analyze the contribution of UCA1 in the cancer initiation and progression of NSCLC. We also performed a series of in vitro experiments by using NSCLC cells to confirm the biological function of UCA1 in NSCLC, especially its effect on caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis through RNA interference experiment. From Oncomine, the UCA1 levels were both up-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC), as compared to non-cancerous controls. Higher levels of UCA1 pointed to a poorer overall survival in NSCLC, with the HR being 1.3. Only two genetic alterations, including amplification and deep deletion, were observed for UCA1 as provided by cBioPortal. Both MTS and Cell Titer-blue assays showed an accordant inhibitory effect of UCA1 siRNAs on the cell growth. In conclusion, lncRNA UCA1 might play a substantial role in the occurrence and development of NSCLC, especially in LUAD patients, which is partly due to its effect on caspase-3/7 activity suppression.