Driver Genes Associated With the Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

The association between driver genes and the incidence of thromboembolic events (TEs) in patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) needs to be quantified to guide clinical management.

METHODS

We interrogated PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases for terms related to venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer harboring driver genes. This search was conducted for studies published between 1 January, 2000 and 31 December, 2020. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to analyze the pooled incidence and odds ratios of VTE in patients with different driver genes.

RESULTS

Of the 2,742 citations identified, a total of 25 studies that included 21,156 patients met eligibility criteria. The overall pooled incidence of VTE in patients with driver genes was 23% (95% CI 18-29). Patients with ROS1 rearrangements had the highest incidence of VTE (37%, 95%CI 23-52). ALK rearrangements were associated with increased VTE risks (OR=2.08,95% CI 1.69-2.55), with the second highest incidence of VTE (27%, 95%CI 20-35). Both groups of patients with EGFR and KRAS mutations did not show a significantly increased risk for VTE (OR=1.33, 95% CI 0.75-2.34; OR=1.31, 95% CI 0.40-4.28).

CONCLUSIONS

ALK rearrangements were shown to be associated with increased VTE risks in patients diagnosed with non-small lung cancer, while there was no significant relation observed between VTE risks and EGFR or KRAS mutations in lung cancer patients.

Genomic profiling identifies somatic mutations predicting thromboembolic risk in patients with solid tumors

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) associated with cancer (CAT) is a well-described complication of cancer and a leading cause of death in patients with cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess potential associations of molecular signatures with CAT, including tumor-specific mutations and the presence of clonal hematopoiesis. We analyzed deep-coverage targeted DNA-sequencing data of >14 000 solid tumor samples using the Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets platform to identify somatic alterations associated with VTE. End point was defined as the first instance of cancer-associated pulmonary embolism and/or proximal/distal lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. Cause-specific Cox proportional hazards regression was used, adjusting for pertinent clinical covariates. Of 11 695 evaluable individuals, 72% had metastatic disease at time of analysis. Tumor-specific mutations in KRAS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.64; adjusted P = .08), STK11 (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.55-2.89; adjusted P < .001), KEAP1 (HR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.21-2.79; adjusted P = .07), CTNNB1 (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.15-2.60; adjusted P = .09), CDKN2B (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.13-1.85; adjusted P = .07), and MET (HR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.15-2.92; adjusted P = .09) were associated with a significantly increased risk of CAT independent of tumor type. Mutations in SETD2 were associated with a decreased risk of CAT (HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.16-0.79; adjusted P = .09). The presence of clonal hematopoiesis was not associated with an increased VTE rate. This is the first large-scale analysis to elucidate tumor-specific genomic events associated with CAT. Somatic tumor mutations of STK11, KRAS, CTNNB1, KEAP1, CDKN2B, and MET were associated with an increased risk of VTE in patients with solid tumors. Further analysis is needed to validate these findings and identify additional molecular signatures unique to individual tumor types.