1
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Tsai YT, Schlom J, Donahue RN. Blood-based biomarkers in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint blockade. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:82. [PMID: 38493133 PMCID: PMC10944611 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02969-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The paradigm of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment has been profoundly influenced by the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), but the range of clinical responses observed among patients poses significant challenges. To date, analyses of tumor biopsies are the only parameter used to guide prognosis to ICI therapy. Tumor biopsies, however, are often difficult to obtain and tissue-based biomarkers are limited by intratumoral heterogeneity and temporal variability. In response, there has been a growing emphasis on the development of "liquid biopsy"‒ derived biomarkers, which offer a minimally invasive means to dynamically monitor the immune status of NSCLC patients either before and/or during the course of treatment. Here we review studies in which multiple blood-based biomarkers encompassing circulating soluble analytes, immune cell subsets, circulating tumor DNA, blood-based tumor mutational burden, and circulating tumor cells have shown promising associations with the clinical response of NSCLC patients to ICI therapy. These investigations have unveiled compelling correlations between the peripheral immune status of patients both before and during ICI therapy and patient outcomes, which include response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival. There is need for rigorous validation and standardization of these blood-based assays for broader clinical application. Integration of multiple blood-based biomarkers into comprehensive panels or algorithms also has the potential to enhance predictive accuracy. Further research aimed at longitudinal monitoring of circulating biomarkers is also crucial to comprehend immune dynamics and resistance mechanisms and should be used alongside tissue-based methods that interrogate the tumor microenvironment to guide treatment decisions and may inform on the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The data reviewed here reinforce the opportunity to refine patient stratification, optimize treatments, and improve outcomes not only in NSCLC but also in the wider spectrum of solid tumors undergoing immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo-Ting Tsai
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Renee N Donahue
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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2
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Wishart G, Templeman A, Hendry F, Miller K, Pailhes-Jimenez AS. Molecular Profiling of Circulating Tumour Cells and Circulating Tumour DNA: Complementary Insights from a Single Blood Sample Utilising the Parsortix ® System. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:773-787. [PMID: 38248352 PMCID: PMC10814787 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of molecular drivers of cancer is an area of rapid growth and has led to the development of targeted treatments, significantly improving patient outcomes in many cancer types. The identification of actionable mutations informing targeted treatment strategies are now considered essential to the management of cancer. Traditionally, this information has been obtained through biomarker assessment of a tissue biopsy which is costly and can be associated with clinical complications and adverse events. In the last decade, blood-based liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive, fast, and cost-effective alternative, which is better suited to the requirement for longitudinal monitoring. Liquid biopsies allow for the concurrent study of multiple analytes, such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), from a single blood sample. Although ctDNA assays are commercially more advanced, there is an increasing awareness of the clinical significance of the transcriptome and proteome which can be analysed using CTCs. Herein, we review the literature in which the microfluidic, label-free Parsortix® system is utilised for CTC capture, harvest and analysis, alongside the analysis of ctDNA from a single blood sample. This detailed summary of the literature demonstrates how these two analytes can provide complementary disease information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Wishart
- ANGLE plc, Guildford GU2 7QB, UK; (A.T.); (F.H.); (K.M.); (A.-S.P.-J.)
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3
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Kim K, Kim H, Shin I, Noh SJ, Kim JY, Suh KJ, Kim YN, Lee JY, Cho DY, Kim SH, Kim JH, Lee SH, Choi JK. Genomic hypomethylation in cell-free DNA predicts responses to checkpoint blockade in lung and breast cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22482. [PMID: 38110532 PMCID: PMC10728099 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49639-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic hypomethylation has recently been identified as a determinant of therapeutic responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, it remains unclear whether this approach can be applied to cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and whether it can address the issue of low tumor purity encountered in tissue-based methylation profiling. In this study, we developed an assay named iMethyl, designed to estimate the genomic hypomethylation status from cfDNA. This was achieved through deep targeted sequencing of young LINE-1 elements with > 400,000 reads per sample. iMethyl was applied to a total of 653 ICB samples encompassing lung cancer (cfDNA n = 167; tissue n = 137; cfDNA early during treatment n = 40), breast cancer (cfDNA n = 91; tissue n = 50; PBMC n = 50; cfDNA at progression n = 44), and ovarian cancer (tissue n = 74). iMethyl-liquid predicted ICB responses accurately regardless of the tumor purity of tissue samples. iMethyl-liquid was also able to monitor therapeutic responses early during treatment (3 or 6 weeks after initiation of ICB) and detect progressive hypomethylation accompanying tumor progression. iMethyl-tissue had better predictive power than tumor mutation burden and PD-L1 expression. In conclusion, our iMethyl-liquid method allows for reliable noninvasive prediction, early evaluation, and monitoring of clinical responses to ICB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyeonghui Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyemin Kim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Inkyung Shin
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Jae Noh
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Yeon Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Koung Jin Suh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo-Na Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Yun Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Yeon Cho
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hyun Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung Kyoon Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd, Seongnam-si, Gyeongi-do, Republic of Korea.
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4
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Andrikou K, Rossi T, Verlicchi A, Priano I, Cravero P, Burgio MA, Crinò L, Bandini S, Ulivi P, Delmonte A. Circulating Tumour Cells: Detection and Application in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16085. [PMID: 38003273 PMCID: PMC10671094 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide. Tissue biopsy is the current gold standard for the diagnosis and molecular profiling of NSCLC. However, this approach presents some limitations due to inadequate tissue sampling, and intra- and intertumour heterogenicity. Liquid biopsy is a noninvasive method to determine cancer-related biomarkers in peripheral blood, and can be repeated at multiple timepoints. One of the most studied approaches to liquid biopsies is represented by circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Several studies have evaluated the prognostic and predictive role of CTCs in advanced NSCLC. Despite the limitations of these studies, the results of the majority of studies seem to be concordant regarding the correlation between high CTC count and poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Similarly, the decrease of CTC count during treatment may represent an important predictive marker of sensitivity to therapy in advanced NSCLC. Furthermore, molecular characterization of CTCs can be used to provide information on tumour biology, and on the mechanisms involved in resistance to targeted treatment. This review will discuss the current status of the clinical utility of CTCs in patients with advanced NSCLC, highlighting their potential application to prognosis and to treatment decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalliopi Andrikou
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Tania Rossi
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (P.U.)
| | - Alberto Verlicchi
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Ilaria Priano
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Paola Cravero
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Marco Angelo Burgio
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Lucio Crinò
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
| | - Sara Bandini
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (P.U.)
| | - Paola Ulivi
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (P.U.)
| | - Angelo Delmonte
- Medical Oncology Department, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (K.A.); (A.V.); (I.P.); (P.C.); (M.A.B.); (L.C.); (A.D.)
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5
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Yang F, Tang M, Cui L, Bai J, Yu J, Gao J, Nie X, Li X, Xia X, Yi X, Zhang P, Li L. Prognostic and predictive impact of molecular tumor burden index in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Thorac Cancer 2023; 14:3097-3107. [PMID: 37724484 PMCID: PMC10626252 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The biomarkers of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have limited predictive performance. In this study we aimed to investigate the feasibility of molecular tumor burden index (mTBI) in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a predictor for immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC. METHODS From February 2017 to November 2020, pretreatment and on-treatment (3~6 weeks after first cycle of immunotherapy) dynamic plasma ctDNA samples from NSCLC patients receiving immune monotherapy or combination therapy were analyzed by targeted capture sequencing of 1021 genes. PyClone was used to infer the mTBI. The impact of pretreatment mTBI on survival outcomes was verified in the POPLAR/OAK trials. RESULTS We found that patients without detectable baseline ctDNA had better survival outcomes (median overall survival [OS]: not reached vs. 12.8 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.15; p = 0.035]). RB1 and SMARCA4 mutations were remarkably associated with worse survival outcomes. Furthermore, lower pretreatment mTBI was associated with superior OS (median: not reached vs. 8.1 months; HR, 0.22; p = 0.024) and PFS (median: 32.9 vs. 5.4 months; HR, 0.35; p = 0.045), but not objective response, which was validated in the POPLAR/OAK cohort, suggesting that baseline mTBI was a prognostic factor for NSCLC immunotherapy. Early dynamic changes of mTBI (ΔmTBI) significantly distinguished responsive patients, and patients with mTBI decrease to more than 68% at the final tumor evaluation had longer OS (median: 38.2 vs. 4.0 months; HR, 0.18; p = 0.017) and PFS (median: not reached vs. 2.3 months; HR, 0.24; p = 0.030). CONCLUSION ΔmTBI had a good sensitivity to identify potential beneficial patients based on the best effect CT scans, demonstrating that mTBI dynamics were predictive of benefit from immune checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Liang Cui
- Geneplus‐Beijing InstituteBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jing Bai
- Geneplus‐Beijing InstituteBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jiangyong Yu
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Gao
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xin Nie
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Xia
- Geneplus‐Beijing InstituteBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xin Yi
- Geneplus‐Beijing InstituteBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Medical OncologyBeijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingPeople's Republic of China
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Bertoli E, De Carlo E, Basile D, Zara D, Stanzione B, Schiappacassi M, Del Conte A, Spina M, Bearz A. Liquid Biopsy in NSCLC: An Investigation with Multiple Clinical Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10803. [PMID: 37445976 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue biopsy is essential for NSCLC diagnosis and treatment management. Over the past decades, liquid biopsy has proven to be a powerful tool in clinical oncology, isolating tumor-derived entities from the blood. Liquid biopsy permits several advantages over tissue biopsy: it is non-invasive, and it should provide a better view of tumor heterogeneity, gene alterations, and clonal evolution. Consequentially, liquid biopsy has gained attention as a cancer biomarker tool, with growing clinical applications in NSCLC. In the era of precision medicine based on molecular typing, non-invasive genotyping methods became increasingly important due to the great number of oncogene drivers and the small tissue specimen often available. In our work, we comprehensively reviewed established and emerging applications of liquid biopsy in NSCLC. We made an excursus on laboratory analysis methods and the applications of liquid biopsy either in early or metastatic NSCLC disease settings. We deeply reviewed current data and future perspectives regarding screening, minimal residual disease, micrometastasis detection, and their implication in adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy management. Moreover, we reviewed liquid biopsy diagnostic utility in the absence of tissue biopsy and its role in monitoring treatment response and emerging resistance in metastatic NSCLC treated with target therapy and immuno-therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bertoli
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Elisa De Carlo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Debora Basile
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Giovanni Di Dio Hospital, 88900 Crotone, Italy
| | - Diego Zara
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Brigida Stanzione
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Monica Schiappacassi
- Molecular Oncology Unit, (OMMPPT) Department of Translational Research, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Del Conte
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Michele Spina
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bearz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
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7
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Oliver J, Onieva JL, Garrido-Barros M, Cobo-Dols M, Martínez-Gálvez B, García-Pelícano AI, Dubbelman J, Benítez JC, Martín JZ, Cantero A, Pérez-Ruiz E, Rueda-Domínguez A, Barragán I. Fluorometric Quantification of Total Cell-Free DNA as a Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Blockade. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3357. [PMID: 37444467 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the potential of basal cell-free fluorometric DNA (cfDNA) quantification as a prognostic biomarker in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with an Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB). A discovery and validation cohort of 61 and 31 advanced lung cancer patients treated with ICB were included in this study. Quantification of cfDNA concentration was performed before the start of the treatment and patients were followed up for a median of 34 (30-40) months. The prognostic predicted value of cfDNA was evaluated based on ROC, and Cox regression was conducted via univariate and multivariate analyses to estimate the hazard ratio. We observed that a cfDNA cut-off of 0.55 ng/µL before the ICB determines the overall survival of patients with a log rank p-value of 3.3 × 10-4. That represents median survivals of 3.8 vs. 17.5 months. Similar results were obtained in the validation cohort being the log rank p-value 3.8 × 10-2 with median survivals of 5.9 vs. 24.3. The univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the cut-off of 0.55 ng/µL before ICB treatment was an independent predictive factor and was significantly associated with a better survival outcome. High cfDNA concentrations identify patients with advanced NSCLC who do not benefit from the ICB. The determination of cfDNA is a simple test that could select a group of patients in whom new therapeutic strategies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Oliver
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Onieva
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Campus de Teatinos s/n, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - María Garrido-Barros
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Campus de Teatinos s/n, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
| | - Manuel Cobo-Dols
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Beatriz Martínez-Gálvez
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel García-Pelícano
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Jaime Dubbelman
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - José Carlos Benítez
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Zafra Martín
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, Campus de Teatinos s/n, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Alejandra Cantero
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Pérez-Ruiz
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonio Rueda-Domínguez
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Isabel Barragán
- Medical Oncology Service (Group of Translational Research in Cancer Immunotherapy), Regional and Virgen de la Victoria University Hospitals, Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga and BIONAND Nanomedicine Platform (IBIMA BIONAND Platform), C/Marqués de Beccaría n°3, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Group of Pharmacoepigenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Strati A, Economopoulou P, Lianidou E, Psyrri A. Clinical Significance of PD-L1 Status in Circulating Tumor Cells for Cancer Management during Immunotherapy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1768. [PMID: 37371863 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The approval of monoclonal antibodies against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein (PD1) has changed the landscape of cancer treatment. To date, many immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic cancer as well as locally recurrent advanced cancer. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of ICIs highlight the need for biomarker analysis with strong predictive value. Liquid biopsy is an important tool for clinical oncologists to monitor cancer patients and administer or change appropriate therapy. CTCs frequently express PD-L1, and this constitutes a clinically useful and non-invasive method to assess PD-L1 status in real-time. This review summarizes all the latest findings about the clinical significance of CTC for the management of cancer patients during the administration of immunotherapy and mainly focuses on the assessment of PD-L1 expression in CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areti Strati
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Economopoulou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece
| | - Evi Lianidou
- Analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Amanda Psyrri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece
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Ancel J, Dormoy V, Raby BN, Dalstein V, Durlach A, Dewolf M, Gilles C, Polette M, Deslée G. Soluble biomarkers to predict clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer treated by immune checkpoints inhibitors. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1171649. [PMID: 37283751 PMCID: PMC10239865 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1171649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the first cause of cancer-related death despite many therapeutic innovations, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). ICI are now well used in daily practice at late metastatic stages and locally advanced stages after a chemo-radiation. ICI are also emerging in the peri-operative context. However, all patients do not benefit from ICI and even suffer from additional immune side effects. A current challenge remains to identify patients eligible for ICI and benefiting from these drugs. Currently, the prediction of ICI response is only supported by Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor expression with perfectible results and limitations inherent to tumor-biopsy specimen analysis. Here, we reviewed alternative markers based on liquid biopsy and focused on the most promising biomarkers to modify clinical practice, including non-tumoral blood cell count such as absolute neutrophil counts, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. We also discussed soluble-derived immune checkpoint-related products such as sPD-L1, circulating tumor cells (detection, count, and marker expression), and circulating tumor DNA-related products. Finally, we explored perspectives for liquid biopsies in the immune landscape and discussed how they could be implemented into lung cancer management with a potential biological-driven decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Ancel
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
| | - Valérian Dormoy
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
| | - Béatrice Nawrocki Raby
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
| | - Véronique Dalstein
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
- Department of Biopathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
| | - Anne Durlach
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
- Department of Biopathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
| | - Maxime Dewolf
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
| | - Christine Gilles
- Laboratory of Tumor and Development Biology, GIGA-Cancer, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Myriam Polette
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
- Department of Biopathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
| | - Gaëtan Deslée
- Inserm UMR-S1250, P3Cell, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, SFR CAP-SANTE, Reims, France
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Reims, France
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10
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Yang Y, Liu H, Chen Y, Xiao N, Zheng Z, Liu H, Wan J. Liquid biopsy on the horizon in immunotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer: current status, challenges, and perspectives. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:230. [PMID: 37002211 PMCID: PMC10066332 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05757-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most threatening malignancies to human health and life. In most cases, patients with NSCLC are already at an advanced stage when they are diagnosed. In recent years, lung cancer has made great progress in precision therapy, but the efficacy of immunotherapy is unstable, and its response rate varies from patient to patient. Several biomarkers have been proposed to predict the outcomes of immunotherapy, such as programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Nevertheless, the detection assays are invasive and demanding on tumor tissue. To effectively predict the outcomes of immunotherapy, novel biomarkers are needed to improve the performance of conventional biomarkers. Liquid biopsy is to capture and detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and exosomes in body fluids, such as blood, saliva, urine, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid as samples from patients, so as to make analysis and diagnosis of cancer and other diseases. The application of liquid biopsy provides a new possible solution, as it has several advantages such as non-invasive, real-time dynamic monitoring, and overcoming tumor heterogeneity. Liquid biopsy has shown predictive value in immunotherapy, significantly improving the precision treatment of lung cancer patients. Herein, we review the application of liquid biopsy in predicting the outcomes of immunotherapy in NSCLC patients, and discuss the challenges and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Hongyang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Youming Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Nan Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Hongchun Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Junhu Wan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
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11
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Ren XD, Su N, Sun XG, Li WM, Li J, Li BW, Li RX, Lv J, Xu QY, Kong WL, Huang Q. Advances in liquid biopsy-based markers in NSCLC. Adv Clin Chem 2023; 114:109-150. [PMID: 37268331 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the second most-frequently occurring cancer and the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer is often diagnosed in middle or advanced stages and have poor prognosis. Diagnosis of disease at an early stage is a key factor for improving prognosis and reducing mortality, whereas, the currently used diagnostic tools are not sufficiently sensitive for early-stage NSCLC. The emergence of liquid biopsy has ushered in a new era of diagnosis and management of cancers, including NSCLC, since analysis of circulating tumor-derived components, such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free RNAs (cfRNAs), exosomes, tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), proteins, and metabolites in blood or other biofluids can enable early cancer detection, treatment selection, therapy monitoring and prognosis assessment. There have been great advances in liquid biopsy of NSCLC in the past few years. Hence, this chapter introduces the latest advances on the clinical application of cfDNA, CTCs, cfRNAs and exosomes, with a particular focus on their application as early markers in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dong Ren
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Ning Su
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Xian-Ge Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Man Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Bo-Wen Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Ruo-Xu Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Qian-Ying Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Long Kong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Qing Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
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12
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Prognostic Role of Soluble and Extracellular Vesicle-Associated PD-L1, B7-H3 and B7-H4 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060832. [PMID: 36980174 PMCID: PMC10047289 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has changed dramatically with the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Despite encouraging results, their efficacy remains limited to a subgroup of patients. Circulating immune checkpoints in soluble (s) form and associated with extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent promising markers, especially in ICI-based therapeutic settings. We evaluated the prognostic role of PD-L1 and of two B7 family members (B7-H3, B7-H4), both soluble and EV-associated, in a cohort of advanced NSCLC patients treated with first- (n = 56) or second-line (n = 126) ICIs. In treatment-naïve patients, high baseline concentrations of sPD-L1 (>24.2 pg/mL) were linked to worse survival, whereas high levels of sB7-H3 (>0.5 ng/mL) and sB7-H4 (>63.9 pg/mL) were associated with better outcomes. EV characterization confirmed the presence of EVs positive for PD-L1 and B7-H3, while only a small portion of EVs expressed B7-H4. The comparison between biomarker levels at the baseline and in the first radiological assessment under ICI-based treatment showed a significant decrease in EV-PD-L1 and an increase in EV-B7H3 in patients in the disease response to ICIs. Our study shows that sPD-L1, sB7-H3 and sB7-H4 levels are emerging prognostic markers in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICIs and suggests potential EV involvement in the disease response to ICIs.
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13
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Sinoquet L, Jacot W, Quantin X, Alix-Panabières C. Liquid Biopsy and Immuno-Oncology for Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Chem 2023; 69:23-40. [PMID: 36322450 DOI: 10.1093/clinchem/hvac166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the last decade, immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer without oncogenic addiction. Currently, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status, assessed in tissue biopsy samples, is the only test for guiding the prescription of these therapies in clinical practice. However, obtaining tumor tissue from patients with lung cancer is not always feasible and PD-L1 positivity is not a guarantee of immunotherapy efficacy. In this context, liquid biopsy, represented by several circulating biomarkers that reflect the tumor characteristics, is emerging as an interesting alternative approach. CONTENT We describe the main blood biomarkers evaluated in patients with metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer before/during immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, with a focus on circulating cell-free DNA, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), blood tumor mutational burden, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). SUMMARY Monitoring of ctDNA and CTCs during immunotherapy may be a promising tool to help clinicians in therapeutic decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Sinoquet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Régional Du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Montpellier, France
| | - William Jacot
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Régional Du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Xavier Quantin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Régional Du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM U1194, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabières
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Medical Centre of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,CREEC/CANECEV, MIVEGEC (CREES), University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
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14
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Kong W, Chen T, Li Y. Diagnosis, Monitoring, and Prognosis of Liquid Biopsy in Cancer Immunotherapy. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2695:127-143. [PMID: 37450116 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3346-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Liquid biopsy (LB), as a minimally invasive method of gleaning insight into the dynamics of diseases through a patient fluid sample, represents an interesting tool that can advise in disease monitoring, treatment selection, early diagnosis, evaluation of the response, and prognosis. Cancer immunotherapy is a breakthrough in cancer treatment, which is now recognized as the "fourth pillar" of cancer treatment, after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Liquid biopsy offers a different befalling for beneath invasive diagnosis, real-time accommodating monitoring, and analysis options, involving the isolation of circulating biomarkers, such as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), exosomes, and microRNAs (miRNAs). The biomarkers herein have great potential to allow the realization of liquid biopsy for predicting the immunotherapy response and precision medicine. Liquid biopsy offers an alternative, less invasive approach to select cancer patients who would benefit from immunotherapy and to monitor patients during their disease course. This review focuses on the use of liquid biopsy in the immunotherapy treatment of patients with cancer. In this review, we addressed the different promising liquid biopsy-based biomarkers in cancer patients that enable the selection of patients who benefit from immunotherapy and the monitoring of patients during this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiying Kong
- Center for Clinical Laboratories, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Tengxiang Chen
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis & Drug Research on Common Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
| | - Yixin Li
- The Department of Histology and Embryology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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15
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Ren J, Liu R. The Implication of Liquid Biopsy in the Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Potential and Expectation. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2695:145-163. [PMID: 37450117 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3346-5_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, lung cancer has remained the most lethal cancer, despite great advances in diagnosis and treatment. However, a large proportion of patients were diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease and have poor prognosis. Immunotherapy and targeted drugs have greatly improved the survival and prognosis of patients with advanced lung cancer. However, how to identify the optimal patients to accept those therapies and how to monitor therapeutic efficacy are still in dispute. In the past few decades, tissue biopsy, including percutaneous fine needle biopsy and surgical excision, has still been the gold standard for examining the gene mutation such as EGFR, ALK, ROS, and PD-1/PD/L1, which can indicate the follow-up treatment. Nevertheless, the biopsy techniques mentioned above were invasive and unrepeatable, which were not suitable for advanced patients. Liquid biopsy, accounting for heterogeneity compared with tissue biopsy, is an alternative technique for monitoring the mutation, and a large quantity of research has demonstrated its feasibility to detect the circulating tumor cell, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor DNA, and extracellular vesicles from peripheral venous blood. The proposal of the concept of precision medicine brings a novel medical model developed with the rapid progress of genome sequencing technology and the cross-application of bioinformation, which was based on personalized medicine. The emerging method of liquid biopsy might contribute to promoting the development of precision medicine. In this review, we intend to describe the liquid biopsy in non-small cell lung cancer in detail in the aspect of screening, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, and drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghao Ren
- Shanghai Lung Tumor Clinical Medicine Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
| | - Ruijun Liu
- Shanghai Lung Tumor Clinical Medicine Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, P.R. China
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16
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Mondelo-Macía P, García-González J, Abalo A, Mosquera-Presedo M, Aguín S, Mateos M, López-López R, León-Mateos L, Muinelo-Romay L, Díaz-Peña R. Plasma cell-free DNA and circulating tumor cells as prognostic biomarkers in small cell lung cancer patients. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2022; 11:1995-2009. [PMID: 36386449 PMCID: PMC9641037 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-22-273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of biomarkers for treatment selection and monitoring in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with the limited therapeutic options, result in poor outcomes. Therefore, new prognostic biomarkers are needed to improve their management. The prognostic value of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been less explored in SCLC. METHODS We quantified cfDNA in 46 SCLC patients at different times during first-line of chemotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy. Moreover, CTCs were analyzed in 21 patients before therapy onset using CellSearch® system. The possible association between both biomarkers and patients' outcomes was investigated in order to develop a prognostic model. RESULTS High cfDNA levels before therapy were associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Furthermore, cfDNA levels at 3 weeks and at progression disease were also associated with patients' outcomes. Multivariate analyses confirmed the independence of cfDNA levels as a prognostic biomarker. Finally, the three-risk category prognostic model developed included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS), gender and baseline cfDNA levels was associated with a higher risk of progression and death. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed the prognostic utility of cfDNA quantitative analysis in SCLC patients before and during therapy. Our novel risk prognostic model in clinical practice will allow to identify patients who could benefit with actual therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Mondelo-Macía
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jorge García-González
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Abalo
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Santiago Aguín
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - María Mateos
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Rafael López-López
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis León-Mateos
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Muinelo-Romay
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Díaz-Peña
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis Unit, Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Talca, Chile
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17
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Liquid Biopsy Analysis as a Tool for TKI-Based Treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182871. [PMID: 36139444 PMCID: PMC9497234 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has recently evolved with the introduction of targeted therapy based on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with certain gene alterations, including EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, and MET genes. Molecular targeted therapy based on TKIs has improved clinical outcomes in a large number of NSCLC patients with advanced disease, enabling significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS). Liquid biopsy is an increasingly popular diagnostic tool for treating TKI-based NSCLC. The studies presented in this article show that detection and analysis based on liquid biopsy elements such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), exosomes, and/or tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) can contribute to the appropriate selection and monitoring of targeted therapy in NSCLC patients as complementary to invasive tissue biopsy. The detection of these elements, combined with their molecular analysis (using, e.g., digital PCR (dPCR), next generation sequencing (NGS), shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS)), enables the detection of mutations, which are required for the TKI treatment. Despite such promising results obtained by many research teams, it is still necessary to carry out prospective studies on a larger group of patients in order to validate these methods before their application in clinical practice.
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18
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Padinharayil H, Varghese J, John MC, Rajanikant GK, Wilson CM, Al-Yozbaki M, Renu K, Dewanjee S, Sanyal R, Dey A, Mukherjee AG, Wanjari UR, Gopalakrishnan AV, George A. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC): Implications on molecular pathology and advances in early diagnostics and therapeutics. Genes Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
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19
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Kanabar SS, Tiwari A, Soran V, Balendran P, Price M, Turner AM. Impact of PD1 and PDL1 immunotherapy on non-small cell lung cancer outcomes: a systematic review. Thorax 2022; 77:1163-1174. [PMID: 35688624 DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite comprising many cancer diagnoses, few treatments are suitable for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC). Trials suggest blockade of programmed death 1 (PD1) or its ligand (PDL1) may be effective for these patients. However, this therapy's impact on outcomes other than survival, and outcomes of patients not in trials, remains largely unknown. Therefore, we compared the effectiveness of PD1 and PDL1 immunotherapy to chemotherapy and placebo across multiple clinical outcomes. METHODS Six databases were searched on 12-13 October 2019 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies investigating nivolumab, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab or durvalumab. Study selection was performed independently by two reviewers. Data for overall survival, progression-free survival, adverse effects (AEs) and quality of life (QoL) were descriptively and meta-analysed. Factors impacting treatment outcomes, including PDL1 expression, were explored. The similarity between RCT and observational data was assessed. RESULTS From 5423 search results, 139 full texts and abstracts were included. Immunotherapy was associated with a lower risk of death than both comparators. In RCTs, the incidence of treatment-related AEs was approximately 20% lower among patients using immunotherapy compared with chemotherapy. However, no other consistent benefits were observed. Progression-free survival results were inconsistent. Improvements to QoL varied according to the instrument used; however, QoL was not recorded widely. Survival results were similar between study designs; however, AEs incidence was lower in observational studies. DISCUSSION Among patients with aNSCLC, immunotherapy improved overall survival and incidence of treatment-related AEs compared with chemotherapy. Benefits to progression-free survival and QoL were less consistent. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42019153345.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Setur Kanabar
- Medical School, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK .,Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Abhinav Tiwari
- Medical School, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vina Soran
- Medical School, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
| | - Prashanthan Balendran
- Medical School, University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham, UK
| | - Malcolm Price
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
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20
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Emerging Blood-Based Biomarkers for Predicting Immunotherapy Response in NSCLC. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14112626. [PMID: 35681606 PMCID: PMC9179588 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14112626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Treatment with immunotherapy has been established as a standard treatment for lung cancer in recent years. Unfortunately, still, only a small proportion of patients benefit from the treatment, being the first leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for predictive biomarkers to help clinicians to discern whose patients are more likely to respond to immunotherapy. Since liquid biopsy opens the door to select patients and monitor the response during the treatment in a non-invasive way, in this review, we focus on the most relevant and recent results based on blood soluble biomarkers. Abstract Immunotherapy with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) has demonstrated a profitable performance for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cancer treatment in some patients; however, there is still a percentage of patients in whom immunotherapy does not provide the desired results regarding beneficial outcomes. Therefore, obtaining predictive biomarkers for ICI response will improve the treatment management in clinical practice. In this sense, liquid biopsy appears as a promising method to obtain samples in a minimally invasive and non-biased way. In spite of its evident potential, the use of these circulating biomarkers is still very limited in the real clinical practice, mainly due to the huge heterogeneity among the techniques, the lack of consensus, and the limited number of patients included in these previous studies. In this work, we review the pros and cons of the different proposed biomarkers, such as soluble PD-L1, circulating non-coding RNA, circulating immune cells, peripheral blood cytokines, and ctDNA, obtained from liquid biopsy to predict response to ICI treatment at baseline and to monitor changes in tumor and tumor microenvironment during the course of the treatment in NSCLC patients.
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21
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Azuma K, Xiang H, Tagami T, Kasajima R, Kato Y, Karakawa S, Kikuchi S, Imaizumi A, Matsuo N, Ishii H, Tokito T, Kawahara A, Murotani K, Sasada T, Miyagi Y, Hoshino T. Clinical significance of plasma-free amino acids and tryptophan metabolites in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving PD-1 inhibitor: a pilot cohort study for developing a prognostic multivariate model. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-004420. [PMID: 35569917 PMCID: PMC9109096 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-004420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amino acid metabolism is essential for tumor cell proliferation and regulation of immune cell function. However, the clinical significance of free amino acids (plasma-free amino acids (PFAAs)) and tryptophan-related metabolites in plasma has not been fully understood in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods We conducted a single cohort observational study. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 53 patients with NSCLC before treatment with PD-1 (Programmed cell death-1) inhibitors. The plasma concentrations of 21 PFAAs, 14 metabolites, and neopterin were measured by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Using Cox hazard analysis with these variables, a multivariate model was established to stratify patient overall survival (OS). Gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was compared between the high-risk and low-risk patients by this multivariate model. Results On Cox proportional hazard analysis, higher concentrations of seven PFAAs (glycine, histidine, threonine, alanine, citrulline, arginine, and tryptophan) as well as lower concentrations of three metabolites (3h-kynurenine, anthranilic acid, and quinolinic acid) and neopterin in plasma were significantly correlated with better OS (p<0.05). In particular, the multivariate model, composed of a combination of serine, glycine, arginine, and quinolinic acid, could most efficiently stratify patient OS (concordance index=0.775, HR=3.23, 95% CI 2.04 to 5.26). From the transcriptome analysis in PBMCs, this multivariate model was significantly correlated with the gene signatures related to immune responses, such as CD8 T-cell activation/proliferation and proinflammatory immune responses, and 12 amino acid-related genes were differentially expressed between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Conclusions The multivariate model with PFAAs and metabolites in plasma might be useful for stratifying patients who will benefit from PD-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Azuma
- Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Huihui Xiang
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Tagami
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Rika Kasajima
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yumiko Kato
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Sachise Karakawa
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Shinya Kikuchi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Akira Imaizumi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products and Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co Inc, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Norikazu Matsuo
- Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Hidenobu Ishii
- Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Takaaki Tokito
- Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kawahara
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Kurume University Hospital, Kurume, Japan
| | - Kenta Murotani
- Biostatistics Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Sasada
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yohei Miyagi
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Hoshino
- Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
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22
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Stadler JC, Belloum Y, Deitert B, Sementsov M, Heidrich I, Gebhardt C, Keller L, Pantel K. Current and Future Clinical Applications of ctDNA in Immuno-Oncology. Cancer Res 2022; 82:349-358. [PMID: 34815256 PMCID: PMC9397642 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-1718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Testing peripheral blood for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers a minimally invasive opportunity to diagnose, characterize, and monitor the disease in individual cancer patients. ctDNA can reflect the actual tumor burden and specific genomic state of disease and thus might serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Recent studies in various cancer entities (e.g., melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, and urothelial cancer) have shown that sequential ctDNA analyses allow for the identification of responders to ICI therapy, with a significant lead time to imaging. ctDNA assessment may also help distinguish pseudoprogression under ICI therapy from real progression. Developing dynamic changes in ctDNA concentrations as a potential surrogate endpoint of clinical efficacy in patients undergoing adjuvant immunotherapy is ongoing. Besides overall ctDNA burden, further ctDNA characterization can help uncover tumor-specific determinants (e.g., tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability) of responses or resistance to immunotherapy. In future studies, standardized ctDNA assessments need to be included in interventional clinical trials across cancer entities to demonstrate the clinical utility of ctDNA as a biomarker for personalized cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia-Christina Stadler
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yassine Belloum
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Deitert
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mark Sementsov
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Heidrich
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Mildred Scheel Cancer Career Center HaTriCS4, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoffer Gebhardt
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Laura Keller
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Corresponding Authors: Klaus Pantel, Institute for Tumor Biologie, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, Hamburg, 20246, Germany. E-mail: ; and Laura Keller, E-mail:
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Corresponding Authors: Klaus Pantel, Institute for Tumor Biologie, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, Hamburg, 20246, Germany. E-mail: ; and Laura Keller, E-mail:
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23
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Herath S, Sadeghi Rad H, Radfar P, Ladwa R, Warkiani M, O’Byrne K, Kulasinghe A. The Role of Circulating Biomarkers in Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:801269. [PMID: 35127511 PMCID: PMC8813755 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.801269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide and early diagnosis is crucial for the management and treatment of this disease. Non-invasive means of determining tumour information is an appealing diagnostic approach for lung cancers as often accessing and removing tumour tissue can be a limiting factor. In recent years, liquid biopsies have been developed to explore potential circulating tumour biomarkers which are considered reliable surrogates for understanding tumour biology in a non-invasive manner. Most common components assessed in liquid biopsy include circulating tumour cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), microRNA and exosomes. This review explores the clinical use of circulating tumour biomarkers found in liquid biopsy for screening, early diagnosis and prognostication of lung cancer patients.
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24
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Mondelo‐Macía P, García‐González J, León‐Mateos L, Anido U, Aguín S, Abdulkader I, Sánchez‐Ares M, Abalo A, Rodríguez‐Casanova A, Díaz‐Lagares Á, Lago‐Lestón RM, Muinelo‐Romay L, López‐López R, Díaz‐Peña R. Clinical potential of circulating free DNA and circulating tumour cells in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer treated with pembrolizumab. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:2923-2940. [PMID: 34465006 PMCID: PMC8564635 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab, are revolutionizing therapeutic strategies for different cancer types, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, only a subset of patients benefits from this therapy, and new biomarkers are needed to select better candidates. In this study, we explored the value of liquid biopsy analyses, including circulating free DNA (cfDNA) and circulating tumour cells (CTCs), as a prognostic or predictive tool to guide pembrolizumab therapy. For this purpose, a total of 109 blood samples were collected from 50 patients with advanced NSCLC prior to treatment onset and at 6 and 12 weeks after the initiation of pembrolizumab. Plasma cfDNA was measured using hTERT quantitative PCR assay. The CTC levels at baseline were also analysed using two enrichment technologies (CellSearch® and Parsortix systems) to evaluate the efficacy of both approaches at detecting the presence of programmed cell death ligand 1 on CTCs. Notably, patients with high baseline hTERT cfDNA levels had significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with low baseline levels. Moreover, patients with unfavourable changes in the hTERT cfDNA levels from baseline to 12 weeks showed a higher risk of disease progression. Additionally, patients in whom CTCs were detected using the CellSearch® system had significantly shorter PFS and OS than patients who had no CTCs. Finally, multivariate regression analyses confirmed the value of the combination of CTCs and cfDNA levels as an early independent predictor of disease progression, identifying a subgroup of patients who were negative for CTCs, who presented low levels of cfDNA and who particularly benefited from the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Mondelo‐Macía
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Jorge García‐González
- Department of Medical OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Luis León‐Mateos
- Department of Medical OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Urbano Anido
- Department of Medical OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Santiago Aguín
- Department of Medical OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Ihab Abdulkader
- Department of PathologyComplexo Hospital Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - María Sánchez‐Ares
- Department of PathologyComplexo Hospital Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Universidade de Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Alicia Abalo
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Aitor Rodríguez‐Casanova
- Cancer EpigenomicsTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Roche‐CHUS Joint UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Ángel Díaz‐Lagares
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
- Cancer EpigenomicsTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Ramón Manuel Lago‐Lestón
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Laura Muinelo‐Romay
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Rafael López‐López
- Department of Medical OncologyComplexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Translational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
| | - Roberto Díaz‐Peña
- Liquid Biopsy Analysis UnitTranslational Medical Oncology (Oncomet)Health Research Institute of Santiago (IDIS)Santiago de CompostelaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC)MadridSantiago de CompostelaSpain
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25
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Dall'Olio FG, Marabelle A, Caramella C, Garcia C, Aldea M, Chaput N, Robert C, Besse B. Tumour burden and efficacy of immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2021; 19:75-90. [PMID: 34642484 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-021-00564-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that a high tumour burden has a negative effect on anticancer immunity. The concept of tumour burden, simply defined as the total amount of cancer in the body, in contrast to molecular tumour burden, is often poorly understood by the wider medical community; nonetheless, a possible role exists in defining the optimal treatment strategy for many patients. Historically, tumour burden has been assessed using imaging. In particular, CT scans have been used to evaluate both the number and size of metastases as well as the number of organs involved. These methods are now often complemented by metabolic tumour burden, measured using the more recently developed 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-PET/CT. Serum-based biomarkers, such as lactate dehydrogenase, can also reflect tumour burden and are often also correlated with a poor response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Other circulating markers (such as circulating free tumour DNA and/or circulating tumour cells) are also attracting research interest as surrogate markers of tumour burden. In this Review, we summarize evidence supporting the utility of tumour burden as a biomarker to guide the use of immune-checkpoint inhibitors. We also describe data and provide perspective on the various tools used for tumour burden assessment, with a particular emphasis on future therapeutic strategies that might address the issue of inferior outcomes among patients with cancer with a high tumour burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo G Dall'Olio
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Specialized, Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Aurélien Marabelle
- Drug Development Department, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Caroline Caramella
- Department of Radiology, Hôpital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | - Camilo Garcia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy and University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - Mihaela Aldea
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Nathalie Chaput
- Laboratory of Immunomonitoring in Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University Paris-Saclay, Chatenay-Malabry, France
| | - Caroline Robert
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.,Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | - Benjamin Besse
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France. .,Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
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26
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Qian H, Zhang Y, Xu J, He J, Gao W. Progress and application of circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2021; 22:72-84. [PMID: 34514090 PMCID: PMC8408556 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has the highest morbidity and mortality worldwide among malignant tumors. NSCLC is a great threat to health and well-being. Biopsy is the gold standard to diagnose lung cancer, but traditional biopsy methods cannot fully reflect the true condition of tumors. There is growing evidence that a single-point biopsy fails to reveal the complete landscape of the tumor due to intratumor heterogeneity, but it is impractical to complete multiple biopsies that are separated both spatially and temporally. Liquid biopsy heralds that a new era is coming. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are tumor cells that circulate in the peripheral blood after being shed from primary or metastatic tumors. CTCs constitute a considerable portion of a liquid biopsy, which contributes to the diagnosis, assessment of prognosis, and therapy of NSCLC. Herein, this review discusses the technologies for detection and enrichment of CTCs as well as clinical applications involving CTCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhu Qian
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jing He
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Wen Gao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China
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27
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Ouyang Y, Liu W, Zhang N, Yang X, Li J, Long S. Prognostic significance of programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression on circulating tumor cells in various cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Med 2021; 10:7021-7039. [PMID: 34423578 PMCID: PMC8525108 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prognostic significance of programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been explored but is still in controversy. We performed, for the first time, a meta‐analysis to systematically evaluate its prognostic value in human cancers. Methods Literature databases were searched for eligible studies prior to June 30, 2021. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated for the associations of pre‐treatment and post‐treatment PD‐L1+ CTCs with progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Subgroup analyses with regards to cancer type, treatment, CTC enrichment method, PD‐L1 detection method, cut‐off, and specifically the comparison model were performed. Results We included 30 eligible studies (32 cohorts, 1419 cancer patients) in our analysis. Pre‐treatment PD‐L1+ CTCs detected by immunofluorescence (IF) tended to predict better PFS (HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.28–1.08, p = 0.084) and OS (HR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.36–1.04, p = 0.067) for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, but were significantly associated with unfavorable survival for non‐ICI therapies (PFS: HR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.21–2.85, p = 0.005; OS: HR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.69–3.51, p < 0.001). Post‐treatment PD‐L1+ CTCs predicted markedly worse PFS and OS. The prognostic value was obviously modulated by comparison models. Among patients with detectable CTCs, PD‐L1+ individuals had comparable survival to PD‐L1− individuals, except ICI treatment for which PD‐L1+ may predict better PFS (HR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.17–1.06, p = 0.067). Patients with PD‐L1+ CTCs had worse survival prognosis compared to those without PD‐L1+ CTCs in overall analysis (PFS: HR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.59–2.77, p < 0.001; OS: HR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.70–3.81, p < 0.001) and in most subgroups. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrated that PD‐L1 positive expression on CTCs predicted better survival prognosis for ICI treatment but worse survival for other therapies, which thus can be potentially used as a prognostic marker of malignant tumor treatment. However, the prognostic value of PD‐L1+ CTCs for ICI treatment needs validation by more large‐scale studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushu Ouyang
- Department of Intervention, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wendao Liu
- Department of Intervention, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ningning Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Heping Hospital Affiliated to Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Xiaobing Yang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinwei Li
- Department of Intervention, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunqin Long
- Department of Oncology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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28
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The Role of the Immune Metabolic Prognostic Index in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in Radiological Progression during Treatment with Nivolumab. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133117. [PMID: 34206545 PMCID: PMC8268031 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Identifying reliable prognostic biomarkers of progression in the early phases of treatment is crucial in patients undergoing immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICI) administration for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). With this aim, in this study we combined the prognostic power of the degree of systemic inflammation (depicted by peripheral inflammation indexes), the quantification of the metabolically active tumor burden (estimated using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography) as well as their combination in NSCLC patients receiving immune checkpoints inhibitors. This combined approach could be used to improve the risk stratification and the subsequent clinical management in NSCLC patients treated with immune checkpoints inhibitors. Abstract An emerging clinical need is represented by identifying reliable biomarkers able to discriminate between responders and non-responders among patients showing imaging progression during the administration of immune checkpoints inhibitors for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we analyzed the prognostic power of peripheral-blood systemic inflammation indexes and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in this clinical setting. In 45 patients showing radiological progression (defined as RECIST 1.1 progressive disease) during Nivolumab administration, the following lab and imaging parameters were collected: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived-NLR (dNLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelets-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammation index (SII), maximum standardized uptake value, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). MTV and SII independently predicted OS. Their combination in the immune metabolic prognostic index (IMPI) allowed the identification of patients who might benefit from immunotherapy continuation, despite radiological progression. The combination of FDG PET/CT volumetric data with SII also approximates the immune-metabolic response with respect to baseline, providing additional independent prognostic insights. In conclusion, the degree of systemic inflammation, the quantification of the metabolically active tumor burden, and their combination might disclose the radiological progression in NSCLC patients receiving Nivolumab.
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29
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Basso U, Facchinetti A, Rossi E, Maruzzo M, Conteduca V, Aieta M, Massari F, Fraccon AP, Mucciarini C, Sava T, Santoni M, Pegoraro C, Durante E, Nicodemo M, Perin A, Bearz A, Gatti C, Fiduccia P, Diminutto A, Barile C, De Giorgi U, Zamarchi R, Zagonel V. Prognostic Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Large, Multicenter, Prospective Trial. Oncologist 2021; 26:740-750. [PMID: 34077597 DOI: 10.1002/onco.13842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) correlate with adverse prognosis in patients with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. Little data are available for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We designed a multicenter prospective observational study to assess the correlation between CTC counts and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic RCC treated with an antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor as a first-line regimen; overall survival (OS) and response were secondary objectives. CTC counts were enumerated by the CellSearch system at four time points: day 0 of treatment, day 28, day 56 and then at progression, or at 12 months in the absence of progression. RESULTS One hundred ninety-five eligible patients with a median age of 69 years were treated with sunitinib (77.5%) or pazopanib (21%). At baseline, 46.7% of patients had one or more CTCs per milliliter (range, 1 to 263). Thirty patients had at least three CTCs, with a median PFS of 5.8 versus 15 months in the remaining patients (p = .002; hazard ratio [HR], 1.99), independently of the International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium score at multivariate analysis (HR, 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-3.14). Patients with at least three CTCs had a shorter estimated OS of 13.8 months versus 52.8 months in those with fewer than three CTCs (p = .003; HR, 1.99; multivariate analysis HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 0.95-2.93). Baseline CTC counts did not correlate with response; neither did having CTC sequencing counts greater than or equal to one, two, three, four, or five. CONCLUSION We provide prospective evidence that the presence of three or more CTCs at baseline is associated with a significantly shorter PFS and OS in patients with metastatic RCC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This prospective study evaluated whether the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood correlates with activity of first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study demonstrated that almost half of patients with metastatic RCC have at least one CTC in their blood and that those patients with at least three CTCs are at increased risk of early progressive disease and early death due to RCC. Studies incorporating CTC counts in the prognostic algorithms of metastatic RCC are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Basso
- Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Antonella Facchinetti
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy.,Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Rossi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy.,Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Maruzzo
- Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Vincenza Conteduca
- Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST), IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Michele Aieta
- Department of Onco-Hematology, Division of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico della Basilicata IRCCS, Rionero in Vulture, Italy
| | - Francesco Massari
- Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy.,Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Paola Fraccon
- Medical Oncology, Ospedale P. Pederzoli, Peschiera Del Garda, Peschiera Del Garda (VR), Italy
| | - Claudia Mucciarini
- Medical Oncology Unit, Ramazzini Hospital, Carpi-AUSL Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Teodoro Sava
- Medical Oncology, Ospedale Borgo Trento, Verona, Italy
| | - Matteo Santoni
- Medical Oncology, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Ospedali Riuniti Umberto I-GM Lancisi and G Salesi, Ancona, Italy
| | - Cristina Pegoraro
- Medical Oncology Ospedale di Montecchio Maggiore, Azienda ULSS 8 Berica, Berica, Italy
| | - Emilia Durante
- Department of Medical Oncology, Ospedale di Legnago, Azienda ULSS 9 Scaligera, Scaligera, Italy
| | - Maurizio Nicodemo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sacro Cuore - Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Italy
| | - Alessandra Perin
- Medical Oncology, Polo Unico Ospedale Santorso, Santorso, Azienda ULSS 7 Pedemontana, Pedemontana, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bearz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Centro Riferimento Oncologico CRO IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Carlo Gatti
- Medical Oncology, Ospedale di Chioggia, Azienda ULSS 3 Serenissima, Chioggia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Fiduccia
- Clinical Research Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Diminutto
- Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Carmen Barile
- Medical Oncology, Ospedale di Rovigo, Azienda ULSS 5 Polesana, Rovigo, Italy
| | - Ugo De Giorgi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST), IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Rita Zamarchi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Vittorina Zagonel
- Oncology Unit 1, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
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Indini A, Rijavec E, Grossi F. Circulating Biomarkers of Response and Toxicity of Immunotherapy in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081794. [PMID: 33918661 PMCID: PMC8070633 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although immunotherapy has dramatically revolutionized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment, not all the patients will benefit from this innovative therapy. The identification of potential biomarkers able to predict efficacy and toxicity of immunotherapy represents an urgent need for tailored treatment regimens. Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive and economical tool that could provide important information about patients’ selection and treatment monitoring. Currently, several blood biomarkers are under investigation (circulating immune and tumor cells, soluble immunological mediators, peripheral blood cells). Prospective clinical trials are needed to validate their use in clinical practice. Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the programmed cell death (PD)-1 protein and its ligand, PD-L1, and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4, have revolutionized the management of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, only a small portion of NSCLC patients respond to these agents. Furthermore, although immunotherapy is usually well tolerated, some patients experience severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Liquid biopsy is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure involving the isolation of circulating biomarkers, such as circulating tumor cells (CTC), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Thanks to recent advances in technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), liquid biopsy has become a useful tool to provide baseline information on the tumor, and to monitor response to treatments. This review highlights the potential role of liquid biomarkers in the selection of NSCLC patients who could respond to immunotherapy, and in the identification of patients who are most likely to experience irAEs, in order to guide improvements in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Indini
- Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy;
| | - Erika Rijavec
- Medical Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy;
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesco Grossi
- Unit of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, ASST dei Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy;
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Immunotherapy in nonsmall-cell lung cancer: current status and future prospects for liquid biopsy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 70:1177-1188. [DOI: 10.1007/s00262-020-02752-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Li S, Zhang C, Pang G, Wang P. Emerging Blood-Based Biomarkers for Predicting Response to Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Front Immunol 2020; 11:603157. [PMID: 33178229 PMCID: PMC7596386 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.603157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have brought impressive clinical benefits in a variety of malignancies over the past years, which dramatically revolutionized the cancer treatment paradigm. Monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy of ICIs targeting programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has emerged as an alternative treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, constrained by primary or acquired resistance, most patients obtain limited benefits from ICIs and occasionally suffer from severe immune-related adverse events. Moreover, owing to the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and the technical limitations, clinical application of PD-L1 and tumor mutation burden as biomarkers shows many deficiencies. Thus, additional predictive biomarkers are required to further advance the precision of proper patient selection, avoiding the exposure of potential non-responders to unnecessary immunotoxicity. Nowadays, an increasing number of investigations are focusing on peripheral blood as a noninvasive alternative to tissue biopsy in predicting and monitoring treatment outcomes. Herein, we summarize the emerging blood-based biomarkers that could predict the clinical response to checkpoint immunotherapy, specifically in patients with NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumin Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengyan Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guanchao Pang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pingli Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Ohara S, Suda K, Sakai K, Nishino M, Chiba M, Shimoji M, Takemoto T, Fujino T, Koga T, Hamada A, Soh J, Nishio K, Mitsudomi T. Prognostic implications of preoperative versus postoperative circulating tumor DNA in surgically resected lung cancer patients: a pilot study. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2020; 9:1915-1923. [PMID: 33209612 PMCID: PMC7653121 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-20-505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Background Recent studies of advanced lung cancer patients have shown that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis is useful for molecular profiling, monitoring tumor burden, and predicting therapeutic efficacies and disease progression. However, the usefulness of ctDNA analysis in surgically resected lung cancers is unclear. Methods This study included 20 lung cancer patients with clinical stage IIA–IIIA disease. Preoperative and postoperative (3–12 days) plasma samples were collected for ctDNA analysis. Cancer personalized profiling by deep sequencing, which can detect mutations in 197 cancer-related genes, was used for ctDNA detection. The cohort consisted of 18 men and 2 women with a median age of 69 (range, 37–88) years. Sixteen patients (80%) had a history of smoking. Histologically, there were four squamous cell carcinomas, 13 adenocarcinomas, two adenosquamous cell carcinomas, and one small cell carcinoma. Results At the time of data analysis, the 20 patients had been monitored for a median follow-up of 12 months. Eight patients (40%) were positive for preoperative ctDNA, and this was significantly correlated with tumor size (≥5 vs. <5 cm, P=0.018). Four patients (20%) were positive for postoperative ctDNA, and this was significantly correlated with histological grade (3 vs. 1 or 2, P=0.032). Postoperative positivity for ctDNA also predicted shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P=0.015), while pre- and post-operative carcinoembryonic antigen levels (P=0.150 and P=0.533, respectively) and preoperative positivity for ctDNA (P=0.132) were not correlated with RFS. Conclusions Detecting ctDNA postoperatively was a poor prognostic factor in surgically resected lung cancer patients that may suggest there is minimal residual disease (MRD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuta Ohara
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Kenichi Suda
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Kazuko Sakai
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Masaya Nishino
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Masato Chiba
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Masaki Shimoji
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Toshiki Takemoto
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Toshio Fujino
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Takamasa Koga
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Akira Hamada
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Junichi Soh
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Kazuto Nishio
- Department of Genome Biology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Mitsudomi
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
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Chen X, Zhou F, Li X, Yang G, Zhao C, Li W, Wu F, Yu J, Gao G, Li J, Li A, Ren S, Zhou C. Folate receptor-positive circulating tumor cells as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of first-line pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:631. [PMID: 32566568 PMCID: PMC7290650 DOI: 10.21037/atm-19-4680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background There is a lack of well-established biomarkers to predict the efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. In this prospective phase II study, we investigated the correlation of folate receptor (FR)-positive circulating tumor cell (CTC) level with the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC) when treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Methods A total of 98 nsNSCLC patients were enrolled. Peripheral blood was collected from each patient prior to initiation of treatment. FR-positive CTCs were enriched by immunomagnetic leukocyte depletion and quantified using ligand-targeted polymerase chain reaction (LT-PCR) method. Results Patients with relatively low CTC level (11–16 FU/3 mL, n=32) showed a significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with those in the “high CTC level group” (>16 FU/3mL, n=28; median PFS, 133 versus 320 days, P<0.001; median OS, 632 days versus “not reached”, P=0.003). Patients in the “high CTC level group” also achieved superior objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) over those in the “low CTC level group” (ORR, 40.9% versus 9.5%, P=0.0339; DCR, 100% versus 81.0%, P=0.0485). The clinical outcomes of pemetrexed in the “negative-CTC group” (<11 FU/3mL, n=38) fell between the “high CTC level group” and the “low CTC level group” (median PFS, 290 days; median OS, 1,122 days; ORR: 21.2%, DCR: 93.9%). Further multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that “high CTC level” was an independent factor that was significantly associated with better PFS [hazard ratio (HR) =0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.12–0.58, P=0.001] and OS (HR =0.23, 95% CI, 0.06–0.92, P=0.037). Conclusions Our results implied that FR-positive CTC is a promising biomarker to predict the clinical outcome of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced nsNSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fei Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xuefei Li
- Department of Lung Cancer and Immunology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Guohua Yang
- Genosaber Biotech Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Chao Zhao
- Department of Lung Cancer and Immunology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Fenying Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jia Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Guanghui Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiayu Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Aiwu Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Shengxiang Ren
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Caicun Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
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Prospects for Comprehensive Analyses of Circulating Tumor Cells in Tumor Biology. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051135. [PMID: 32369927 PMCID: PMC7281475 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The comprehensive analysis of biological and clinical aspects of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has attracted interest as a means of enabling non-invasive, real-time monitoring of cancer patients and enhancing our fundamental understanding of tumor metastasis. However, CTC populations are extremely small when compared to other cell populations in the blood, limiting our comprehension of CTC biology and their clinical utility. Recently developed proteomic and genomic techniques that require only a small amount of sample have attracted much interest and expanded the potential utility of CTCs. Cancer heterogeneity, including specific mutations, greatly impacts disease diagnosis and the choice of available therapeutic strategies. The CTC population consists primarily of cancer stem cells, and CTC subpopulations are thought to undergo epithelial-mesenchymal transition during dissemination. To better characterize tumor cell populations, we demonstrated that changes in genomic profiles identified via next-generation sequencing of liquid biopsy samples could be expanded upon to increase sensitivity without decreasing specificity by using a combination of assays with CTCs and circulating tumor DNA. To enhance our understanding of CTC biology, we developed a metabolome analysis method applicable to single CTCs. Here, we review-omics studies related to CTC analysis and discuss various clinical and biological issues related to CTCs.
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The Validity and Predictive Value of Blood-Based Biomarkers in Prediction of Response in the Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051120. [PMID: 32365836 PMCID: PMC7280996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With the introduction of targeted therapies and immunotherapy, molecular diagnostics gained a more profound role in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to systematically search for studies reporting on the use of liquid biopsies (LB), the correlation between LBs and tissue biopsies, and finally the predictive value in the management of NSCLC. A systematic literature search was performed, including results published after 1 January 2014. Articles studying the predictive value or validity of a LB were included. The search (up to 1 September 2019) retrieved 1704 articles, 1323 articles were excluded after title and abstract screening. Remaining articles were assessed for eligibility by full-text review. After full-text review, 64 articles investigating the predictive value and 78 articles describing the validity were included. The majority of studies investigated the predictive value of LBs in relation to therapies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) receptor (n = 38). Of studies describing the validity of a biomarker, 55 articles report on one or more EGFR mutations. Although a variety of blood-based biomarkers are currently under investigation, most studies evaluated the validity of LBs to determine EGFR mutation status and the subsequent targeting of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors based on the mutation status found in LBs of NSCLC patients.
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Rossi G, Russo A, Tagliamento M, Tuzi A, Nigro O, Vallome G, Sini C, Grassi M, Dal Bello MG, Coco S, Longo L, Zullo L, Tanda ET, Dellepiane C, Pronzato P, Genova C. Precision Medicine for NSCLC in the Era of Immunotherapy: New Biomarkers to Select the Most Suitable Treatment or the Most Suitable Patient. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1125. [PMID: 32365882 PMCID: PMC7281184 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the evolution of treatments has made it possible to significantly improve the outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In particular, while molecular targeted therapies are effective in specific patient sub-groups, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have greatly influenced the outcomes of a large proportion of NSCLC patients. While nivolumab activity was initially assessed irrespective of predictive biomarkers, subsequent pivotal studies involving other PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in pre-treated advanced NSCLC (atezolizumab within the OAK study and pembrolizumab in the Keynote 010 study) reported the first correlations between clinical outcomes and PD-L1 expression. However, PD-L1 could not be sufficient on its own to select patients who may benefit from immunotherapy. Many studies have tried to discover more precise markers that are derived from tumor tissue or from peripheral blood. This review aims to analyze any characteristics of the immunogram that could be used as a predictive biomarker for response to ICIs. Furthermore, we describe the most important genetic alteration that might predict the activity of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Rossi
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | | | - Marco Tagliamento
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Alessandro Tuzi
- UO Oncologia, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.T.); (O.N.)
| | - Olga Nigro
- UO Oncologia, ASST Sette Laghi, 21100 Varese, Italy; (A.T.); (O.N.)
| | - Giacomo Vallome
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Claudio Sini
- Oncologia Medica e CPDO, ASSL di Olbia-ATS Sardegna, 07026 Olbia, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Grassi
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Maria Giovanna Dal Bello
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Simona Coco
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Luca Longo
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Lodovica Zullo
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Enrica Teresa Tanda
- Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy;
| | - Chiara Dellepiane
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Paolo Pronzato
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
| | - Carlo Genova
- Lung Cancer Unit, Medical Oncology 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.T.); (G.V.); (M.G.); (M.G.D.B.); (S.C.); (L.L.); (L.Z.); (C.D.); (P.P.); (C.G.)
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Circulating Tumor Cells and Metabolic Parameters in NSCLC Patients Treated with Checkpoint Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020487. [PMID: 32092983 PMCID: PMC7072667 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTC) count and characterization have been associated with poor prognosis in recent studies. Our aim was to examine CTC count and its association with metabolic parameters and clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). For this prospective study, data from 35 patients (23 males, 12 females) were collected and analyzed. All patients underwent an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) scan and CTC detection through Isolation by Size of Tumor/Trophoblastic Cells (ISET) from peripheral blood samples obtained at baseline and 8 weeks after ICI initiation. Association of CTC count with clinical and metabolic characteristics was studied. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and the log-rank test. Median follow-up was 13.2 months (range of 4.9–21.6). CTC were identified in 16 out of 35 patients (45.7%) at baseline and 10 out of 24 patients at 8 weeks (41.7%). Mean CTC numbers before and after 8 weeks were 15 ± 28 and 11 ± 19, respectively. Prior to ICI, the mean CTC number was significantly higher in treatment-naïve patients (34 ± 39 vs. 9 ± 21, p = 0.004). CTC count variation (ΔCTC) was significantly associated with tumor metabolic response set by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria (p = 0.033). At the first restaging, patients with a high tumor burden, that is, metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), had a higher CTC count (p = 0.009). The combination of mean CTC and median MTV at 8 weeks was associated with PFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis identified CTC count at 8 weeks as an independent predictor for PFS and OS, whereas ΔMTV and maximum standardized uptake value variation (ΔSUVmax) was predictive for PFS and OS, respectively. Our study confirmed that CTC number is modulated by previous treatments and correlates with metabolic response during ICI. Moreover, elevated CTC count, along with metabolic parameters, were found to be prognostic factors for PFS and OS.
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Liquid Biopsy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Highlights and Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010017. [PMID: 31861557 PMCID: PMC7017364 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer is one leading cause of death worldwide, and patients would greatly benefit from an early diagnosis. Since targeted and immunotherapies have emerged as novel approaches for more tailored treatments, repeated assessments of the tumor biology have become pivotal to drive clinical decisions. Currently, tumor tissue biopsy is the gold standard to investigate potentially actionable biomarkers, but this procedure is invasive and may prove inadequate to represent the whole malignancy. In this regard, liquid biopsy represents a minimally invasive and more comprehensive option for early detection and investigation of this tumor. Today, cell-free DNA is the only approved circulating marker to select patients for a targeted therapy. Conversely, the other tumor-derived markers (i.e., circulating tumor cells, miRNAs, exosomes, and tumor educated platelets) are still at a pre-clinical phase, although they show promising results for their application in screening programs or as prognostic/predictive biomarkers. The main challenges for their clinical translation are the lack of reliable cutoffs and, especially for miRNAs, the great variability among the studies. Moreover, no established tool has been approved for circulating tumor cells and exosome isolation. Finally, large prospective clinical trials are mandatory to provide evidence of their clinical utility.
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Rao L, Luo L, Luo L, Chen S, Ran R, Liu X. Identification of plasma exosomes long non-coding RNA HAGLR and circulating tumor cells as potential prognosis biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2019; 8:2264-2273. [PMID: 35116979 PMCID: PMC8797654 DOI: 10.21037/tcr.2019.09.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background The main purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HAGLR in plasma exosomes and the detection rate of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods LncRNA HAGLR expression was detected in plasma exosomes of 40 patients with NSCLC and 8 healthy subjects using qRT-PCR. CTCs were enriched and separated using CTC-BIOPSY® abnormal cell separator. The correlations between lncRNA HAGLR expression in plasma exosomes and CTCs of patients with NSCLC and clinical pathological parameters were also analyzed. Bioinformatics analyses indicated HAGLR was evidently down-regulated in NSCLC tissues when compared to normal controls. The relationship between differential expression of HAGLR with different stages of NSCLC and clinical prognosis were elucidated using corresponding statistical methods. Results HAGLR was significantly decreased in NSCLC, and there was obvious correlation with overall survival (P<0.05). CTCs were detected in peripheral blood of patients with NSCLC with the positive rate of 70.0%. In lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), compared with the high expression group of HAGLR, the low expression group had a better overall survival (P<0.05). At the same time, the high expression of HAGLR was positively correlated with the high detection rate of CTCs (P<0.05), suggesting that the disease may have a later tumor stage, and poor prognosis. Conclusions lncRNA HAGLR and CTCs could be used as potential biomarkers for NSCLC metastasis risk prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Rao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Lihua Luo
- Department of Oncology II, The Central Hospital of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi Clinical College of Wuhan University, Enshi 445000, China
| | - Liufang Luo
- Department of Pediatrics, The Central Hospital of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi Clinical College of Wuhan University, Enshi 445000, China
| | - Shan Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Ruizhi Ran
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Xianling Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
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