Routine nationwide molecular profiling of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer is feasible and provides clinical benefit, according to a French study published in The Lancet.1

The study was conducted to assess the characteristics, molecular profiles, and clinical outcomes of patients screened during a 1-year period. A total of 18 679 molecular analyses of 17 664 patients with NSCLC were performed. The patients were routinely screened for EGFR mutations, ALK rearrangements, HER2, KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations.

Median time from initiation of analysis to obtainment of the written report was 11 days (IQR 7 – 16). About 50% of patients had genetic mutations.

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Results showed that genetic mutations affected first-line treatment for 51% of 8147 patients and was linked with a improvement in the number of patients who achieved an overall response in first-line treatment (37% for those with a mutation vs 33% for those without; P = .03), as well as in second-line treatment (17% vs 9%, respectively; P < .0001).

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Genetic alterations were also linked with improved first-line progression-free survival (10.0 months vs 7.1 months; P = .0001) and overall survival (16.5 months vs 11.8 months; P = .0001).

Reference

  1. Barlesi F, Maziedres J, Merlio J-P, et al. Routine molecular profiling of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: results of a 1-year nationwide programme of the French Cooperative Thoracic Intergroup (IFCT) [published online ahead of print January 14, 2016]. Lancet. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00004-0.

Topics:

Lung Cancer Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer