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Published on: September 20, 2016
Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung: molecular subtypes and therapeutic opportunities
Pablo Perez-Moreno1, Elisabeth Brambilla, Roman Thomas
1Département de Médecine, Unité INSERM U 981, Université Paris Sud, Villejuif, France.
Abstract:
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Next to adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung is the most frequent histologic subtype in non-small cell lung cancer. Encouraging new treatments (i.e., bevacizumab, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and ALK inhibitors) have afforded benefits to patients with adenocarcinoma, but unfortunately the same is not true for SCC. However, many genomic abnormalities are present in SCC, and there is growing evidence of their biologic significance. Thus, in the short term, the molecular characterization of patients with SCC in modern profiling platforms will probably be as important as deciphering the molecular genetics of adenocarcinoma. Patients with SCC of the lung harboring specific molecular defects that are actionable (e.g., fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 amplification, discoidin domain receptor 2 mutation, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase amplification) should be enrolled in prospective clinical trials targeting such molecular defects.
Insights
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung lacks targeted treatments unlike adenocarcinoma. Molecular profiling of SCC is crucial for identifying actionable genomic defects and guiding patients toward effective clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genomics
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common non-small cell lung cancer subtype.
- Current targeted therapies benefit lung adenocarcinoma but not SCC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of molecular characterization in lung SCC.
- To identify actionable genomic alterations in SCC for potential targeted therapies.
- To emphasize the need for clinical trials targeting SCC's molecular defects.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on lung SCC genomics.
- Analysis of genomic profiling platforms for SCC.
- Identification of specific actionable molecular defects in SCC.
Main Results:
- Numerous genomic abnormalities exist in SCC with significant biological implications.
- Actionable defects like FGFR1 amplification, DDR2 mutations, and PIK3CA amplification are found in SCC.
- Lack of targeted treatment options for SCC patients.
Conclusions:
- Molecular characterization of lung SCC is essential for therapeutic advancements.
- Enrolling patients with actionable SCC molecular defects in clinical trials is recommended.
- Targeting specific genomic alterations may improve outcomes for SCC patients.
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