Targeted Therapy Management in NSCLC Patients Using Cytology: Experience from a Tertiary Care Cancer Center

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Pathology

Background:

• Cytological material is increasingly utilized for molecular testing in various cancers, complementing traditional biopsy methods.
• This study focuses on the application of cytological samples for diagnosing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of using cytological material for screening epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in NSCLC patients.
• To share institutional experience in molecular testing of cytological specimens for NSCLC.

Main Methods:

• Screening of fine needle aspirates, pleural effusions, and cell blocks from 223 NSCLC patients with suspected malignancy.
• Utilized Scorpion(®) ARMS real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect EGFR mutations in exons 18-21.

Main Results:

• Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations were detected in 43.5% of the analyzed cytological samples.
• Exon 19 deletions were the most frequent EGFR mutation (27.2%), followed by exon 21 (15.5%).
• A significant correlation was observed between mutation status and sex, with a higher prevalence in women.

Conclusions:

• Cytological material is a viable and effective source for molecular testing in a subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
• This approach facilitates personalized treatment strategies by identifying actionable EGFR mutations.