Case report: Heterogenous SMARCA4-deficient thoracic non-small cell lung carcinoma with various responses to...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• SMARCA4-deficient non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is aggressive with limited treatment options.
• Research on definitive treatments for this rare cancer subtype is scarce.

Observation:

• A 69-year-old male presented with neck lymphadenopathies, diagnosed with SMARCA4-deficient NSCLC via immunohistochemistry and genomic profiling.
• The patient initially responded well to nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor.
• During treatment, new lesions with varied pathological presentations emerged, showing differential responses to nivolumab.

Findings:

• Nivolumab demonstrated efficacy in treating SMARCA4-deficient NSCLC.
• The patient achieved a survival of over three years from initial diagnosis.
• Heterogeneous pathological presentations and treatment responses were observed during nivolumab therapy.

Implications:

• This case highlights nivolumab as a potential therapeutic option for SMARCA4-deficient NSCLC.
• Further investigation into managing treatment variations and optimizing immunotherapy for this NSCLC subtype is warranted.
• Understanding the diverse pathological presentations is crucial for effective patient management.