Prognostic and predictive biomarkers with therapeutic targets in nonsmall-cell lung cancer: A 2023 update on current

Clement Chung1, Godsfavour Umoru2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Houston Methodist West Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.

Insights

Recent advancements in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) research have identified new genomic alterations and therapeutic targets. This includes approved targeted therapies and emerging data on immunotherapy and circulating tumor DNA for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Genomics
  • Translational Medicine

Background:

  • Significant progress has been made in characterizing genomic alterations driving non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) since 2014.
  • Understanding how the immune system interacts with non-oncogenic pathways is crucial for modulating therapeutic outcomes in NSCLC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate and validate recent and emerging data for prognostic and predictive biomarkers in NSCLC.
  • To identify therapeutic targets based on genomic alterations and immune system modulation in NSCLC.

Main Methods:

  • Literature search from January 2015 to October 2023 using keywords related to NSCLC, biomarkers, and therapies.
  • Inclusion of clinical trials, meta-analyses, seminal articles, and clinical practice guidelines.
  • Evaluation of data on gene mutations, genomic assays, immunotherapy, and circulating tumor DNA.

Main Results:

  • Regulatory-approved targeted therapies are available for somatic gene alterations including EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF V600, RET, MET, NTRK, HER2, and KRAS G12C.
  • Immunotherapy and circulating tumor DNA in next-generation sequencing show emerging data.
  • The predictive role of PIK3CA gene mutation is currently insufficient.

Conclusions:

  • Advances in sequencing technologies have identified novel oncogenic drivers, resistance mechanisms, and co-occurring mutations in NSCLC, creating new therapeutic opportunities.
  • Perioperative immunotherapy shows initial promise, with long-term results pending.