LAPS score for individualized treatment of advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer receiving EGFR-TKIs with or without bevacizumab

BACKGROUND: To establish a risk stratification score to facilitate individualized treatment for patients with advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We enrolled 160 advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC who received first-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) with or without bevacizumab. Kaplan–Meier curves were used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: There were 107 patients in EGFR-TKI monotherapy (T group) and 53 patients in EGFR-TKI with bevacizumab (A + T group). The median PFS in the A + T group was significantly longer than that in the T group (p = 0.002). No difference in the median OS between the A + T and T groups (p = 0.721). The multivariate analyses showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) and the pre-treatment lactate dehydrogenase-albumin ratio (LAR) were independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. The LAR-ECOG PS (LAPS) score was constructed by combining the pre-treatment LAR and ECOG PS. We defined ECOG PS 2 and high pre-treatment LAR as a score of 1. Then, patients with a total LAPS score of 0 were categorized as low-risk and those with 1–2 scores were classified as high-risk. For patients in low-risk group, there was no significant difference in PFS, OS, objective response rate (ORR), and disease control rate (DCR) among those who received EGFR-TKI with or without bevacizumab. However, patients in high-risk group had a significant benefit in PFS and DCR when treated with EGFR-TKI plus bevacizumab compared to those who received EGFR-TKI alone. CONCLUSIONS: Novel LAPS score may help to facilitate individualized treatment of advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC receiving EGFR-TKI with or without bevacizumab.