Prognostic value of tumor mutations in radically treated locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

INTRODUCTION: Chemo-radiation is standard treatment in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). The prognostic value of mutations has been poorly explored in this population. RESULTS: Clinical data were collected from 190 patients and mutational profiles were obtained in 78 of them; 58 (74%) were males, 31 (40%) current smokers, 47/31 stage IIIA/IIIB and 40 (51%) adenocarcinoma. The following mutations were identified: EGFR 12% (9/78), KRAS 15% (12/78), BRAF 5% (3/65), PI3KCA 2% (1/57), NRAS 3% (1/32), and ALK+ (FISH) 4% (2/51). HER2 was not detected. Median follow-up was 3.1 years. Overall survival was evaluated by group; no significant differences were identified in median overall survival (p = 0.21), with 29.4 months for the EGFR/ALK group (n = 11), 12.8 months for other mutations (n = 17), and 23.4 months for wild-type (n = 50). The EGFR/ALK and other mutations groups had poorer median progression-free survival (9.6 and 6.0 months) compared to the wild-type group (12.0 months; multivariate hazard ratio 2.0 [95% CI, 0.9–4.2] and 2.8 [95% CI, 1.5–5.2] respectively, p = 0.003). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients receiving radical treatment for locally advanced NSCLC in a single institution between January 2002 and June 2013. Next generation sequencing was performed on DNA from paraffin-embedded tissue. ALK rearrangements were detected by immunohistochemistry and/or FISH. Mutational prognostic value for Kaplan-Meier survival parameters was determined by log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models. CONCLUSIONS: Selected gene alterations may be associated with poorer progression-free survival in locally advanced radically treated NSCLC and their prognostic and/or predictive value merits further evaluation in a larger population.