BACKGROUND: Although patients with the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (EML4-ALK) re-arrangement and epidermal growth factor gene EGFR mutations have proven sensitive to specific inhibitors, there is currently no consensus regarding the sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with such mutations to cytotoxic chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The responses to first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy were retrospectively compared between advanced or postoperative recurrent patients with non-squamous NSCLC who harbor the EML4-ALK fusion gene (ALK+), EGFR mutation (EGFR+), or neither abnormality (wild-type). RESULTS: Data for 22 ALK+, 30 EGFR+, and 60 wild-type patients were analyzed. The ALK+ group had a significantly lower response rate than the other two groups. Progression-free survival was significantly shorter in the ALK+ cohort compared to the EGFR+ (p<0.001) and wild-type cohorts (p=0.0121). CONCLUSION: NSCLC patients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene might be relatively insensitivite to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Copyright
BACKGROUND: Although patients with the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene (EML4-ALK) re-arrangement and epidermal growth factor gene EGFR mutations have proven sensitive to specific inhibitors, there is currently no consensus regarding the sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with such mutations to cytotoxic chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The responses to first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy were retrospectively compared between advanced or postoperative recurrent patients with non-squamous NSCLC who harbor the EML4-ALK fusion gene (ALK+), EGFR mutation (EGFR+), or neither abnormality (wild-type). RESULTS: Data for 22 ALK+, 30 EGFR+, and 60 wild-type patients were analyzed. The ALK+ group had a significantly lower response rate than the other two groups. Progression-free survival was significantly shorter in the ALK+ cohort compared to the EGFR+ (p<0.001) and wild-type cohorts (p=0.0121). CONCLUSION:NSCLCpatients with the EML4-ALK fusion gene might be relatively insensitivite to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Copyright
Authors: Sreejit Parameswaran; Frederick S Vizeacoumar; Kalpana Kalyanasundaram Bhanumathy; Fujun Qin; Md Fahmid Islam; Behzad M Toosi; Chelsea E Cunningham; Darrell D Mousseau; Maruti C Uppalapati; Peter C Stirling; Yuliang Wu; Keith Bonham; Andrew Freywald; Hui Li; Franco J Vizeacoumar Journal: Mol Oncol Date: 2018-12-31 Impact factor: 6.603