Cancer Research and Treatment

The Profile of Gut Microbiota in Carcinogenesis Driven by Mutant EGFR in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Da-Som Kim, Eun Hye Kim, Ji Yong Kim, Dong Ha Kim, Yun Jung Choi, Jaeyi Jeong, Young Hoon Sung, Dong-Cheol Woo, Chong Jai Kim, Jae Cheol Lee, Miyong Yun, Jin-Yong Jeong, Jin Kyung Rho; Received December 9, 2024 Accepted March 2, 2025 Published online March 4, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.1177 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
Accumulating evidence has clarified that gut dysbiosis is involved in lung cancer development and progression. Although the relationship between tumors and gut microbiota has been extensively studied using clinical samples, no studies have examined the association between mutant EGFR-induced lung carcinogenesis and dysbiosis in gut microbiota. Therefore, we investigated the gut microbiota profiles in stool samples from human lung-specific conditional EGFR-mutant transgenic mice during lung tumor carcinogenesis.
Materials and Methods
Stool samples were collected before tamoxifen treatment (V1) and at each time point following mutant EGFR expression in lung tissue (V2) and lung tumor appearance (V3). Fecal 16S rRNA taxonomy was analyzed to assess microbial diversity, composition, and dynamic changes at each time point.
Results
We found that microbiota richness and diversity were significantly elevated when tumors developed and grew in the lung. Phylogenetic analysis of the microbial community revealed that Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Rhodospirillaceae, Odoribacteraceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae showed a significant increase at the V3 stage compared to the V1 stage at the family level. In contrast, Lactobacillaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Muribaculaceae, Coriobacteriaceae, and Rikenellaceae significantly decreased at the V3 stage compared to the V1 stage. Furthermore, Lactobacillus species, also known as SCFA-producing bacteria, were relatively abundant at the V1 stage but were depleted with the occurrence of lung tumors at the V3 stage.
Conclusion
Changes in gut microbiota, such as Lactobacillus species, may be a predictive factor for the emergence and progression of tumors in an animal model of lung adenocarcinoma induced by mutant EGFR.

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Novel Bronchoscopy Method for Molecular Profiling of Lung Cancer: Targeted Washing Technique: Mi-Hyun Kim, Hayoung Seong, Hyojin Jang, Saerom Kim, Wanho Yoo, Soo Han Kim, Jeongha Mok, Kwangha Lee, Ki Uk Kim, Min Ki Lee, Jung Seop Eom; Received November 25, 2024 Accepted February 25, 2025 Published online February 26, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.1128 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
There have been efforts to find alternative samples other than standard samples of tissue or plasma for mutational analyses for lung cancer patients. However, no other sample or technique has replaced the mutational analyses using standard samples. In this prospective study, we assessed a novel bronchoscopy method, named as targeted washing technique, for detecting the EGFR mutation.
Materials and Methods
A 3.0-mm ultrathin bronchoscope was precisely navigated to the target lung lesion with the assistance of virtual bronchoscopic navigation and fluoroscopy. Once the bronchoscope is placed in front of target lung lesion, 0.9% normal saline was instilled for targeted washing. EGFR testing using targeted washing fluid (TWF) was compared to standard methods using plasma or tumor tissue.
Results
In 41 TWF samples, the T790M mutation was detected in tissue, plasma, and TWF samples at rates of 22%, 10%, and 29%, respectively. The overall EGFR T790M detection rate using tissue, plasma, or TWF samples was 37%, with TWF samples increasing the T790M mutation detection rate by up to 10%. The accuracy of T790M mutation detection using TWF sample was 83% compared with standard samples. Four patients were found to have the EGFR T790M mutation solely through EGFR testing using TWF, which repeated rebiopsies using either plasma or tissue finally confirmed to have the T790M mutation.
Conclusion
We demonstrated the clinical potential of targeted washing technique for molecular testing, which can be a good option to overcome spatial heterogeneity, low sensitivity of plasma sample or technical limitations in collecting tumor tissues.

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Tracing Metastatic Evolutionary Patterns in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Prognostic Dissection Based on a Multi-state Model: Geewon Lee, Yang-Jin Kim, Insuk Sohn, Jong Hoon Kim, Ho Yun Lee; Received July 25, 2024 Accepted January 22, 2025 Published online January 24, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.700 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
After surgery for lung adenocarcinoma, a patient may experience various states of recurrence, with multiple factors potentially influencing the transitions between these states. Our purpose was to investigate the effects of clinical and pathological factors on tumor recurrence, death, and prognosis across various metastasizing pathways.
Materials and Methods
Our study group included 335 patients with all demographic and pathologic data available who underwent surgical resection for lung adenocarcinoma for more than 10 years. The following states of disease were defined: initial state, operation (OP); three intermediate states of local recurrence (LR), metastasis (Meta), and concurrent LR with metastasis (LR+Meta); and a terminal state, death. We identified 8 transitions representing various pathways of tumor progression. We employed a multi-state model (MSM) to separate the impacts of multiple prognostic factors on the transitions following surgery.
Results
After surgery, approximately half of patients experienced recurrence. Specifically, 142 (42.4%), 54 (16.1%), and 7 (2.1%) patients developed Meta, LR+Meta, and LR, respectively. Clinical and pathological factors associated with the transitions were different. Impact of pathological lymph node remained a risk factor for both OP to Meta (λ₀₂, p-value=0.001) and OP to LR+Meta (λ₀₃, p-value = 0.001).
Conclusion
Lung adenocarcinoma displays a broad spectrum of clinical scenarios even after curative surgery. Incidence, risk factors, and prognosis varied across different pathways of recurrence in lung adenocarcinoma patients. The greatest implication of this MSM is its ability to predict the timing and type of clinical intervention that will have the greatest impact on survival.

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Lipid Metabolism Related Gene ACSL3 as a Biomarker for Predicting Immunotherapy Outcomes in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Taiping He, Jinhan Hu, Haoyue Guo, Meng Diao, Yuanyuan Wang, Yuhan Wu, Lei Cheng, Chao Zhao, Xuefei Li, Caicun Zhou; Received November 22, 2024 Accepted January 16, 2025 Published online January 20, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.1119 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
Investigate the role of lipid metabolism in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and identify vital lipid metabolism-related genes (LMRGs) that contribute to immunotherapy outcomes.
Materials and Methods
1130 LUAD patients were acquired utilizing public databases. Multiple algorithms were used to analyze the contribution of lipid metabolism in TIME. Importantly, cell lines, clinical samples (52 patients in surgery cohort and 36 in immunotherapy cohort), animal models, RNA-seq, experiments in protein and mRNA levels were conducted for identifying and validating key biomarker in LUAD immunotherapy.
Results
A prognostic signature comprising 33 LMRGs was developed and validated as an effective predictor of prognosis and TIME, with a C-index of 0.766 (95% CI: 0.729-0.804). Additionally, we identified Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long Chain Family Member 3 (ACSL3) as a potential biomarker for immunotherapy prognosis. The expression of ACSL3 was verified in 88 clinical tissues from LUAD patients, which indicated that elevated ACSL3 expression was correlated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) (p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p=0.008). Subsequent experiments revealed that knockdown of ACSL3 in vivo enhanced the efficacy of immunotherapy, potentially through increasing interferon α secretion, as indicated by Bulk RNA-seq and ELISA analysis, thereby promoting the infiltration of anti-tumor immune cells.
Conclusion
The study established a model that accurately predicts immunotherapy response, prognosis, and TIME dynamics in LUAD patients. Notably, the pivotal role of ACSL3 in driving tumor progression and immune evasion was uncovered, offering novel insights into the optimization of immunotherapy strategies for LUAD.

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Factors Associated with Smoking Cessation of Participants in the National Lung Cancer Screening Program in Korea: Na-Young Yoon, Minji Seo, Nayoung Lee, Yeol Kim; Received July 16, 2024 Accepted January 10, 2025 Published online January 10, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.653 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
Smoking cessation interventions for participants in lung cancer screening are essential for increasing the effectiveness of screening to reduce lung cancer mortality. This study aimed to investigate the factors that lead to smoking cessation after lung cancer screening.
Materials and Methods
The Korean National Lung Cancer Screening (KNLCS) Satisfaction Survey was conducted from 2021 to 2022 with 1,000 samples per year among participants in KNLCS targets 30 or more pack-year smokers. Factors associated with smoking cessation were analyzed based on the survey.
Results
Among 1,525 current smokers in the survey participants, 728 (47.7%) received screening result counseling from physician after screening and showed significantly higher smoking cessation rate than non-counselling participants [OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.27–3.70]. The participants who considered the counseling helpful were more likely to quit smoking [OR 3.53, 95% CI 2.00–6.22] and to reduce smoking amount [OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.54–2.71]. Similarly, those who received physicians’ active recommendations to quit smoking were likely to quit smoking [OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.25–3.87] and to decrease smoking amount [OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.00-1.68]. In contrast, participants who had no abnormal findings from screening tended to have no significant change in smoking status despite the physicians’ active recommendations to quit smoking.
Conclusion
Physicians’ active recommendations and effective counseling to quit smoking could be a key factor in increasing smoking cessation among lung cancer screening participants. Further research should be conducted to develop more effective strategies for smoking cessation to participants without abnormal findings in lung cancer screening.

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The Synergistic Effect of PARP Inhibitors and Irinotecan in Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells: Songji Oh, Soyeon Kim, Bhumsuk Keam, Jeonghwan Youk, Tae Min Kim, Dong-Wan Kim, Miso Kim; Received August 1, 2024 Accepted January 6, 2025 Published online January 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.728 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
This study focused on combining irinotecan with Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors to explore the potential for novel combination therapeutics in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Materials and Methods
We selected 10 different SCLC cell lines with diverse mutational backgrounds in DNA damage response (DDR) pathway genes to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of three PARP inhibitors and irinotecan. After the cells were exposed to the drugs for seven days, cell viability was measured, and a combination index was calculated. Apoptotic signaling was assessed via western blot, and DNA damage was evaluated using an alkaline comet assay.
Results
We assessed the synergistic effects of PARP inhibitors and irinotecan in in vitro SCLC models, which revealed increased sensitivity, particularly in cells harboring BRCA mutations. However, even in cells lacking mutations in DNA damage response pathway genes, the combination of the two drugs exhibited a synergistic effect. When treated with 50 nM irinotecan, the IC₅₀ fold changes for PARP inhibitors were: olaparib, 1649 ± 4049; talazoparib, 25 ± 34.21; venadaparib, 336 ± 596.01. This combination enhanced apoptosis signaling and increased p-chk1 and p-p53 protein levels. Additionally, the treatment of PARP inhibitor with irinotecan increased DNA damage, as visualized by the alkaline comet assay.
Conclusion
This study provides preclinical evidence of the potential clinical benefits of combining irinotecan with PARP inhibitors in SCLC. Further clinical investigations are warranted to validate these findings for the development of more effective and personalized therapeutic strategies for SCLC patients.

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Long-Term Survival Outcomes of Surgical Resection for Lung Adenocarcinoma with Intraoperatively Diagnosed Pleural Metastasis: Target Treatment Era: Yelee Kwon, Jae Kwang Yun, Geun Dong Lee, Se Hoon Choi, Yong-Hee Kim, Hyeong Ryul Kim; Received October 15, 2024 Accepted December 27, 2024 Published online December 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.993 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of main tumor resection on long-term survival compared with pleural biopsy alone in patients with lung adenocarcinoma who were intraoperatively diagnosed with pleural metastasis.
Materials and Methods
A total of 176 patients with adenocarcinoma who had unexpected pleural metastasis detected during surgery from 2002 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Each surgeon decided whether to perform main tumor resection or pleural biopsy alone.
Results
The patients were grouped based on the surgical approaches: main tumor resection (Resection group; n=83) and pleural biopsy only (O&C group; n=93). The Resection group had better overall survival (OS, 10-year survival: 27.9% vs. 9.4%; median survival: 68.3 vs. 36.6 months; p<0.01) and locoregional progression-free survival (10-year survival: 12.5% vs. 7.1%; median survival: 19.6 vs. 10.6 months; p<0.01) than the O&C group. Similar results were found for OS in patients who received tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as first-line therapy (10-year survival: 49.2% vs. 15.0%; median survival: 72.2 vs. 45.4 months; p=0.03), patients who did not undergo TKIs treatment (10-year survival: 29.4% vs. 9.2%; median survival: 82.4 vs. 23.8 months; p<0.01), and patients with positive target gene mutation (10-year survival: 31.7% vs. 10.1%; median survival: 72.2 vs. 33.7 months; p<0.01). In multivariate analysis, pleural biopsy only (hazard ratio, 1.73; p=0.04) was a significant predictor of OS.
Conclusion
Main tumor resection can improve survival in patients with lung adenocarcinoma who had unexpected pleural metastasis during operation.

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Normal Brain-Sparing Radiotherapy versus Whole Brain Radiotherapy for Multiple Brain Metastasis from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Sangjoon Park, Jaeho Cho, Kyung Hwan Kim, Hong In Yoon, Chang Geol Lee; Received July 23, 2024 Accepted December 2, 2024 Published online December 3, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.679 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Purpose
The efficacy and lower neurotoxicity of normal brain-sparing radiotherapy (NBS-RT) with systemic therapy in treating multiple brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is underexplored. This study compares whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) and NBS-RT for multiple brain metastases in NSCLC, focusing on treatment outcomes and leukoencephalopathy.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included 503 patients with NSCLC with multiple brain metastases at a single center, treated with either WBRT or NBS-RT. Post-RT treatments included chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. Main outcomes measured were intracranial control, overall survival (OS), and leukoencephalopathy incidence.
Results
In this study, 441 patients received WBRT and 62 received NBS-RT, with median ages of 62 and 61 years, respectively. A significant portion of both groups, 77.3% in WBRT and 80.6% in NBS-RT, received post-RT systemic therapy. The median number of brain metastases was 10 for WBRT and 12 for NBS-RT, with median maximal diameters of 11.7 mm in WBRT and 14.4 mm in NBS-RT. After a median follow-up of 10.9 months for WBRT and 11.8 months for NBS-RT, there were no significant differences in intracranial progression (p=0.516) or OS (p=0.492) between the groups. However, WBRT patients had a higher incidence of leukoencephalopathy than NBS-RT patients (p=0.013).
Conclusion
NBS-RT combined with systemic therapy was as effective in treating multiple brain metastases as WBRT and was less toxic. NBS-RT-based strategies deserve further investigation in a prospective setting.

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The Era of Antibody Drug Conjugates in Lung Cancer: Trick or Threat?: Mariona Riudavets, David Planchard; Received July 26, 2024 Accepted November 27, 2024 Published online November 28, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.714 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub: Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are a novel class of therapeutics that structurally are composed by an antibody directed to a tumor epitope connected via a linker to a cytotoxic payload, and that have shown significant antitumor activity across a range of malignancies including lung cancer. In this article we review the pharmacology and design of ADCs, as well as we describe the results of different studies evaluating ADCs in lung cancer directed to several targets including HER2, HER3, TROP2, MET, CEACAM5 and DLL3.

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Unraveling the Impact of Sarcopenia-Induced Lymphopenia on Treatment Response and Prognosis in Patients with Stage III Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Insights for Optimizing Chemoradiation and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor: Joongyo Lee, Kyung Hwan Kim, Jina Kim, Chang Geol Lee, Jaeho Cho, Hong In Yoon, Yeona Cho; Received May 23, 2024 Accepted October 29, 2024 Published online October 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.493 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Sarcopenia is a poor prognostic factor in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its prognostic significance in patients with NSCLC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and its relationship with lymphopenia remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of sarcopenia and its effect on lymphocyte recovery in patients with stage III NSCLC treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) followed by ICI.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively evaluated 151 patients with stage III NSCLC who received definitive CCRT followed by maintenance ICI between January 2016 and June 2022. Sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring the skeletal muscle area at the L3 vertebra level using computed tomography scans. Lymphocyte level changes were assessed based on measurements taken before and during CCRT and at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months post-CCRT completion.
Results
Even after adjusting for baseline absolute lymphocyte count through propensity score-matching, patients with pre-radiotherapy (RT) sarcopenia (n=86) exhibited poor lymphocyte recovery and a significantly high incidence of grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia during CCRT. Pre-RT sarcopenia and grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia during CCRT emerged as prognostic factors for overall survival and progression-free survival, respectively. Concurrent chemotherapy dose adjustments, objective response after CCRT, and discontinuation of maintenance ICI were also analyzed as independent prognostic factors.
Conclusion
Our results demonstrated an association between pre-RT sarcopenia and poor survival, concurrent chemotherapy dose adjustments, and impaired lymphocyte recovery after definitive CCRT. Moreover, CCRT-induced lymphopenia not only contributed to poor prognosis but may have also impaired the therapeutic efficacy of subsequent maintenance ICI, ultimately worsening treatment outcomes.

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Impact of TTF-1 Expression on the Prognostic Prediction of Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer with PD-L1 Expression Levels of 1% to 49%, Treated with Chemotherapy vs. Chemoimmunotherapy: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study: Naoya Nishioka, Tae Hata, Tadaaki Yamada, Yasuhiro Goto, Akihiko Amano, Yoshiki Negi, Satoshi Watanabe, Naoki Furuya, Tomohiro Oba, Tatsuki Ikoma, Akira Nakao, Keiko Tanimura, Hirokazu Taniguchi, Akihiro Yoshimura, Tomoya Fukui, Daiki Murata, Kyoichi Kaira, Shinsuke Shiotsu, Makoto Hibino, Asuka Okada, Yusuke Chihara, Hayato Kawachi, Takashi Kijima, Koichi Takayama; Received August 7, 2024 Accepted October 24, 2024 Published online October 25, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.748 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) expression is a useful predictor of treatment efficacy in advanced non-squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate whether TTF-1 could predict the effectiveness of chemotherapy versus chemoimmunotherapy in patients with non-squamous NSCLC with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression between 1% and 49%.
Materials and Methods
We conducted a retrospective study of patients with NSCLC who were treated with chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy between March 2016 and May 2023. The patients had histologically confirmed NSCLC, stage III-IV or postoperative recurrence, TTF-1 measurements, and PD-L1 expression levels between 1% and 49%. Clinical data were analyzed to evaluate the effect of TTF-1 expression on treatment efficacy.
Results
This study included 283 of 624 patients. TTF-1–positive patients showed longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (PFS: 6.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.0 to 9.4] vs. 4.1 months [95% CI, 2.7 to 6.1], p=0.03; OS: 17.9 months [95% CI, 15.2 to 28.1] vs. 9.4 months [95% CI, 6.3 to 17.0], p < 0.01) in the chemotherapy cohorts (n=93). In the chemoimmunotherapy cohort (n=190), there was no significant difference in PFS and OS between TTF-1–positive and –negative groups (PFS: 7.6 months [95% CI, 6.4 to 11.0] vs. 6.0 months [95% CI, 3.6 to 12.6], p=0.59; OS: 25.0 months [95% CI, 18.0 to 49.2] vs. 21.3 months [95% CI, 9.8 to 28.8], p=0.09).
Conclusion
In patients with NSCLC with PD-L1 expression between 1% and 49%, TTF-1 expression was a predictor of chemotherapeutic, but not chemoimmunotherapeutic, efficacy.

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Histological Assessment and Interobserver Agreement in Major Pathologic Response for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer with Neoadjuvant Therapy: Sungjin Kim, Jeonghyo Lee, Jin-Haeng Chung; Received July 19, 2024 Accepted September 8, 2024 Published online September 9, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.670 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Major pathologic response (MPR), defined as ≤ 10% of residual viable tumor (VT), is a prognostic factor in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after neoadjuvant therapy. This study evaluated interobserver reproducibility in assessing MPR, compared area-weighted and unweighted VT (%) calculation, and determined optimal VT (%) cutoffs across histologic subtypes for survival prediction.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included 108 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2009-2018. Three observers with varying expertise independently assessed tumor bed and VT (%) based on digital whole-slide images.
Results
Reproducibility in tumor bed delineation was reduced in squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) with smaller tumor bed, although overall concordance was high (Dice coefficient, 0.96; intersection-over-union score, 0.92). Excellent agreement was achieved for VT (%) (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.959) and MPR using 10% cutoff (Fleiss’ kappa=0.911). Shifting between area-weighted and unweighted VT (%) showed only one case differing in MPR status out of 81 cases. The optimal cutoff was 10% for both adenocarcinoma (ADC) and SqCC. MPR+ was observed in 18 patients (17%), with SqCC showing higher MPR+ rates (p=0.044), lower VT (%) (p < 0.001), and better event-free survival (p=0.015) than ADC. MPR+ significantly improved overall survival (p=0.023), event-free survival (p=0.001), and lung cancer-specific survival (p=0.012).
Conclusion
While MPR assessment demonstrated robust reproducibility with minimal impact from the tumor bed, attention is warranted when evaluating smaller tumor beds in SqCC. A 10% cutoff reliably predicted survival across histologic subtypes with higher interobserver reproducibility.

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Association of Shorter Time to Recurrence and Recurrence-Free Survival with Transthoracic Lung Biopsy in Stage I Lung Cancer: Kum Ju Chae, Hyunsook Hong, Hyungin Park, Soon Ho Yoon; Received June 15, 2024 Accepted August 30, 2024 Published online September 2, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.560 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
We aim to determine whether preoperative percutaneous needle aspiration or biopsy (PCNA/Bx) increases recurrence risk and reduces survival in stage I lung cancer patients, using a nationwide lung cancer registry.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively included 3,452 patients diagnosed with stage I lung cancer who underwent curative surgery between 2014 and 2019, as recorded in the Korean Association of Lung Cancer Registry. To balance the characteristics of patients with and without PCNA/Bx, we applied inverse probability of treatment weighting. We used cumulative incidence plots and a weighted subdistribution hazard model to analyze time to recurrence. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and weighted Cox proportional hazard ratio models.
Results
In patients with adenocarcinoma, the use of PCNA/Bx was associated with a 1.9-fold increase (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5 to 2.4) in the risk of recurrence and a 1.7-fold decrease (95% CI, 1.3 to 2.2) in recurrence-free survival. Subgroup analysis based on pathologic pleural invasion revealed that the risk of recurrence increased when PCNA/Bx was performed, with 2.1-fold (95% CI, 1.5 to 2.8) in patients without pleural invasion and 1.6-fold (95% CI, 1.0 to 2.4) in those with pleural invasion. No association was found between the use of PCNA/Bx and overall survival.
Conclusion
Preoperative PCNA/Bx was associated with increased recurrence risks in stage I adenocarcinoma, regardless of pathologic pleural invasion status. In early lung cancer cases where adenocarcinoma is strongly suspected and curative surgery is feasible, the use of transthoracic biopsy should be approached with caution.

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Lung and Thoracic cancer

Association of TP53 Mutation Status and Sex with Clinical Outcome in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Cohort Study: Songji Choi, Se Hyun Kim, Sejoon Lee, Jeongmin Seo, Minsu Kang, Eun Hee Jung, Sang-A Kim, Koung Jin Suh, Ji Yun Lee, Ji-Won Kim, Jin Won Kim, Jeong-Ok Lee, Yu Jung Kim, Keun-Wook Lee, Jee Hyun Kim, Soo-Mee Bang, Jong Seok Lee; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):70-82. Published online August 7, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.046

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
Some studies suggest that TP53 mutations are associated with the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and also contribute to sex disparities in several cancers. Thus, we hypothesized that TP53 mutations might serve as sex-dependent genomic biomarkers of ICI treatment response in patients with NSCLC.
Materials and Methods
Clinical data of 100 patients with metastatic NSCLC treated with ICI monotherapy at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) were retrospectively reviewed. Genomic and clinical datasets of The Cancer Genome Atlas and an ICI-treated lung cancer cohort (cBioPortal) were also analyzed.
Results
In SNUBH cohort, no statistically significant difference was observed in the median progression-free survival (PFS) according to TP53 mutation status (p=0.930); however, female patients with TP53 mutations (MT) had a significantly prolonged median PFS compared to wild-type (WT) (6.1 months in TP53 MT vs. 2.6 months in TP53 WT; p=0.021). Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) high (≥ 50%) expression was significantly enriched in female patients with TP53 MT (p=0.005). The analysis from publicly available dataset also revealed that females with NSCLC with TP53 MT showed significantly longer PFS than those with TP53 WT (p < 0.001). In The Cancer Genome Atlas analysis, expression of immune-related genes, and tumor mutation burden score in TP53 MT females were higher than in males without TP53 MT.
Conclusion
Female patients with NSCLC with TP53 mutations had high PD-L1 expression and showed favorable clinical outcomes following ICI therapy, suggesting a need for further research to explore the role of TP53 mutations for sex disparities in response to ICI therapy.

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Association Between TP53 Mutations and Platinum Resistance in a Cohort of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients: Novel Implications for Personalized Therapeutics
Clelia Madeddu, Eleonora Lai, Manuela Neri, Elisabetta Sanna, Giulia Gramignano, Sonia Nemolato, Mario Scartozzi, Sabrina Giglio, Antonio Macciò
International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2025; 26(5): 2232. CrossRef

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Trends in Cancer-Screening Rates in Korea: Findings from the National Cancer Screening Survey, 2004-2023: EunKyo Kang, Kui Son Choi, Jae Kwan Jun, Yeol Kim, Hyeon Ji Lee, Chang Kyun Choi, Tae Hee Kim, Sun Hwa Lee, Mina Suh; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):28-38. Published online August 2, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.325

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
This study aimed to report the overall national trends in the rates of cancer screening based on recommendations and provide insights into the changing trends of these rates across different demographics.
Materials and Methods
This study used data from the Korean National Cancer Screening Survey (KNCSS), which surveys nationwide cancer-screening rates and includes 4,500 individuals meeting the Korean National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) protocol age criteria. Cancer-screening rates were assessed using structured questionnaires; yearly trends were analyzed for both lifetime cancer-screening rates and rates of screening based on recommendations, and subgroup analyses were performed based on age and sex.
Results
The rates of cancer screening based on recommendations showed significant increments: the stomach cancer-screening rate increased from 39.2% in 2004 to 77.5% in 2023 (3.50% per year), the liver cancer-screening rate increased from 20.0% to 48.8% (4.30% per year), and the colorectal cancer, increased from 19.9% to 70.7% (5.15% per year). The breast cancer-screening rate increased from 33.2% to 72.7% (2.88% per year), and the cervical cancer, increased from 58.3% to 70.2% (1.08% per year). Despite some differences, particularly in relation to sociodemographic factors, screening rates increased significantly for all cancer types.
Conclusion
Cancer-screening rates in Korea increased consistently from 2004 to 2023, demonstrating the effectiveness of the national cancer-screening program. However, the increments in breast, cervical and lung cancer-screening rates were relatively lower, indicating the need for additional efforts and strategies.

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Association Between Suicidal Ideation and Cancer Screening Uptake: Results from Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Korea
Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
Cancers.2025; 17(6): 956. CrossRef

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Lung and Thoracic cancer

Recurrence Dynamics of Pathological N2 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Based on IASLC Residual Tumor Descriptor: In Ha Kim, Geun Dong Lee, Sehoon Choi, Hyeong Ryul Kim, Yong-Hee Kim, Dong Kwan Kim, Seung-Il Park, Jae Kwang Yun; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):105-115. Published online July 23, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.150

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
This study investigated the recurrence patterns and timing in patients with pathologic N2 (pN2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to the residual tumor (R) descriptor proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
Materials and Methods
From 2004 to 2021, patients with pN2 NSCLC who underwent anatomical resection were analyzed according to the IASLC R criteria using medical records from a single center. Survival analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards models. Recurrence patterns between complete (R0) and uncertain resections (R[un]) were compared.
Results
In total, 1,373 patients were enrolled in this study: 576 (42.0%) in R0, 286 (20.8%) in R(un), and 511 (37.2%) in R1/R2 according to the IASLC R criteria. The most common reason for R(un) classification was positivity for the highest lymph node (88.8%). In multivariable analysis, the hazard ratios for recurrence in R(un) and R1/R2 compared to R0 were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96–1.46) and 1.58 (1.31–1.90), respectively. The hazard rate curves displayed similar patterns among groups, peaking at approximately 12 months after surgery. There was a significant difference in distant recurrence patterns between R0 and R(un). Further analysis after stratification with the IASLC N2 descriptor showed significant differences in distant recurrence patterns between R0 and R(un) in patients pN2a1 and pN2a2 disease, but not in those with pN2b disease.
Conclusion
The IASLC R criteria has prognostic relevance in patients with pN2 NSCLC. R(un) is a highly heterogeneous group, and the involvement of the highest mediastinal lymph node can affect distant recurrence patterns.

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Differences in the Prognostic Impact between Single-Zone and Multi-Zone N2 Node Metastasis in Patients with Station-Based Multiple N2 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Shia Kim, Geun Dong Lee, SeHoon Choi, Hyeong Ryul Kim, Yong-Hee Kim, Dong Kwan Kim, Seung-Il Park, Jae Kwang Yun; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):95-104. Published online July 22, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.120

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer suggests further subdivision of pathologic N (pN) category in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by incorporating the location and number of involved lymph node (LN) stations. We reclassified patients with the station-based N2b disease into single-zone and multi-zone N2b groups and compared survival outcomes between the groups.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study included patients with pN2 NSCLC who underwent lobectomy from 2006 to 2019. The N2 disease was subdivided into four categories: single-station N2 without N1 (N2a1), single-station N2 with N1 (N2a2), multiple-station N2 with single zone involvement (single-zone N2b), and multiple-station N2 with multiple zone involvement (multi-zone N2b). LN zones included in the subdivision of N2 disease were upper mediastinal, lower mediastinal, aortopulmonary, and subcarinal.
Results
Among 996 eligible patients, 211 (21.2%), 394 (39.6%), and 391 (39.3%) were confirmed to have pN2a1, pN2a2, and pN2b disease, respectively. In multivariable analysis after adjustment for sex, age, pT category, and adjuvant chemotherapy, overall survival was significantly better with single-zone N2b disease (n=125, 12.6%) than with multi-zone N2b disease (n=266, 26.7%) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 0.90; p=0.009) and was comparable to that of N2a2 disease (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.49; p=0.46).
Conclusion
Prognosis of single-zone LN metastasis was better than that of multiple-zone LN metastasis in patients with N2b NSCLC. Along with the station-based N descriptors, zone-based descriptors might ensure optimal staging, enabling the most appropriate decision-making on adjuvant therapy for patients with pN2 NSCLC.

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Factors Associated with Postoperative Recurrence in Stage I to IIIA Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation: Analysis of Korean National Population Data: Kyu Yean Kim, Ho Cheol Kim, Tae Jung Kim, Hong Kwan Kim, Mi Hyung Moon, Kyongmin Sarah Beck, Yang Gun Suh, Chang Hoon Song, Jin Seok Ahn, Jeong Eun Lee, Jae Hyun Jeon, Chi Young Jung, Jeong Su Cho, Yoo Duk Choi, Seung Sik Hwang, Chang Min Choi, Seung Hun Jang, Jeong Uk Lim, Korean Association for Lung Cancer, Korea Central Cancer Registry; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):83-94. Published online July 10, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.073

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Recent development in perioperative treatment of resectable non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have changed the landscape of early lung cancer management. The ADAURA trial has demonstrated the efficacy of adjuvant osimertinib treatment in resectable NSCLC patients; however, studies are required to show which subgroup of patients are at a high risk of relapse and require adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. This study evaluated risk factors for postoperative relapse among patients who underwent complete resection.
Materials and Methods
Data were obtained from the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Registry (KALC-R), a database created using a retrospective sampling survey by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) and the Lung Cancer Registration Committee.
Results
A total of 3,176 patients who underwent curative resection was evaluated. The mean observation time was approximately 35.4 months. Among stage I to IIIA NSCLC patients, the EGFR-mutant subgroup included 867 patients, and 75.2%, 11.2%, and 11.8% were classified as stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Within the EGFR-mutant subgroup, 44 (5.1%) and 121 (14.0%) patients showed early and late recurrence, respectively. Multivariate analysis on association with postoperative relapse among the EGFR-mutant subgroup showed that age, pathologic N and TNM stages, pleural invasion status, and surgery type were independent significant factors.
Conclusion
Among the population that underwent complete resection for early NSCLC with EGFR mutation, patients with advanced stage, pleural invasion, or limited resection are more likely to show postoperative relapse.

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Upfront Stereotactic Radiosurgery or Fractionated Stereotactic Radiotherapy in Elderly Patients with Brain Metastases from Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of a 10-Year Bi-institutional Experience: Myungsoo Kim, Jihye Cha, Hun Jung Kim, Woo Chul Kim, Jeongshim Lee; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):47-56. Published online July 3, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.223

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub: Purpose
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) are increasingly used as initial therapies for brain metastases (BM). We aimed to assess the outcomes of SRS/FSRT in patients aged ≥ 65 years who had 1-10 BM from non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 91 elderly NSCLC patients with 222 BM who were treated with SRS/FSRT at two institutions between 2010 and 2020. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) after SRS/FSRT. In addition, in-field local control (IFLC) within the treated field was evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the prognostic factors affecting OS and IFLC.
Results
During a median follow-up of 18 months, the median OS was 32 months. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 69.8% and 56.1%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the NSCLC-specific graded prognostic assessment (GPA) score (p=0.007) and administration of systemic therapy (p=0.039) were defined as prognosticators affecting OS. The median IFLC period was 31 months, and the 1- and 2-year IFLC rates were 75.9% and 57.6%, respectively. The total BM volume (p=0.042) significantly affected IFLC. No severe adverse events were reported after SRS/FSRT.
Conclusion
SRS/FSRT is an effective upfront treatment option for BM arising from NSCLC in elderly patients, with a good OS without severe side effects. Higher GPA score and active systemic treatment were associated with improved OS, indicating that elderly patients are significant candidates for SRS/FSRT.

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Enhancing Identification of High-Risk cN0 Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients Using MRI-Based Radiomic Features: Harim Kim, Jonghoon Kim, Soohyun Hwang, You Jin Oh, Joong Hyun Ahn, Min-Ji Kim, Tae Hee Hong, Sung Goo Park, Joon Young Choi, Hong Kwan Kim, Jhingook Kim, Sumin Shin, Ho Yun Lee; Cancer Res Treat. 2025;57(1):57-69. Published online June 26, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.251

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to develop a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–based radiomics model to predict high-risk pathologic features for lung adenocarcinoma: micropapillary and solid pattern (MPsol), spread through air space, and poorly differentiated patterns.
Materials and Methods
As a prospective study, we screened clinical N0 lung cancer patients who were surgical candidates and had undergone both ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) and chest CT from August 2018 to January 2020. We recruited patients meeting our proposed imaging criteria indicating high-risk, that is, poorer prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma, using CT and FDG PET/CT. If possible, these patients underwent an MRI examination from which we extracted 77 radiomics features from T1-contrast-enhanced and T2-weighted images. Additionally, patient demographics, maximum standardized uptake value on FDG PET/CT, and the mean apparent diffusion coefficient value on diffusion-weighted image, were considered together to build prediction models for high-risk pathologic features.
Results
Among 616 patients, 72 patients met the imaging criteria for high-risk lung cancer and underwent lung MRI. The magnetic resonance (MR)–eligible group showed a higher prevalence of nodal upstaging (29.2% vs. 4.2%, p < 0.001), vascular invasion (6.5% vs. 2.1%, p=0.011), high-grade pathologic features (p < 0.001), worse 4-year disease-free survival (p < 0.001) compared with non-MR-eligible group. The prediction power for MR-based radiomics model predicting high-risk pathologic features was good, with mean area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) value measuring 0.751-0.886 in test sets. Adding clinical variables increased the predictive performance for MPsol and the poorly differentiated pattern using the 2021 grading system (AUC, 0.860 and 0.907, respectively).
Conclusion
Our imaging criteria can effectively screen high-risk lung cancer patients and predict high-risk pathologic features by our MR-based prediction model using radiomics.

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Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Patients with Stage IIIA/N2 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Completely Resected after Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiation: A Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 2 Trial: Junghoon Shin, Sehhoon Park, Kyung Hwan Kim, Eui-Cheol Shin, Hyun Ae Jung, Jong Ho Cho, Jong-Mu Sun, Se-Hoon Lee, Yong Soo Choi, Jin Seok Ahn, Jhingook Kim, Keunchil Park, Young Mog Shim, Hong Kwan Kim, Jae Myoung Noh, Yong Chan Ahn, Hongryull Pyo, Myung-Ju Ahn; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(4):1084-1095. Published online April 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2024.084

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Optimal treatment for stage IIIA/N2 non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant pembrolizumab for stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC completely resected after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT).
Materials and Methods
In this open-label, single-center, single-arm phase 2 trial, patients with stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC received adjuvant pembrolizumab for up to 2 years after complete resection following neoadjuvant CCRT. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety. As an exploratory biomarker analysis, we evaluated the proliferative response of blood CD39⁺PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells using fold changes in the percentage of proliferating Ki-67⁺ cells from days 1 to 7 of cycle 1 (Ki-67_D7/D1).
Results
Between October 2017 and October 2018, 37 patients were enrolled. Twelve (32%) and three (8%) patients harbored EGFR and ALK alterations, respectively. Of 34 patients with programmed cell death ligand 1 assessment, 21 (62%), nine (26%), and four (12%) had a tumor proportion score of < 1%, 1%-50%, and ≥ 50%, respectively. The median follow-up was 71 months. The median DFS was 22.4 months in the overall population, with a 5-year DFS rate of 29%. The OS rate was 86% at 2 years and 76% at 5 years. Patients with tumor recurrence within 6 months had a significantly lower Ki-67D7/D1 among CD39⁺PD-1⁺CD8⁺ T cells than those without (p=0.036). No new safety signals were identified.
Conclusion
Adjuvant pembrolizumab may offer durable disease control in a subset of stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients after neoadjuvant CCRT and surgery.

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Comparison of Clinicopathogenomic Features and Treatment Outcomes of EGFR and HER2 Exon 20 Insertion Mutations in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Single-Institution Experience: So Heun Lee, Hyehyun Jeong, Deok Hoon Kim, Se Jin Jang, Sang-We Kim, Shinkyo Yoon, Dae Ho Lee; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):774-784. Published online January 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.1177

Abstract PDF PubReader ePub: Purpose
Exon 20 insertion mutations (E20ins) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has become more important with emergence of novel agents targeting E20ins.
Materials and Methods
Advanced/Metastatic NSCLC patients with E20ins were included. EGFR E20ins was identified by two methods, next-generation sequencing (NGS) or real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while HER2 E20ins was done by NGS only.
Results
Between December 2013 and July 2021, E20ins were identified in 107 patients at Asan Medical Center; 67 EGFR E20ins and 40 HER2 E20ins. Out of 32 patients with EGFR E20ins who had tested both PCR and NGS, 17 were identified only through NGS and the other 15 through both tests, giving a discordance rate of 53.1%. There was no clinically significant difference in clinicopathologic features between EGFR and HER2 E20ins; both were observed more frequently in adenocarcinoma, female and never-smokers. Brain metastases were evident at diagnosis in 31.8% of EGFR E20ins and 27.5% of HER2 E20ins, respectively. Platinum-based doublets demonstrated objective response rates (ORR) of 13.3% with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 4.2 months for EGFR E20ins and 35.3% with 4.7 months for HER2 E20ins, respectively. In contrast, novel EGFR E20ins-targeted agents exhibited an ORR of 46.2% with a median PFS of 5.4 months, while HER2-targeted agents showed an ORR of 50% with that of 7.0 months.
Conclusion
Identification of EGFR and HER2 E20ins is more important as their targeted therapies improved outcomes. Upfront NGS test as a comprehensive molecular approach is strongly warranted.

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Contribution of Enhanced Locoregional Control to Improved Overall Survival with Consolidative Durvalumab after Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Insights from Real-World Data: Jeong Yun Jang, Si Yeol Song, Young Seob Shin, Ha Un Kim, Eun Kyung Choi, Sang-We Kim, Jae Cheol Lee, Dae Ho Lee, Chang-Min Choi, Shinkyo Yoon, Su Ssan Kim; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):785-794. Published online January 16, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.1014

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
This study aimed to assess the real-world clinical outcomes of consolidative durvalumab in patients with unresectable locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) and to explore the role of radiotherapy in the era of immunotherapy.
Materials and Methods
This retrospective study assessed 171 patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or without consolidative durvalumab at Asan Medical Center between May 2018 and May 2021. Primary outcomes included freedom from locoregional failure (FFLRF), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).
Results
Durvalumab following CCRT demonstrated a prolonged median PFS of 20.9 months (p=0.048) and a 3-year FFLRF rate of 57.3% (p=0.008), compared to 13.7 months and 38.8%, respectively, with CCRT alone. Furthermore, the incidence of in-field recurrence was significantly greater in the CCRT-alone group compared to the durvalumab group (26.8% vs. 12.4%, p=0.027). While median OS was not reached with durvalumab, it was 35.4 months in patients receiving CCRT alone (p=0.010). Patients positive for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression showed notably better outcomes, including FFLRF, DMFS, PFS, and OS. Adherence to PACIFIC trial eligibility criteria identified 100 patients (58.5%) as ineligible. The use of durvalumab demonstrated better survival regardless of eligibility criteria.
Conclusion
The use of durvalumab consolidation following CCRT significantly enhanced locoregional control and OS in patients with unresectable LA-NSCLC, especially in those with PD-L1–positive tumors, thereby validating the role of durvalumab in standard care.

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Therapeutic effect of induction therapy including nab-paclitaxel followed by surgical resection for the patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
Hidetaka Uramoto, Nozomu Motono, Shun Iwai
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

3,475 View
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2 Web of Science
1 Crossref

Analytical and Clinical Validation of a Highly Sensitive NGS-Based ctDNA Assay with Real-World Concordance in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Hanbaek Yi, Jeonghwan Youk, Yoojoo Lim, Hanseong Roh, Dongsoo Kyung, Hwang-Phill Kim, Duhee Bang, Bhumsuk Keam, Tae-Min Kim, Miso Kim, Dong-Wan Kim, Tae-You Kim; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):765-773. Published online January 8, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.1294

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
There have been needs to improve the sensitivity of liquid biopsy. This report aims to report the analytical and clinical validation of a next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay.
Materials and Methods
Analytical validation was conducted in vitro by evaluating the limit of detection (LOD), precision, and specificity for various genomic aberrations. The real-world performance in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was assessed by comparing the results of AlphaLiquid100 to the tissue-based results.
Results
The LODs with 30 ng input DNA were 0.11%, 0.11%, 0.06%, 0.21%, and 2.13 copies for detecting single nucleotide variants, insertions, deletions, fusions, and copy number alterations (CNA), respectively. Quantitatively, single nucleotide variants/insertions and deletions, fusions, and CNAs showed a good correlation (R²=0.91, 0.40, and 0.65; y=0.95, 1.06, and 1.19) to the manufacturer’s values, and per-base specificities for all types of variants were near 100%. In real-world NSCLC (n=122), key actionable mutations in NSCLC were detected in 60.7% (74/122) with the ctDNA assay. Comparative analysis against the NGS-based tissue results for all key mutations showed positive percent agreement (PPA) of 85.3%. For individual genes, the PPA was as high as 95.7% for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and 83.3% for ALK translocations. AlphaLiquid100 detected drug-sensitive EGFR mutation at a variant allele frequency as low as 0.02% and also identified an EGFR mutation in a case where tissue sample missed. Blood samples collected post-targeted therapies revealed additional acquired mutations.
Conclusion
The AlphaLiquid100 ctDNA assay demonstrates robust analytical validity, offering clinically important information for NSCLC patients.

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Next-generation sequencing impact on cancer care: applications, challenges, and future directions
Mariano Zalis, Gilson Gabriel Viana Veloso, Pedro Nazareth Aguiar Jr., Nathalia Gimenes, Marina Xavier Reis, Silvio Matsas, Carlos Gil Ferreira
Frontiers in Genetics.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Profiling Cell-Free DNA from Malignant Pleural Effusion for Oncogenic Driver Mutations in Patients with Treatment-Naive Stage IV Adenocarcinoma: A Multicenter Prospective Study
Shih-Chieh Chang, Yu-Feng Wei, Chung-Yu Chen, Yi-Chun Lai, Po-Wei Hu, Jui-Chi Hung, Cheng-Yu Chang
Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy.2024; 28(6): 803. CrossRef
Concordance of ctDNA and tissue genomic profiling in advanced biliary tract cancer
Sohyun Hwang, Seonjeong Woo, Beodeul Kang, Haeyoun Kang, Jung Sun Kim, Sung Hwan Lee, Chang Il Kwon, Dong Soo Kyung, Hwang-Phill Kim, Gwangil Kim, Chan Kim, Hong Jae Chon
Journal of Hepatology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

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Association of Immune-Related Adverse Events and the Efficacy of Anti–PD-(L)1 Monotherapy in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Adjusting for Immortal-Time Bias: Ying Yu, Ning Chen, Sizhe Yu, Wanji Shen, Wanchen Zhai, Hui Li, Yun Fan; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):751-764. Published online January 2, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.1118

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
The association between immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and survival outcomes in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with programmed death-(ligand) 1 [PD-(L)1] inhibitors remains controversial, partly due to variations in dealing with immortal-time bias (ITB).
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively enrolled 425 advanced NSCLC patients who received anti–PD-(L)1 monotherapy between January 2016 and June 2021, stratifying them into irAE (n=127) and non-irAE (n=298) groups. The primary endpoint was to assess the impact of irAEs on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Landmark (2-, 3-, 6-, and 9-month) and time-dependent Cox analyses were performed to eliminate ITB.
Results
With a median follow-up of 38.8 months, the occurrence of overall irAEs was significantly associated with superior PFS (11.2 vs. 3.4 months, p < 0.001) and OS (31.4 vs. 14.0 months, p < 0.001), which persisted in landmark and time-dependent Cox analyses. For the main organ-specific irAEs, skin, thyroid, and hepatic irAEs, respectively, showed significantly improved survival compared to the non-irAE group, whereas pneumonitis did not. Single-organ irAEs had the best outcomes compared with multi-organ or no irAE, which also held across subgroups of skin, thyroid, and hepatic irAEs. Moreover, severe grade irAEs and immunotherapy discontinuation had a detrimental effect on survival, systemic steroid therapy showed little effect, while immunotherapy resumption had tolerable safety and a trend of improved survival.
Conclusion
After adequately adjusting ITB, the occurrence of overall irAEs predicts for favorable efficacy of anti–PD-(L)1 monotherapy in NSCLC, with better outcomes observed in patients with skin, thyroid, or hepatic irAEs, particularly those with single-organ involvement.

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Management, biomarkers and prognosis in people developing endocrinopathies associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors
Shintaro Iwama, Tomoko Kobayashi, Hiroshi Arima
Nature Reviews Endocrinology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Development of pituitary dysfunction and destructive thyroiditis is associated with better survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with programmed cell death-1 inhibitors: a prospective study with immortal time bias correction
Koji Suzuki, Tomoko Kobayashi, Tetsushi Izuchi, Koki Otake, Masahiko Ando, Tomoko Handa, Takashi Miyata, Mariko Sugiyama, Takeshi Onoue, Daisuke Hagiwara, Hidetaka Suga, Ryoichi Banno, Tetsunari Hase, Megumi Inoue, Makoto Ishii, Hiroshi Arima, Shintaro Iw
Frontiers in Endocrinology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Associations between Immune-related Adverse Events and Prognosis in Cancer Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Yusuke Inoue, Naoki Inui
Internal Medicine.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
The impact of immune-related adverse events on the outcome of advanced gastric cancer patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment
Tianhang Zhang, Haitao Lv, Jiasong Li, Shasha Zhang, Jingjing Zhang, Siqi Wang, Yingnan Wang, Zhanjun Guo
Frontiers in Immunology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

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Gastrointestinal cancer

The Clinical Efficacy of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Pulmonary Oligometastases by Sterotactic Body Ablative Radiotherapy: A Meta-Analysis: Jae-Uk Jeong, Chai Hong Rim, Gyu Sang Yoo, Won Kyung Cho, Eui Kyu Chie, Yong Chan Ahn, Jong Hoon Lee, on behalf of Korean Oligometastasis Working Group, Korean Cancer Association; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(3):809-824. Published online December 14, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.920

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub

Purpose
There is increasing interest in the efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) for treating colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with oligometastases (OM), recently. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of CRC patients with pulmonary OM treated with SABR and toxicities.
Materials and Methods
Studies that reported SABR for CRC patients with pulmonary OM were searched from MEDLINE and Embase. Treatment outcomes including LC, PFS, OS, and toxicities of grade 3 or higher were assessed.
Results
A total of 19 studies with 1,668 patients were chosen for this meta-analysis. Pooled 1-, 2-, and 3-year LC rates were 83.1%, 69.3%, and 63.9%, respectively. PFS rates were 44.8%, 26.5%, and 21.5% at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. OS rates at 1-, 2-, and 3-year were 87.5%, 69.9%, and 60.5%, respectively. The toxicity rate of grade 3 or higher was 3.6%. The effect of dose escalation was meta-analyzed using available studies.
Conclusion
Application of SABR to CRC patients with pulmonary OM achieved modest local control with acceptable toxicity according to the present meta-analysis. Further studies establishing the clinical efficacy of SABR are guaranteed.

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Identifying Trends in Oncology Research through a Bibliographic Analysis of Cancer Research and Treatment
Choong-kun Lee, Jeong Min Choo, Yong Chan Ahn, Jin Kim, Sun Young Rha, Chai Hong Rim
Cancer Research and Treatment.2025; 57(1): 11. CrossRef

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Lung and Thoracic cancer

Clinical Effect of Endosonography on Overall Survival in Patients with Radiological N1 Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: Bo-Guen Kim, Byeong-Ho Jeong, Goeun Park, Hong Kwan Kim, Young Mog Shim, Sun Hye Shin, Kyungjong Lee, Sang-Won Um, Hojoong Kim, Jong Ho Cho; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(2):502-512. Published online December 4, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.840

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
It is unclear whether performing endosonography first in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with radiological N1 (rN1) has any advantages over surgery without nodal staging. We aimed to compare surgery without endosonography to performing endosonography first in rN1 on the overall survival (OS) of patients with NSCLC.
Materials and Methods
This is a retrospective analysis of patients with rN1 NSCLC between 2013 and 2019. Patients were divided into ‘no endosonography’ and ‘endosonography first’ groups. We investigated the effect of nodal staging through endosonography on OS using propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.
Results
In the no endosonography group, pathologic N2 occurred in 23.0% of patients. In the endosonography first group, endosonographic N2 and N3 occurred in 8.6% and 1.6% of patients, respectively. Additionally, 51 patients were pathologic N2 among 249 patients who underwent surgery and mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND) in endosonography first group. After PSM, the 5-year OSs were 68.1% and 70.6% in the no endosonography and endosonography first groups, respectively. However, the 5-year OS was 80.2% in the subgroup who underwent surgery and MLND of the endosonography first group. Moreover, in patients receiving surgical resection with MLND, the endosonography first group tended to have a better OS than the no endosonography group in adjusted analysis using various models.
Conclusion
In rN1 NSCLC, preoperative endosonography shows better OS than surgery without endosonography. For patients with rN1 NSCLC who are candidates for surgery, preoperative endosonography may help improve survival through patient selection.

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Development of the Korean Association for Lung Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines: Recommendations on Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound for Diagnosing Lung Cancer - An Updated Meta-Analysis: Soo Han Kim, Hyun Sung Chung, Jinmi Kim, Mi-Hyun Kim, Min Ki Lee, Insu Kim, Jung Seop Eom; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(2):464-483. Published online November 29, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.749

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Purpose
Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (RP-EBUS) accurately locates peripheral lung lesions (PLLs) during transbronchial biopsy (TBB). We performed an updated meta-analysis of the diagnostic yield of TBB for PLLs using RP-EBUS to generate recommendations for the development of the Korean Association of Lung Cancer guidelines.
Materials and Methods
We systematically searched MEDLINE and EMBASE (from January 2013 to December 2022), and performed a meta-analysis using R software. The diagnostic yield was evaluated by dividing the number of successful diagnoses by the total lesion number. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify related factors.
Results
Forty-one studies with a total of 13,133 PLLs were included. The pooled diagnostic yield of RP-EBUS was 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70 to 0.75). Significant heterogeneity was observed among studies (χ²=292.38, p < 0.01, I²=86.4%). In a subgroup analysis, there was a significant difference in diagnostic yield based on RP-EBUS findings (within, adjacent to, invisible), with a risk ratio of 1.45 (95% CI, 1.23 to 1.72) between within and adjacent to, 4.20 (95% CI, 1.89 to 9.32) between within and invisible, and 2.59 (95% CI, 1.32 to 5.01) between adjacent to and invisible. There was a significant difference in diagnostic yield based on lesion size, histologic diagnosis, computed tomography (CT) bronchus sign, lesion character, and location from the hilum. The overall complication rate of TBB with RP-EBUS was 6.8% (bleeding, 4.5%; pneumothorax, 1.4%).
Conclusion
Our study showed that TBB with RP-EBUS is an accurate diagnostic tool for PLLs with good safety profiles, especially for PLLs with within orientation on RP-EBUS or positive CT bronchus sign.

3,335 View
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Tissue and Plasma-Based Highly Sensitive Blocker Displacement Amplicon Nanopore Sequencing for EGFR Mutations in Lung Cancer: Patinya Akkhasutthikun, Pornchai Kaewsapsak, Pattaraporn Nimsamer, Pavit Klomkliew, Suthida Visedthorn, Pragwalai Chanchaem, Chinachote Teerapakpinyo, Sunchai Payungporn, Sutima Luangdilok; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(2):455-463. Published online November 20, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.1108

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Purpose
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation is a widely prevalent oncogene driver in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in East Asia. The detection of EGFR mutations is a standard biomarker test performed routinely in patients with NSCLC for the selection of targeted therapy. Here, our objective was to develop a portable new technique for detecting EGFR (19Del, T790M, and L858R) mutations based on Nanopore sequencing.
Materials and Methods
The assay employed a blocker displacement amplification (BDA)–based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique combined with Nanopore sequencing to detect EGFR mutations. Mutant and wild-type EGFR clones were generated from DNA from H1650 (19Del heterozygous) and H1975 (T790M and L858R heterozygous) lung cancer cell lines. Then, they were mixed to assess the performance of this technique for detecting low variant allele frequencies (VAFs). Subsequently, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with NSCLC were used for clinical validation.
Results
The assay can detect low VAF at 0.5% mutant mixed in wild-type EGFR. Using FFPE DNA, the concordance rates of EGFR 19Del, T790M, and L858R mutations between our method and Cobas real-time PCR were 98.46%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. For cfDNA, the concordance rates of EGFR 19Del, T790M, and L858R mutations between our method and droplet digital PCR were 94.74%, 100%, and 100%, respectively.
Conclusion
The BDA amplicon Nanopore sequencing is a highly accurate and sensitive method for the detection of EGFR mutations in clinical specimens.

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Cancer liquid biopsies by Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing of cell-free DNA: from basic research to clinical applications
Hua-Qi Si, Peng Wang, Fei Long, Wei Zhong, Yuan-Dong Meng, Yuan Rong, Xiang-Yu Meng, Fu-Bing Wang
Molecular Cancer.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

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Intrathoracic Progression Is Still the Most Dominant Failure Pattern after First-Line Chemo-immunotherapy in Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Implications for Thoracic Radiotherapy: Dowook Kim, Hak Jae Kim, Hong-Gyun Wu, Joo Ho Lee, Suzy Kim, Tae Min Kim, Jin-Soo Kim, Byoung Hyuck Kim; Cancer Res Treat. 2024;56(2):430-441. Published online November 6, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2023.931

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Purpose
This study aimed to compare the failure patterns before and after the introduction of immunotherapy and to determine the role of thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treatment.
Materials and Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 294 patients with ES-SCLC, of which 62.2% underwent chemotherapy alone, 13.3% underwent chemotherapy followed by consolidative TRT (TRT group), and 24.5% underwent chemotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI group). We performed propensity-score matching (PSM) to compare each treatment group.
Results
The median follow-up duration was 10.4 months. At the first relapse, in the cohort showing objective response, the proportion of cases showing intrathoracic progression was significantly lower in the TRT group (37.8%) than in the chemotherapy-alone (77.2%, p < 0.001) and the ICI (60.3%, p=0.03) groups. Furthermore, in the subgroup analysis, TRT showed benefits related to intrathoracic progression-free survival (PFS) in comparison with ICI in patients with less than two involved extrathoracic sites (p=0.008) or without liver metastasis (p=0.02) or pleural metastasis (p=0.005) at diagnosis. After PSM, the TRT group showed significantly better intrathoracic PFS than both chemotherapy-alone and ICI groups (p < 0.001 and p=0.04, respectively), but showed no significant benefit in terms of PFS and overall survival in comparison with the ICI group (p=0.17 and p=0.31, respectively).
Conclusion
In ES-SCLC, intrathoracic progression was the most dominant failure pattern after immunotherapy. In the era of chemoimmunotherapy, consolidative TRT can still be considered a useful treatment strategy for locoregional control.

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Radiotherapy(R) Integration(I) Strategy for Small(S)-Cell Lung Cancer in Extensive(E) Stage (RISE) with up to 10 metastases- a study protocol of a randomized phase II trial
Łukasz Kuncman, Jacek Fijuth, Damian Tworek, Ewa Sierko, Paweł Cisek, Michał Masłowski, Maja Lisik-Habib, Magdalena Orzechowska, Katarzyna Galwas-Kliber, Adam Antczak, Izabela Chmielewska, Barbara Ziółkowska, Marta Kurczewska-Michalak, Wojciech Kuźnicki,
BMC Cancer.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Clinical outcomes and synergistic effect between radiotherapy and immunotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a real-world study
Meiling Sun, Huaijun Ji, Fang Deng, Jingyi Li, Ning Xu, Yu Li
BMC Cancer.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

3,783 View
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