Clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics of EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinomas that transform to small cell lung cancer after TKI therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) transformation is one of the mechanisms of drug resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in advanced epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and represents an increasingly recognized clinical dilemma.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of 964 cases at the University of California, San Diego of patients with EGFR sensitizing mutations. Nine patients had a biopsy-confirmed small cell transformation. The unique gene alterations and clinicopathologic features were collected and analyzed.

Results

Nine cases (9/964, 0.9%) were identified, all with stage IV adenocarcinoma (ADC) at diagnosis, 7 were poorly differentiated, and 7 had an EGFR exon 19 deletion.

SUBMITTER: Yu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8988081 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature