Targeted Therapy for Older Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Systematic Review and Guidelines from the French Society of Geriatric Oncology (SoFOG) and the French-Language Society of Pulmonology (SPLF)/ French-Language Oncology Group (GOLF)

Systematic molecular profiling and targeted therapy (TKI) have changed the face of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) treatment. However, there are no specific recommendations to address the prescription of TKI for older patients. A multidisciplinary task force from the French Society of Geriatric Oncology (SoFOG) and the French Society of Pulmonology/Oncology Group (SPLF/GOLF) conducted a systematic review from May 2010 to May 2021. Protocol registered in Prospero under number CRD42021224103. Three key questions were selected for older patients with NSCLC: (1) to whom TKI can be proposed, (2) for whom monotherapy should be favored, and (3) to whom a combination of TKI can be proposed. Among the 534 references isolated, 52 were included for the guidelines. The expert panel analysis concluded: (1) osimertinib 80 mg/day is recommended as a first-line treatment for older patients with the EGFR mutation; (2) full-dose first generation TKI, such as erlotinib or gefitinib, is feasible; (3) ALK and ROS1 rearrangement studies including older patients were too scarce to conclude on any definitive recommendations; and (4) given the actual data, TKI should be prescribed as monotherapy. Malnutrition, functional decline, and the number of comorbidities should be assessed primarily before TKI initiation. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Sensitization of EGFR wild-type non-small cell lung cancer cells to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib.: wtEGFR non-small cell lung cancer sensitization to erlotinib

International audienceThe benefit of EGFR-TKI in non-small cell lung cancer has been demonstrated in mutant EGFR tumors as first-line treatment but the benefit in wild-type EGFR tumors is marginal as well as restricted to maintenance therapy in pretreated patients. This work aimed at questioning the effects of cisplatin initial treatment on the EGFR pathway in non-small cell lung cancer and the functional consequences in vitro and in in vivo animal models of Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX). We establish here that cisplatin pretreatment specifically sensitizes wild-type EGFR expressing cells to erlotinib, contrary to what happens in mutant-EGFR cells and with a blocking EGFR antibody, both in vitro and in vivo. The sensitization entails the activation of the kinase Src upstream of EGFR, thereafter transactivating EGFR through a ligand-independent activation. We propose a combination of markers which enable to discriminate between the tumors sensitized to erlotinib or not in PDX models, that should be worth testing in patients. These markers might be useful for the selection of patients who would benefit from erlotinib as a maintenance therapy

Sensitization of EGFR wild-type non-small cell lung cancer cells to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib.: wtEGFR non-small cell lung cancer sensitization to erlotinib

International audienceThe benefit of EGFR-TKI in non-small cell lung cancer has been demonstrated in mutant EGFR tumors as first-line treatment but the benefit in wild-type EGFR tumors is marginal as well as restricted to maintenance therapy in pretreated patients. This work aimed at questioning the effects of cisplatin initial treatment on the EGFR pathway in non-small cell lung cancer and the functional consequences in vitro and in in vivo animal models of Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX). We establish here that cisplatin pretreatment specifically sensitizes wild-type EGFR expressing cells to erlotinib, contrary to what happens in mutant-EGFR cells and with a blocking EGFR antibody, both in vitro and in vivo. The sensitization entails the activation of the kinase Src upstream of EGFR, thereafter transactivating EGFR through a ligand-independent activation. We propose a combination of markers which enable to discriminate between the tumors sensitized to erlotinib or not in PDX models, that should be worth testing in patients. These markers might be useful for the selection of patients who would benefit from erlotinib as a maintenance therapy

Mature tertiary lymphoid structures predict immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in solid tumors independently of PD-L1 expression

International audienceOnly a minority of patients derive long-term clinical benefit from anti-PD1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) has been associated with improved survival in several tumor types. Here, using a large-scale retrospective analysis of three independent cohorts of cancer patients treated with anti-PD1/PD-L1 antibodies, we showed that the presence of mature TLS was associated with improved objective response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival independently of PD-L1 expression status and CD8+ T-cell density. These results pave the way for using TLS detection to select patients who are more likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade