Associations between driver gene mutations and cytotoxic chemosensitivity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Background/aim: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations or echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) rearrangement often have a better prognosis when they are treated with specific inhibitors than when treated with cytotoxic agents. However, the associations between gene mutations and cytotoxic chemosensitivity are still unclear. The objective of the present study was to identify which clinicopathological factors, including genetic mutations, influence chemosensitivity, determined using the succinate dehydrogenase inhibition (SDI) test in patients with NSCLC.

Materials and methods: The chemosensitivity of tumor tissues from 96 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgical resection was evaluated using the SDI test.

Results: In patients with adenocarcinoma, tumors with EGFR gene mutations were significantly more sensitive to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) than tumors without EGFR gene mutations (p<0.0149).

Conclusion: Our data suggest that patients with adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR gene mutations may be susceptible to 5-FU.

Keywords: Non-small cell lung cancer; anaplastic lymphoma kinase; chemosensitivity; epidermal growth factor receptor.