J Pathol Transl Med.  2017 May;51(3):242-254. 10.4132/jptm.2017.04.10.

Molecular Testing of Lung Cancers

• Shim HS
• Choi YL
• Kim L
• Chang S
• Kim WS
• Roh MS
• Kim TJ
• Ha SY
• Chung JH
• Jang SJ
• Lee GK
• The Korean Cardiopulmonary Pathology Study Group
• The Korean Molecular Pathology Study Group

• KMID: 2392592
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2017.04.10

Abstract

Targeted therapies guided by molecular diagnostics have become a standard treatment of lung cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements are currently used as the best predictive biomarkers for EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and ALK inhibitors, respectively. Besides EGFR and ALK, the list of druggable genetic alterations has been growing, including ROS1 rearrangements, RET rearrangements, and MET alterations. In this situation, pathologists should carefully manage clinical samples for molecular testing and should do their best to quickly and accurately identify patients who will benefit from precision therapeutics. Here, we grouped molecular biomarkers of lung cancers into three categories"”mutations, gene rearrangements, and amplifications"”and propose expanded guidelines on molecular testing of lung cancers.

Keyword

Lung neoplasms; Molecular testing; Guideline; Precision medicine

MeSH Terms

Biomarkers
Gene Rearrangement
Humans
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Lymphoma
Pathology, Molecular
Phosphotransferases
Precision Medicine
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor
Biomarkers
Phosphotransferases
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Three categories of molecular biomarkers used in these guidelines. EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; FGFR, fibroblast growth factor receptor.

• 

  Fig. 2. The current therapeutic approach to patients with lung cancer. EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; FGFR1, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1; PD-L1, programmed death-ligand 1.

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