Programmed death ligand 1 expression in early stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer Programmed death ligand 1 expression in early stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer
(1) Background: BRAF mutations affect 4–5% of lung adenocarcinomas. This study aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features of lung carcinomas with BRAF mutations, focusing on V600E vs. non-V600E and the presence of co-mutations. (2) Methods: All BRAF-mutated lung carcinomas were retrieved from a molecular diagnostic unit (the reference unit for four different hospitals). The samples were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Statistical analyses included log-rank tests for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). (3) Results: In total, 60 BRAF-mutated lung carcinomas were retrieved: 24 (40.0%) with V600E and 36 (60.0%) with non-V600E mutations, and 21 (35.0%) with other co-mutations and 39 (65.0%) with only BRAF mutations. Survival data were available for 54/60 (90.0%) cases. Targeted therapy was documented in 11 cases. Patients with V600E mutations exhibited a better prognosis than patients with non-V600E mutations (p = 0.008 for OS, p = 0.018 for PFS); this was confirmed in PFS (p = 0.036) when considering only patients who received no targeted therapy. Patients with co-mutations displayed no prognostic difference compared to patients carrying only BRAF mutations (p = 0.590 for OS, p = 0.938 for PFS). (4) Conclusions: BRAF-mutated lung carcinomas with V600E (40.0%) had a better prognosis than those without V600E. Concomitant co-mutations (35.0%) did not affect the prognosis.
Background: Extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) treatment has recently been revolutionized by the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This survey was conducted to evaluate the current pattern of care among Italian clinicians, in particular about the integration with radiation therapy (RT). Methods: In June 2023, 225 Italian cancer care professionals were invited to complete a 21-question web-based survey about ES-SCLC management through personal contacts and the Italian Association for Radiotherapy and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) network. Results: We received 90 responses; the majority were radiation oncologists (89%) with more than 10 years of experience (51%). The preferred management of ES-SCLC in patients with a good performance status was concomitant chemo-immunotherapy (84%). Almost all respondents recommended prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) (85%), taking into account age and thoracic response; PCI was performed mainly between the end of chemotherapy and before starting immunotherapy (37%), with a three-dimensional conformal technique (46%). Furthermore, 83% of respondents choose to deliver thoracic RT in the case of both an intrathoracic and extrathoracic response, with an RT schedule of 30 Gy/10 fractions. Stereotactic RT is increasingly being used in oligoprogressions. Conclusions: Our analysis showed the variability of real-world management of ES-SCLC. Future clinical trials and developments are needed to improve the multidisciplinary treatment of these patients.