Monitoring advanced Non-small cell lung cancer through plasma genotyping during Immunotherapy: clinical feasibility and applications

Overview of the research line/lines:

Immunotherapy is one of the most important steps forward in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The only predictive marker available for clinical practice is PD-L1 expression, showing important limitations. Given the heterogeneity in response and its duration, the cost of the drugs and the availability of alternative options for advanced NSCLC, search of potential predictive markers is urgently needed. Considering that immune editing is a complex and dynamic mechanism and immune response might change during treatment, evaluation of dynamic biomarkers to measure tumor burden may open new perspectives in the context of personalization and duration of treatment. The main aim of this Project is to demonstrate that liquid biopsy can be used to monitor therapeutic efficacy of immune-modulating agents.

5 Publications

166P: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with rare or complex epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations: A single institution series. Pasello G, Polo V, Frega S, Lorenzi M, Indraccolo S, Fassan M, Bonanno L, Nannini N, Conte P, Calabrese F. Journal Of Thoracic Oncology, vol. 11, 2016

Clinical features and treatment outcome of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with uncommon or complex epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Frega S, Lorenzi M, Fassan M, Indraccolo S, Calabrese F, Favaretto A, Bonanno L, Polo V, Zago G, Lunardi F, Attili I, Pavan A, Rugge  M, Guarneri V, Conte P, Pasello G. Oncotarget, 8- 20:32626-32638, 2017

Combination immunotherapy strategies in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Does biological rationale meet clinical needs? Attili I, Passaro A, Pavan A, Conte P, De Marinis F, Bonanno L. Critical Reviews In Oncology Hematology, vol. 119, pp. 30-39, 2017

LKB1 expression correlates with increased survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Bonanno L, De Paoli A, Zulato E, Calabrese F, Favaretto AG, Santo A, Del Conte A, Chilosi M, Oniga F, Sozzi G, Moro M, Ciccarese F, Nardo G, Bertorelle R, Candiotto C, De Salvo GL, Amadori A, Conte P, Indraccolo S, Esposito G. Clinical Cancer Research, vol. 23(13), pp. 3316-3324, 2017

Therapeutic perspectives for brain metastases in non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Towards a less dismal future? Frega, S., Bonanno, L., Guarneri, V., Conte, P., Pasello, G. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, vol. 128,pp. 19-29, 2018

Funding

5x1000: Oncologia traslazionale - Metachronous breast ovary cancer

People involved:

Conte Pierfranco, Full Professor
Guarneri Valentina, Full Professor
Dieci Maria Vittoria, Associate Professor

Group members

Frega Stefano, Zago Giulia, Attili Ilaria, Pavan Alberto (PhD), McMahon Laura, Tsvetkova Vassilena (Fellow), Ghiotto Cristina,Bonanno Laura, Pasello Giulia,De Salvo Gianluca (IOV, Medical Doctor)