The new histologic classification of lung primary adenocarcinoma subtypes is a reliable prognostic marker and identifies tumors with different mutation status: the experience of a French cohort.

BACKGROUND

Histologic classification of lung adenocarcinoma subtype has a prognostic value in most studies. However, lung adenocarcinoma characteristics differ across countries. Here, we aimed at validating the prognostic value of this classification in a large French series of lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

We reviewed 407 consecutive lung adenocarcinomas operated on between 2001 and 2005 and reclassified them according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) classification and subsequently graded them into low, intermediate, and high grade. We analyzed the relevance of this classification according to clinical, pathologic, and molecular analysis.

RESULTS

Patients (median age, 61 years; 288 men) underwent lobectomy (n = 378) or pneumonectomy (n = 29). Patients' overall survival at 5 and 10 years was 53.2% and 32.6%, respectively. Union for International Cancer Control stage distribution was 189 stage I, 104 stage II, 107 stage III, and seven stage IV. Low-grade tumor was found in one patient, intermediate grade in 275 patients, and high grade in 131 patients. KRAS and EGFR mutations were detected in 34% and 9.6%, respectively. Histologic grade was significantly correlated with extent of resection (P = .01), thyroid transcriptional factor-1 expression (P = .00000001), vascular emboli (P = .03), and EGFR mutations (P = .01). Mucinous adenocarcinomas were associated with KRAS mutations (P = .003). At univariate analysis, age, extent of resection, histologic grade, pleural invasion, vascular emboli, pathologic T and N, and stage were predictive of survival. At multivariate analysis, age (P = .0001), histologic grade (P = .03), and stage (P = .000003) were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

IASLC/ATS/ERS classification of lung adenocarcinomas predicts survival in French population. Histologic grade correlates with clinical, pathologic and molecular parameters suggesting different oncogenic pathways.