Optimizing the clinical management of -mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a literature review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Despite several steps forward in the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor ()-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however there are still pending issues and upcoming challenges requiring adequate addressing in order to optimize the clinical management of metastatic patients harboring molecular alterations within the gene. This review aims to summarize the most recent findings regarding the diagnostic testing and therapeutic strategies of -mutant advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

Literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases, up to December 2021. Relevant studies in English language published between 2004 and 2021 were selected.

KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS

The increased detection of uncommon mutations in the real-word practice along with the clinical development of novel selective inhibitors, highlighted the issue of an adequate selection of the best EGFR-tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) to the right patient mutation. The advent of osimertinib in first-line has dramatically changed the spectrum of molecular mechanisms underlying both innate and acquired resistance to the EGFR-TKI therapy, accelerating the clinical investigation of novel genomic-driven sequential strategies as well as upfront targeted combinations. The recent approval of potent, selective inhibitors targeting the exon-20 insertions, renewed interest toward this patients' subset, questioning the diagnostic accuracy of old-standard genomic sequencing technologies and pushing the implementations of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based molecular profiling in the real word practice scenario.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides evidence-based answers to the aforementioned challenges aiming to optimize the clinical management of metastatic patients harboring molecular alterations within the gene.