The Impact of Liquid Biopsies Positive for EGFR Mutations on Overall Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.
Jonnathan Roldán RuizMarta Gracia Fuentes GagoLuis Miguel Chinchilla-TáboraIdalia Gonzalez MoraisJose Maria Sayagues ManzanoMar Abad HernándezMaria Rosa Cordovilla PérezMaría Dolores Ludeña de la CruzEdel Del Barco MorilloMarta RodríguezPublished in: Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
In recent years, non-small cell lung cancer treatment has been revolutionized. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and our improved understanding of its alterations have driven new diagnostic strategies. Liquid biopsies have emerged as a useful tool in these contexts, showing potential utility in early diagnosis combined with low-dose CT scans, as well as potential in monitoring treatment response and predicting the development of patients. We studied the circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) of 38 EGFR -mutated non-small cell lung cancer patients at diagnosis in different moments of their disease by liquid biopsy techniques. Our results show that mean overall survival was significantly lower when a liquid biopsy was positive for the detection of EGFR mutations compared with wild-type patients in their liquid biopsy in both univariate (29 ± 4 vs. 104 ± 19 months; p = 0.004) and multivariate analysis ( p = 0.008). Taking this into consideration, liquid biopsies could be key to improving the control of this disease.