Background: Liquid rebiopsies can detect resistance mutations to guide therapy of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged (ALK+) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) failing tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Here, we analyze how their results relate to the anatomical pattern of disease progression and patient outcome. Conclusions: Positive blood-based liquid rebiopsies in ALK+ NSCLC characterize biologically more aggressive disease and are common with extracranial, but rare with CNS-only progression or benign radiologic changes. These results reconcile the increased detection of ALK resistance mutations with other features of the high-risk EML4-ALK V3-associated phenotype. Conversely, most oligoprogressive patients with negative liquid biopsies have a more indolent course without need for early change of systemic treatment. READ ARTICLE
Transl Lung Cancer Research DOI:10.21037/tlcr-21-32
Authors: Petros Christopoulos, Steffen Dietz, Arlou K. Angeles, Stephan Rheinheimer, Daniel Kazdal, Anna-Lena Volckmar, Florian Janke, Volker Endris, Michael Meister, Mark Kriegsmann, Thomasz Zemojtel, Martin Reck, Albrecht Stenzinger, Michael Thomas, Holger Sültmann
