Targeted Therapies for Lung Cancer Patients With Oncogenic Driver Molecular Alterations

Lung cancer has traditionally been classified by histology. However, a greater understanding of disease biology and the identification of oncogenic driver alterations has dramatically altered the therapeutic landscape. Consequently, the new classification paradigm of non-small-cell lung cancer is further characterized by molecularly defined subsets actionable with targeted therapies and the treatment landscape is becoming increasingly complex. This review encompasses the current standards of care for targeted therapies in lung cancer with driver molecular alterations. Targeted therapies for EGFR exon 19 deletion and L858R mutations, and ALK and ROS1 rearrangements are well established. However, there is an expanding list of approved targeted therapies including for BRAF V600E, EGFR exon 20 insertion, and KRAS G12C mutations, MET exon 14 alterations, and NTRK and RET rearrangements. In addition, there are numerous other oncogenic drivers, such as HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations, for which there are emerging efficacy data for targeted therapies. The importance of diagnostic molecular testing, intracranial efficacy of novel therapies, the optimal sequencing of therapies, role for targeted therapies in early-stage disease, and future directions for precision oncology approaches to understand tumor evolution and therapeutic resistance are also discussed. (c) 2022 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Automated summary

The therapeutic landscape of non-small-cell lung cancer is undergoing significant changes with the shift from histology-based classification to molecularly defined subsets. Targeted therapies for specific driver mutations such as EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 have shown promising results, and there is a growing list of approved therapies for other mutations. The importance of diagnostic molecular testing, optimal sequencing of therapies, application of targeted therapies in early-stage disease, and the impact of genomic mutations on targeted therapy efficacy are important areas of research.