Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Activity in Patients with NSCLC Harboring Uncommon EGFR Mutations: A Retrospective International Cohort Study (UpSwinG)

This article reports partial findings of the UpSwinG study, focusing on a cohort of patients with tumors harboring uncommon EGFR mutations who received first- or second-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment. Background Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) are standard of care for patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with common mutations (Del19 or L858R); however, 7%-23% of NSCLC tumors harbor uncommon EGFR mutations. These mutations are highly heterogeneous, and developments in detection techniques are helping to identify mutations with little or no clinical data. Patients and Methods In this retrospective, global, multi-center study (NCT04179890), existing health records were identified for consecutive EGFR TKI-naive patients with uncommon EGFR mutations (T790M, ex20ins, major uncommon [G719X, L861Q, or S768I], or other mutations; compound mutations) treated with erlotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, or osimertinib in first or second line. Endpoints included time-to-treatment failure (TTF), objective response rate (ORR), and overall survival (OS). Results Overall, 246 patients (median age: 69.5 years; Asian: 84%) were included from 9 countries. Most patients (92%) received an EGFR TKI as first-line therapy; 54%, 43% and 3% received afatinib, first-generation TKIs, and osimertinib, respectively. Median TTF and OS with EGFR TKIs were 9.9 and 24.4 months; ORR was 43%. In patients treated with first-line chemotherapy (n = 20), median TTF and ORR were 6.6 months and 41%. Outcomes were most favorable in patients with major uncommon or compound mutations. Overall, TTF was 11.3 months with afatinib and 8.8 months with first-generation EGFR TKIs across mutation categories. In most mutation categories, median OS was >2 years. Conclusion In a real-world setting, EGFR TKIs were the preferred treatment option in patients with uncommon EGFR mutations; strongest outcomes were seen in patients with major uncommon and compound mutations.

Automated summary

This article presents findings from the UpSwinG study on the efficacy of EGFR TKI treatment in patients with uncommon EGFR mutations. The study shows that in a real-world setting, EGFR TKIs are the preferred treatment option for patients with uncommon EGFR mutations, with strongest outcomes observed in patients with major uncommon and compound mutations.