Prevalence of highly actionable mutations among Indian patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in India. To clarify rates of actionable mutations, and thereby identify opportunities to improve the delivery of best available care for a large volume of patients, a comprehensive review of available data is warranted. Methods Studies that reported prevalence of any actionable gene variant among adult Indian patients with advanced NSCLC were selected from three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library). Ranges in actionable variant prevalence were reported. Meta-analysis of proportions was completed among studies specifically evaluating mutational prevalence within ALK or EGFR. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken among populations sharing high heterogeneity. Results Twenty-six studies were selected. Ranges in actionable mutational prevalence among NSCLC patients were as follows: ALK: 4.1-21.4%, BRAF: 1.5-3.5%, EGFR: 11.9-51.8%, HER2: 0-1.5%, KRAS: 4.5-6.4%, NTRK: 0-.7%, and ROS-1: 3.5-4.1%. Following sensitivity analysis, pooled ALK mutational prevalence rates were 8.3% (95% CIs: 6.6-10.4%) and 4.01% (95% CIs: 2.3-7.0) for adenocarcinoma and NSCLC patients, respectively. Pooled EGFR mutational prevalence rates were 28.7% (95% CIs: 23.5-34.6%) and 24.2% (95% CIs: 19.9-29.1%) for adenocarcinoma and NSCLC patients, respectively. Conclusions Nearly 40% of Indian patients with advanced adenocarcinoma and 30% with NSCLC share an actionable mutation in ALK or EGFR. Approximately one-half of adenocarcinoma patients have an actionable variant. Efforts should be directed toward efficiently identifying candidates for targeted agents and delivering such treatments.

Automated summary

This study provides a comprehensive review of actionable gene mutations in Indian NSCLC patients, revealing the range of mutation prevalence in ALK and EGFR. The findings show that nearly 40% of advanced adenocarcinoma patients and 30% of NSCLC patients in India have actionable mutations in ALK or EGFR.