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Ajay Yadav



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    EP1.01 - Advanced NSCLC (ID 150)

    • Event: WCLC 2019
    • Type: E-Poster Viewing in the Exhibit Hall
    • Track: Advanced NSCLC
    • Presentations: 1
    • Now Available
    • Moderators:
    • Coordinates: 9/08/2019, 08:00 - 18:00, Exhibit Hall
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      EP1.01-71 - Thymidylate Synthase and Folate Receptor Alpha Expression as Potential Biomarkers for Efficacy of Pemetrexed in NSCLC (Now Available) (ID 1878)

      08:00 - 18:00  |  Author(s): Ajay Yadav

      • Abstract
      • Slides

      Background

      Predictive biomarkers for chemotherapy in advanced non-squamous NSCLC are lacking. Thymidylate synthase (TS) and folate receptor alpha (FRA) are target enzymes for pemetrexed. Here we investigated TS and FRA expression and their role as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

      Method

      We performed immunohistochemistry on pre-treatment tumour specimens for TS and FRA expression and correlated it with patient’s demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment responses and survivals in a retrospective training cohort of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Similar analysis for validation was performed in a prospective cohort of patients participating in a randomized control trial “to compare efficacy and safety of pemetrexed-carboplatin versus paclitaxel-carboplatin as induction regimen in advanced non-squamous NSCLC”. Chi-square test was used to co-relate TS and FRA expression with clinico-pathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier methods, Log-rank test and Cox proportional-hazards model were used for survival analysis.

      Result

      In the retrospective training cohort median age was 57 (26-70) years with male predominance (ratio=2:1). TS and FRA expression were evaluable in 55 and 47 patients respectively. In this cohort TS and FRA expression didn’t co-relate with best overall response rates (ORR), however, low TS expression and positive FRA expression were associated with improved progression free survival (PFS), albeit non-significant. In the prospective validation cohort median age was 52 (28-65) years with 70% males. In this cohort TS and FRA expression were analysed in 113 and 97 patients respectively. High TS expression was significantly associated with better ORR in patients treated with paclitaxel-carboplatin (p=0.04) but there was no co-relation of TS expression with response rates in pemetrexed-carboplatin group. Younger patients (age<40 years) had more TS ‘low or negative’ status (p=0.04). High TS expression was associated with ALK positivity (p=0.02), bone metastases (p=0.01) and brain metastases (p=0.002). Positive FRA expression was associated with EGFR positivity (p=0.004) and liver metastases (p=0.020). Positive FRA expression was associated with improved PFS in patients treated with pemetrexed-carboplatin (median: 9.23 versus 4.27 months, p=0.01), paclitaxel-carboplatin (median: 10.87 versus 6.47 months, p=0.08) as well as improved OS (median: OS not reached versus 10.13 months, p=0.01), especially in patients treated with pemetrexed-carboplatin (median: 18.73 versus 10.46 months, p=0.08).

      Conclusion

      In conclusion, the results from this study suggest that TS or FRA expression doesn’t predict efficacy of Pemetrexed, however, high TS expression may predict better ORR in patients receiving paclitaxel-carboplatin. FRA expression may serve as a prognostic factor in patients receiving chemotherapy irrespective of the regimen.

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