INVESTIGATING TARGETED DRIVER MUTATIONS AND PD-L1 EXPRESSION FOR IMPROVED THERAPY OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Abstract

Most lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, limiting their treatment options to chemotherapy. New therapies that target driver gene mutations, are used to treat patients who have tumours with these mutations. In addition, immune checkpoint inhibitor is being used to treat lung cancer patients. Thus, being able to identify the presence of driver mutations and PD-L1 in tumours will help patients to benefit from different therapies. A total of 851 cases of lung cancer samples have been profiled for EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations. Moreover, PD-L1 mRNA expression was quantified to assess its correlation with PD-L1 protein level. Statistical analysis revealed that EGFR mutations were significantly linked to the absence of vascular invasion and PD-L1, and KRAS mutations do not associate with PD-L1. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between mRNA levels of PD-L1 with PD-L1 expression. Together, these data provide insightful information for clinical implications.