High Prevalence of Somatic Oncogenic Driver Alterations in Patients With NSCLC and Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction: Actionable somatic molecular alterations are found in 15% to 20% of NSCLC in Europe. NSCLC is a tumor observed in patients with germline TP53 variants causing Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), but its somatic molecular profile is unknown.

Methods: Retrospective study of clinical and molecular profiles of patients with NSCLC and germline TP53 variants.

Results: Among 22 patients with NSCLC and LFS (n = 23 lung tumors), 64% were women, median age was 51 years, 84% were nonsmokers, 73% had adenocarcinoma histological subtype, and 84% were diagnosed with advanced-stage disease. These patients harbored 16 distinct germline TP53 variants; the most common was p.R158H (5/22; three in the same family). Personal and family histories of cancer were reported in 71% and 90% of patients, respectively. In most cases (87%, 13/15), lung cancer was diagnosed with a late onset. Of the 21 tumors analyzed, somatic oncogenic driver mutations were found in 19 of 21 (90%), EGFR mutations in 18 (exon 19 deletion in 12 cases, L858R in three cases, and G719A, exon 20 insertion, and missing mutation subtype, each with one case), and ROS1 fusion in one case. A PI3KCA mutation was concurrently detected at diagnosis in three EGFR exon 19-deleted tumors (3/12). The median overall survival was 37.3 months in 14 patients treated with EGFR inhibitors; seven developed resistance, five (71%) acquired EGFR-T790M mutation, and one had SCLC transformation.

Conclusions: Driver oncogenic alterations were observed in 90% of the LFS tumors, mainly EGFR mutations; one ROS1 fusion was also observed. The germline TP53 variants and lung cancer carcinogenesis driven by oncogenic processes need further evaluation.

Keywords: EGFR mutation; Germline TP53 mutation; Li-Fraumeni syndrome; NSCLC; ROS1 fusion; Somatic driver alteration.