Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy achieved a pathologic complete response in stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma harboring RET fusion: a case report

Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 3:14:1258762. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1258762. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has demonstrated significant benefit for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) excluding known EGFR/ALK genetic alterations. Recent evidence has shown that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy could be clinically valuable in resectable localized driver gene-mutant NSCLC, though the data still lack robust support, especially for rare oncogenic mutations. Here, we report a patient with stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma with a RET fusion gene and high expression of PD-L1 who underwent neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and successfully attained a pathologic complete response. The patient has survived for 12 months with no recurrence or metastases after surgery. Our case suggests that this treatment strategy may be an alternative therapeutic option for resectable RET fusion-positive NSCLC patients.

Keywords: RET fusion; lung adenocarcinoma; neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy; pathological complete response; stage IIIA.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung* / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung* / therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Pathologic Complete Response
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / genetics

Substances

  • RET protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 82072333); and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (grant number 2023AFB986).