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Zhaohui Liao Arter,1,2 Kevin Shieh,1,2 Misako Nagasaka,1,2 Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou1,2 1Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USACorrespondence: Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Tel +1 714-456-5153, Fax +1 714-456-2242, Email ignatiusou@gmail.comBackground: BRAF mutations are generally divided into three classes based on the different altered mechanism of activation.Methods: We queried the public AACR GENIE database (version 13.1), which includes tumor mutation burden (TMB) data, to explore potential molecular differences among the three classes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Results: Out of 20,713 unique NSCLC patients, 324 (1.6%) were BRAF mutations positive (BRAF+) class I, 260 (1.3%) class II, and 236 (1.1%) class III. The distribution of patient characteristics, including sex, age, and race, remains uniform across the three classes. The median TMB (mt/MB) was 6.5, 9.5, and 10.3 for class I, II, and III, respectively. The mean TMB was 61.5 ± 366.1 for class I, 40.5 ± 156.2 for class II, and 129.4 ± 914.8 for class III. About 30.5% of BRAF V600E+ patients had TMB ≥ 10; 47.7% of class II had TMB ≥ 10; and 52.5% of class III had TMB ≥ 10. For those patients with TMB ≥ 10, the median TMB was 45, 28.9, 18.4 for class I, II, and III, respectively. For TMB ≥ 10 patients, TP53 mutation was the most common co-alterations across all 3 classes.Conclusion: A substantial proportion of BRAF+ NSCLC patients exhibited a TMB ≥ 10, among all three classes of BRAF mutation classification, including BRAF V600E+ NSCLC. Class III mutations appeared to have the highest median TMB, followed by class II, and then class I.Keywords: target therapy, immunocheck point inhibitor (ICI), BRAF mutation, tumor mutation burden (TMB), class I, II, III mutations, NSCLC

Alexandria TM Lee,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Orange, CA, 92868, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, 92868, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UC Irvine, Orange, CA, 92602, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Mutations in KRAS G12C are among the more common oncogenic driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In December 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to adagrasib, a small molecule covalent inhibitor of KRAS G12C, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC who received at least one prior systemic therapy based on promising results from phase 1 and 2 trials wherein adagrasib demonstrated a median PFS of 6.5 months. Results from the phase 3 KRYSTAL-12 trial were recently presented, showing benefit with adagrasib compared to docetaxel, with participants in the adagrasib group demonstrating a PFS of 5.5 months compared to 3.8 months in the docetaxel group. However, these results fall short of the 6-month PFS benchmark that had seemed achievable from what had been seen in phase 1 and 2 trials, mirroring similarly disappointing results from the CodeBreaK 200 trial wherein sotorasib, the first-in-class KRAS G12C inhibitor, also failed to meet the 6-month benchmark also thought to be possible when examining earlier trials. These results raise the question of adagrasib’s true value in the second-line treatment setting and compel us to explore more potent novel therapies, combination therapies, and more as we seek to break the 6-month PFS barrier in the treatment of KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC.Keywords: Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog gene, docetaxel, sotorasib

Brian Warnecke,1 Misako Nagasaka1,2 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 2Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: One of the most common mutations seen in lung cancers are mutations in Kristen Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS), observed in 25– 30% of patients with NSCLC. Mutations in KRAS result in oncogenesis via persistent activation of the MAPK/ERK pathways. Although once thought to be “undruggable”, KRAS p.G12C inhibitors such as sotorasib and adagrasib have been developed. This paper focuses on adagrasib, the second KRAS p.G12C inhibitor to obtain regulatory approval by the FDA and describes the details on its study design, development and current place in therapy.Keywords: Kristen Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog, sotorasib, AMG510, MRTX849, KRYSTAL, CodeBreaK, brain penetration

Zhaohui Liao Arter,1,2 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: On April 18, 2024, the Food and Drug Administration approved alectinib as an adjuvant treatment for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after tumor resection. This approval was grounded in the outcomes of the ALINA trial, which demonstrated that alectinib significantly enhances disease-free survival compared to traditional platinum-based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting. The ALINA trial is notable not just for advancing ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) into the adjuvant setting but also for its innovative approach of comparing them to adjuvant chemotherapy, distinguishing it from other landmark trials.Keywords: ALK, NSCLC, adjuvant therapy, targeted therapy

Zhaohui Liao Arter,1,2 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, UC Irvine, Orange, CA, 92602, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: On December 22, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the biologics license application for patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd) for priority review. This treatment is aimed at adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR mutations, who have received at least two prior systemic therapies. Approval of patritumab deruxtecan would mark it as the first HER3 targeted therapy in the United States. This prioritization by the FDA is grounded in compelling results from the global Phase II HERTHENA-Lung01 trial, wherein HER3-DXd exhibited clinically meaningful efficacy, achieving a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 5.5 months in patients with heavily treated EGFR-mutated NSCLC. A pivotal question remains: Is a mPFS of 5.5 months sufficient in the context of the evolving first-line landscape observed in the FLAURA-2 and MARIPOSA trials?Keywords: EGFR, NSCLC, post-osimertinib, targeted therapy

Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou,1 Xiuning Le,2 Misako Nagasaka,1 Thanyanan Reungwetwattana,3 Myung-Ju Ahn,4 Darren WT Lim,5 Edgardo S Santos,6 Elaine Shum,7 Sally CM Lau,7 Jii Bum Lee,8 Antonio Calles,9 Fengying Wu,10 Gilberto Lopes,11 Virote Sriuranpong,12 Junko Tanizaki,13 Hidehito Horinouchi,14 Marina C Garassino,15 Sanjay Popat,16 Benjamin Besse,17 Rafael Rosell,18 Ross A Soo19 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 2University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 3Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 4Department of Hematology and Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 5Duke-NUS School of medicine, National Cancer Center Singapore, Republic of Singapore; 6Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA; 7NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center, NY, NY, USA; 8Yonsei Cancer Center Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 9Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Early Drug Development and Phase I Unit, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, 28007, Spain; 10Shanghai Chest hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 11Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami and the Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; 12Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand; 13Department of Medicine, Kindai University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; 14Department of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 15Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology-Hematology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; 16Royal Marsden Hospital, London, Imperial College, London, UK; 17Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France; Paris-Saclay University, Orsay, France; 18Department of Hematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital Singapore, Republic of Singapore; 19IOR, Quirón-Dexeus University Institute; ICO, Catalan Institute of Oncology; IGTP, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Barcelona, SpainCorrespondence: Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou, University of California School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 200 South Manchester Avenue, Suite 400, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Tel +1 714-456-5153, Fax +1 714-456-2242, Email Siou@hs.uci.eduAbstract: The year 2024 is the 20th anniversary of the discovery of activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Since then, tremendous advances have been made in the treatment of NSCLC based on this discovery. Some of these studies have led to seismic changes in the concept of oncology research and spurred treatment advances beyond NSCLC, leading to a current true era of precision oncology for all solid tumors. We now routinely molecularly profile all tumor types and even plasma samples of patients with NSCLC for multiple actionable driver mutations, independent of patient clinical characteristics nor is profiling limited to the advanced incurable stage. We are increasingly monitoring treatment responses and detecting resistance to targeted therapy by using plasma genotyping. Furthermore, we are now profiling early-stage NSCLC for appropriate adjuvant targeted treatment leading to an eventual potential “cure” in early-stage EGFR+ NSCLC which have societal implication on implementing lung cancer screening in never-smokers as most EGFR+ NSCLC patients are never-smokers. All these advances were unfathomable in 2004 when the five papers that described “discoveries” of activating EGFR mutations (del19, L858R, exon 20 insertions, and “uncommon” mutations) were published. To commemorate this 20th anniversary, we assembled a global panel of thoracic medical oncology experts to select the top 20 papers (publications or congress presentation) from the 20 years since this seminal discovery with December 31, 2023 as the cutoff date for inclusion of papers to be voted on. Papers ranked 21 to 30 were considered “honorable mention” and also annotated. Our objective is that these 30 papers with their annotations about their impact and even all the ranked papers will serve as “syllabus” for the education of future thoracic oncology trainees. Finally, we mentioned potential practice-changing clinical trials to be reported. One of them, LAURA was published online on June 2, 2024 was not included in the list of papers to be voted on but will surely be highly ranked if this consensus survery is performed again on the 25th anniversay of the discovery EGFR mutations (i.e. top 25 papers on the 25 years since the discovery of activating EGFR mutations).Keywords: EGFR mutations, expert panel, top 20 papers, 20th anniversary, NSCLC

Danielle Brazel,1 Misako Nagasaka2,3 1Department of Hematology/Oncology, Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital, La Jolla, CA, USA; 2Department of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, University of California Irvine School of Medicine Chao Family Cancer Center, 101 The City Drive, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Osimertinib is the current first-line treatment for EGFR-mutated NSCLC, however, patients frequently relapse due to acquired resistance mutations. Amivantamab is a bispecific antibody against EGFR and MET alterations. Lazertinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor active against EGFR mutations including common resistance mutations. The MARIPOSA trial was designed to study if the combination of amivantamab plus lazertinib in untreated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients would provide improved progression-free survival. Here, we discuss the rationale for the study and the early results of MARIPOSA.Keywords: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, first line treatment, bispecific antibody

Dalia Kaakour,1 Misako Nagasaka1,2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine Chao Family Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 2Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Cancer Center, 101 the City Drive, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertions are a rare subtype of EGFR mutations that do not respond to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors developed for sensitizing mutations. In 2021, two drugs, amivantamab and mobocertinib each received FDA accelerated approval for second line use after platinum based therapy. These drugs were then brought to first line setting clinical trials; PAPILLON and EXCLAIM2. PAPILLON, which compared amivantamab plus chemotherapy to chemotherapy was positive, whereas EXCLAIM2, which compared mobocertinib to chemotherapy was negative. The PAPILLON regimen received subsequent FDA approval. In this commentary, we review the details of PAPILLON and also discuss why the rival trial, EXCLAIM2, may have failed.Keywords: epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, first line therapy, targeted therapy, bispecific antibody, mobocertinib

Zhaohui Liao Arter,1,2 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, 92602, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Targeted therapies, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), have revolutionized the treatment landscape for EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the emergence of resistance to EGFR TKIs especially the third generation TKIs such as osimertinib remains a major clinical challenge. As a broader strategy for combating resistance, several clinical trials have explored the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)+chemotherapy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Until now, the ORIENT-31 and IMpower150 trials suggested that ICIs+ chemotherapy may be more effective than chemotherapy alone after failure of EGFR-TKIs (although ORIENT-31 was negative for overall survival [OS] and IMpower150 was a subset analysis, so the study was not powered to detect a difference); however, the CheckMate-722 trial yielded disappointing results. Thus, the results of this global trial KEYNOTE-789 were highly anticipated.Keywords: EGFR, post-osimertinib, chemo-immunotherapy, targeted therapy

Misako Nagasaka,1– 3 Saihong Ignatius Ou1,2 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, JapanCorrespondence: Saihong Ignatius Ou, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, 200 South Manchester Avenue, Suite 400, Orange, CA, 92868-3298, USA, Tel +1-714-456-5153, Fax +1-714-456-2242, Email siou@hs.uci.eduAbstract: One of the most recent advancements in NSCLC was the approval of immunotherapy in the adjuvant setting. Both atezolizumab and pembrolizumab have been approved for the use in early stage NSCLC patients post resection. As it broadens the options for our patients, multiple approvals in the same setting are generally welcomed. However, there were important differences in the two studies that led to the approvals and the data could be confusing. Here we review IMpower010, the study that led to the first approval of atezolizumab in the adjuvant setting with comparison to the Keynote-091 study evaluating pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting, gaining the most recent FDA approval for adjuvant use in early stage NSCLC.Keywords: post operative therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, atezolizumab, IMpower010, biomarker

Jeffrey Ahn,1 Misako Nagasaka1,2 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 2St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: In metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), tumors that do not harbor driver mutations in EGFR or gene fusions in ALK and ROS, PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors have become a cornerstone in first line treatment, either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. This paper reviews cemiplimab-rwlc, the third PD-1/L1 inhibitor to be approved in the setting for first line treatment in NSCLC, as monotherapy or in combination therapy with chemotherapy, to provide a perspective on the subtle differences in patient population for the cemiplimab studies and consideration of its primary and subgroup results in the context of first line therapies for NSCLC.Keywords: immunotherapy, monotherapy, combination chemotherapy, PD-L1

Shannon S Zhang,1 Alexandria Lee,1 Misako Nagasaka1,2 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Thirteen percent of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are estimated to have the KRAS G12C mutation. Sotorasib is a novel KRAS G12C inhibitor that has shown promising results in preclinical and clinical studies, granting its conditional approval by the FDA in May 2021. The phase I clinical trial resulted in a confirmed response of 32% and progression free survival (PFS) of 6.3 months while the phase II trial resulted in a confirmed response of 37.1% and a PFS of 6.8 months. It was also shown to be tolerable with most subjects experiencing grade one or two adverse events, most commonly diarrhea and nausea. The CodeBreaK 200 phase III trial data have recently resulted and showed an improved PFS with the use of sotorasib at 5.6 months compared to that of standard docetaxel of 4.5 months in locally advanced or unresectable metastatic KRAS G12C NSCLC previously treated with at least one platinum-based chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitor. The lower than expected PFS of sotorasib from the phase III trial opens up opportunities for other G12C inhibitors to join the field. Indeed, adagrasib, another G12C inhibitor just recently gained FDA accelerated approval in NSCLC patients based on the KRYSTAL-1 study where the response rate was 43% with a median duration of response of 8.5 months. With novel agents and combinations, the field of KRAS G12C is quickly evolving. While sotorasib was an exciting start, there is more to do to break the KRAS G12C Enigma code.Keywords: sotorasib, AMG 510, non-small cell lung cancer, docetaxel, CodeBreaK 100, CodeBreaK 200, KRASG12C

Alexandria TM Lee,1 Misako Nagasaka1,2 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Orange, CA, 92868, USA; 2St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, 200 South Manchester, Suite 400, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has increasingly been driven by the presence of targetable driver mutations, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Tyrosine receptor inhibitors (TKIs) have subsequently emerged as the standard-of-care treatment for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. However, there are currently limited treatment options for TKI-refractory EGFR-mutant NSCLC. It is in this context that immunotherapy has arisen as a particularly promising player, especially in the context of favorable results from the ORIENT-31 and IMpower150 trials. Thus, the results of the CheckMate-722 trial were highly anticipated, as it was the first global trial to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in addition to standard platinum-based chemotherapy, specifically in the treatment of EGFR-mutant NSCLC post-progression on TKIs.Keywords: immunotherapy, epidermal growth factor receptor mutation, osimertinib refractory

Danielle Brazel,1 Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou,1,2 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, 101 the City Drive, Orange, CA, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by rapid progression and poor prognosis. Although the phase II CITYSCAPE-02 trial found objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients improved when tiragolumab was added to atezolizumab and chemotherapy, the phase III SKYSCRAPER-02 failed to find PFS or OS benefit in patients with SCLC. Atezolizumab was the first immunotherapy to show survival benefit in extensive SCLC based on the phase III IMpower133 study. Given that immunotherapy has become the standard of care for SCLC patients, further research is needed into ways to augment the immune system to better treat these patients.Keywords: tiragolumab, TIGIT, immunotherapy, small cell lung cancer

Danielle Brazel,1 Zhaohui Arter,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: KRASG12C is one of the most common oncogenes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is associated with a poor prognosis. Historically, KRAS mutations have been difficult to target due to lack of binding sites and exceptionally high affinity for guanosine triphosphate/guanosine diphosphate (GTP/GDP). Recently, KRASG12C selective inhibitors have shown promising results in Phase I/II studies. Here we discuss the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, efficacy, and tolerability of adagrasib (MRTX849).Keywords: MRTX849, KRAS, non-small cell lung cancer, targeted therapy

Danielle Brazel,1 Shannon Zhang,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed, amplified, or mutated in 1– 20% of NSCLC. MET dysregulation is associated with a poor prognosis. Recently, development of targeted therapies against MET exon 14 mutations has demonstrated efficacy and tolerability in early trials. Here we focus on tepotinib and capmatinib in regards to molecular characteristics, early preclinical and clinical data, and the emerging role in future studies and clinical practice.Keywords: tepotinib, capmatinib, mesenchymal-epithelial transition inhibitors, MET, RET, non-small cell lung cancer

Danielle Brazel,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3Department of Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Recently, the ADAURA study demonstrated statistically significant improved disease-free survival (DFS) with adjuvant osimertinib in patients with resected stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. A consistent improvement in disease-free survival (DFS) was shown, regardless of whether or not patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Given benefit seen with and without adjuvant chemotherapy, some clinicians may be tempted to forgo chemotherapy and only offer osimertinib post surgical resection. Would this approach be appropriate? Here we carefully dissect data from the ADAURA trial and review how this may fit into the existing evidence on the treatment of early stage NSCLC by discussing five themes, the study design of ADAURA, attempts on adjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitors, prior studies to support adjuvant chemotherapy, how adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in ADAURA and consideration of toxicities.Keywords: early stage non-small cell lung cancer, epidermal growth factor receptor, adjuvant therapy, osimertinib, disease-free survival, overall survival

Misako Nagasaka,1– 3 Sai-hong Ignatius Ou1,2 1University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako Nagasaka, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, 101 the City Drive South, Building 200, Room 410, ZOT 4061, Orange, CA, 92868, USA, Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become the preferred first line therapy for those patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Given superior progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) when compared to earlier generations, third generation EGFR TKIs have become the first choice therapy in many parts of the world. Even though multiple strategies are in development to target both “on-target” and “off-target” resistance, the continuation of EGFR TKIs at the time of progression remains a controversial topic. This commentary focuses on both the ”classic” clinical trials of IMpower150 and IMPRESS and compares them to the recently reported ORIENT-31 and ongoing MARIPOSA-2 to discuss the future therapeutic strategies in the setting of progression post-third generation EGFR TKIs.Keywords: sintilimab, ORIENT-31, EGFR+ NSCLC, bevacizumab biosimilar, EGFR TKI, third-generation EGFR TKI, T790M

Danielle Brazel,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako NagasakaDepartment of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA, 92868, USAEmail nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients demonstrating sensitizing oncogenic driver mutations have derived clinical benefit from targeted therapy. EGFR mutations constitutively activate the signaling pathway, leading to prosurvival and antiapoptotic signals. Classic sensitizing EGFR mutations, such as exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R point mutations, respond well to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). On the other hand, EGFR exon 20 in-frame insertions are observed in 4– 12% of EGFR-mutated NSCLC and are resistant to targeted therapy with TKIs. In May 2021, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) provided accelerated approval to amivantamab (Rybrevant) in adults with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. Here, we discuss properties of amivantamab, clinical trial results, and management of patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutated NSCLC.Keywords: amivantamab, epidermal growth factor receptor, mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor, MET, non-small cell lung cancer, tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Shannon S Zhang,1 Misako Nagasaka1– 3 1Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; 3St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, JapanCorrespondence: Misako NagasakaDepartment of Medicine, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USAEmail nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Mutations in codon 12 of KRAS have been identified in 13% of non-small cell lung cancer patients. Developing targeted therapies against KRASG12C mutation has proven to be challenging due to the abundance of GTP in the cytoplasm, rapid hydrolysis of GTP, and difficulty designing small molecules to achieve sufficient concentration for KRAS inhibition. Based on promising results in both preclinical and clinical trials, sotorasib, a novel KRASG12C inhibitor, was given conditional approval by the FDA in May 2021. The Phase I portion of the clinical trial produced 32% confirmed response with 56% of patients with stable disease. About 91.2% of patients who received the highest dose of 960mg daily achieved disease control. The Phase II portion, which used 960mg daily dosing resulted in 37.1% of patients with confirmed response and 80.6% of patients with disease control. Both phase I and phase II had similar progression-free survival, in 6.3 months and 6.8 months, respectively. In both phases, grade 4 adverse events occurred in only one patient. The most common adverse events were elevations in LFTs, which down-trended upon dose reduction and steroid treatment. While the conditional approval of sotorasib was a major breakthrough for those patients harboring KRASG12C mutations, resistance mutations to sotorasib are increasingly common. Many proposals have been made to address this, such as the use of combination therapy for synthetic lethality, which are producing encouraging results. Here, we explore in further detail the development of sotorasib, its efficacy, mechanism of resistance, and strategies to overcome these resistances.Keywords: sotorasib, AMG 510, Lumakras, non-small cell lung cancer, CodeBreak 100, KRASG12C

Ibrahim Azar,1 Samer Alkassis,2 Jami Fukui,3 Fares Alsawah,1 Kalub Fedak,1 Mohammed Najeeb Al Hallak,1 Ammar Sukari,1 Misako Nagasaka1,4 1Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; 3University of Hawaii Manoa Cancer Center, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA; 4Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, JapanCorrespondence: Misako NagasakaDepartment of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Center/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USATel +1313-576-8772Fax +1313-576-8699Email nagasakm@hs.uci.eduAbstract: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a proto-oncogene that, when mutated or overexpressed, plays an important role in oncogenesis. The landscape of HER2-positive breast cancer has changed dramatically over the past 2 decades with the FDA approval of a growing number of agents (antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates) targeting the HER2 receptor. HER2 inhibition has also been approved for HER2-positive gastric cancer. HER2 is amplified in 9% and mutated in 3% of lung cancer. Historically, HER2-targeted therapy for lung cancer with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and trastuzumab emtansine has failed to demonstrate a survival benefit. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a novel antibody–drug conjugate with a tetrapeptide linker, which delivers a topoisomerase I inhibitor with a drug-to-antibody ratio of 7∼ 8. The potency of the active payload, as well as its significant bystander effect, resulted in significant anti-tumor activity. The DESTINY-Lung01 trial evaluated T-DXd in HER2-positive non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and reported a progression-free survival of 14 months in HER2-mutated NSCLC, earning its breakthrough designation by the FDA. In this review, we will discuss the structural characteristics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of T-DXd. We will also shed light on the preclinical and ongoing clinical trials of T-DXd along with future directions in the management of HER2 positive lung cancer.Keywords: T-DXd, DS8201, antibody drug conjugate, HER2

Viola W Zhu, 1,* Misako Nagasaka, 2, 3,* Takafumi Kubota, 4 Kunil Raval, 5 Natasha Robinette, 6 Octavio Armas, 7 Wajd Al-Holou, 8 Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou 1 1Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA; 2Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 3Department of Advanced Medical Innovations, St. Marianna University Graduate School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan; 4Department of Neurology, Sapporo Nishimaruyama Hospital, Sapporo, Japan; 5Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 6Department of Oncology, Imaging Division, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 7Department of Pathology, Sharp Grossmont Hospital, La Mesa, CA, USA; 8Department of Neurosurgery, Karmanos Cancer Institute/Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Sai-Hong Ignatius OuChao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California Irvine, 200 Manchester Dr, Suite 410, Orange, CA 92868, USATel +1714-456-8104Fax +1714-456-2242Email siou@uci.eduAbstract: Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis carries a significant morbidity and mortality in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Next-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are highly CNS-penetrant and have demonstrated remarkable intracranial activity across clinical studies, and yet radiation remains the mainstay of treatment modality against CNS metastasis. We have previously reported alectinib can induce CNS radiation necrosis even after a remote history of radiation (7 years post-radiation). Lorlatinib is another potent next-generation ALK TKI that can overcome many ALK resistance mutations and has been shown to have excellent activity in patients with baseline CNS metastasis. Here we report two ALK-rearranged NSCLC patients who developed radiation necrosis shortly after initiating lorlatinib following progression on the sequential treatment of crizotinib, alectinib, and brigatinib. In both cases, radiation necrosis is evidenced by serial MRI images and histological examination of the resected CNS metastasis that had previously been radiated. Our cases highlight the importance of recognizing CNS radiation necrosis that may mimic disease progression in ALK-rearranged NSCLC treated with and potentially precipated by next-generation ALK TKIs.Keywords: CNS, radiation necrosis, lorlatinib, ALK-rearranged NSCLC, alectinib

Misako Nagasaka,1,2 Nadine Abdallah,3 Marcus Crosby,4 Nithin Thummala,1 Dhaval Patel,1 Antoinette J Wozniak,5 Shirish Gadgeel,6 Judith Abrams,1 Ammar Sukari1 1Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 2Department of Advanced Medical Innovations, St. Marianna University Graduate School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA; 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, WI, USA; 5Department of Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USACorrespondence: Ammar SukariDepartment of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI 48201, USATel +1 313 576 8753Fax +1 313 576 8699Email sukaria@karmanos.orgIntroduction of hypothesis: Little information is available regarding the imaging characteristics that assist in differentiating responders from non-responders. We hypothesized that patients with higher pretreatment tumor volume (PTV) would have lower response rates and shorter overall survival (OS).Methods: Data from patients who received at least one dose of program death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors before August 31, 2016 were captured from our institution’s pharmacy database. The primary objective was to determine the association of PTV with best response, evaluated utilizing RECIST v1.1 criteria. Secondary objectives were estimation of progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. PTV was measured using the Philips Intellispace Multi-Modality Tumor Tracking application.Results: 116 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were evaluated. 66% patients had adenocarcinoma, 28% had squamous cell carcinoma and 5% had poorly differentiated NSCLC. Median PTV was 53.7 cm3 (95% CI: 13.3–107.9). Only one individual had no metastases and the remainder had M1 disease; 38% M1a, 10% M1b, 51% M1c. Most (79%) were previously treated. There were no complete responses; among those followed for at least 6 weeks, 26% had a partial response, 39% stable disease and 34% PD; 4% had no recorded response. There were no strong associations of PTV with any of the demographic or clinical characteristics. There was no association between PTV and OS (HR 1.2, P=0.26) or PFS (HR 1.1, P=0.47). Liver metastasis was associated with shorter survival (HR=2.8, P=0.05).Conclusion: PTV in NSCLC did not prove to be a predictor of response to PD-1 inhibitors but having liver metastasis was associated with significantly shorter survival.Keywords: non-small cell lung cancer, tumor volume, tumor burden, checkpoint inhibitors

Nadine Abdallah,1 Misako Nagasaka,2,3 Eman Abdulfatah,4 Dongping Shi,4 Antoinette J Wozniak,2 Ammar Sukari2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; 2Department of Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; 3Department of Advanced Medical Innovation, St. Marianna University Graduate School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan; 4Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA Introduction: Histologic transformation from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a well-recognized mechanism of resistance in EGFR-mutant adenocarcinoma upon treatment with TKIs, but rarely reported with programmed death1 (PD-1) inhibitors. We report two cases of potential transformation during treatment with PD-1 inhibitors.Case presentations: Case 1, a 65-year-old man was diagnosed with stage IVa lung adenocarcinoma on pleural fluid cytology. He received six cycles of carboplatin and pemetrexed, then maintained on pemetrexed. He had disease progression after nine cycles of pemetrexed and was switched to nivolumab. He progressed after five cycles of nivolumab. Core biopsy of the lung mass revealed SCLC. Case 2, a 68-year-old man was diagnosed with two primary NSCLCs and underwent resection. He had recurrence after several months and was treated with four cycles of carboplatin, paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab on clinical trial, with partial response. He was continued on pembrolizumab and had disease progression after 30 cycles. Biopsy of the new lesions showed SCLC.Discussion: Histologic transformation from NSCLC to SCLC can be explained by the presence of a common cell precursor. Proposed molecular mechanisms include loss of RB1, TP53 mutations, and MYC amplification. The distinction between transformation and mixed histology tumors is challenging, especially when pathologic material used for the initial diagnosis is limited. The possibility of a second metachronous primary lung cancer cannot be excluded in our cases.Conclusion: Histologic transformation with PD-1 inhibitors could be under-recognized. Disease progression should prompt re-biopsy to uncover new histology and change in treatment. Future studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms and predictors of transformation. Keywords: transformation, small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, PD-1 inhibitor, resistance, checkpoint inhibitor

Ichiro Morioka, Sota Iwatani, Tsubasa Koda, Miwako Nagasaka, Keiji Yamana, Daisuke Kurokawa, Kaori Fujita, Kosuke Nishida, Kazumoto Iijima Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, JapanAbstract: Neonatal sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns, particularly in the preterm or low birth weight infant. In this epidemiologic review regarding neonatal sepsis, the recent epidemiology and causative pathogens in Japan are described and compared with data from international organizations. Recent Japanese multicenter studies report the incidence of neonatal sepsis at 0.74%. Although the incidence of early-onset sepsis has been low (0.13%), approximately 5% of very or extremely low birth weight infants develop late-onset sepsis with a high mortality rate. In Japan for such cases, the most predominant causative pathogen is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; internationally, the most commonly reported pathogen is coagulase-negative staphylococci. It is our contention that the incorporation of the strategies to control and to prevent health care-associated MRSA transmission has contributed to the reduction in the incidence of late-onset sepsis.Keywords: coagulase-negative staphylococci, incidence, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, mortality, neonatal intensive care, nosocomial infections