Patient case: 54-year-old female with lung adenocarcinoma; genetic feature: SND1-BRAF fusion

Clinical trial: Validation of Molecular Diagnostic Thecnologies for Lung Cancer Patients.

Summary: This is a non-interventional multi-center with investigational sites in Chile and Brasil diagnostic study to validate novel diagnostic technologies, such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) from both tissue and blood compared to the current gold standard. As a non-interventional study, patients will receive the treatment indicated by their doctor independently of their participation on this study.
  Many cancer cells look the same under the microscope. But as these cells are studied at the molecular level, some genetic alterations or defects that are more common to certain types of cancer are identified. In some cases, these defects are what make the cells grow and multiply abnormally.
  Biomarkers are the molecular fingerprints of these genetic defects. By testing a sample of your tumor for biomarkers, doctors can learn if your cancer has one of these defects, and that may point to a specific treatment choice.
  One of the genetic biomarkers that are believed to cause some cancers to grow is the ALK fusion gene. About 3% to 5% of people with NSCLC may test positive for ALK. ROS1 is a receptor found in 1 to 2% of people with this type of cancer.
  The present study is designed to advance the molecular testing methodologies to identify ALK+ and ROS1+ NSCLC patients.
  A positive correlation with these new technologies will mean an efficient, more accurate diagnostic test, which could impact a greater number of cancer patients around world.

Detailed description: B. Lung Cancer Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common cause of cancer mortality throughout the world. In 2007, there were 1.5 million new lung cancer cases diagnosed worldwide, including around 733,100 cases in the South American Region.6
  Approximately 85% of lung cancer is histologically defined as non small cell and the remaining 14% as small cell. The majority of patients with NSCLC present with inoperable locally advanced (Stage IIIB) or metastatic (Stage IV) disease for which no curative treatment is yet available. In newly diagnosed patients with good performance status, platinum based doublet-combination chemotherapies are associated with a median overall survival (OS) of 7.4 to 9.9 months. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Therefore, newer agents with novel mechanisms of action are still desperately needed for this serious life-threatening disease. 15,16
  The rapid and efficient identification of key driver genes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is becoming increasingly important.17 Clinical screening efforts have revealed that the most common mutations in lung cancer specimens involve EGFR and KRAS, along with 10 other genes that show a prevalence of mutation in 5% or less of tumors. The ALK gene is rearranged in around 3%-5% of patients with NSCLC and has been the focus of intense basic and clinical research, suggesting that the frequency of the gene rearrangement is similar in Asian and Western patients.
  ROS1 is a receptor tyrosine kinase of the insulin receptor family. Chromosomal rearrangements involving the ROS1 gene were originally described in glioblastomas, where ROS1 (chromosome 6q22) is fused to the FIG gene (chromosome 6q22 immediately adjacent to ROS1), 16 and have been shown to be transforming in transgenic mice.17 More recently, ROS1 fusions were identified as potential driver mutations in an NSCLC cell line (HCC78; SLC34A2-ROS1) and an NSCLC patient sample (CD74-ROS1). 18 These fusions led to constitutive kinase activity and were associated with sensitivity in vitro and in vivo to crizotinib. As of December 2013, 16 different variants have been found.16, 17, 18
  The present study is designed to advance the molecular testing methodologies to identify ALK+ and ROS1+ NSCLC patients. Advanced next generation sequencing screening methodologies will be used to identify NSCLC patients whose tumors contain a ROS1 gene inversion or translocation or an ALK translocation.
  A parallel test for ALK+ by either the Abbott ALK FISH test or the Ventana ALK IHC test is necessary to validate the NGS test in all samples. A parallel test for ROS1+ by either the Kreatech FISH test or the D4D6 ROS1 IHC test may be necessary to validate the NGS test in all samples.

Eligibility: Inclusion Criteria:
  -  Female or male, 18 years of age or older.
  -  Patients with histologically or cytological proven diagnosis of NSCLC, pathologically identified as adenocarcinoma.
  -  Patient naïve in lung cancer treatment
  -  Signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the patient (or legally acceptable representative) has been informed of all the pertinent aspects of the study prior to enrollment.
  -  Patients must give consent to the research use of their archived or tumor FFPE tissue, and if available, 2 blood tubes.
  Exclusion Criteria:
  -  Prior chemotherapy treatment.

Relevance to patient case: not relevant