Noninvasive detection of EGFR T790M in gefitinib or erlotinib resistant non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE

Tumors from 50% of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients that develop resistance to gefitinib or erlotinib will contain a secondary EGFR T790M mutation. As most patients do not undergo repeated tumor biopsies we evaluated whether EGFR T790M could be detected using plasma DNA.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

DNA from plasma of 54 patients with known clinical response to gefitinib or erlotinib was extracted and used to detect both EGFR-activating and EGFR T790M mutations. Forty-three (80%) of patients had tumor EGFR sequencing (EGFR mutant/wild type: 30/13) and seven patients also had EGFR T790M gefitinib/erlotinib-resistant tumors. EGFR mutations were detected using two methods, the Scorpion Amplification Refractory Mutation System and the WAVE/Surveyor, combined with whole genome amplification.

RESULTS

Both EGFR-activating and EGFR T790M were identified in 70% of patients with known tumor EGFR-activating (21 of 30) or T790M (5 of 7) mutations. EGFR T790M was identified from plasma DNA in 54% (15 of 28) of patients with prior clinical response to gefitinib/erlotinib, 29% (4 of 14) with prior stable disease, and in 0% (0 of 12) that had primary progressive disease or were untreated with gefitinib/erlotinib.

CONCLUSIONS

EGFR T790M can be detected using plasma DNA from gefitinib- or erlotinib-resistant patients. This noninvasive method may aid in monitoring drug resistance and in directing the course of subsequent therapy.