Comprehensive serial biobanking in advanced NSCLC: feasibility, challenges and perspectives.

BACKGROUND

Availability of tumor material at baseline and disease progression is increasingly important for patient management in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for the application of targeted therapies like tyrosine kinase inhibitors and for immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. Here we report the experience of prospective biomaterial acquisition in advanced NSCLC from a pilot project.

METHODS

Main objective was the longitudinal collection of high-quality, cryoconserved biopsies in addition to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies required for routine diagnostics, along with blood samples and detailed clinical annotation using standardized questionnaires.

RESULTS

Over five years, 205 patients were enrolled for the project, yielding 387 cryoconserved biopsies and 1,098 serum, plasma and buffy-coat samples. The feasibility of obtaining the cryoconserved biopsies in addition to the FFPE biopsies was 89% for newly diagnosed cases, but dropped down to 56% and 47% at first and second disease progression, respectively. While forceps biopsy was the preferred procedure for tissue acquisition, the highest tissue amounts were received using the cryobiopsy method. Biopsies had a median tumor cellularity of 34% and yielded in median 13.6 µg DNA and 12 µg RNA (median RIN =8). During the five-year project, a maximum of 38 follow-up blood samples per patient were assembled in up to four therapy lines.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the poor condition and limited prognosis of most NSCLC patients, this serial biomaterial acquisition including routine collection of cryoconserved biopsies is feasible to support individualized management. The standardized collection of high-quality material has enabled and enriched several translational research studies that can advance therapeutic options.

Informations de copyright

2020 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tlcr-20-137). SW reports grants and personal fees from German Center for Lung Research (DZL), during the conduct of the study. TM reports grants and personal fees from BMBF, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Roche, outside the submitted work. PC reports grants and personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Roche, grants from AstraZeneca, grants from Takeda, personal fees from Chugai, personal fees from Boehringer, outside the submitted work. MM reports grants from German Center for Lung Research, during the conduct of the study. CPH’s disclosure see the COI statement enclosed. AS reports personal fees from Astra Zeneca, personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from BMS, personal fees from MSD, grants and personal fees from Bayer, personal fees from Seattle Genetics, personal fees from Takeda, personal fees from Eli Lilly, personal fees from Illumina, personal fees from Thermo Fisher, grants from Chugai, personal fees from Roche, personal fees from Pfizer, personal fees from Janssen, during the conduct of the study; serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Translational Lung Cancer Research from Sep 2019 to Sep 2021. RMH reports grants from German Center for Lung Research (DZL), during the conduct of the study. MT reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, grants, personal fees and non- financial support from Bristol-Myers Squibb, personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees and non-financial support from Celgene, personal fees and non-financial support from Chugai, personal fees and non-financial support from Lilly, personal fees and non-financial support from MSD, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees and non-financial support from Pfizer, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Roche, grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Takeda, outside the submitted work. MAS reports grants and personal fees from German Center for Lung Research (DZL), during the conduct of the study. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.