2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) - ePosters-EP.06D.04 Prognostic Value of Variant Allele Frequency in Circulating Tumor DNA for Survival Outcomes in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

EP.06D.04 Prognostic Value of Variant Allele Frequency in Circulating Tumor DNA for Survival Outcomes in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

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This study investigates the prognostic value of variant allele frequency (VAF) in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for predicting survival outcomes in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using a liquid biopsy method via the Guardant360 platform, ctDNA analysis provides a non-invasive approach to detect tumor-derived mutations. The research involved a retrospective cohort of 293 patients with confirmed NSCLC, focusing particularly on 214 patients with available VAF data. <br /><br />Patients were categorized into two groups based on their VAF: low VAF (mean of 0.4%) and high VAF (mean of 16.5%). The primary finding indicated a significant association between higher VAF levels and shorter overall survival (OS). Specifically, patients with high VAF had a median OS of 5.16 months compared to 10.25 months for those with low VAF. A Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for variables such as smoking history, presence of brain metastasis, and cancer histology, found a lower hazard ratio for death among low VAF patients (HR: 0.485, 95% CI: 0.289 to 0.814, p < 0.01).<br /><br />Furthermore, a sub-analysis limited to patients receiving systemic therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy reaffirmed these conclusions, showing median OS of 9.0 months for high VAF and 10.5 months for low VAF, further underlining the prognostic potential of ctDNA VAF.<br /><br />This study suggests that ctDNA VAF can serve as a prognostic biomarker in metastatic NSCLC. To implement VAF analysis into clinical practice for personalized treatment plans, further research is required to corroborate these results and explore the benefits of integrating ctDNA VAF assessments into routine care.

Asset Subtitle

Ariel Peleg

Meta Tag

Speaker Ariel Peleg

Topic Pathology and Biomarkers

Keywords

variant allele frequency

circulating tumor DNA

metastatic non-small cell lung cancer

Guardant360 platform

liquid biopsy

overall survival

prognostic biomarker

Cox proportional hazards model

systemic therapy

personalized treatment