TITLE:
ROS1 in Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer—Combined Immunotherapy (PD1/CTLA4) or Targeted Therapy?
AUTHORS:
Alexander Yakobson, Tal Mor, Levitas Dina, Laila C. Roisman, Daniel Levin, Wafeek Alguayn, Sara Morgenstern, Keren Rouvinov, Nir Peled, Waleed Kian
KEYWORDS:
ROS1, Crizotinib, Squamous Cell Lung Cancer, Immunotherapy; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.11 No.6,
June
11,
2020
ABSTRACT: ROS1 oncogenic fusion is reported to be 1% - 2% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) of the adenocarcinoma
subgroup. Meanwhile, there are no records of squamous cell cancer patients with
tumors harboring ROS1 fusions. The Foundation Medicine database indicates a
frequency of ROS1 rearrangements is 0.2% among squamous NSCLC. Crizotinib is
known to be very effective in these patients. Here we present a non-smoker patient who had pure
squamous NSCLC that was treated by combinational immunotherapy under a clinical
trial and progressed after 2 cycles. Surprisingly, comprehensive genomic
profiling detected a rare oncogenic EZR-ROS1 fusion, and the patient was
treated by crizotinib with a significant response within 6 weeks. To date, the
patient has been on therapy for 42 months and has
achieved a complete metabolic response.