PAST
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is considered to be a heterogeneous disease.1 Lung ground-glass opacities (GGOs), which are classified as an indolent subtype,2 have been increasingly detected owing to the popularity of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). GGOs are more likely to be found in younger patients and female nonsmokers,3 and epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) are the most common therapeutic target in NSCLC.4 However, as it is the group in the earliest stage of lung cancer development, the correlations between EGFR mutation rates, age, and tumor characteristics of patients with GGOs remain unclear.
PRESENT
Using the data of 1473 patients with GGOs from two cancer centers,5 the EGFR mutation rates were compared, stratified by different groups. In total, we found that those diagnosed at an age older than 50 years had a 47.0% increased likelihood of harboring EGFR mutations. Compared with the older group, the increased chance of harboring EGFR mutations for the patients with larger tumors, mixed GGOs, and IAC was greater in the younger group. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that age, GGOs types, tumor diameter and pathological types were significant predictors for EGFR mutations status. Furthermore, the distributions of EGFR subtypes varied in different age and GGOs diameter groups.
FUTURE
The current study5 offered new insights into the tumor biology and treatment strategies of GGOs. To the authors’ knowledge, few large-scale studies have clearly explored the correlations between tumor features, age, and EGFR mutation rates in patients with GGOs. However, this study only included Asian patients, and did not include Western ethnicities. Most patients were only tested for EGFR mutations and lack comprehensive genotyping. A study including Asian and Western patients with comprehensive genetic testing is needed to further explore these differences.
FUNDING
This work was supported by the Project of National Natural Science Foundation (grant no. 82203421), Zhongshan Science and Technology Bureau Project (grant no. 2023B1007, 2023B1010, 2022B1140), Zhongshan City People’s Hospital Major Project (Top Youth Program) (grant no. B2021003), and Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation (grant no. Y-tongshu2021/ms-0096).
Disclosures
All authors declared no conflicts of interest
Footnotes
This article refers to: Tang W, Qiu Z, Chu X, et al. EGFR mutation rates correlate with age at diagnosis and tumor characteristics in patients with pulmonary ground-glass opacities. Ann Surg Oncol. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-024-16730-7.
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Contributor Information
Wei-Zhao Huang, Email: garming97@126.com.
Wen-Zhao Zhong, Email: syzhongwenzhao@scut.edu.cn.
Yi Liang, Email: YiLiangZSCPH@outlook.com.
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