Real-world utility of an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing liquid biopsy for broad molecular profiling in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE To assess the feasibility and utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) by amplicon-based nextgeneration sequencing (NGS) analysis in the daily clinical setting in a cohort of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as an alternative approach to tissue molecular profiling. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this single-center prospective study, treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC were enrolled. Clinical validation of ctDNA using amplicon-based NGS analysis (with a 36-gene panel) was performed against standard-of-care tissue molecular analysis in treatment-naïve patients. The feasibility, utility, and prognostic value of ctDNA as a dynamic marker of treatment efficacy was evaluated. Results of tissue molecular profile were blinded during ctDNA analysis. RESULTS Of 214 patients with advanced NSCLC who were recruited, 156 were treatment-naïve patients and 58 were pretreated patients with unknown tissue molecular profile. ctDNA screening was successfully performed for 91% (n = 194) of all patients, and mutations were detected in 77% of these patients. Tissue molecular analysis was available for 111 patients (52%), and tissue somatic mutations were found for 78% (n = 87) of patients. For clinically relevant variants, concordance agreement between ctDNA and tumor tissue analysis was 95% among 94 treatment-naïve patients who had concurrent liquid and tumor biopsy molecular profiles. Sensitivity and specificity were 81% and 97%, respectively. Of the 103 patients with no tissue available, ctDNA detected potential actionable mutations in 17% of patients; of these, 10% received personalized treatment. ctDNA kinetics correlated with response rate and progression-free survival in 31 patients treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSION These real-world data from a prospective study endorse ctDNA molecular profile by ampliconbased NGS as an accurate and reliable tool to detect and monitor clinically relevant molecular alterations in patients with advanced NSCLC.