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 microg DNA and 12 microg 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.
- Wessels, S.
- Muley, T.
- Christopoulos, P.
- Meister, M.
- Heinzmann-Groth, I.
- Warth, A.
- Herpel, E.
- Hummler, S.
- Klingmuller, U.
- Kuon, J.
- Heussel, C. P.
- Eberhardt, R.
- Herth, F. J. F.
- Winter, H.
- Bischoff, H.
- Stenzinger, A.
- Reck, M.
- Huber, R. M.
- Thomas, M.
- Schneider, M. A.
Keywords
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- biobanking
- cryoconserved biopsies
- serial blood sampling
- translational research
- 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.
