Predictive and prognostic significance of sodium levels in patients with NSCLC treated by erlotinib.

Background: Hyponatremia is a well-known phenomenon in cancer patients. The aim of our retrospective study was to assess the relationship of natremia levels to predict treatment with erlotinib and also to assess the prognosis of patients with hyponatremia.

Patients And Metods: We analyzed data of 544 patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with erlotinib.

Clinical significance of hypermethylation status in NSCLC: evaluation of a 30-gene panel in patients with advanced disease.

Background: DNA methylation is one of major factors in cancer progression. We observed multiple genes involved in cancer-related signaling and focused on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and evaluated methylation in relation to various clinical parameters.

Patients And Methods: Thirty genes were examined in 121 NSCLC patients using the methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) method.

Dominance of EGFR and insignificant KRAS mutations in prediction of tyrosine-kinase therapy for NSCLC patients stratified by tumor subtype and smoking status.

Background: Therapy by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has become inevitable in treatment of advanced NSCLC. Mutations in EGFR and KRAS genes have been identified as the main potential predictive and prognostic factors. Here the clinical implications of EGFR/KRAS mutations in patients from two separate trials treated with gefitinib or erlotinib are analysed.