Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40355865›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

The impact of EGFR mutation and PD-L1 status on the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy in stage III-pN2 NSCLC.

Jinquan Yao, Yuxin Geng, Junhao Xu, Bingwen Zou, Feifei Teng

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Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Jinquan Yao *Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
Yuxin Geng *Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
Junhao XuDepartment of Outpatient Chemotherapy, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, 150000, China.
Bingwen ZouDepartment of Radiation Oncology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan, China.
Feifei TengDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China. tengfeifei16@126.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 81972863
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for patients with completely resected stage III-pN2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. PORT is not routinely recommended for patients with completely resected stage III-pN2 NSCLC. Therefore, identifying the population that could benefit from PORT is urgently needed.

methodsWe retrospectively enrolled 251 patients with completely resected stage III-pN2 NSCLC at our institution between 2018 and 2023. The Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to analyze disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Risk factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The cumulative incidence rates of locoregional recurrence (LRR) were calculated via competing risk analyses and compared using the Gray test.

resultsA total of 251 patients were enrolled in the study, with the median follow-up of 24.9 months. Among overall patients, 61 patients underwent PORT, and 190 patients did not. Although patients in the PORT group exhibited a trend toward longer DFS, the difference was not statistically significant (median DFS: 39.1 vs. 35.5 months; HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.35-0.97; p = 0.072). Subgroup analyses revealed that PORT significantly prolonged DFS both in EGFR wild-type patients (median DFS: 35.3 vs. 18.3 months; HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.17-0.62; p = 0.002) and in PD-L1 positive patients (median DFS: 35.3 vs.16.4 months; HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.16-0.74; p = 0.029). In contrast, no significant DFS or OS benefits were observed in EGFR mutant patients or PD-L1 negative patients. Furthermore, PORT was associated with the significantly lower risk of LRR in overall patients (HR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.97; p = 0.043), EGFR wild-type patients (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.09-0.68; p = 0.007), and PD-L1 positive patients (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.70; p = 0.016). PORT did not confer a locoregional control benefit in EGFR mutant patients (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.07-4.58; p = 0.61) or PD-L1 negative patients (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.27-3.82; p = 0.98).

conclusionFor patients with completely resected stage III-pN2 NSCLC, PORT significantly improves DFS and reduces the risk of LRR in EGFR wild-type patients or PD-L1 positive patients. The EGFR and PD-L1 status may serve as biomarkers to identify the population that could benefit from PORT.

Indexed as

B7-H1 AntigenCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overErbB ReceptorsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMutationNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNeoplasm StagingRadiotherapy, AdjuvantRetrospective StudiesB7-H1 AntigenCD274 protein, humanEGFR protein, humanErbB ReceptorsEpidermal growth factor receptorNon-small cell lung cancerPathologic N2Postoperative radiotherapyProgrammed death-ligand 1

Identifiers

PMID40355865
PMCPMC12067728

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.