Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41891376›Full record

ArticleCancer cytopathology2026

Unraveling the nexus: Tumor mutational burden, PD-L1 expression, and oncogenic alterations in non-small cell lung cancer cytology specimens.

Min Dai, Francis Anthony San Lucas, Hector Alvarez, Leomar Ballester, Hui Chen, Keyur P Patel, Asif Rashid, Shun Rao, Mark J Routbort, Gloria Sura and 7 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer cytopathology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Min DaiDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-8898-8867
Francis Anthony San LucasDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Hector AlvarezDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Leomar BallesterDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Hui ChenDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Keyur P PatelDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Asif RashidDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Shun RaoDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0009-0000-5367-7179
Mark J RoutbortDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Gloria SuraDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Keith SweeneyDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Gokce TorunerDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Peng WeiDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Richard YangDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Hyvan DangDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Rajyalakshmi LuthraDepartment of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
Sinchita Roy-ChowdhuriDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9447-7701

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) are biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, patients harboring oncogenic alterations have limited benefit from ICIs. The impact of oncogenic alterations on TMB and PD-L1 tumor proportion score in lung cytology specimens is poorly understood. Herein, the association between oncogenic alterations, TMB, and PD-L1 in NSCLC cytology specimens is explored.

methodsNext-generation sequencing results from 312 NSCLC cytology specimens were retrospectively reviewed that interrogate 610 genes and select immuno-oncology signatures. TMB and PD-L1 immunohistochemical expression across oncogenic alterations were analyzed to explore associations.

resultsOf the 312 cases evaluated, 192 harbored NSCLC-specific oncogenic alterations. Relative to EGFR-mutated tumors, TMB was significantly higher in KRAS (p

conclusionsThese findings demonstrate distinct TMB and PD-L1 profiles that may identify patients who will benefit from ICI therapy. Cytology specimens provide adequate material for biomarker testing, which underscores their value in guiding immunotherapy decisions.

Indexed as

B7-H1 AntigenBiomarkers, TumorCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungLung NeoplasmsMutationAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCytodiagnosisFemaleHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesB7-H1 AntigenBiomarkers, TumorCD274 protein, humancytologyimmuno‐oncologynext‐generation sequencingnon–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)PD‐L1tumor mutational burden (TMB)

Identifiers

PMID41891376
PMCPMC13022943

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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.