592P - Treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with MET exon 14 skipping alterations in China

Background

Mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping is an established primary oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specific inhibition of METex14 skipping by targeted therapy can achieve durable responses. As targeted therapies are gradually becoming available to patients with METex14 skipping NSCLC in China, this study aims to assess the emerging characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods

This non-interventional study retrospectively reviewed existing medical records. The National Anti-Tumor Drug Surveillance System (NATDSS), a nationwide cancer database, was used to identify patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC harboring METex14 skipping alterations between 2013 and 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient characteristics and treatment patterns. Kaplan–Meier analyses were employed to describe overall survival (OS).

Results

A total of 297 patients were included in the study. The median age was 67 years (range: 61–72 years) and 154 patients (51.9%) were male. Adenocarcinoma (226 [76.1%]) was the most frequent histology documented. Of note, 16 (5.4%) had sarcomatoid carcinoma. At diagnosis, 44 patients (14.8%) had Stage IIIB–C and 253 patients (85.2%) had Stage IV disease, among which 48 patients (16.2%) had brain metastases. Among 236 (79.5%) patients who received systemic treatment after the diagnosis of advanced NSCLC, the most frequent first-line therapies were chemotherapy (97 [32.7%]), followed by MET inhibitors (81 [27.3%]) and chemotherapy plus immune checkpoint inhibitor (16 [5.4%]). Median OS was 16.1 months (95% CI: 13.7, 18.7) from start of first-line therapy for the entire cohort, and 8.9 months (5.7–NE) for patients with sarcomatoid carcinoma.

Conclusions

METex14 skipping alterations typically occur in elderly patients and in adenocarcinomas in the Chinese population. Treatment patterns were heterogeneous, with a large proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy with or without MET inhibitors, reflecting the evolving treatment landscape in China.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Funding

Merck (CrossRef Funder ID: 10.13039/100009945).

Disclosure

C. Chen, Y. Zhang: Financial Interests, Personal, Full or part-time Employment: Merck Serono Co., Ltd., Beijing, China, an affiliate of Merck KGaA. H. Vioix: Financial Interests, Personal, Full or part-time Employment: Merck. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.