Case: A 73-Year-Old Man with EGFR+ NSCLC
Clinical Presentation:
- 73-year-old man initially presents with complaints of a persistent nonproductive cough, dyspnea on mild exertion, and an unintentional 10 lb. weight loss over prior 3 months
Past Medical History:
- Coronary Artery Disease: treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg QD.
- Hypertension, controlled on ARB QD.
- Hyperlipidemia, treated with atorvastatin 20 mg QD.
- COPD, maintained on triple inhalation therapy BID.
Social History:
- Retired high school teacher; married with 2 adult children.
- 50 pack-year smoking history: quit tobacco habit 5 years previously
Initial Clinical Workup and Diagnosis:
Physical Examination
- Ambulatory but no longer drives and is capable of self-care without assistance.
- Height: 5’10”; Weight:78 kg (172 lbs.)
- ECOG PS: 1
- Diminished breath sounds auscultated over right upper lobe.
Pulmonary Function Tests
- FEV1 2.1 L (68% predicted) indicative of moderate obstruction.
Imaging Studies:
- Chest CT: showed a 4.2 x 3.1 cm spiculated mass in the right upper lobe with suspected hilar lymph node involvement.
- PET Scan: confirms hypermetabolic right hilar and subcarinal lymph nodes activity suggestive of malignancy.
- MRI of Abdomen and Brain and Tech99 Bone Scintigraphy: no evidence of metastases.
Diagnostic Procedure:
- Bronchoscopy with Biopsy: gross appearance of specimen obtained from right upper lobe consistent with adenocarcinoma of the lung.
- Histopathology: confirms lung adenocarcinoma (Grade 2; pT2b pN1 [2/17 lymph nodes positive]; V0 R0), with partially papillary and partially tubular morphology.
Neoadjuvant Therapy and Surgical Resection:
- Patient receives 4 cycles of cisplatin + pembrolizumab + pemetrexed.
- He tolerated the regimen well with manageable episodes of fatigue, nausea, and sporadic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities.
- Post-Treatment Restaging PET Scan: showed a good partial response.
- Surgical Resection:
- Lobectomy of the RUL with hilar and mediastinal lymphadenectomy via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
Surgical Pathology Report:
- ypT2aN1 (3/16 lymph nodes positive) with negative margins; Stage IIa
- Adjuvant RT was recommended, but the patient declined.
Six Months Later:
- Patient returns to his oncologist with complaints of recurrent, mid-to-low back pain.
- Post-Operative Chest CT: displays scattered pulmonary nodules suspicious for metastatic disease progression.
- Thoraco-lumbar MRI: negative for bony metastases.
Second Line Systemic Therapy:
- Amivantamab was initiated with a weekly, weight-based infusion x4w(split dose, Days 1-2, Week 1), and thereafter q2w.
- The patient developed a minor infusion reaction on day 1 of therapy, which resolved with application of cool compresses to the site and acetaminophen, 500 mg PO q4h, prn.
Repeat Imaging at 8 Weeks:
- The patient experienced a good partial response.
- He will continue to be followed regularly by his oncologist.
This is a video synopsis/summary of a Case-Based Peer Perspectives featuring Joshua K. Sabari, MD.
This video features a discussion on the recent phase 3 MARIPOSA trial results of the antibody-drug conjugate amivantamab plus the third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor lazertinib for the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial compared amivantamab-lazertinib to osimertinib monotherapy and lazertinib monotherapy.
The amivantamab-lazertinib combination demonstrated nearly a 24-month median progression-free survival benefit over 16-17 months with osimertinib. Toxicities were manageable but increased, including more skin rash, venous thromboembolism requiring anticoagulation, and infusion reactions with amivantamab plus lazertinib.
Overall survival data is still immature, but a hazard ratio of 0.8 suggests potential for sustained benefit. Routine brain MRI was done and removing central nervous system progressions extended median progression-free survival to 28 to 29 months with the amivantamab-lazertinib combination.
Video synopsis is AI-generated and reviewed by Targeted Oncology™ editorial staff.