EGFR mutation analysis in sputum of lung cancer patients: a multitechnique study.
OBJECTIVE
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations have been identified in lung adenocarcinomas and are associated with high response chance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. EGFR mutations can be detected in tumour tissue, cytology specimens and blood from lung cancer patients. Thus far, EGFR mutation analysis has not been systematically demonstrated for sputum samples. The aim of the present study was to determine whether EGFR mutation analysis is attainable on sputum samples, employing different assays in a multicenter study.


METHODS
Sputum DNA from 10 lung cancer patients with confirmed EGFR mutation in their tumour tissue, 10 lung cancer patients without evidence of an EGFR mutation, and 10 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was used for mutation analysis by Cycleave PCR, COLD-PCR, PangaeaBiotech SL Technology (PST), and High Resolution Melting, respectively. Targeted resequencing (TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel) and droplet digital PCR were additionally performed on the 10 samples with EGFR mutation.


RESULTS
Dependent on the assay, EGFR mutations could be detected in 30-50% of the sputum samples of patients with EGFR mutations. The different techniques revealed consistent results, with slightly higher sensitivity for PST. Neither the lung cancer patients without EGFR mutation nor the COPD controls tested positive for EGFR mutations in their sputum samples, indicating high clinical specificity of all assays.


CONCLUSIONS
EGFR mutations can be detected in sputum samples from patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, which may replace biopsy procedure for some patients.
Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
A Jasmijn
AJ
Hubers
Daniëlle A M
DA
Heideman
Yasushi
Y
Yatabe
Michelle D
MD
Wood
Justyna
J
Tull
Miquel
M
Tarón
Miquel A
MA
Molina
Clara
C
Mayo
Jordi
J
Bertran-Alamillo
Gerarda J M
GJ
Herder
Remco
R
Koning
Daoud
D
Sie
Bauke
B
Ylstra
Gerrit A
GA
Meijer
Peter J F
PJ
Snijders
Birgit I
BI
Witte
Pieter E
PE
Postmus
Egbert F
EF
Smit
Erik
E
Thunnissen
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013183:Sputum / Q000378:metabolism*; D044366:Transition Temperature
D004247:DNA; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
Analysis of sputum; Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR); Genomics; Lung cancer diagnosis; Molecular diagnostics; Non-small cell lung cancer; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors