Personalized Cancer Therapy: Advancement in Biomarker-Based Treatment Strategies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Ubaid Ur Rehman; Quratulain Badar; Yasser Hijazi Abdoon; Muhammad Ghous; Tahir Aslam; Minahal Aslam; Syed Rizvan Ali

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.583

Authors

Ubaid Ur Rehman North Surgical Ward, Mayo Hospital Lahore/King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Quratulain Badar Department of Oncology, Ziauddin University and Hospital, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Yasser Hijazi Abdoon Osman, Sudan Medical Specialization Board, Sudan.
Muhammad Ghous Department of Biochemistry, Minhaj University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Tahir Aslam Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fatima Jinnah Institute of Chest Diseases, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Minahal Aslam Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Syed Rizvan Ali Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i1.583

Keywords:

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, EGFR mutations, ALK rearrangements, PD-L1 expression, Personalized Therapy, Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy, Biomarker Testing, Progression-Free Survival

Abstract

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of biomarker-directed personalized therapies for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) targeting actionable genetic mutations like EGFR, ALK, and PD-L1. A prospective observational study was performed on 200 NSCLC patients with established genetic alterations, divided into four groups: EGFR-mutant, ALK-rearranged, PD-L1-positive, and wild-type (no biomarkers). Patients were treated with targeted therapies (e.g., EGFR inhibitors, ALK inhibitors, PD-1 inhibitors) or platinum-based chemotherapy. EGFR-mutant patients had the best response rates (70%) and overall survival (OS) of 24 months. ALK-rearranged and PD-L1-positive patients also had good outcomes, with response rates of 65% and 60%, respectively, and OS of 22 and 20 months. In contrast, the wild-type group had the worst response rate (45%) and OS (16 months). The study also found significantly fewer adverse events in the EGFR and ALK treatment groups than with chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated better progression-free survival (PFS) in the biomarker-targeted groups. Statistical analysis using ANOVA and chi-square tests proved significant differences in response rates (p-value < 0.05), validating the effectiveness of biomarker-directed personalized treatment approaches. These findings suggest that biomarker-directed therapies can significantly enhance patient outcomes compared to standard chemotherapy, highlighting the value of biomarker testing in clinical practice.

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