Prevalence of EGFR mutations in patients with resected stage I-III non-squamous NSCLC: Results from the EARLY-EGFR study.

Background There is limited literature on the prevalence of EGFR mutations in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EARLY-EGFR (NCT04742192), a cross-sectional study, determined the prevalence of EGFR mutations in early-stage NSCLC. Methods This non-interventional, real-world study enrolled consecutive patients with resected stage IA-IIIB (American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition) NSCLC from 14 countries across Asia, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. The primary endpoint was prevalence of EGFR mutations and secondary endpoints included prevalence of EGFR mutation subtypes and treatment patterns. Results Of 601 patients (median [range] age: 62.0 [30.0-86.0] years) enrolled, 52.7% were females and 64.2% were non-smokers. The majority had stage IA-IB NSCLC (64.1%) and adenocarcinoma histology (98.7%). Overall prevalence of EGFR mutations was 51.0%; majority reported exon-19 deletions (48.5%) followed by exon-21 L858R mutations (34.0%). Women had a higher EGFR mutation rate than men (64.0% versus 36.4%). Compared with no EGFR mutations, patients with EGFR mutations were more likely to be non-smokers (35.1% versus 60.9%) and have stage I NSCLC compared to stage II and III NSCLC (54.8% versus 47.3% and 35.6%). Systemic adjuvant therapy was planned in 33.8% patients with stage IB to IIIB disease and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in 6.8% patients. Age ≥60 years, females, and Asians were found to have a significantly (p < 0.05) higher odds of EGFR mutations, while smoking history and stage III disease had lower odds of EGFR mutations. Conclusion The EARLY-EGFR study provides an overview of EGFR mutations and subtype prevalence in patients with early-stage NSCLC. The study highlights the limited adherence to treatment guidelines suggesting an unmet need for improved adjuvant therapy.