This study states that HIV is an exclusion criterion for most lung cancer (LC) trials, however LC is the most common non-AIDS-defined malignancy in people living with HIV (PLHIV), poorer prognosis than the general population. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was a prognostic marker in LC patients from the general population. This study assessed ctDNA’s prognostic value in PLHIV from a dedicated phase II trial. Overall, 61 PLHIV with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) participated in the IFCT Phase II trial evaluating first-line four-cycle carboplatin (Ca) AUC5 pemetrexed (P) 500 mg/m2 induction therapy every 3 weeks, followed by P maintenance therapy. Blood samples collected before treatment were analyzed to detect ctDNA using ultra-deep targeted next-generation-sequencing (NGS). Appropriate samples were available from 55 PLVIH and analyzed for ctDNA detection. Including 42 males (76.4 %), 52.9 years median age, 51 smokers (92.7 %), five with non-squamous NSCLC Stage III (9%), 50 Stage IV (91 %), and performance status (PS) 0−2. ctDNA was detected in 35 patients (64 %), 22 with high and 13 with low ctDNA levels.

Reference link- https://www.lungcancerjournal.info/article/S0169-5002(21)00192-6/fulltext

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