BACKGROUND:Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) expression, routinely assessed through immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the diagnostic evaluation of lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD), is negative (TTF-1Neg) in ∼15-20% of cases. While worse outcomes have been reported for these tumors compared to TTF-1 positive (TTF-1Pos) LUAD, a comprehensive characterization of TTF-1 negativity is currently lacking.
METHODS:Patients with LUAD and available TTF-1 IHC from five institutions, The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Stand Up To Cancer-Mark Foundation, and the POPLAR/OAK datasets were included. Features and outcomes were analyzed according to TTF-1 expression.
RESULTS:Among 3,297 patients, TTF-1Neg (15%, N=496), compared to TTF-1Pos (85%, N=2,801), was associated with a more frequent tobacco use history and lower PD-L1 expression. TTF-1Neg LUAD was enriched for STK11, KEAP1, SMARCA4, NKX2-1, CDKN2A, and KRAS mutations (q<0.05). Patients with metastatic TTF-1Neg LUAD treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (N=233), compared to TTF-1Pos cases (N=1,179), had worse objective response rates (ORR, 17% vs 28%, P=0.001), median progression-free survival (mPFS, 2.5 vs 4.4 months, P<0.0001) and median overall survival (mOS, 9.6 vs 20.2 months, P<0.0001). Similarly, TTF-1Neg cases had worse outcomes to chemo-immunotherapy (ORR 26% vs 41%, P<0.0001; mPFS 4.6 vs 8.2 months, P<0.0001; mOS 11.2 vs 23.4 months, P<0.0001), durvalumab after chemoradiation for unresectable stage III disease (mPFS 8.0 vs 24.8 months, P=0.016; mOS 20.0 months vs not reached, P=0.004), and KRASG12C inhibitors in KRASG12C-mutant LUAD (ORR 13% vs 36%, P=0.03; mPFS 2.7 vs 5.9 months, P<0.0001; mOS 4.4 vs 12.1 months, P<0.0001).
CONCLUSIONS:TTF-1 negativity identifies a subset of LUAD with worse outcomes to immunotherapy, chemo-immunotherapy, and KRASG12C inhibitors.