Researchers from Tempus partnered with the University of California Los Angeles to study the genomic landscape of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in never smoking patients.

The first and largest analysis of a rare subgroup (3-7%) of SCLC patients with no smoking history. Lung cancer in never smokers is a high unmet need due to its rising incidence over the past 20+ years. Historically, most SCLC clinical trials have enrolled all patients without attention to molecular features, but recent research has focused on distinct molecular subgroups. The analysis found that SCLC in never smokers occurs more frequently in females, have higher rates of EGFR and PIK3CA mutations, and show lower immune infiltration markers compared to SCLC in smokers. These findings may imply different mechanisms of cancer initiation in SCLC patients who never smoked, with possible therapeutic implications. Importantly, the study illustrates Tempus’ robust research capabilities using our large, integrated multimodal database in characterizing a rare population defined not only by molecular features, but also by non-smoking status as derived from clinical progress notes.

“This study highlights the importance of utilizing a real-world, multimodal database to provide insight into biological subgroups of never smokers with small cell lung cancer with the goal of informing new therapeutic strategies in this high unmet need patient population,” said Jonathan Goldman, MD of University of California Los Angeles.

This study was presented at the ESMO Congress in September 2022.