Re: Status of KRAS gene mutation research

[Linshom]

I'm new to this group. Am a two year 4 month lung cancer survivor in remission from a small slow-growing BAC (now called NSCLC). At 9 mm x 7 mm tumor removed from lower left lobe by composite basilar segmentectomy. Genomic testing showed KRAS mutation, p.G12A. Even at stage 1aTN0, 40-45% chance of reocurrence within 5 yrs. KRAS never has been cracked & still basically untreatable. What can you comment on current research?

[FtB_Travis]

Did you mean to ask this in the Ask Me Anything post, or to the community?

[Linshom in reply to FtB_Travis]

I'm a first-time participant, and somehow though I'd lost my first post to the Ask Me Anything, so I wrote this second post to Ask Me Anything. Thank you for asking

[scifiknitter Blogger]

After years of frustration, there may be some movement on the KRAS front. A friend has been informed of a phase 1 clinical trial of a combination of targeted drugs in development at Memorial Sloan Kettering. It looks like the trial may start up in late 2017. She does not know which drugs will be tested. Here's hoping researchers start cracking the KRAS nut!

Anita

[Linshom in reply to scifiknitter]

Thanks, scifiknitter for the info. If there's a trial that may start at MSKCC, it will likely also happen at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which is my hospital. And my thoracic oncologist is a co-leader of the "dream team" (including MSK and other major cancer hospitals), focusing specifically on KRAS, Yes, it's time has come for this nut to be cracked!

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer]

KRAS was one of the mutations specifically targeted when Obama budgeted extra funding for cancer research about a year before the Moonshot program was announced. The purpose of the funding was to encourage investigation into the understudied cancers and bring parity into research.

A friend of mine has been part of a trial for KRAS that includes standard of Care plus Keytruda or standard of Care plus placebo. She's being seen at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit with Dr Wosniak.

[Linshom in reply to Denzie]

Thnaks, Denzie, for your message and the information--I knew about the moonshot program and its specific focus on KRAS, which is what my thoracic oncologist at Dana-Farber is a co-leader of research focusing on this gene at last. The nationwide teams are beginning to make some headway into its pathways, which are highly complicated, and related to other genes in lung cancer as well (MET is one, if I remember correctly). I'm still in remission (no new nodules) 2 years and 5 mos. from surgery. No adjuvant treatment advised--regular followup with CT scans and now they see them when I have my FDG PET-CT scans for the B-cell follicular lymphoma for which I'm currently in treatment (and responding well as of 3rd infusion) (since Jan. 2017), and heading to my last (6th) infusion at the end of May. KRAS is so lethal--and the most prevalent mutation in NSCLC, as I recall. It will be cracked, eventually.

I wish your friend good luck in her trial.

[FtB_Peggy]

Welcome, I am so glad you came here to join our community - as you can see, people are willing to jump in and help. Best of luck to you and please keep talking to us!

[Linshom in reply to FtB_Peggy]

Thank you! I will keep talking -- and listening!