Young people (under the age of 40) without known risk factors are being diagnosed with lung cancer at a disproportionately high rate, and we don’t know why. Genomics, which is the study of a person’s complete genetic code (aka a person’s DNA), may help us understand why more of this group of people are being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Between 2014 and 2017, GO2 for Lung Cancer and our medical research consortium, the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI), collaborated on an international groundbreaking study that aimed to identify a unique population of patients diagnosed with lung cancer at age 40 or under. The Genomics of Young Lung Cancer (GoYLC) study enrolled 133 patients who completed a short online survey and provided blood and tumor tissue at participating sites.

What we’ve learned about lung cancer genomics in young people

Importantly, lung cancer in the young people who participated in this study looks different than what we see in the general population. Specifically, 84% of GoYLC participants had a targetable driver mutation, with 76% of patients having alterations in ALK, EGFR, or ROS1. This percentage is much higher than what was previously reported by the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium.

Unfortunately, nearly 79% of GoYLC participants were diagnosed with stage 4 (IV) lung cancer because they were perceived to be young and otherwise healthy. These findings point to the urgency of proper follow-up for all persons presenting symptoms consistent with lung cancer, regardless of age, and to the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing to ensure all individuals get put on the best targeted treatment for their disease as soon as possible.

Having identified a unique signature of lung cancer in young people, the next question is, “Why do they develop lung cancer in the first place?” As a follow-up to the GoYLC study, GO2 for Lung Cancer and ALCMI launched the companion study, Epidemiology of Young Lung Cancer (EoYLC). The EoYLC survey asks participants to provide a small sample of blood and answer questions about environmental, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. We hope that the EoYLC study will begin to provide answers that can lead to improved prevention, detection, and treatment of disease in this young population.

This study was a collaboration between GO2 for Lung Cancer and our medical research consortium, ALCMI.

Learn more:

• New Approaches in Targeting Lung Cancer: 2019 Cancer Community Catalyst for Precision Medicine Award Winner ‍
• Final Results of the Prospective Genomics of Young Lung Cancer (GYLC), an Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute Study ‍
• The Genomics of Young Lung Cancer: Comprehensive Tissue Genomic Analysis in Patients Under 40 With Lung Cancer