Differential impact of intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) on survival outcomes in early-stage lung squamous and adenocarcinoma based on tumor mutational burden (TMB)

Background: Molecular biomarkers are reshaping patient stratification and treatment decisions, yet their precise use and best implementation remain uncertain. Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH), an area of increasing research interest with prognostic value across various conditions, lacks defined clinical relevance in certain non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes. Exploring the relationship between ITH and tumor mutational burden (TMB) is crucial, as their interplay might reveal distinct patient subgroups. This study evaluates how the ITH-TMB dynamic affects prognosis across the two main histological subtypes of NSCLC, squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, with a specific focus on early-stage cases to address their highly unmet clinical needs. Methods: We stratify a cohort of 741 early-stage NSCLC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) based on ITH and TMB and evaluate differences in clinical outcomes. Additionally, we compare driver mutations and the tumor microenvironment (TME) between high and low ITH groups. Results: In lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), high ITH predicts an extended progression-free survival (PFS) (median: 21 vs. 14 months, P=0.01), while in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), high ITH predicts a reduced PFS (median: 15 vs. 20 months, P=0.04). This relationship is driven by the low TMB subset of patients. Additionally, we found that CD8 T cells were enriched in better-performing subgroups, regardless of histologic subtype or ITH status. Conclusions: There are significant differences in clinical outcomes, driver mutations, and the TME between high and low ITH groups among early-stage NSCLC patients. These differences may have treatment implications, necessitating further validation in other NSCLC datasets.