Open Access<p>Pulmonary Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma: A Mini-Review</p>
Author(s) -
Yan Hu,
Siying Ren,
Yukang Liu,
Wei Han,
Wenliang Li
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
oncotargets and therapy
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.054
H-Index - 60
ISSN - 1178-6930
DOI - 10.2147/ott.s241337
Subject(s) - medicine , lymphoepithelioma like carcinoma , oncology , stage (stratigraphy) , regimen , disease , lung , carcinoma , lung cancer , epstein–barr virus , cancer research , virus , immunology , paleontology , biology
Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PLELC) is a rare and distinct subtype of non-small-cell lung carcinoma associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. We systematically reviewed the recent research that expands our knowledge about PLELC, with main focus on its genetic profile, tumor-infiltrating environment, PD-L1 expression, circulating EBV-DNA, clinical utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT, and treatment strategy. A low frequency of typical driver mutations and widespread existence of copy number variations was detected in PLELC. Persistent EBV infection may trigger intense infiltration of lymphocytes, representing enhanced tumor immunity and possibly resulting in a better prognosis. Circulating EBV-DNA in the plasma of patients with PLELC may predict disease progression and response to therapy. PLELC is 18F-FDG avid, and 18F-FDG PET may help refine palliation strategies and subsequently improve the prognosis. Most of the reported patients present at early and resectable stage, and surgical resection with curative intent is the preferred approach. There is currently no consensus on the regimen of chemotherapy for patients with advanced stages. EGFR-targeted therapies seem to have no therapeutic effect, and the clinical impact of PD-1/PD-L1 therapy is uncertain but worthy of further research.