Clinical case report on the efficacy and safety of savolitinib in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring skipping mutations.

[BACKGROUND] Savolitinib is the first small-molecule inhibitor specifically targeting mesenchymal-epithelial transition () tyrosine kinase approved in China. It is indicated for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring exon 14 () skipping mutations for use as either first-line or subsequent-line therapy. Currently, there is limited real-world evidence on the long-term survival outcomes of elderly NSCLC patients (aged 65 years and above) with skipping mutations. In this report, we present three cases of elderly NSCLC patients with skipping mutations who were treated with savolitinib to evaluate its efficacy and safety in this population.

[CASE DESCRIPTION] The case series included three NSCLC patients harboring skipping mutations, aged 66 to 75 years, with comorbidities of Parkinson's disease, hypertension, and breast cancer, respectively. They were treated with savolitinib as the second-line treatment after previously receiving AP regimens (pemetrexed + cisplatin). All patients achieved disease control according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) within 2 months of initiating savolitinib (one with partial response and two with stable disease), and none showed disease progression. The progression-free survival (PFS) of the three patients was 15, 4, and 17 months, respectively.

[CONCLUSIONS] The case series demonstrated that savolitinib has a favorable clinical efficacy and safety profile, suggesting its potential as a key therapeutic option for elderly patients with NSCLC harboring skipping mutations. The treatment offers sustained survival benefits and is well-tolerated.