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Fiorin A, López Pablo C, Lejeune M, Hamza Siraj A, Della Mea V. Enhancing AI Research for Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Datasets. JOURNAL OF IMAGING INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE 2024:10.1007/s10278-024-01043-8. [PMID: 38806950 DOI: 10.1007/s10278-024-01043-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The field of immunology is fundamental to our understanding of the intricate dynamics of the tumor microenvironment. In particular, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) assessment emerges as essential aspect in breast cancer cases. To gain comprehensive insights, the quantification of TILs through computer-assisted pathology (CAP) tools has become a prominent approach, employing advanced artificial intelligence models based on deep learning techniques. The successful recognition of TILs requires the models to be trained, a process that demands access to annotated datasets. Unfortunately, this task is hampered not only by the scarcity of such datasets, but also by the time-consuming nature of the annotation phase required to create them. Our review endeavors to examine publicly accessible datasets pertaining to the TIL domain and thereby become a valuable resource for the TIL community. The overall aim of the present review is thus to make it easier to train and validate current and upcoming CAP tools for TIL assessment by inspecting and evaluating existing publicly available online datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Fiorin
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Carlos López Pablo
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain.
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Marylène Lejeune
- Oncological Pathology and Bioinformatics Research Group, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Hospital de Tortosa Verge de la Cinta (HTVC), Institut Català de la Salut (ICS), C/Esplanetes no 14, 43500, Tortosa, Spain
- Department of Computer Engineering and Mathematics, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ameer Hamza Siraj
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Della Mea
- Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
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Van Bockstal MR, Dano H, Benhaddi N, Dubois D, Vanderveken J, Van Marcke C, Vandermeulen A, Duhoux FP, Vernaeve H, Berlière M, Galant C. Predictive markers for pathological complete response (pCR) after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast carcinoma. Histol Histopathol 2024; 39:153-164. [PMID: 37204204 DOI: 10.14670/hh-18-626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Patients with HER2-positive invasive breast cancer that is node-positive and/or larger than 3 cm are generally treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We aimed to identify predictive markers for pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC in HER2-positive breast carcinoma. METHODS Hematoxylin/eosin-stained slides of 43 HER2-positive breast carcinoma biopsies were histopathologically reviewed. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on pre-NAC biopsies, comprising HER2, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki-67, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mucin-4 (MUC4), p53 and p63. Dual-probe HER2 in situ hybridization (ISH) was performed to study the mean HER2 and CEP17 copy numbers. ISH and IHC data were retrospectively collected for a validation cohort, comprising 33 patients. RESULTS Younger age at diagnosis, 3+ HER2 IHC scores, high mean HER2 copy numbers and high mean HER2/CEP17 ratios were significantly associated with an increased chance of achieving a pCR, and the latter two associations were confirmed in the validation cohort. No other immunohistochemical or histopathological markers were associated with pCR. CONCLUSIONS This retrospective study of two community-based NAC-treated HER2-positive breast cancer patient cohorts identified high mean HER2 copy numbers as a strong predictor for pCR. Further studies on larger cohorts are required to determine a precise cut-point for this predictive marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke R Van Bockstal
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Universitá Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
- Pôle de Morphologie (MORF), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hélène Dano
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Naima Benhaddi
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dominique Dubois
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Vanderveken
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cédric Van Marcke
- Pôle D'imagerie Moléculaire, Radiothérapie et Oncologie (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ad Vandermeulen
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiation Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francois P Duhoux
- Pôle D'imagerie Moléculaire, Radiothérapie et Oncologie (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Martine Berlière
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Pôle de Gynécologie (GYNE), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christine Galant
- Pôle de Morphologie (MORF), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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3
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Li X, Zhang Y, Zhu C, Xu W, Hu X, Martínez DAS, Romero JLA, Yan M, Dai Y, Wang H. Circulating blood biomarkers correlated with the prognosis of advanced triple negative breast cancer. BMC Womens Health 2024; 24:38. [PMID: 38218823 PMCID: PMC10787989 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02871-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can improve survivals of metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC); however, we still seek circulating blood biomarkers to predict the efficacy of ICIs. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we analyzed the data of ICIs treated mTNBC collected in Anhui Medical University affiliated hospitals from 2018 to 2023. The counts of lymphocytes, monocytes, platelets, and ratio indexes (NLR, MLR, PLR) in peripheral blood were investigated via the Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox proportional-hazards model. RESULTS The total of 50 mTNBC patients were treated with ICIs. High level of peripheral lymphocytes and low level of NLR and MLR at baseline and post the first cycle of ICIs play the predictable role of immunotherapies. Lymphocytes counts (HR = 0.280; 95% CI: 0.095-0.823; p = 0.021) and NLR (HR = 1.150; 95% CI: 1.052-1.257; p = 0.002) are significantly correlated with overall survival. High NLR also increases the risk of disease progression (HR = 2.189; 95% CI:1.085-4.414; p = 0.029). When NLR at baseline ≥ 2.75, the hazard of death (HR = 2.575; 95% CI:1.217-5.447; p = 0.013) and disease progression (HR = 2.189; 95% CI: 1.085-4.414; p = 0.029) significantly rise. HER-2 expression and anti-tumor therapy lines are statistically correlated with survivals. CONCLUSIONS Before the initiation of ICIs, enriched peripheral lymphocytes and poor neutrophils and NLR contribute to the prediction of survivals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Cheng Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Wentao Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Xiaolei Hu
- Breast Center, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | | | - José Luis Alonso Romero
- Department of Medical Oncology, Clinical University Hospital Virgen Arrixaca, Murcia, 30120, Spain
| | - Ming Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Ying Dai
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei, 230022, China.
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Kim DH, Lim Y, Kim S, Ock C, Youk J, Kim M, Kim TM, Kim D, Kim HJ, Koh J, Jung KC, Na KJ, Kang CH, Keam B. Artificial intelligence-powered spatial analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a biomarker in locally advanced unresectable thymic epithelial neoplasm: A single-center, retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. Thorac Cancer 2023; 14:3001-3011. [PMID: 37675597 PMCID: PMC10599973 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thymic epithelial tumors (TET) are rare malignancies and lack well-defined biomarkers for neoadjuvant therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) analysis in TET. METHODS Patients initially diagnosed with unresectable thymoma or thymic carcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant therapy between January 2004 and December 2021 formed our study population. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from the initial biopsy and surgery were analyzed using an AI-powered spatial TIL analyzer. Intratumoral TIL (iTIL) and stromal TIL (sTIL) were quantified and their immune phenotype (IP) was identified. RESULTS Thirty-five patients were included in this study. The proportion of patients with partial response to neoadjuvant therapy was higher in the group with nondesert IP in preneoadjuvant biopsy (63.6% vs. 17.6%, p = 0.038). A significant increase in both iTIL (median 22.18/mm2 vs. 340.69/mm2 , p < 0.001) and sTIL (median 175.19/mm2 vs. 531.02/mm2 , p = 0.004) was observed after neoadjuvant therapy. Patients with higher iTIL (>147/mm2 ) exhibited longer disease-free survival (median, 29 months vs. 12 months, p = 0.009) and overall survival (OS) (median, 62 months vs. 45 months, p = 0.002). Patients with higher sTIL (>232.1/mm2 ) exhibited longer OS (median 62 months vs. 30 months, p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS Nondesert IP in initial biopsy was associated with a better response to neoadjuvant therapy. Increased infiltration of both iTIL and sTIL in surgical specimens were associated with longer OS in patients with TET who underwent resection followed by neoadjuvant therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hyun Kim
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | | | | | | | - Jeonghwan Youk
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
- Cancer Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Miso Kim
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
- Cancer Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Tae Min Kim
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
- Cancer Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Dong‐Wan Kim
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
- Cancer Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Hak Jae Kim
- Department of Radiation OncologySeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Koh
- Department of PathologySeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Cheon Jung
- Department of PathologySeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Kwon Joong Na
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular SurgerySeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Chang Hyun Kang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular SurgerySeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Bhumsuk Keam
- Department of Internal MedicineSeoul National University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
- Cancer Research InstituteSeoul National University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
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Kazemi A, Gharib M, Mohamadian Roshan N, Taraz Jamshidi S, Stögbauer F, Eslami S, Schüffler PJ. Assessment of the Tumor-Stroma Ratio and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Colorectal Cancer: Inter-Observer Agreement Evaluation. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2339. [PMID: 37510083 PMCID: PMC10378655 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13142339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To implement the new marker in clinical practice, reliability assessment, validation, and standardization of utilization must be applied. This study evaluated the reliability of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) assessment through conventional microscopy by comparing observers' estimations. METHODS Intratumoral and tumor-front stromal TILs, and TSR, were assessed by three pathologists using 86 CRC HE slides. TSR and TILs were categorized using one and four different proposed cutoff systems, respectively, and agreement was assessed using the intraclass coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's kappa statistics. Pairwise evaluation of agreement was performed using the Fleiss kappa statistic and the concordance rate and it was visualized by Bland-Altman plots. To investigate the association between biomarkers and patient data, Pearson's correlation analysis was applied. RESULTS For the evaluation of intratumoral stromal TILs, ICC of 0.505 (95% CI: 0.35-0.64) was obtained, kappa values were in the range of 0.21 to 0.38, and concordance rates in the range of 0.61 to 0.72. For the evaluation of tumor-front TILs, ICC was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.32-0.67), the overall kappa value ranged from 0.24 to 0.30, and the concordance rate ranged from 0.66 to 0.72. For estimating the TSR, the ICC was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.35-0.60), the kappa value was 0.49 and the concordance rate was 0.76. We observed a significant correlation between tumor grade and the median of TSR (0.29 (95% CI: 0.032-0.51), p-value = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS The agreement between pathologists in estimating these markers corresponds to poor-to-moderate agreement; implementing immune scores in daily practice requires more concentration in inter-observer agreements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azar Kazemi
- Institute of General and Surgical Pathology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Gharib
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9137913316, Iran
| | - Nema Mohamadian Roshan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9137913316, Iran
| | - Shirin Taraz Jamshidi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9137913316, Iran
| | - Fabian Stögbauer
- Institute of General and Surgical Pathology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Saeid Eslami
- Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948954, Iran
- Department of Medical Informatics, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Schüffler
- Institute of General and Surgical Pathology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
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Wang G, Yao Y, Huang H, Zhou J, Ni C. Multiomics technologies for comprehensive tumor microenvironment analysis in triple-negative breast cancer under neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1131259. [PMID: 37284197 PMCID: PMC10239824 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1131259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive breast cancer subtypes and is characterized by abundant infiltrating immune cells within the microenvironment. As standard care, chemotherapy remains the fundamental neoadjuvant treatment in TNBC, and there is increasing evidence that supplementation with immune checkpoint inhibitors may potentiate the therapeutic efficiency of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). However, 20-60% of TNBC patients still have residual tumor burden after NAC and require additional chemotherapy; therefore, it is critical to understand the dynamic change in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during treatment to help improve the rate of complete pathological response and long-term prognosis. Traditional methods, including immunohistochemistry, bulk tumor sequencing, and flow cytometry, have been applied to elucidate the TME of breast cancer, but the low resolution and throughput may overlook key information. With the development of diverse high-throughput technologies, recent reports have provided new insights into TME alterations during NAC in four fields, including tissue imaging, cytometry, next-generation sequencing, and spatial omics. In this review, we discuss the traditional methods and the latest advances in high-throughput techniques to decipher the TME of TNBC and the prospect of translating these techniques to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanhuan Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chao Ni
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Cserni B, Kilmartin D, O’Loughlin M, Andreu X, Bagó-Horváth Z, Bianchi S, Chmielik E, Figueiredo P, Floris G, Foschini MP, Kovács A, Heikkilä P, Kulka J, Laenkholm AV, Liepniece-Karele I, Marchiò C, Provenzano E, Regitnig P, Reiner A, Ryška A, Sapino A, Stovgaard ES, Quinn C, Zolota V, Webber M, Glynn SA, Bori R, Csörgő E, Oláh-Németh O, Pancsa T, Sejben A, Sejben I, Vörös A, Zombori T, Nyári T, Callagy G, Cserni G. ONEST (Observers Needed to Evaluate Subjective Tests) Analysis of Stromal Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (sTILs) in Breast Cancer and Its Limitations. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041199. [PMID: 36831541 PMCID: PMC9954449 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) reflect antitumour immunity. Their evaluation of histopathology specimens is influenced by several factors and is subject to issues of reproducibility. ONEST (Observers Needed to Evaluate Subjective Tests) helps in determining the number of observers that would be sufficient for the reliable estimation of inter-observer agreement of TIL categorisation. This has not been explored previously in relation to TILs. ONEST analyses, using an open-source software developed by the first author, were performed on TIL quantification in breast cancers taken from two previous studies. These were one reproducibility study involving 49 breast cancers, 23 in the first circulation and 14 pathologists in the second circulation, and one study involving 100 cases and 9 pathologists. In addition to the estimates of the number of observers required, other factors influencing the results of ONEST were examined. The analyses reveal that between six and nine observers (range 2-11) are most commonly needed to give a robust estimate of reproducibility. In addition, the number and experience of observers, the distribution of values around or away from the extremes, and outliers in the classification also influence the results. Due to the simplicity and the potentially relevant information it may give, we propose ONEST to be a part of new reproducibility analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Cserni
- TNG Technology Consulting GmbH, Király u. 26., 1061 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Darren Kilmartin
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Mark O’Loughlin
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Xavier Andreu
- Pathology Department, Atryshealth Co., Ltd., 08039 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Zsuzsanna Bagó-Horváth
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simonetta Bianchi
- Division of Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Ewa Chmielik
- Tumor Pathology Department, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, 44-102 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Paulo Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Anatomia Patológica, IPO Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Giuseppe Floris
- Laboratory of Translational Cell & Tissue Research and KU Leuven, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, University of Leuven, Oude Market 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maria Pia Foschini
- Unit of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anikó Kovács
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Päivi Heikkilä
- Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, 00029 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janina Kulka
- Department of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Semmelweis University Budapest, Üllői út 93, 1091 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anne-Vibeke Laenkholm
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Zealand University Hospital, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Inta Liepniece-Karele
- Department of Pathology, Riga Stradins University, Riga East Clinical University Hospital, LV-1038 Riga, Latvia
| | - Caterina Marchiò
- Unit of Pathology, Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Provenzano
- Department of Histopathology, Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Peter Regitnig
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Angelika Reiner
- Department of Pathology, Klinikum Donaustadt, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleš Ryška
- The Fingerland Department of Pathology, Charles University Medical Faculty and University Hospital, 50003 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Sapino
- Unit of Pathology, Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO-IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | | | - Cecily Quinn
- Department of Histopathology, Irish National Breast Screening Programme, BreastCheck, St. Vincent’s University Hospital and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 T6F4 Dublin, Ireland
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Vasiliki Zolota
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece
| | - Mark Webber
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Sharon A. Glynn
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Rita Bori
- Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
| | - Erika Csörgő
- Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
| | | | - Tamás Pancsa
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anita Sejben
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - István Sejben
- Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
| | - András Vörös
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Zombori
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tibor Nyári
- Department of Medical Physics and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Grace Callagy
- Discipline of Pathology, Lambe Institute for Translational Research, School of Medicine, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Gábor Cserni
- Department of Pathology, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, 6000 Kecskemét, Hungary
- Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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Rakaee M, Adib E, Ricciuti B, Sholl LM, Shi W, Alessi JV, Cortellini A, Fulgenzi CAM, Viola P, Pinato DJ, Hashemi S, Bahce I, Houda I, Ulas EB, Radonic T, Väyrynen JP, Richardsen E, Jamaly S, Andersen S, Donnem T, Awad MM, Kwiatkowski DJ. Association of Machine Learning-Based Assessment of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes on Standard Histologic Images With Outcomes of Immunotherapy in Patients With NSCLC. JAMA Oncol 2023; 9:51-60. [PMID: 36394839 PMCID: PMC9673028 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.4933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Importance Currently, predictive biomarkers for response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in lung cancer are limited. Identifying such biomarkers would be useful to refine patient selection and guide precision therapy. Objective To develop a machine-learning (ML)-based tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) scoring approach, and to evaluate TIL association with clinical outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Design, Setting, and Participants This multicenter retrospective discovery-validation cohort study included 685 ICI-treated patients with NSCLC with median follow-up of 38.1 and 43.3 months for the discovery (n = 446) and validation (n = 239) cohorts, respectively. Patients were treated between February 2014 and September 2021. We developed an ML automated method to count tumor, stroma, and TIL cells in whole-slide hematoxylin-eosin-stained images of NSCLC tumors. Tumor mutational burden (TMB) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression were assessed separately, and clinical response to ICI therapy was determined by medical record review. Data analysis was performed from June 2021 to April 2022. Exposures All patients received anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy. Main Outcomes and Measures Objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were determined by blinded medical record review. The area under curve (AUC) of TIL levels, TMB, and PD-L1 in predicting ICI response were calculated using ORR. Results Overall, there were 248 (56%) women in the discovery cohort and 97 (41%) in the validation cohort. In a multivariable analysis, high TIL level (≥250 cells/mm2) was independently associated with ICI response in both the discovery (PFS: HR, 0.71; P = .006; OS: HR, 0.74; P = .03) and validation (PFS: HR = 0.80; P = .01; OS: HR = 0.75; P = .001) cohorts. Survival benefit was seen in both first- and subsequent-line ICI treatments in patients with NSCLC. In the discovery cohort, the combined models of TILs/PD-L1 or TMB/PD-L1 had additional specificity in differentiating ICI responders compared with PD-L1 alone. In the PD-L1 negative (<1%) subgroup, TIL levels had superior classification accuracy for ICI response (AUC = 0.77) compared with TMB (AUC = 0.65). Conclusions and Relevance In these cohorts, TIL levels were robustly and independently associated with response to ICI treatment. Patient TIL assessment is relatively easily incorporated into the workflow of pathology laboratories at minimal additional cost, and may enhance precision therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Rakaee
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Elio Adib
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Biagio Ricciuti
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lynette M. Sholl
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Weiwei Shi
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joao V. Alessi
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alessio Cortellini
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia A. M. Fulgenzi
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Viola
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Imperial College London NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Pinato
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Sayed Hashemi
- Department of Pulmonology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Idris Bahce
- Department of Pulmonology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ilias Houda
- Department of Pulmonology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ezgi B. Ulas
- Department of Pulmonology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Teodora Radonic
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Juha P. Väyrynen
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Elin Richardsen
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Simin Jamaly
- Department of Medical Biology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Sigve Andersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Tom Donnem
- Department of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromso, Norway
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromso, Norway
| | - Mark M. Awad
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David J. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
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9
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Recent Advances in Combination of Immunotherapy and Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14205168. [PMID: 36291954 PMCID: PMC9599968 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14205168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), followed by surgery or definitive CRT, is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, the clinical outcomes remain unsatisfactory. Immunotherapy combined with CRT is currently being investigated as a novel treatment option for locally advanced ESCC. In this review, we discuss the theoretical background and status of immunotherapy for locally advanced ESCC and potential biomarkers for predicting tumor response and prognosis. Abstract Esophageal cancer has a high mortality rate and a poor prognosis, with more than one-third of patients receiving a diagnosis of locally advanced cancer. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the dominant histological subtype of esophageal cancer in Asia and Eastern Europe. Although neoadjuvant or definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been the standard treatment for locally advanced ESCC, patient outcomes remain unsatisfactory, with recurrence rates as high as 30–50%. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and CRT has emerged as a novel strategy to treat esophageal cancer, and it may have a synergistic action and provide greater efficacy. In the phase III CheckMate-577 trial, one year of adjuvant nivolumab after neoadjuvant CRT improved disease-free survival in patients with residual disease on pathology. Moreover, several phase I and II studies have shown that ICIs combined with concurrent CRT may increase the rate of pathologic complete response for resectable ESCC, but they lack long-term follow-up results. In unresectable cases, the combination of camrelizumab and definitive CRT showed promising results against ESCC in a phase Ib trial. Phase III randomized trials are currently ongoing to investigate the survival benefits of ICIs combined with neoadjuvant or definitive CRT, and they will clarify the role of immunotherapy in locally advanced ESCC. Additionally, valid biomarkers to predict tumor response and survival outcomes need to be further explored.
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10
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Derouane F, van Marcke C, Berlière M, Gerday A, Fellah L, Leconte I, Van Bockstal MR, Galant C, Corbet C, Duhoux FP. Predictive Biomarkers of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer: Current and Future Perspectives for Precision Medicine. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3876. [PMID: 36010869 PMCID: PMC9405974 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer is correlated with better survival. Meanwhile, an expanding arsenal of post-neoadjuvant treatment strategies have proven beneficial in the absence of pCR, leading to an increased use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy in patients with early breast cancer and the search for predictive biomarkers of response. The better prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy could enable the escalation or de-escalation of neoadjuvant treatment strategies, with the ultimate goal of improving the clinical management of early breast cancer. Clinico-pathological prognostic factors are currently used to estimate the potential benefit of neoadjuvant systemic treatment but are not accurate enough to allow for personalized response prediction. Other factors have recently been proposed but are not yet implementable in daily clinical practice or remain of limited utility due to the intertumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer. In this review, we describe the current knowledge about predictive factors for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients and highlight the future perspectives that could lead to the better prediction of response, focusing on the current biomarkers used for clinical decision making and the different gene signatures that have recently been proposed for patient stratification and the prediction of response to therapies. We also discuss the intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity in breast cancers as well as the emerging techniques and relevant pre-clinical models that could integrate this biological factor currently limiting the reliable prediction of response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Derouane
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cédric van Marcke
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martine Berlière
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gynecology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Gynecology (GYNE), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amandine Gerday
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gynecology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Latifa Fellah
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Leconte
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mieke R. Van Bockstal
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christine Galant
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cyril Corbet
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francois P. Duhoux
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
- Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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11
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HER2-low breast cancer shows a lower immune response compared to HER2-negative cases. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12974. [PMID: 35902644 PMCID: PMC9334272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16898-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of breast cancer is classified dichotomously as negative or positive to select patients for HER2-targeted therapy. However, with the introduction of novel treatment options, it is important to get more insight in the biology of cancers with low HER2 expression. Therefore, we studied several clinicopathologic characteristics in relation to the level of HER2 expression (HER2- versus HER2low). We used a well-documented cohort of breast cancer patients (n = 529), with available tissue microarrays and Affymetrix mRNA expression data. HER2 status was scored as negative (immunohistochemistry 0) or low (immunohistochemistry 1 + or 2 + without amplification). We associated HER2 status with several clinicopathologic characteristics, gene-expression data and survival, stratified for estrogen receptor (ER) status. Overall, breast cancers were scored as HER2- (n = 429) or HER2low (n = 100). Within the ER+ cohort (n = 305), no significant associations were found between the HER2 groups and clinicopathologic features. However, HER2low tumors showed several differentially expressed genes compared to HER2- cases, including genes that are associated with worse outcome and depletion of immunity. In ER- cases (n = 224), HER2low status was significantly associated with increased regional nodal positivity, lower density of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte and a lower protein expression of Ki-67 and EGFR compared to HER2- cases. After multivariate analysis, only density of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes remained significantly associated with HER2low status (P = 0.035). No difference in survival was observed between HER2low and HER2- patients, neither in the ER+ nor ER- cohort. In conclusion, our data suggests that HER2low breast cancer is associated with a lower immune response compared to HER2- breast cancer.
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12
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Elfer K, Dudgeon S, Garcia V, Blenman K, Hytopoulos E, Wen S, Li X, Ly A, Werness B, Sheth MS, Amgad M, Gupta R, Saltz J, Hanna MG, Ehinger A, Peeters D, Salgado R, Gallas BD. Pilot study to evaluate tools to collect pathologist annotations for validating machine learning algorithms. J Med Imaging (Bellingham) 2022; 9:047501. [PMID: 35911208 PMCID: PMC9326105 DOI: 10.1117/1.jmi.9.4.047501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Validation of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in digital pathology with a reference standard is necessary before widespread clinical use, but few examples focus on creating a reference standard based on pathologist annotations. This work assesses the results of a pilot study that collects density estimates of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) in breast cancer biopsy specimens. This work will inform the creation of a validation dataset for the evaluation of AI algorithms fit for a regulatory purpose. Approach: Collaborators and crowdsourced pathologists contributed glass slides, digital images, and annotations. Here, "annotations" refer to any marks, segmentations, measurements, or labels a pathologist adds to a report, image, region of interest (ROI), or biological feature. Pathologists estimated sTILs density in 640 ROIs from hematoxylin and eosin stained slides of 64 patients via two modalities: an optical light microscope and two digital image viewing platforms. Results: The pilot study generated 7373 sTILs density estimates from 29 pathologists. Analysis of annotations found the variability of density estimates per ROI increases with the mean; the root mean square differences were 4.46, 14.25, and 26.25 as the mean density ranged from 0% to 10%, 11% to 40%, and 41% to 100%, respectively. The pilot study informs three areas of improvement for future work: technical workflows, annotation platforms, and agreement analysis methods. Upgrades to the workflows and platforms will improve operability and increase annotation speed and consistency. Conclusions: Exploratory data analysis demonstrates the need to develop new statistical approaches for agreement. The pilot study dataset and analysis methods are publicly available to allow community feedback. The development and results of the validation dataset will be publicly available to serve as an instructive tool that can be replicated by developers and researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Elfer
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Division of Imaging Diagnostics & Software Reliability, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
- National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Prevention, Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Sarah Dudgeon
- Yale University Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale New Haven Hospital, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Victor Garcia
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Division of Imaging Diagnostics & Software Reliability, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Kim Blenman
- School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
- Yale University, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Computer Science, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | | | - Si Wen
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Division of Imaging Diagnostics & Software Reliability, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
| | - Xiaoxian Li
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | - Amy Ly
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Bruce Werness
- Inova Health System Department of Pathology, Falls Church, Virginia, United States
- Arrive Bio LLC, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Manasi S. Sheth
- United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Devices and Radiologic Health, Office of Product Evaluation and Quality, Office of Clinical Evidence and Analysis, Division of Biostatistics, White Oak, Maryland, United States
| | - Mohamed Amgad
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Rajarsi Gupta
- SUNY Stony Brook Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Joel Saltz
- SUNY Stony Brook Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Stony Brook, New York, United States
- SUNY Stony Brook Medicine, Department of Pathology, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Matthew G. Hanna
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, United States
| | - Anna Ehinger
- Lund University, Laboratory Medicine, Region Skåne, Department of Genetics and Pathology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dieter Peeters
- Sint-Maarten Hospital, Department of Pathology, Mechelen, Belgium
- University of Antwerp, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Roberto Salgado
- Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre, Division of Research, Melbourne, Australia
- GZA-ZNA Hospitals, Department of Pathology, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Brandon D. Gallas
- United States Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Division of Imaging Diagnostics & Software Reliability, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
- Address all correspondence to Brandon D. Gallas,
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13
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Giugliano F, Valenza C, Tarantino P, Curigliano G. Immunotherapy for triple negative breast cancer: How can pathologic responses to experimental drugs in early-stage disease be enhanced? Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:855-874. [PMID: 35762248 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2095260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : The treatment landscape of early triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has recently expanded after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of pembrolizumab in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The addition of this immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has shown to significantly increased pathological complete response (pCR) rate and event free survival (EFS) in the KEYNOTE-522 phase 3 trial. Several additional studies are ongoing with the goal of further improving outcomes and achieving an optimal integration of ICIs in the treatment of TNBC. AREAS COVERED : The article examines pCR and survival rates in TNBC. It appraises clinical trials investigating neoadjuvant ICIs for TNBC and the improvement of pCR rates (biomarker-driven escalation of treatment, optimization of chemotherapy backbone and addition of locoregional treatments or innovative agents). Insights on the role of pCR as surrogate endpoint and the possibility of enhancing pCR rates for women affected by early TNBC are offered. EXPERT OPINION : The pharmacopoeia of early TNBC is growing and becoming more heterogeneous with the advent of ICIs; to enhance the clinical benefit of patients, it is necessary to develop response endpoints that consider the mechanism of action of experimental drugs, to optimize patient selection through validated biomarkers, and to compare the most promising treatment strategies in randomized clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Giugliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carmine Valenza
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Tarantino
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Breast Oncology Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Giuseppe Curigliano
- Division of New Drugs and Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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14
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Van Bockstal MR, Cooks M, Nederlof I, Brinkhuis M, Dutman A, Koopmans M, Kooreman L, van der Vegt B, Verhoog L, Vreuls C, Westenend P, Kok M, van Diest PJ, Nauwelaers I, Laudus N, Denkert C, Rimm D, Siziopikou KP, Ely S, Zardavas D, Roberts M, Floris G, Hartman J, Acs B, Peeters D, Bartlett JM, Dequeker E, Salgado R, Giudici F, Michiels S, Horlings H, van Deurzen CHM. Interobserver Agreement of PD-L1/SP142 Immunohistochemistry and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) in Distant Metastases of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Proof-of-Concept Study. A Report on Behalf of the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194910. [PMID: 34638394 PMCID: PMC8507620 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) benefit from treatment with atezolizumab, provided that the tumor contains ≥1% of PD-L1/SP142-positive immune cells. Numbers of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) vary strongly according to the anatomic localization of TNBC metastases. We investigated inter-pathologist agreement in the assessment of PD-L1/SP142 immunohistochemistry and TILs. Ten pathologists evaluated PD-L1/SP142 expression in a proficiency test comprising 28 primary TNBCs, as well as PD-L1/SP142 expression and levels of TILs in 49 distant TNBC metastases with various localizations. Interobserver agreement for PD-L1 status (positive vs. negative) was high in the proficiency test: the corresponding scores as percentages showed good agreement with the consensus diagnosis. In TNBC metastases, there was substantial variability in PD-L1 status at the individual patient level. For one in five patients, the chance of treatment was essentially random, with half of the pathologists designating them as positive and half negative. Assessment of PD-L1/SP142 and TILs as percentages in TNBC metastases showed poor and moderate agreement, respectively. Additional training for metastatic TNBC is required to enhance interobserver agreement. Such training, focusing on metastatic specimens, seems worthwhile, since the same pathologists obtained high percentages of concordance (ranging from 93% to 100%) on the PD-L1 status of primary TNBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mieke R. Van Bockstal
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Maxine Cooks
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Center Cancer Institute, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Iris Nederlof
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (I.N.); (M.K.)
| | - Mariël Brinkhuis
- Laboratory for Pathology East Netherlands, 7555 BB Hengelo, The Netherlands;
| | | | | | - Loes Kooreman
- Department of Pathology, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC), 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | - Bert van der Vegt
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Leon Verhoog
- Reinier Haga Medical Diagnostic Center, 2625 AD Delft, The Netherlands;
| | - Celine Vreuls
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (C.V.); (P.J.v.D.)
| | | | - Marleen Kok
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (I.N.); (M.K.)
| | - Paul J. van Diest
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands; (C.V.); (P.J.v.D.)
| | - Inne Nauwelaers
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35d, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (I.N.); (N.L.); (E.D.)
| | - Nele Laudus
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35d, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (I.N.); (N.L.); (E.D.)
| | - Carsten Denkert
- Institute of Pathology, Philipps-University Marburg and University Hospital Marburg (UKGM), Baldingerstr. 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - David Rimm
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | | | - Scott Ely
- Translational Medicine, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; (S.E.); (M.R.)
| | - Dimitrios Zardavas
- BMS Oncology Clinical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA;
| | - Mustimbo Roberts
- Translational Medicine, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; (S.E.); (M.R.)
| | - Giuseppe Floris
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Laboratory of Translational Cell & Tissue Research, KU Leuven–University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, CCK, Karolinkska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.H.); (B.A.)
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Cytology, Karolinska University Laboratory, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Balazs Acs
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, CCK, Karolinkska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; (J.H.); (B.A.)
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Cytology, Karolinska University Laboratory, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dieter Peeters
- HistoGenex NV, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Department of Pathology, AZ Sint-Maarten, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium
| | - John M.S. Bartlett
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G OA3, Canada;
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Els Dequeker
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Biomedical Quality Assurance Research Unit, University of Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 35d, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (I.N.); (N.L.); (E.D.)
| | - Roberto Salgado
- Department of Pathology, GZA-ZNA Hospitals, 2050 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Division of Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 8006, Australia
| | - Fabiola Giudici
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (F.G.); (S.M.)
| | - Stefan Michiels
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Gustave Roussy, University Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (F.G.); (S.M.)
- Oncostat U1018, Inserm, University of Paris-Saclay, 94807 Villejuif, France
| | - Hugo Horlings
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Carolien H. M. van Deurzen
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-107-043-901
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