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Cuniolo L, Gipponi M, Murelli F, Depaoli F, Cornacchia C, Franchelli S, Pesce M, Ronda E, Picardi S, Diaz R, Poggio F, Friedman D, De Cian F, Fregatti P. Multidisciplinary and Tailored Treatment of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer in Progression during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Case Report. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:2856-2866. [PMID: 38785498 PMCID: PMC11119312 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31050217] [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: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a complex disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is usually performed in order to achieve loco-regional radical resection; although its importance in the multidisciplinary approach to LABC is well recognized, a small number of patients show Progressive Disease (PD). No standard salvage treatment (ST) has been defined and different strategies can be adopted, such as second-line systemic therapies, radiation therapy, and surgery. Herein, a case of LABC in PD during NAC is reported with a literature review, with the aim of highlighting the importance of a tailored multidisciplinary treatment for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Cuniolo
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Marco Gipponi
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Federica Murelli
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Francesca Depaoli
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Chiara Cornacchia
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Simonetta Franchelli
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Marianna Pesce
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Elena Ronda
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Stefano Picardi
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Raquel Diaz
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Poggio
- Department of Medical Oncology, U.O. Oncologia Medica 2, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniele Friedman
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Franco De Cian
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
| | - Piero Fregatti
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostic (DISC), School of Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
- Breast Surgery Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (M.G.)
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2
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Nair MG, Mavatkar AD, Naidu CM, V. P. S, C. E. A, Rajarajan S, Sahoo S, Mohan G, Jaikumar VS, Ramesh RS, B. S. S, Jolly MK, Maliekal TT, Prabhu JS. Elucidating the Role of MicroRNA-18a in Propelling a Hybrid Epithelial-Mesenchymal Phenotype and Driving Malignant Progression in ER-Negative Breast Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:821. [PMID: 38786043 PMCID: PMC11119613 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100821] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alterations that lead to differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) are known to regulate tumour cell states, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the progression to metastasis in breast cancer. This study explores the key contribution of miRNA-18a in mediating a hybrid E/M cell state that is pivotal to the malignant transformation and tumour progression in the aggressive ER-negative subtype of breast cancer. The expression status and associated effects of miR-18a were evaluated in patient-derived breast tumour samples in combination with gene expression data from public datasets, and further validated in in vitro and in vivo breast cancer model systems. The clinical relevance of the study findings was corroborated against human breast tumour specimens (n = 446 patients). The down-regulated expression of miR-18a observed in ER-negative tumours was found to drive the enrichment of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) cells with luminal attributes, enhanced traits of migration, stemness, drug-resistance and immunosuppression. Further analysis of the miR-18a targets highlighted possible hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated signalling in these tumours. This is a foremost report that validates the dual role of miR-18a in breast cancer that is subtype-specific based on hormone receptor expression. The study also features a novel association of low miR-18a levels and subsequent enrichment of hybrid E/M cells, increased migration and stemness in a subgroup of ER-negative tumours that may be attributed to HIF-1α mediated signalling. The results highlight the possibility of stratifying the ER-negative disease into clinically relevant groups by analysing miRNA signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhumathy G. Nair
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Apoorva D. Mavatkar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Chandrakala M. Naidu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Snijesh V. P.
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Anupama C. E.
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Savitha Rajarajan
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Gayathri Mohan
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Vishnu Sunil Jaikumar
- Animal Research Facility, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Rakesh S. Ramesh
- Department of Surgical Oncology, St. John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
| | - Srinath B. S.
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Sri Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Bangalore 560004, Karnataka, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore), Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Tessy Thomas Maliekal
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram 695014, Kerala, India
| | - Jyothi S. Prabhu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore 560034, Karnataka, India
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3
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Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene D, Rasmusson A, Besusparis J, Valkiuniene RB, Augulis R, Laurinaviciene A, Plancoulaine B, Petkevicius L, Laurinavicius A. Intratumoral heterogeneity of Ki67 proliferation index outperforms conventional immunohistochemistry prognostic factors in estrogen receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer. Virchows Arch 2024:10.1007/s00428-024-03737-4. [PMID: 38217716 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-024-03737-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
In breast cancer (BC), pathologists visually score ER, PR, HER2, and Ki67 biomarkers to assess tumor properties and predict patient outcomes. This does not systematically account for intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) which has been reported to provide prognostic value. This study utilized digital image analysis (DIA) and computational pathology methods to investigate the prognostic value of ITH indicators in ER-positive (ER+) HER2-negative (HER2-) BC patients. Whole slide images (WSIs) of surgically excised specimens stained for ER, PR, Ki67, and HER2 from 254 patients were used. DIA with tumor tissue segmentation and detection of biomarker-positive cells was performed. The DIA-generated data were subsampled by a hexagonal grid to compute Haralick's texture indicators for ER, PR, and Ki67. Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the prognostic significance of the immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ITH indicators in the context of clinicopathologic variables. In multivariable analysis, the ITH of Ki67-positive cells, measured by Haralick's texture entropy, emerged as an independent predictor of worse BC-specific survival (BCSS) (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.64, p-value = 0.0049), along with lymph node involvement (HR = 2.26, p-value = 0.0195). Remarkably, the entropy representing the spatial disarrangement of tumor proliferation outperformed the proliferation rate per se established either by pathology reports or DIA. We conclude that the Ki67 entropy indicator enables a more comprehensive risk assessment with regard to BCSS, especially in cases with borderline Ki67 proliferation rates. The study further demonstrates the benefits of high-capacity DIA-generated data for quantifying the essentially subvisual ITH properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dovile Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, Naugarduko Str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania.
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania.
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Allan Rasmusson
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Justinas Besusparis
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ruta Barbora Valkiuniene
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Renaldas Augulis
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Aida Laurinaviciene
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Benoit Plancoulaine
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Path-Image/BioTiCla, University of Caen Normandy, François Baclesse Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3 Av. du Général Harris, 14000, Caen, France
| | - Linas Petkevicius
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, Naugarduko Str. 24, 03225, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Arvydas Laurinavicius
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Ciurlionio Str. 21, 03101, Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Centre of Pathology, affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, P. Baublio Str. 5, 08406, Vilnius, Lithuania
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4
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Swarbrick A, Fernandez-Martinez A, Perou CM. Gene-Expression Profiling to Decipher Breast Cancer Inter- and Intratumor Heterogeneity. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041320. [PMID: 37137498 PMCID: PMC10759991 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is heterogeneous and differs substantially across different tumors (intertumor heterogeneity) and even within an individual tumor (intratumor heterogeneity). Gene-expression profiling has considerably impacted our understanding of breast cancer biology. Four main "intrinsic subtypes" of breast cancer (i.e., luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and basal-like) have been consistently identified by gene expression, showing significant prognostic and predictive value in multiple clinical scenarios. Thanks to the molecular profiling of breast tumors, breast cancer is a paradigm of treatment personalization. Several standardized prognostic gene-expression assays are presently being used in the clinic to guide treatment decisions. Moreover, the development of single-cell-level resolution molecular profiling has allowed us to appreciate that breast cancer is also heterogeneous within a single tumor. There is an evident functional heterogeneity within the neoplastic and tumor microenvironment cells. Finally, emerging insights from these studies suggest a substantial cellular organization of neoplastic and tumor microenvironment cells, thus defining breast cancer ecosystems and highlighting the importance of spatial localizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Swarbrick
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Aranzazu Fernandez-Martinez
- Lineberger Comprehensive Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
| | - Charles M Perou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA
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5
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Guerriero JL, Lin JR, Pastorello RG, Du Z, Chen YA, Townsend MG, Shimada K, Hughes ME, Ren S, Tayob N, Zheng K, Mei S, Patterson A, Taneja KL, Metzger O, Tolaney SM, Lin NU, Dillon DA, Schnitt SJ, Sorger PK, Mittendorf EA, Santagata S. Qualification of a multiplexed tissue imaging assay and detection of novel patterns of HER2 heterogeneity in breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2024; 10:2. [PMID: 38167908 PMCID: PMC10761880 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00605-3] [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: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging data suggests that HER2 intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is associated with therapy resistance, highlighting the need for new strategies to assess HER2 ITH. A promising approach is leveraging multiplexed tissue analysis techniques such as cyclic immunofluorescence (CyCIF), which enable visualization and quantification of 10-60 antigens at single-cell resolution from individual tissue sections. In this study, we qualified a breast cancer-specific antibody panel, including HER2, ER, and PR, for multiplexed tissue imaging. We then compared the performance of these antibodies against established clinical standards using pixel-, cell- and tissue-level analyses, utilizing 866 tissue cores (representing 294 patients). To ensure reliability, the CyCIF antibodies were qualified against HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) data from the same samples. Our findings demonstrate the successful qualification of a breast cancer antibody panel for CyCIF, showing high concordance with established clinical antibodies. Subsequently, we employed the qualified antibodies, along with antibodies for CD45, CD68, PD-L1, p53, Ki67, pRB, and AR, to characterize 567 HER2+ invasive breast cancer samples from 189 patients. Through single-cell analysis, we identified four distinct cell clusters within HER2+ breast cancer exhibiting heterogeneous HER2 expression. Furthermore, these clusters displayed variations in ER, PR, p53, AR, and PD-L1 expression. To quantify the extent of heterogeneity, we calculated heterogeneity scores based on the diversity among these clusters. Our analysis revealed expression patterns that are relevant to breast cancer biology, with correlations to HER2 ITH and potential relevance to clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Guerriero
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Jia-Ren Lin
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ricardo G Pastorello
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sírio Libanês, São Paulo, SP, 01308-050, Brazil
| | - Ziming Du
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-An Chen
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Madeline G Townsend
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Kenichi Shimada
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Melissa E Hughes
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Siyang Ren
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nabihah Tayob
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Kelly Zheng
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shaolin Mei
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alyssa Patterson
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Krishan L Taneja
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Otto Metzger
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sara M Tolaney
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nancy U Lin
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Deborah A Dillon
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stuart J Schnitt
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Peter K Sorger
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Breast Tumor Immunology Laboratory, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Sandro Santagata
- Ludwig Center for Cancer Research at Harvard, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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6
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Wang J, Chen H, Koenig J, Wu Y, Bedrosian I, Arun B, Ding Q, Khazai L, Resetkova E, Huo L, Sneige N, Albarracin C. Discordance of Oncotype DX scores in synchronous bilateral and unilateral multifocal breast cancers. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024; 203:73-83. [PMID: 37751078 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07119-3] [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: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Oncotype DX, a 21-gene expression profiling test, has become standard of care in the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. In multifocal tumors, it is unclear whether testing of the different foci is necessary. We evaluated the concordance of Oncotype DX recurrence scores (RS) between 2 tumor foci in synchronous bilateral or unilateral multifocal tumors and characterized pathological predictors of discordance. METHODS We reviewed 713 ER+, HER2- primary invasive breast cancer patients with Oncotype RS and identified 17 bilateral synchronous patients (34 tumors) and 13 unilateral multifocal patients (26 tumors) with available Oncotype RS on all foci. Discordance in Oncotype RS between synchronous tumors was recorded and associations with clinicopathologic features including tumor size, histology, Nottingham histologic grade, progesterone receptor staining, and Ki67 index were analyzed. RESULTS Bilateral synchronous tumors were present in older patients (median age 59 years) and had larger tumor (median size 17 mm) and more discordant histology (10/17, 59%) as compared to unilateral multifocal tumors (median age 49 years, p < 0.01; median tumor size 12 mm, p = 0.01; discordant histology 2/13, 15%, p = 0.03). Oncotype RS were discordant in 47% (8/17) of bilateral and 54% (7/13) of unilateral multifocal tumors. Concordant Oncotype RS was associated with similar histologic grade and Ki67 index in 78% (7/9) of bilateral and 100% (6/6) of multifocal tumors. In contrast, only 25% (2/8) of bilateral (p = 0.06) and 14% (1/7) of unilateral multifocal (p < 0.01) cases with discordant Oncotype RS had concordant histology grades and Ki67 levels. In synchronous tumors with discordant Oncotype RS and Ki67 index, all (4/4) foci with higher RS had higher Ki67 index. CONCLUSION Discordance of Oncotype RS is common in both bilateral and unilateral multifocal breast cancer and is likely associated with discordant histologic grade or Ki67.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Jenna Koenig
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Isabelle Bedrosian
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Banu Arun
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qingqing Ding
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laila Khazai
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erika Resetkova
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lei Huo
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nour Sneige
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Constance Albarracin
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Unit 085, G1.3617A, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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7
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Makhlouf S, Quinn C, Toss M, Alsaleem M, Atallah NM, Ibrahim A, Rutland CS, Mongan NP, Rakha EA. Quantitative expression of oestrogen receptor in breast cancer: Clinical and molecular significance. Eur J Cancer 2024; 197:113473. [PMID: 38103327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.113473] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer (BC) patients are eligible for endocrine therapy (ET), regardless of ER immunohistochemical expression level. There is a wide spectrum of ER expression and the response to ET is not uniform. This study aimed to assess the clinical and molecular consequences of ER heterogeneity with respect to ET-response. METHODS ER expression, categorised by percentage and staining intensity in a large BC cohort (n = 7559) was correlated with clinicopathological parameters and patient ET response. The Cancer Genome Atlas Data BC cohort (n = 1047) was stratified by ER expression and transcriptomic analysis completed to better understand the molecular basis of ER heterogeneity. RESULTS The quantitative proportional increase in ER expression was positively associated with favourable prognostic parameters. Tumours with 1-9% ER expression were characteristically similar to ER-negative (<1%) tumours. Maximum ET-response was observed in tumours with 100% ER expression, with responses significantly different to tumours exhibiting ER at < 100% and significantly decreased survival rates were observed in tumours with 50% and 10% of ER expression. The Histochemical-score (H-score), which considers both staining intensity and percentage, added significant prognostic value over ER percentage alone with significant outcome differences observed at H-scores of 30, 100 and 200. There was a positive correlation between ER expression and ESR1 mRNA expression and expression of ER-regulated genes. Pathway analysis identified differential expression in key cancer-related pathways in different ER-positive groups. CONCLUSION ET-response is statistically proportionally related to ER expression with significant differences observed at 10%, 50% and 100%. The H-score adds prognostic and predictive information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shorouk Makhlouf
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Cecily Quinn
- Irish National Breast Screening Programme and Department of Histopathology, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael Toss
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Histopathology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Mansour Alsaleem
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Unit of Scientific Research, Applied College, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nehal M Atallah
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Ibrahim
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Catrin S Rutland
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emad A Rakha
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Histopathology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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8
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Covington MF, O'Brien SR, Lawhn-Heath C, Pantel AR, Ulaner GA, Linden HM, Dehdashti F. Fluorine-18-Labeled Fluoroestradiol PET/CT: Current Status, Gaps in Knowledge, and Controversies-AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2023. [PMID: 38117098 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.23.30330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
PET/CT using 16α-[18F]-fluoro-17β-estradiol (FES) noninvasively images tissues expressing estrogen receptors (ERs). FES has undergone extensive clinicopathologic validation for ER+ breast cancer and received FDA approval in 2020 for clinical use as an adjunct to biopsy in patients with recurrent or metastatic ER+ breast cancer. Clinical use of FES PET/CT is increasing, but is not widespread in the United States. This AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review explores the present status and future directions of FES PET/CT, including image interpretation, existing and emerging uses, knowledge gaps, and current controversies. Specific controversies discussed include whether both FES PET/CT and FDG PET/CT are warranted in certain scenarios, whether further workup is required after negative FES PET/CT results, whether FES PET/CT findings should inform endocrine therapy selection, and whether immunohistochemistry should remain the standalone reference standard for determining ER status for all breast cancers. Consensus opinions from the panel include agreement with the appropriate clinical uses of FES PET/CT published by a multidisciplinary expert workgroup in 2023; anticipated expanded clinical use of FES PET/CT for staging ER-positive invasive lobular carcinomas and low-grade invasive ductal carcinomas pending ongoing clinical trial results; and the need for further research regarding use of FES PET/CT for ER-expressing nonbreast malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Covington
- Center for Quantitative Cancer Imaging, Huntsman Cancer Institute
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah
| | - Sophia R O'Brien
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
| | - Courtney Lawhn-Heath
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco
| | - Austin R Pantel
- Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
| | - Gary A Ulaner
- Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Hoag Family Cancer Institute
- Radiology and Translational Genomics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Hannah M Linden
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology University of Washington, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
| | - Farrokh Dehdashti
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis
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9
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Prekovic S, Chalkiadakis T, Roest M, Roden D, Lutz C, Schuurman K, Opdam M, Hoekman L, Abbott N, Tesselaar T, Wajahat M, Dwyer AR, Mayayo‐Peralta I, Gomez G, Altelaar M, Beijersbergen R, Győrffy B, Young L, Linn S, Jonkers J, Tilley W, Hickey T, Vareslija D, Swarbrick A, Zwart W. Luminal breast cancer identity is determined by loss of glucocorticoid receptor activity. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17737. [PMID: 37902007 PMCID: PMC10701603 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202317737] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in cancer biology. In this study, we utilized an in silico-designed GR activity signature to demonstrate that GR relates to the proliferative capacity of numerous primary cancer types. In breast cancer, the GR activity status determines luminal subtype identity and has implications for patient outcomes. We reveal that GR engages with estrogen receptor (ER), leading to redistribution of ER on the chromatin. Notably, GR activation leads to upregulation of the ZBTB16 gene, encoding for a transcriptional repressor, which controls growth in ER-positive breast cancer and associates with prognosis in luminal A patients. In relation to ZBTB16's repressive nature, GR activation leads to epigenetic remodeling and loss of histone acetylation at sites proximal to cancer-driving genes. Based on these findings, epigenetic inhibitors reduce viability of ER-positive breast cancer cells that display absence of GR activity. Our findings provide insights into how GR controls ER-positive breast cancer growth and may have implications for patients' prognostication and provide novel therapeutic candidates for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Prekovic
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Center for Molecular MedicineUMC UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | | | - Merel Roest
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Daniel Roden
- Cancer Ecosystems ProgramGarvan Institute of Medical ResearchDarlinghurstNSWAustralia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Catrin Lutz
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Karianne Schuurman
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Mark Opdam
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Liesbeth Hoekman
- Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics FacilityThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Nina Abbott
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Tanja Tesselaar
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Maliha Wajahat
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
| | - Amy R Dwyer
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
| | - Isabel Mayayo‐Peralta
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Gabriela Gomez
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesThe Royal College of Surgeons University of Medicine and Health SciencesDublinIreland
| | - Maarten Altelaar
- Mass Spectrometry/Proteomics FacilityThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical SciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Roderick Beijersbergen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Robotics and Screening CentreNetherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- TTK Cancer Biomarker Research GroupInstitute of EnzymologyBudapestHungary
- Department of Bioinformatics and 2nd Department of PediatricsSemmelweis UniversityBudapestHungary
| | - Leonie Young
- Endocrine Oncology Research Group, Department of SurgeryThe Royal College of Surgeons University of Medicine and Health SciencesDublinIreland
- Beaumont RCSI Cancer CentreBeaumont HospitalDublinIreland
| | - Sabine Linn
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Wayne Tilley
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
- Freemasons Centre for Male Health and WellbeingUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
| | - Theresa Hickey
- Dame Roma Mitchell Cancer Research Laboratories, Adelaide Medical SchoolUniversity of AdelaideAdelaideSAAustralia
| | - Damir Vareslija
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesThe Royal College of Surgeons University of Medicine and Health SciencesDublinIreland
- Beaumont RCSI Cancer CentreBeaumont HospitalDublinIreland
| | - Alexander Swarbrick
- Cancer Ecosystems ProgramGarvan Institute of Medical ResearchDarlinghurstNSWAustralia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and HealthUNSW SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode InstituteThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical EngineeringEindhoven University of TechnologyEindhovenThe Netherlands
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10
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Makhlouf S, Wahab N, Toss M, Ibrahim A, Lashen AG, Atallah NM, Ghannam S, Jahanifar M, Lu W, Graham S, Mongan NP, Bilal M, Bhalerao A, Snead D, Minhas F, Raza SEA, Rajpoot N, Rakha E. Evaluation of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes in luminal breast cancer using artificial intelligence. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1747-1758. [PMID: 37777578 PMCID: PMC10667537 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02451-3] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a prognostic parameter in triple-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC). However, their role in luminal (oestrogen receptor positive and HER2 negative (ER + /HER2-)) BC remains unclear. In this study, we used artificial intelligence (AI) to assess the prognostic significance of TILs in a large well-characterised cohort of luminal BC. METHODS Supervised deep learning model analysis of Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E)-stained whole slide images (WSI) was applied to a cohort of 2231 luminal early-stage BC patients with long-term follow-up. Stromal TILs (sTILs) and intratumoural TILs (tTILs) were quantified and their spatial distribution within tumour tissue, as well as the proportion of stroma involved by sTILs were assessed. The association of TILs with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcome was determined. RESULTS A strong positive linear correlation was observed between sTILs and tTILs. High sTILs and tTILs counts, as well as their proximity to stromal and tumour cells (co-occurrence) were associated with poor clinical outcomes and unfavourable clinicopathological parameters including high tumour grade, lymph node metastasis, large tumour size, and young age. AI-based assessment of the proportion of stroma composed of sTILs (as assessed visually in routine practice) was not predictive of patient outcome. tTILs was an independent predictor of worse patient outcome in multivariate Cox Regression analysis. CONCLUSION AI-based detection of TILs counts, and their spatial distribution provides prognostic value in luminal early-stage BC patients. The utilisation of AI algorithms could provide a comprehensive assessment of TILs as a morphological variable in WSIs beyond eyeballing assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shorouk Makhlouf
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Noorul Wahab
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Michael Toss
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Asmaa Ibrahim
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Ayat G Lashen
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Nehal M Atallah
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Suzan Ghannam
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Histology and cell biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | | | - Wenqi Lu
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Simon Graham
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mohsin Bilal
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Abhir Bhalerao
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - David Snead
- University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK
| | - Fayyaz Minhas
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | | | - Nasir Rajpoot
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
| | - Emad Rakha
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Department of Histopathology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK.
- Department of Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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11
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Sahoo S, Ramu S, Nair MG, Pillai M, San Juan BP, Milioli HZ, Mandal S, Naidu CM, Mavatkar AD, Subramaniam H, Neogi AG, Chaffer CL, Prabhu JS, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Multi-modal transcriptomic analysis unravels enrichment of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state and enhanced phenotypic heterogeneity in basal breast cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.30.558960. [PMID: 37873432 PMCID: PMC10592858 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.30.558960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Intra-tumoral phenotypic heterogeneity promotes tumor relapse and therapeutic resistance and remains an unsolved clinical challenge. It manifests along multiple phenotypic axes and decoding the interconnections among these different axes is crucial to understand its molecular origins and to develop novel therapeutic strategies to control it. Here, we use multi-modal transcriptomic data analysis - bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics - from breast cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples, to identify associations between epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and luminal-basal plasticity - two key processes that enable heterogeneity. We show that luminal breast cancer strongly associates with an epithelial cell state, but basal breast cancer is associated with hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype(s) and higher phenotypic heterogeneity. These patterns were inherent in methylation profiles, suggesting an epigenetic crosstalk between EMT and lineage plasticity in breast cancer. Mathematical modelling of core underlying gene regulatory networks representative of the crosstalk between the luminal-basal and epithelial-mesenchymal axes recapitulate and thus elucidate mechanistic underpinnings of the observed associations from transcriptomic data. Our systems-based approach integrating multi-modal data analysis with mechanism-based modeling offers a predictive framework to characterize intra-tumor heterogeneity and to identify possible interventions to restrict it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Madhumathy G Nair
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Current affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, 60611, USA
| | - Beatriz P San Juan
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | | | - Susmita Mandal
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Chandrakala M Naidu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Apoorva D Mavatkar
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Harini Subramaniam
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Arpita G Neogi
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Christine L Chaffer
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010, Australia
- University of New South Wales, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Jyothi S Prabhu
- Division of Molecular Medicine, St. John’s Research Institute, St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | | | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
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12
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Goyette MA, Lipsyc-Sharf M, Polyak K. Clinical and translational relevance of intratumor heterogeneity. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:726-737. [PMID: 37248149 PMCID: PMC10524913 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is a driver of tumor evolution and a main cause of therapeutic resistance. Despite its importance, measures of ITH are still not incorporated into clinical practice. Consequently, standard treatment is frequently ineffective for patients with heterogeneous tumors as changes to treatment regimens are made only after recurrence and disease progression. More effective combination therapies require a mechanistic understanding of ITH and ways to assess it in clinical samples. The growth of technologies enabling the spatially intact analysis of tumors at the single-cell level and the development of sophisticated preclinical models give us hope that ITH will not simply be used as a predictor of a poor outcome but will guide treatment decisions from diagnosis through treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Anne Goyette
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marla Lipsyc-Sharf
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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13
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Wang Y, Ali MA, Vallon-Christersson J, Humphreys K, Hartman J, Rantalainen M. Transcriptional intra-tumour heterogeneity predicted by deep learning in routine breast histopathology slides provides independent prognostic information. Eur J Cancer 2023; 191:112953. [PMID: 37494846 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.112953] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH) causes diagnostic challenges and increases the risk for disease recurrence. Quantification of ITH is challenging and has not been demonstrated in large studies. It has previously been shown that deep learning can enable spatially resolved prediction of molecular phenotypes from digital histopathology whole slide images (WSIs). Here we propose a novel method (Deep-ITH) to predict and measure ITH, and we evaluate its prognostic performance in breast cancer. METHODS Deep convolutional neural networks were used to spatially predict gene-expression (PAM50 set) from WSIs. For each predicted transcript, 12 measures of heterogeneity were extracted in the training data set (N = 931). A prognostic score to dichotomise patients into Deep-ITH low- and high-risk groups was established using an elastic-net regularised Cox proportional hazards model (recurrence-free survival). Prognostic performance was evaluated in two independent data sets: SöS-BC-1 (N = 1358) and SCAN-B-Lund (N = 1262). RESULTS We observed an increase in risk of recurrence in the high-risk group with hazard ratio (HR) 2.11 (95%CI:1.22-3.60; p = 0.007) using nested cross-validation. Subgroup analyses confirmed the prognostic performance in oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, grade 3, and large tumour subgroups. The prognostic value was confirmed in the independent SöS-BC-1 cohort (HR=1.84; 95%CI:1.03-3.3; p = 3.99 ×10-2). In the other external cohort, significant HR was observed in the subgroup of histological grade 2 patients, as well as in the subgroup of patients with small tumours (<20 mm). CONCLUSION We developed a novel method for an automated, scalable, and cost-efficient measure of ITH from WSIs that provides independent prognostic value for breast cancer. SIGNIFICANCE Transcriptional ITH predicted by deep learning models enables prediction of patient survival from routine histopathology WSIs in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinxi Wang
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maya Alsheh Ali
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Keith Humphreys
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; MedTechLabs, BioClinicum, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Mattias Rantalainen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; MedTechLabs, BioClinicum, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden.
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14
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Hurson AN, Hamilton AM, Olsson LT, Kirk EL, Sherman ME, Calhoun BC, Geradts J, Troester MA. Reproducibility and intratumoral heterogeneity of the PAM50 breast cancer assay. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 199:147-154. [PMID: 36892725 PMCID: PMC10147733 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-06888-1] [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: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The PAM50 assay is used routinely in clinical practice to determine breast cancer prognosis and management; however, research assessing how technical variation and intratumoral heterogeneity contribute to misclassification and reproducibility of these tests is limited. METHODS We evaluated the impact of intratumoral heterogeneity on the reproducibility of results for the PAM50 assay by testing RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded breast cancer blocks sampled at distinct spatial locations. Samples were classified according to intrinsic subtype (Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-enriched, Basal-like, or Normal-like) and risk of recurrence with proliferation score (ROR-P, high, medium, or low). Intratumoral heterogeneity and technical reproducibility (replicate assays on the same RNA) were assessed as percent categorical agreement between paired intratumoral and replicate samples. Euclidean distances between samples, calculated across the PAM50 genes and the ROR-P score, were compared for concordant vs. discordant samples. RESULTS Technical replicates (N = 144) achieved 93% agreement for ROR-P group and 90% agreement on PAM50 subtype. For spatially distinct biological replicates (N = 40 intratumoral replicates), agreement was lower (81% for ROR-P and 76% for PAM50 subtype). The Euclidean distances between discordant technical replicates were bimodal, with discordant samples showing higher Euclidian distance and biologic heterogeneity. CONCLUSION The PAM50 assay achieved very high technical reproducibility for breast cancer subtyping and ROR-P, but intratumoral heterogeneity is revealed by the assay in a small proportion of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber N Hurson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Alina M Hamilton
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Linnea T Olsson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Erin L Kirk
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark E Sherman
- Quantitative Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Benjamin C Calhoun
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Geradts
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Melissa A Troester
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 253 Rosenau, CB# 7435, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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15
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Li JJX, Tse GM. Marker assessments in ER-positive breast cancers: old markers, new applications? Histopathology 2023; 82:218-231. [PMID: 35945680 DOI: 10.1111/his.14767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evaluation of oestrogen receptor (ER) expression by immunostaining is essential in the pathological assessment of breast cancer. Its expression is intercorrelated with clinicopathological features, molecular typing, and treatment selection. The development of novel therapeutic agents related to ER status, the recent ASCO introduction of an ER-low positive category of breast cancers, and the ever-increasing plethora of diagnostic and theragnostic markers call for a timely update. In this article we aim to review the clinicopathological features of ER-positive breast cancers, with an emphasis on ER-low positive breast cancers, and a focus on updating the (i) assessment, reporting and interpretation of ER immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, (ii) correlations of ER status with other diagnostic and theragnostic markers, and (iii) implications for treatment selection and response. In the face of the developments in IHC and molecular techniques and targeted therapy, ER immunostaining is still expected to remain as the core component of prognostic and theragnostic assessment of breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J X Li
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Gary M Tse
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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16
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Saeki S, Kumegawa K, Takahashi Y, Yang L, Osako T, Yasen M, Otsuji K, Miyata K, Yamakawa K, Suzuka J, Sakimoto Y, Ozaki Y, Takano T, Sano T, Noda T, Ohno S, Yao R, Ueno T, Maruyama R. Transcriptomic intratumor heterogeneity of breast cancer patient-derived organoids may reflect the unique biological features of the tumor of origin. Breast Cancer Res 2023; 25:21. [PMID: 36810117 PMCID: PMC9942352 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-023-01617-4] [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: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) of cancer cells plays an important role in breast cancer resistance and recurrence. To develop better therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying ITH and their functional significance. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have recently been utilized in cancer research. They can also be used to study ITH as cancer cell diversity is thought to be maintained within the organoid line. However, no reports investigated intratumor transcriptomic heterogeneity in organoids derived from patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate transcriptomic ITH in breast cancer PDOs. METHODS We established PDO lines from ten patients with breast cancer and performed single-cell transcriptomic analysis. First, we clustered cancer cells for each PDO using the Seurat package. Then, we defined and compared the cluster-specific gene signature (ClustGS) corresponding to each cell cluster in each PDO. RESULTS Cancer cells were clustered into 3-6 cell populations with distinct cellular states in each PDO line. We identified 38 clusters with ClustGS in 10 PDO lines and used Jaccard similarity index to compare the similarity of these signatures. We found that 29 signatures could be categorized into 7 shared meta-ClustGSs, such as those related to the cell cycle or epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and 9 signatures were unique to single PDO lines. These unique cell populations appeared to represent the characteristics of the original tumors derived from patients. CONCLUSIONS We confirmed the existence of transcriptomic ITH in breast cancer PDOs. Some cellular states were commonly observed in multiple PDOs, whereas others were specific to single PDO lines. The combination of these shared and unique cellular states formed the ITH of each PDO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumito Saeki
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550 Japan ,grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Surgical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Kumegawa
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Cancer Cell Diversity Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoko Takahashi
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Surgical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Liying Yang
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550 Japan
| | - Tomo Osako
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Division of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mahmut Yasen
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Cancer Informatics and Biobanking Platform Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Otsuji
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Cancer Cell Diversity Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Miyata
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550 Japan
| | - Kaoru Yamakawa
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Cancer Informatics and Biobanking Platform Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Suzuka
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Cancer Cell Diversity Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuri Sakimoto
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550 Japan
| | - Yukinori Ozaki
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Medical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshimi Takano
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Medical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sano
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Noda
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Director’s Room, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Ohno
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryoji Yao
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Department of Cell Biology, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Ueno
- grid.410807.a0000 0001 0037 4131Breast Surgical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Reo Maruyama
- Project for Cancer Epigenomics, Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan. .,Cancer Cell Diversity Project, NEXT-Ganken Program, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.
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17
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Johansson A, Dar H, van ’t Veer LJ, Tobin NP, Perez-Tenorio G, Nordenskjöld A, Johansson U, Hartman J, Skoog L, Yau C, Benz CC, Esserman LJ, Stål O, Nordenskjöld B, Fornander T, Lindström LS. Twenty-Year Benefit From Adjuvant Goserelin and Tamoxifen in Premenopausal Patients With Breast Cancer in a Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial. J Clin Oncol 2022; 40:4071-4082. [PMID: 35862873 PMCID: PMC9746735 DOI: 10.1200/jco.21.02844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the long-term (20-year) endocrine therapy benefit in premenopausal patients with breast cancer. METHODS Secondary analysis of the Stockholm trial (STO-5, 1990-1997) randomly assigning 924 premenopausal patients to 2 years of goserelin (3.6 mg subcutaneously once every 28 days), tamoxifen (40 mg orally once daily), combined goserelin and tamoxifen, or no adjuvant endocrine therapy (control) is performed. Random assignment was stratified by lymph node status; lymph node-positive patients (n = 459) were allocated to standard chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil). Primary tumor immunohistochemistry (n = 731) and gene expression profiling (n = 586) were conducted in 2020. The 70-gene signature identified genomic low-risk and high-risk patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis, multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression, and multivariable time-varying flexible parametric modeling assessed the long-term distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI). Swedish high-quality registries allowed a complete follow-up of 20 years. RESULTS In estrogen receptor-positive patients (n = 584, median age 47 years), goserelin, tamoxifen, and the combination significantly improved long-term distant recurrence-free interval compared with control (multivariable hazard ratio [HR], 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.75, HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.87, and HR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.94, respectively). Significant goserelin-tamoxifen interaction was observed (P = .016). Genomic low-risk patients (n = 305) significantly benefitted from tamoxifen (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.60), and genomic high-risk patients (n = 158) from goserelin (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.54). Increased risk from the addition of tamoxifen to goserelin was seen in genomic high-risk patients (HR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.39 to 8.07). Moreover, long-lasting 20-year tamoxifen benefit was seen in genomic low-risk patients, whereas genomic high-risk patients had early goserelin benefit. CONCLUSION This study shows 20-year benefit from 2 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor-positive premenopausal patients and suggests differential treatment benefit on the basis of tumor genomic characteristics. Combined goserelin and tamoxifen therapy showed no benefit over single treatment. Long-term follow-up to assess treatment benefit is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelie Johansson
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Annelie Johansson, MSc, PhD, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, BioClinicum, Visionsgatan 4, 171 64 Stockholm, Sweden; Twitter: @annelieewa; e-mail:
| | - Huma Dar
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J. van ’t Veer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Nicholas P. Tobin
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gizeh Perez-Tenorio
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordenskjöld
- Institution of Clinical Sciences, Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulla Johansson
- Oncological Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lambert Skoog
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Yau
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA,Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Christopher C. Benz
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA,Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Laura J. Esserman
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Olle Stål
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Bo Nordenskjöld
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Tommy Fornander
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda S. Lindström
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Doebley AL, Ko M, Liao H, Cruikshank AE, Santos K, Kikawa C, Hiatt JB, Patton RD, De Sarkar N, Collier KA, Hoge ACH, Chen K, Zimmer A, Weber ZT, Adil M, Reichel JB, Polak P, Adalsteinsson VA, Nelson PS, MacPherson D, Parsons HA, Stover DG, Ha G. A framework for clinical cancer subtyping from nucleosome profiling of cell-free DNA. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7475. [PMID: 36463275 PMCID: PMC9719521 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35076-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has the potential to inform tumor subtype classification and help guide clinical precision oncology. Here we develop Griffin, a framework for profiling nucleosome protection and accessibility from cfDNA to study the phenotype of tumors using as low as 0.1x coverage whole genome sequencing data. Griffin employs a GC correction procedure tailored to variable cfDNA fragment sizes, which generates a better representation of chromatin accessibility and improves the accuracy of cancer detection and tumor subtype classification. We demonstrate estrogen receptor subtyping from cfDNA in metastatic breast cancer. We predict estrogen receptor subtype in 139 patients with at least 5% detectable circulating tumor DNA with an area under the receive operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.89 and validate performance in independent cohorts (AUC = 0.96). In summary, Griffin is a framework for accurate tumor subtyping and can be generalizable to other cancer types for precision oncology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lisa Doebley
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Minjeong Ko
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Hanna Liao
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - A Eden Cruikshank
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Caroline Kikawa
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph B Hiatt
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Robert D Patton
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Navonil De Sarkar
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Anna C H Hoge
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katharine Chen
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anat Zimmer
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Zachary T Weber
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mohamed Adil
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan B Reichel
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Paz Polak
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Peter S Nelson
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David MacPherson
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Daniel G Stover
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gavin Ha
- Division of Public Health Sciences and Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
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19
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Ors A, Chitsazan AD, Doe AR, Mulqueen RM, Ak C, Wen Y, Haverlack S, Handu M, Naldiga S, Saldivar J, Mohammed H. Estrogen regulates divergent transcriptional and epigenetic cell states in breast cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11492-11508. [PMID: 36318267 PMCID: PMC9723652 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancers are known to be driven by the transcription factor estrogen receptor and its ligand estrogen. While the receptor's cis-binding elements are known to vary between tumors, heterogeneity of hormone signaling at a single-cell level is unknown. In this study, we systematically tracked estrogen response across time at a single-cell level in multiple cell line and organoid models. To accurately model these changes, we developed a computational tool (TITAN) that quantifies signaling gradients in single-cell datasets. Using this approach, we found that gene expression response to estrogen is non-uniform, with distinct cell groups expressing divergent transcriptional networks. Pathway analysis suggested the two most distinct signatures are driven separately by ER and FOXM1. We observed that FOXM1 was indeed activated by phosphorylation upon estrogen stimulation and silencing of FOXM1 attenuated the relevant gene signature. Analysis of scRNA-seq data from patient samples confirmed the existence of these divergent cell groups, with the FOXM1 signature predominantly found in ER negative cells. Further, multi-omic single-cell experiments indicated that the different cell groups have distinct chromatin accessibility states. Our results provide a comprehensive insight into ER biology at the single-cell level and potential therapeutic strategies to mitigate resistance to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aaron Reid Doe
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Ryan M Mulqueen
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Cigdem Ak
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Yahong Wen
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Syber Haverlack
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Mithila Handu
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Spandana Naldiga
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
| | - Joshua C Saldivar
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA,Division of Oncological Sciences, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97201, USA
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20
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Liu C, Hu S, Xu X, Zhang Y, Wang B, Song S, Yang Z. Evaluation of tumour heterogeneity by 18F-fluoroestradiol PET as a predictive measure in breast cancer patients receiving palbociclib combined with endocrine treatment. BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : BCR 2022; 24:57. [PMID: 36028895 PMCID: PMC9419349 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-022-01555-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Predictive biomarkers are needed to identify oestrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER + /HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients who would likely benefit from cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors combined with endocrine therapy. Therefore, we performed an exploratory study to evaluate the tumour heterogeneity parameters based on 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-oestradiol (18F-FES)-PET imaging as a potential marker to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in MBC patients receiving palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy. Methods Fifty-six ER + MBC patients underwent 18F-FES-PET/CT before the initiation of palbociclib. 18F-FES uptake was quantified and expressed as the standardized uptake value (SUV). Interlesional heterogeneity was qualitatively identified according to the presence or absence of 18F-FES-negative lesions. Intralesional heterogeneity was measured by the SUV-based heterogeneity index (HI = SUVmax/SUVmean). Association with survival was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results A total of 551 metastatic lesions were found in 56 patients: 507 lesions were identified as 18F-FES-positive, 38 lesions were distributed across 10 patients without 18F-FES uptake, and the remaining 6 were liver lesions. Forty-three patients obtained a clinical benefit, and 13 developed progressive disease (PD) within 24 weeks. Nine out of 10 patients with an 18F-FES-negative site developed PD, and the median PFS was only 2.4 months. Among 46 patients with only 18F-FES-positive lesions, only four patients had PD, and the median PFS was 23.6 months. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.001). For the subgroup of patients with only 18F-FES-positive lesions, low FES-HI patients experienced substantially longer PFS times than those with high FES-HI (26.5 months vs. 16.5 months, P = 0.004). Conclusions 18F-FES-PET may provide a promising method for identifying and selecting candidate ER + /HER2- MBC patients who would most likely benefit from palbociclib combined with endocrine treatment and could serve as a predictive marker for treatment response. Trial registration NCT04992156, Date of registration: August 5, 2021 (retrospectively registered).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No.270, Dong'an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shihui Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaoping Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No.270, Dong'an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yongping Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No.270, Dong'an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Biyun Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Shaoli Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No.270, Dong'an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhongyi Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, No.270, Dong'an Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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21
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Xie Y, Du X, Zhao Y, Gong C, Hu S, You S, Song S, Hu X, Yang Z, Wang B. Chemotherapy Shows a Better Efficacy Than Endocrine Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients with a Heterogeneous Estrogen Receptor Expression Assessed by 18F-FES PET. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143531. [PMID: 35884590 PMCID: PMC9323202 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The heterogeneity of estrogen receptor (ER) expression has long been a challenge for the diagnosis and treatment strategy of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). A novel convenient method of ER detection using 18F-fluoroestradiol positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FES PET/CT) offers a chance to screen and analyze MBC patients with ER uncertainty. Methods: MBC patients who received 18F-FES PET/CT were screened and patients with both FES positive (FES+) and negative (FES-) lesions were enrolled in this study. Progression-free survival (PFS) was estimated using the Kaplan−Meier method and was compared using the log-rank test. Results: A total of 635 patients were screened and 75 of 635 (11.8%) patients showed ER uncertainty; 51 patients received further treatment and were enrolled in this study. Among them, 20 (39.2%) patients received chemotherapy (CT), 21 (41.2%) patients received endocrine-based therapy (ET), and 10 (19.6%) patients received combined therapy (CT + ET). CT showed a better progression-free survival (PFS) compared with ET (mPFS 7.1 vs. 4.6 months, HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.20−0.93, p = 0.03). CT + ET did not improve PFS compared with either CT or ET alone (mPFS 4.4 months, p > 0.2). All three treatment options were well tolerated. Conclusions: 18F-FES PET/CT could identify patients with ER heterogeneity. Patients with bone metastasis are more likely to have ER heterogeneity. Patients with ER heterogeneity showed better sensitivity to CT rather than ET. Combined therapy of CT + ET did not improve the treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhao Xie
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Xinyue Du
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yannan Zhao
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Chengcheng Gong
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Shihui Hu
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Shuhui You
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Shaoli Song
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xichun Hu
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
| | - Zhongyi Yang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging Probes, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (B.W.); Tel.: +86-21-64175590-86908 (B.W.); Fax: +86-21-54520250 (B.W.)
| | - Biyun Wang
- Department of Breast Cancer and Urological Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; (Y.X.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (S.H.); (S.Y.); (X.H.)
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (X.D.); (S.S.)
- Correspondence: (Z.Y.); (B.W.); Tel.: +86-21-64175590-86908 (B.W.); Fax: +86-21-54520250 (B.W.)
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22
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GRHL2 motif is associated with intratumor heterogeneity of cis-regulatory elements in luminal breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:70. [PMID: 35676392 PMCID: PMC9177858 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00438-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractIn breast cancer patients, tumor heterogeneity is associated with prognosis and therapeutic response; however, the epigenetic diversity that exists in primary tumors remains unknown. Using a single-cell sequencing assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (scATAC-seq), we obtained the chromatin accessibility profiles of 12,452 cells from 16 breast cancer patients including 11 luminal, 1 luminal-HER2, 1 HER2+, and 3 triple-negative subtypes. Via this profiling process, tumors were classified into cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, highlighting the heterogeneity of disease-related pathways including estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Furthermore, the coexistence of cancer cell clusters with different ER binding motif enrichments was identified in a single ER+ tumor. In a cluster with reduced ER motif enrichment, we identified GRHL2, a transcription factor, as the most enriched motif, and it cooperated with FOXA1 to initiate endocrine resistance. Coaccessibility analysis revealed that GRHL2 binding elements potentially regulate genes associated with endocrine resistance, metastasis, and poor prognosis in patients that received hormonal therapy. Overall, our study suggests that epigenetic heterogeneity could lead to endocrine resistance and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients and it offers a large-scale resource for further cancer research.
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23
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Liu Y. Narrative review of progress in pathological diagnosis of breast cancer. TRANSLATIONAL BREAST CANCER RESEARCH : A JOURNAL FOCUSING ON TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH IN BREAST CANCER 2022; 3:16. [PMID: 38751516 PMCID: PMC11092990 DOI: 10.21037/tbcr-22-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Breast cancer (BC) contains a spectrum of diseases with distinctive presentations, morphology, biology, and clinical phenotypes. BC varies significantly in its biological behaviour and response to treatment. Combination of the traditional histopathological with the molecular types of BC allows more accurate prediction of its biological and clinical heterogeneity. We aim to provide a review of the latest advances in breast pathological detection and related biomarkers. Methods We reviewed English publications in PubMed related to progress in pathological diagnosis of breast cancer from 2000 to 2022. Key Content and Findings This review outlines the latest advances in breast pathological detection and related biomarkers, include histological types, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), estrogen receptor (ER), Ki67, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. The histological types and molecular pathological markers of BC are closely related to its treatment and prognosis. The 5th edition World Health Organization (WHO) classification of Breast tumours more emphasis on the clinical significance of histological types. The consensus on the testing of biomarkers for BC has also become more precise, not only suggesting that the primary and metastases of BC be detected for the expressions of ER, PR, and HER2, but also introducing the concept of ER and HER2 low-expressions. In addition, the Ki67 proliferation index plays an important role in the expected therapeutic effect. With the gradual rise of immunotherapy, treatments based on programmed death protein-1/programmed death protein-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors have achieved some results in clinical efficacy for BC, while studies related to tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are gradually gaining more attention. Conclusions With the deep and continued research of BC, these discoveries will demonstrate significant clinical application value in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueping Liu
- Department of Pathology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
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24
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Johansson A, Yiu-Lin Yu N, Iftimi A, Tobin NP, Van't Veer L, Nordenskjöld B, Benz CC, Fornander T, Perez-Tenorio G, Stål O, Esserman LJ, Yau C, Lindström LS. Clinical and Molecular Characteristics of ER-Positive Ultralow Risk Breast Cancer Tumors Identified by the 70-Gene Signature. Int J Cancer 2022; 150:2072-2082. [PMID: 35179782 PMCID: PMC9083187 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The metastatic potential of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers is heterogenous and distant recurrences occur months to decades after primary diagnosis. We have previously shown that patients with tumors classified as ultralow risk by the 70-gene signature have a minimal long-term risk of fatal breast cancer. Here, we evaluate the previously unexplored underlying clinical and molecular characteristics of ultralow risk tumors in 538 ER-positive patients from the Stockholm tamoxifen randomized trial (STO-3). Out of the 98 ultralow risk tumors, 89% were luminal A molecular subtype, whereas 26% of luminal A tumors were of ultralow risk. Compared with other ER-positive tumors, ultralow risk tumors were significantly (Fisher's test, P<0.05) more likely to be of smaller tumor size, lower grade, progesterone receptor (PR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative and have low Ki-67 levels (proliferation-marker). Moreover, ultralow risk tumors showed significantly lower expression scores of multi-gene modules associated with the AKT/mTOR-pathway, proliferation (AURKA), HER2/ERBB2-signaling, IGF1-pathway, PTEN-loss, and immune response (IMMUNE1 and IMMUNE2), and higher expression scores of the PIK3CA-mutation-associated module. Furthermore, 706 genes were significantly (FDR<0.001) differentially expressed in ultralow risk tumors, including lower expression of genes involved in immune response, PI3K/Akt/mTOR-pathway, histones, cell cycle, DNA repair, apoptosis, and higher expression of genes coding for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and homeobox proteins, among others. In conclusion, ultralow risk tumors, associated with minimal long-term risk of fatal disease, differ from other ER-positive tumors, including luminal A molecular subtype tumors. Identification of these characteristics is important to improve our prediction of non-fatal versus fatal breast cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelie Johansson
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nancy Yiu-Lin Yu
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adina Iftimi
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicholas P Tobin
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura Van't Veer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 94115, San Francisco, California, United States.,Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, 94115, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Bo Nordenskjöld
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping
| | - Christopher C Benz
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 94115, San Francisco, California, United States.,Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 94945, Novato, California, United States
| | - Tommy Fornander
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gizeh Perez-Tenorio
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping
| | - Olle Stål
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping
| | - Laura J Esserman
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, 94115, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Christina Yau
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, 94945, Novato, California, United States.,Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, 94115, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Linda S Lindström
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Domenici G, Trindade G, Estrada MF, Cartaxo AL, Alves PM, André S, Brito C. Patient-Derived Breast Cancer Tissue Cultures for Anti-Endocrine Drug Assays. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2535:11-31. [PMID: 35867219 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2513-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous pathology, characterized by a variety of histological and molecular phenotypes. The majority of the breast cancers express the estrogen receptor alpha (ER), which plays a pivotal role in the pathobiology of the disease and are therefore classified as ER-positive (ER+). In fact, targeting of the ER signaling pathway is the main therapeutic strategy for ER+ breast cancer. Despite the success of endocrine therapy, intrinsic and acquired resistance are reported in 30-50% of the ER+ breast cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying ER heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance are far from being fully disclosed, and efficacious clinical strategies to overcome resistance are still pending. One of the hurdles in studying ER+ breast cancer resistance is related with the scarcity of experimental models that can recapitulate ER heterogeneity and signaling. This is the case of ER+ breast cancer cell models, typically based on cells derived from metastasis, which also fail to recapitulate tumor complexity. Primary cultures of patient-derived breast cancer cells are difficult to establish, and generally characterized by stromal fibroblasts overgrowth and rapid loss of phenotypic and molecular traits of the tumor cells, including ER expression. Ex vivo cultures of breast cancer tissue have been reported to retain the tissue architecture, with preservation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and ER expression for short periods of time.Given the cumulating evidence on the role of the TME in sustaining ER+ tumor cells, we hypothesized that TME preservation in culture would favor the long-term retention of ER expression and signaling. We employed alginate encapsulation to provide a supporting scaffold to breast cancer tissue microstructures, coupled to dynamic culture to improve the lifespan of the culture by avoiding diffusional limitations. In this chapter, we provide a detailed description of this culture methodology, which has been previously published by our group (Cartaxo et al., J Exp Clin Cancer Res 39:161, 2020), based on electrostatically driven breast cancer tissue encapsulation in alginate, coupled to culture under agitation in a defined culture medium. We also describe challenge of the ex vivo model with an ER activator and inhibitors (anti-endocrine drugs) and a gene expression endpoint of drug response using reverse transcription PCR-based analysis of three distinct genes downstream of ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Domenici
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Trindade
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marta F Estrada
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Luísa Cartaxo
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Saudade André
- IPOLFG, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
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26
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Chen Y, Liu X, Yu K, Sun X, Xu S, Qiu P, Lv Z, Zhang X, Guo A, Xu Y. Impact of hormone receptor, HER2, and Ki-67 status conversions on survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: a retrospective study. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2022; 10:93. [PMID: 35282081 PMCID: PMC8848398 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-6924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background The discordance of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67 cell nuclear proliferation antigen status in patients with locally advanced breast cancer pre- and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is quite common. This study aimed to assess the frequency of changes in receptor status after NAC in patients with invasive ductal breast cancer and the prognostic impact of such changes. Methods The study comprised 670 patients who were diagnosed with invasive ductal breast carcinoma and treated with both NAC and surgery from 2012–2017. Hormone receptor (HR; including ER and PR), HER2, and Ki-67 status was assessed before NAC and in residual invasive tumor cells of the surgical specimens. The prognostic impact of receptor conversions in breast cancer patients treated with NAC was evaluated in this retrospective study. Results The conversion of ER was related to overall survival (OS; P=0.008) and disease-free survival (DFS; P=0.004). Patients whose ER status was always positive had the best prognosis, and those who were always negative had the worst prognosis. Similar results were also found for PR status, as the conversion of PR status was also related to OS (P<0.001) and DFS (P<0.001). At the same time, the conversion of Ki-67 status was related to OS (P=0.042) and DFS (P=0.037), and patients whose Ki-67 status was ≤20% persistently after NAC had the best survival among the 4 groups, while those whose Ki-67 status changed from ≤20% to >20% after NAC had the worst survival. Nevertheless, there was no statistical significance in the conversion of HER2 status. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, PR conversion and post-neoadjuvant pathological lymph node stage (ypN) were independent prognostic factors for DFS (P=0.008, <0.001) and OS (P=0.002, <0.001). Conclusions Changes in receptor status between pre-treatment and residual disease after NAC are common. Moreover, these alterations have an impact on the survival outcome of invasive ductal breast cancer patients. Thus, receptor status should be re-evaluated routinely before and after NAC to guide individualized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhai Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, China
| | - Keda Yu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Shanghai Cancer Center and Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangyu Sun
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shouping Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Pengfei Qiu
- Breast Cancer Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Science, Jinan, China
| | - Zhidong Lv
- Breast Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xinwen Zhang
- Center of Implant Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Disease, Shenyang, China
| | - Ayao Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yingying Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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27
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Patel JM, Jeselsohn RM. Estrogen Receptor Alpha and ESR1 Mutations in Breast Cancer. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1390:171-194. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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28
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Fomitcheva-Khartchenko A, Rapsomaniki MA, Sobottka B, Schraml P, Kaigala GV. Spatial protein heterogeneity analysis in frozen tissues to evaluate tumor heterogeneity. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259332. [PMID: 34797831 PMCID: PMC8604290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A new workflow for protein-based tumor heterogeneity probing in tissues is here presented. Tumor heterogeneity is believed to be key for therapy failure and differences in prognosis in cancer patients. Comprehending tumor heterogeneity, especially at the protein level, is critical for tracking tumor evolution, and showing the presence of different phenotypical variants and their location with respect to tissue architecture. Although a variety of techniques is available for quantifying protein expression, the heterogeneity observed in the tissue is rarely addressed. The proposed method is validated in breast cancer fresh-frozen tissues derived from five patients. Protein expression is quantified on the tissue regions of interest (ROI) with a resolution of up to 100 μm in diameter. High heterogeneity values across the analyzed patients in proteins such as cytokeratin 7, β-actin and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) using a Shannon entropy analysis are observed. Additionally, ROIs are clustered according to their expression levels, showing their location in the tissue section, and highlighting that similar phenotypical variants are not always located in neighboring regions. Interestingly, a patient with a phenotype related to increased aggressiveness of the tumor presents a unique protein expression pattern. In summary, a workflow for the localized extraction and protein analysis of regions of interest from frozen tissues, enabling the evaluation of tumor heterogeneity at the protein level is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bettina Sobottka
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schraml
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich and University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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29
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Bergholtz H, Carter JM, Cesano A, Cheang MCU, Church SE, Divakar P, Fuhrman CA, Goel S, Gong J, Guerriero JL, Hoang ML, Hwang ES, Kuasne H, Lee J, Liang Y, Mittendorf EA, Perez J, Prat A, Pusztai L, Reeves JW, Riazalhosseini Y, Richer JK, Sahin Ö, Sato H, Schlam I, Sørlie T, Stover DG, Swain SM, Swarbrick A, Thompson EA, Tolaney SM, Warren SE, On Behalf Of The GeoMx Breast Cancer Consortium. Best Practices for Spatial Profiling for Breast Cancer Research with the GeoMx ® Digital Spatial Profiler. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4456. [PMID: 34503266 PMCID: PMC8431590 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease with variability in tumor cells and in the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the molecular diversity in breast cancer is critical for improving prediction of therapeutic response and prognostication. High-plex spatial profiling of tumors enables characterization of heterogeneity in the breast TME, which can holistically illuminate the biology of tumor growth, dissemination and, ultimately, response to therapy. The GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) enables researchers to spatially resolve and quantify proteins and RNA transcripts from tissue sections. The platform is compatible with both formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded and frozen tissues. RNA profiling was developed at the whole transcriptome level for human and mouse samples and protein profiling of 100-plex for human samples. Tissue can be optically segmented for analysis of regions of interest or cell populations to study biology-directed tissue characterization. The GeoMx Breast Cancer Consortium (GBCC) is composed of breast cancer researchers who are developing innovative approaches for spatial profiling to accelerate biomarker discovery. Here, the GBCC presents best practices for GeoMx profiling to promote the collection of high-quality data, optimization of data analysis and integration of datasets to advance collaboration and meta-analyses. Although the capabilities of the platform are presented in the context of breast cancer research, they can be generalized to a variety of other tumor types that are characterized by high heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Bergholtz
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jodi M Carter
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Maggie Chon U Cheang
- ICR Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | | | | | | | - Shom Goel
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jingjing Gong
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guerriero
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - E Shelley Hwang
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hellen Kuasne
- Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jinho Lee
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Yan Liang
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Breast Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jessica Perez
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Aleix Prat
- Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumors, August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lajos Pusztai
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Yasser Riazalhosseini
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- McGill University Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Özgür Sahin
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Hiromi Sato
- NanoString® Technologies Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ilana Schlam
- MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA
- Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Therese Sørlie
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0315 Oslo, Norway
| | - Daniel G Stover
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sandra M Swain
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- MedStar Health, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Alexander Swarbrick
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - E Aubrey Thompson
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Sara M Tolaney
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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30
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Dar H, Johansson A, Nordenskjöld A, Iftimi A, Yau C, Perez-Tenorio G, Benz C, Nordenskjöld B, Stål O, Esserman LJ, Fornander T, Lindström LS. Assessment of 25-Year Survival of Women With Estrogen Receptor-Positive/ERBB2-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With and Without Tamoxifen Therapy: A Secondary Analysis of Data From the Stockholm Tamoxifen Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2114904. [PMID: 34190995 PMCID: PMC8246315 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.14904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Clinically used breast cancer markers, such as tumor size, tumor grade, progesterone receptor (PR) status, and Ki-67 status, are known to be associated with short-term survival, but the association of these markers with long-term (25-year) survival is unclear. OBJECTIVE To assess the association of clinically used breast cancer markers with long-term survival and treatment benefit among postmenopausal women with lymph node-negative, estrogen receptor [ER]-positive and ERBB2-negative breast cancer who received tamoxifen therapy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This study was a secondary analysis of data from a subset of 565 women with ER-positive/ERBB2-negative breast cancer who participated in the Stockholm tamoxifen (STO-3) randomized clinical trial. The STO-3 clinical trial was conducted from 1976 to 1990 and comprised 1780 postmenopausal women with lymph node-negative breast cancer who were randomized to receive adjuvant tamoxifen therapy or no endocrine therapy. Complete 25-year follow-up data through December 31, 2016, were obtained from Swedish national registers. Immunohistochemical markers were reannotated in 2014. Data were analyzed from April to December 2020. INTERVENTIONS Patients in the original STO-3 clinical trial were randomized to receive 2 years of tamoxifen therapy vs no endocrine therapy. In 1983, patients who received tamoxifen therapy without cancer recurrence during the 2-year treatment and who consented to continued participation in the STO-3 study were further randomized to receive 3 additional years of tamoxifen therapy or no endocrine therapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) by clinically used breast cancer markers was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses adjusted for age, period of primary diagnosis, tumor size (T1a and T1b [T1a/b], T1c, and T2), tumor grade (1-3), PR status (positive vs negative), Ki-67 status (low vs medium to high), and STO-3 clinical trial arm (tamoxifen treatment vs no adjuvant treatment). A recursive partitioning analysis was performed to evaluate which markers were able to best estimate long-term DRFI. RESULTS The study population comprised 565 postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 62.0 [5.3] years) with lymph node-negative, ER-positive/ERBB2-negative breast cancer. A statistically significant difference in long-term DRFI was observed by tumor size (88% for T1a/b vs 76% for T1c vs 63% for T2 tumors; log-rank P < .001) and tumor grade (81% for grade 1 vs 77% for grade 2 vs 65% for grade 3 tumors; log-rank P = .02) but not by PR status or Ki-67 status. Patients with smaller tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 0.31 [95% CI, 0.17-0.55] for T1a/b tumors and 0.58 [95% CI, 0.38-0.88] for T1c tumors) and grade 1 tumors (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.24-0.95) experienced a significant reduction in the long-term risk of distant recurrence compared with patients with larger (T2) tumors and grade 3 tumors, respectively. A significant tamoxifen treatment benefit was observed among patients with larger tumors (HR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.32-0.89] for T1c tumors and 0.34 [95% CI, 0.16-0.73] for T2 tumors), lower tumor grades (HR, 0.24 [95% CI, 0.07-0.82] for grade 1 tumors and 0.50 [95% CI, 0.31-0.80] for grade 2 tumors), and PR-positive status (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24-0.62). The recursive partitioning analysis revealed that tumor size was the most important characteristic associated with long-term survival, followed by clinical trial arm among patients with larger tumors. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This secondary analysis of data from the STO-3 clinical trial indicated that, among the selected subgroup of patients, tumor size followed by tumor grade were the markers most significantly associated with long-term survival. Furthermore, a significant long-term tamoxifen treatment benefit was observed among patients with larger tumors, lower tumor grades, and PR-positive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huma Dar
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annelie Johansson
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordenskjöld
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medicine, Southern Älvsborg Hospital, Borås, Sweden
| | - Adina Iftimi
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Yau
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Gizeh Perez-Tenorio
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Christopher Benz
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Bo Nordenskjöld
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Olle Stål
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Laura J. Esserman
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Tommy Fornander
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linda S. Lindström
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kong D, Zhou H, Neelakantan D, Hughes CJ, Hsu JY, Srinivasan RR, Lewis MT, Ford HL. VEGF-C mediates tumor growth and metastasis through promoting EMT-epithelial breast cancer cell crosstalk. Oncogene 2021; 40:964-979. [PMID: 33299122 PMCID: PMC7867573 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that a subset of cells within primary breast cancers can undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), although the role of EMT in metastasis remains controversial. We previously demonstrated that breast cancer cells that had undergone an oncogenic EMT could increase metastasis of neighboring cancer cells via non-canonical paracrine-mediated activation of GLI activity that is dependent on SIX1 expression in the EMT cancer cells. However, the mechanism by which these SIX1-expressing EMT cells activate GLI signaling remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrate a novel mechanism for activation of GLI-mediated signaling in epithelial breast tumor cells via EMT cell-induced production and secretion of VEGF-C. We show that VEGF-C, secreted by breast cancer cells that have undergone an EMT, promotes paracrine-mediated increases in proliferation, migration, and invasion of epithelial breast cancer cells, via non-canonical activation of GLI-signaling. We further show that the aggressive phenotypes, including metastasis, imparted by EMT cells on adjacent epithelial cancer cells can be disrupted by either inhibiting VEGF-C in EMT cells or by knocking down NRP2, a receptor which interacts with VEGF-C, in neighboring epithelial cancer cells. Interrogation of TCGA and GEO public datasets supports the relevance of this pathway in human breast cancer, demonstrating that VEGF-C strongly correlates with activation of Hedgehog signaling and EMT in the human disease. Our study suggests that the VEGF-C/NRP2/GLI axis is a novel and conserved paracrine means by which EMT cells enhance metastasis, and provides potential targets for therapeutic intervention in this heterogeneous disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deguang Kong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hengbo Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Program in Cancer Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Deepika Neelakantan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Program in Molecular Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Connor J Hughes
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Program in Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jessica Y Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Program in Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Michael T Lewis
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Heide L Ford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Program in Cancer Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Program in Molecular Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Program in Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
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Zattarin E, Leporati R, Ligorio F, Lobefaro R, Vingiani A, Pruneri G, Vernieri C. Hormone Receptor Loss in Breast Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Settings, and Therapeutic Implications. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122644. [PMID: 33316954 PMCID: PMC7764472 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HR+ BC) accounts for approximately 75% of new BC diagnoses. Despite the undisputable progresses obtained in the treatment of HR+ BC in recent years, primary or acquired resistance to endocrine therapies still represents a clinically relevant issue, and is largely responsible for disease recurrence after curative surgery, as well as for disease progression in the metastatic setting. Among the mechanisms causing primary or acquired resistance to endocrine therapies is the loss of estrogen/progesterone receptor expression, which could make BC cells independent of estrogen stimulation and, consequently, resistant to estrogen deprivation or the pharmacological inhibition of estrogen receptors. This review aims at discussing the molecular mechanisms and the clinical implications of HR loss as a result of the therapies used in the neoadjuvant setting or for the treatment of advanced disease in HR+ BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Zattarin
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Rita Leporati
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Francesca Ligorio
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Riccardo Lobefaro
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Andrea Vingiani
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Giancarlo Pruneri
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
- Department of Oncology and Haematology, University of Milan, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Vernieri
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.Z.); (R.L.); (F.L.); (R.L.); (A.V.); (G.P.)
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-2390-3650
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Li LB, Yang L, Xie GQ, Zhou XC, Shen XB, Xu QL, Ma ZY, Guo XD. The modulation relationship of genomic pattern of intratumor heterogeneity and immunity microenvironment heterogeneity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:233. [PMID: 32968455 PMCID: PMC7500054 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world, with the second highest mortality rate among all cancer types. Growing evidence has demonstrated the notable effects of intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) and tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneity (TIMH) on the biological processes involved in HCC. However, the interactive mechanisms between ITH and TIMH is still unclear. The present study systematically screened the mRNA expression, simple nucleotide variation data and clinical data of samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The mutant-allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) score was used to represent ITH, and TCGA cohort was divided into two groups according to the MATH score. Next, different immune-related signaling pathways and enriched immune-related genes were identified using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis of these two groups, and the results revealed that interleukin-1α (IL1A) and serine/threonine-protein kinase PAK4 were associated with prognosis. Furthermore, CIBERSORT was utilized to calculate the fractions of 22 types of leukocytes to represent TIMH, and the fractions of M1 and M2 macrophages were confirmed to be associated with prognosis. Therefore, PAK4, interleukin-1α (IL1A), and M1/M2 ratio were selected as the key factors involved in the interaction between ITH and TIMH. Afterwards, microRNAs (miRNAs) that were linearly related to the M1/M2 ratio and the potential target genes of the miRNAs were screened. Finally, the regulatory network between PAK4, IL1A, and the M1/M2 ratio was established, bridged by the above miRNAs and the target genes. In addition, PAK4, heat shock protein 105 kDa and miRNA-1911 were demonstrated to be a key factor involved in immune response via Weighted Correlation Network Analysis in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Bo Li
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Lu Yang
- Shanghai Information Center for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Guo-Qun Xie
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Cui Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Xu-Bo Shen
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Qiu-Lin Xu
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
| | - Zheng-Yuan Ma
- Shanghai Information Center for Life Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Dong Guo
- Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China
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Zheng Z, Yu T, Zhao X, Gao X, Zhao Y, Liu G. Intratumor heterogeneity: A new perspective on colorectal cancer research. Cancer Med 2020; 9:7637-7645. [PMID: 32853464 PMCID: PMC7571807 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.3323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancers generally consist of multiple subclones. These subclones have their own unique characteristics, resulting in intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). As the discussion of ITH has advanced, a model describing the relationship of ITH to the tumor has gradually emerged. ITH can be divided into two types of intraprimary tumor heterogeneity and intraindividual tumor heterogeneity, the former for further understanding of tumor composition, and the latter for providing more information about evolutionary patterns. With the rapid development of new methods, such as next‐generation, polyguanine region sequencing, and Image detection, researchers may unravel the secrets underlying ITH. The higher the ITH of the tumor, the richer the interaction between the subclones maybe, or the greater the chance of the tumor getting more powerful subclones may be, thus increasing the malignant potential of the tumor. Existing evidence suggests that ITH may increase the ability of tumors to resist treatment and can be used as an independent influence on the prognosis of colorectal cancer. We reviewed 80 recent studies to give researchers a new perspective on colorectal cancer. There is still a limited amount of research in this area. Further study of the relationship between ITH and clinical endpoints may lead to the development of new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin General Surgery Institute, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin General Surgery Institute, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin General Surgery Institute, Tianjin, China
| | - Yao Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin General Surgery Institute, Tianjin, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin General Surgery Institute, Tianjin, China
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35
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Cartaxo AL, Estrada MF, Domenici G, Roque R, Silva F, Gualda EJ, Loza-Alvarez P, Sflomos G, Brisken C, Alves PM, André S, Brito C. A novel culture method that sustains ERα signaling in human breast cancer tissue microstructures. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:161. [PMID: 32807212 PMCID: PMC7430012 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estrogen receptor α (ERα) signaling is a defining and driving event in most breast cancers; ERα is detected in malignant epithelial cells of 75% of all breast cancers (classified as ER-positive breast cancer) and, in these cases, ERα targeting is the main therapeutic strategy. However, the biological determinants of ERα heterogeneity and the mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance are still elusive, hampered by the challenges in developing experimental models recapitulative of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and in which ERα signaling is sustained. Ex vivo cultures of human breast cancer tissue have been proposed to retain the original tissue architecture, epithelial and stromal cell components and ERα. However, loss of cellularity, viability and ERα expression are well-known culture-related phenomena. METHODS BC samples were collected and brought to the laboratory. Then they were minced, enzymatically digested, entrapped in alginate and cultured for 1 month. The histological architecture, cellular composition and cell proliferation of tissue microstructures were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Cell viability was assessed by measurement of cell metabolic activity and histological evaluation. The presence of ERα was accessed by immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR and its functionality evaluated by challenge with 17-β-estradiol and fulvestrant. RESULTS We describe a strategy based on entrapment of breast cancer tissue microstructures in alginate capsules and their long-term culture under agitation, successfully applied to tissue obtained from 63 breast cancer patients. After 1 month in culture, the architectural features of the encapsulated tissue microstructures were similar to the original patient tumors: epithelial, stromal and endothelial compartments were maintained, with an average of 97% of cell viability compared to day 0. In ERα-positive cases, fibers of collagen, the main extracellular matrix component in vivo, were preserved. ERα expression was at least partially retained at gene and protein levels and response to ERα stimulation and inhibition was observed at the level of downstream targets, demonstrating active ER signaling. CONCLUSIONS The proposed model system is a new methodology to study ex vivo breast cancer biology, in particular ERα signaling. It is suitable for interrogating the long-term effects of anti-endocrine drugs in a set-up that closely resembles the original tumor microenvironment, with potential application in pre- and co-clinical assays of ERα-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Luísa Cartaxo
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marta F Estrada
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Giacomo Domenici
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ruben Roque
- IPOLFG, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Silva
- CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Emilio J Gualda
- ICFO, Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Loza-Alvarez
- ICFO, Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
| | - George Sflomos
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cathrin Brisken
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paula M Alves
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Saudade André
- IPOLFG, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Oeiras, Portugal.
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36
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Estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 discordance between primary and metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020; 183:137-144. [PMID: 32613540 PMCID: PMC7375990 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-020-05746-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statuses are frequently discordant between the primary tumor and metastatic lesions in metastatic breast cancer. This can have important therapeutic implications. Patients and methods In all, 541 patients with available receptor statuses from both primary tumor and metastatic lesion treated at Heidelberg and Tuebingen University Hospitals between 1982 and 2018 were included. Results Statistically significant discordance rates of 14% and 32% were found for ER and PR. HER2 status was statistically insignificantly discordant in 15% of patients. Gain in HER2 positivity was associated with an improved overall survival, whereas loss of HR positivity was associated with worse overall survival. Antiendocrine treatment differed in 20% of cases before and after biopsy and HER2-directed treatment in 14% of cases. Conclusions Receptor statuses are discordant between primary tumor and metastasis in a considerable fraction of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Next to a highly presumed predictive value with respect to efficacy of endocrine and HER2-targeted therapy, discordance seems to provide prognostically relevant information. Where feasible, metastatic lesions should be biopsied in accordance with current guidelines. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10549-020-05746-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Hu C, Liu Y, Jiang S, Chen H, Xu H, Hu J, Li C, Xia H. The variable association between expression and methylation of estrogen receptors and the survival of patients with different tumors. Clin Transl Med 2020; 10:e49. [PMID: 32536040 PMCID: PMC7403838 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estrogen receptor (ER) is essential in reproductive development and is also the primary driver of breast cancers. Deregulation of ER may also be involved in tumorigenesis of other organs. To understand the role of ER in different tumor types, pan-cancer analysis of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and estrogen receptor beta (ESR2) in various tumors and association with patients' survival were conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. RESULTS Gene methylation level was evaluated by the mean methylation level of CpG sites in the promoter region. The significant different DNA methylation between tumor and healthy tissues was shown in 10 tumor types for ESR1 and eight tumor types for ESR2. The methylation pattern was also varied across different TCGA tumors. The pan-cancer analysis showed significantly different mRNA expression of ESR1 in nine tumor types and ESR2 in four tumor types. Survival analysis showed that the effects of ERs expression on survival are diverse in different tumors. The expression of ERs was associated with tumor molecular subtypes and various clinical characteristics. ER correlated genes were mainly enriched in cancer and immune-related pathways. CONCLUSIONS Our pan-cancer analysis data indicated that ERs might be significantly associated with carcinogenesis and progression of some tumors, which may be potential therapeutic targets and prognosis biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & The Affiliated Sir Run Run Hospital & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health CommissionNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yinhua Liu
- Department of PathologyThe First Affiliated Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College & Key Laboratory of Non‐coding RNA Transformation Research of Anhui Higher Education InstitutesWannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
| | - Shan Jiang
- Department of OncologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Hongjin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & The Affiliated Sir Run Run Hospital & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health CommissionNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Haojun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & The Affiliated Sir Run Run Hospital & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health CommissionNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Junhong Hu
- Department of General SurgeryHuaihe Hospital of Henan UniversityKaifengChina
| | - Congzhu Li
- Department of Gynecologic OncologyCancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouGuangdongChina
| | - Hongping Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine & Department of Pathology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences & The Affiliated Sir Run Run Hospital & Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique of National Health CommissionNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingChina
- Department of PathologyThe First Affiliated Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College & Key Laboratory of Non‐coding RNA Transformation Research of Anhui Higher Education InstitutesWannan Medical CollegeWuhuChina
- Department of General SurgeryHuaihe Hospital of Henan UniversityKaifengChina
- Department of Gynecologic OncologyCancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical CollegeShantouGuangdongChina
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38
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Kurland BF, Wiggins JR, Coche A, Fontan C, Bouvet Y, Webner P, Divgi C, Linden HM. Whole-Body Characterization of Estrogen Receptor Status in Metastatic Breast Cancer with 16α-18F-Fluoro-17β-Estradiol Positron Emission Tomography: Meta-Analysis and Recommendations for Integration into Clinical Applications. Oncologist 2020; 25:835-844. [PMID: 32374053 DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) status by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of cancer tissue is currently used to direct endocrine therapy in breast cancer. Positron emission tomography (PET) with 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-estradiol (18 F-FES) noninvasively characterizes ER ligand-binding function of breast cancer lesions. Concordance of imaging and tissue assays should be established for 18 F-FES PET to be an alternative or complement to tissue biopsy for metastatic lesions. We conducted a meta-analysis of published results comparing 18 F-FES PET and tissue assays of ER status in patients with breast cancer. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for English-language manuscripts with at least 10 patients and low overall risk of bias. Thresholds for imaging and tissue classification could differ between studies but had to be clearly stated. We used hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic curve models for the meta-analysis. The primary analysis included 113 nonbreast lesions from 4 studies; an expanded analysis included 327 total lesions from 11 studies. Treating IHC results as the reference standard, sensitivity was 0.78 (95% confidence region 0.65-0.88) and specificity 0.98 (0.65-1.00) for the primary analysis of nonbreast lesions. In the expanded analysis including non-IHC tissue assays and all lesion sites, sensitivity was 0.81 (0.73-0.87) and specificity 0.86 (0.68-0.94). These results suggest that 18 F-FES PET is useful for characterization of ER status of metastatic breast cancer lesions. We also review current best practices for conducting 18 F-FES PET scans. This imaging assay has potential to improve clinically relevant outcomes for patients with (historically) ER-positive metastatic breast cancer, including those with brain metastases and/or lobular histology. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: 16α-18F-fluoro-17β-estradiol positron emission tomography (18 F-FES PET) imaging assesses estrogen receptor status in breast cancer in vivo. This work reviews the sensitivity and specificity of 18 F-FES PET in a meta-analysis with reference tissue assays and discusses best practices for use of the tracer as an imaging biomarker. 18 F-FES PET could enhance breast cancer diagnosis and staging as well as aid in therapy selection for patients with metastatic disease. Tissue sampling limitations, intrapatient heterogeneity, and temporal changes in molecular markers make it likely that 18 F-FES PET will complement existing assays when clinically available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay R Wiggins
- Merlin Biomedical Consulting, LLC, Hendersonville, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Yann Bouvet
- Zionexa US Corporation, Fishers, Indiana, USA
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Veryaskina YA, Titov SE, Kometova VV, Rodionov VV, Zhimulev IF. Intratumoral Heterogeneity of Expression of 16 miRNA in Luminal Cancer of the Mammary Gland. Noncoding RNA 2020; 6:ncrna6020016. [PMID: 32403384 PMCID: PMC7344477 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna6020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to determine the intratumoral distribution of miRNA expression profiles in luminal breast cancer (BC). The study included 33 certain BC cases of the luminal A or luminal B (Her2-) subtypes. The relative expression levels of miRNA-20a; -21; -125b; -126; -200b; -181a; -205; -221; -222; -451a; -99a; -145; -200a; -214; -30a; -191; and small nuclear RNAs U6, U54, and U58 were measured by RT-qPCR in four intratumor areas in each of 33 luminal BC specimens and in surrounding normal mammary gland tissues. Comparative analysis of miRNA expression levels between normal mammary gland tissue and different intratumor areas revealed that only four miRNAs (miRNA-21, -200b, -200a, -191) appear as consistently differentiating markers. A comparative analysis of miRNA expression levels between normal mammary gland tissue and the tumor border revealed statistically significant differences for ten miRNAs; 10 miRNAs show differential expression between normal mammary gland tissue and central tumor specimens; 9 miRNAs show differential expression between normal mammary gland tissue and tumor periphery 1; 13 miRNAs show differential expression between normal mammary gland tissue and tumor periphery 2. After comparing the tumor periphery 1 and tumor center, we found statistically significant differences in expression between five miRNAs and after comparing the tumor periphery 2 and tumor center, differences were observed for 12 miRNAs. MiRNA expression levels are subject to considerable variation, depending on the intratumor area. This may explain the inconsistency in miRNA expression estimates in BC coming from different laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya A. Veryaskina
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (S.E.T.); (I.F.Z.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Sergei E. Titov
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (S.E.T.); (I.F.Z.)
- AO Vector-Best, 630117 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vlada V. Kometova
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology named after Academician V. I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.V.K.); (V.V.R.)
| | - Valerii V. Rodionov
- National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology named after Academician V. I. Kulakov of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (V.V.K.); (V.V.R.)
| | - Igor F. Zhimulev
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (S.E.T.); (I.F.Z.)
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Breast Cancer: A Molecularly Heterogenous Disease Needing Subtype-Specific Treatments. Med Sci (Basel) 2020; 8:E18. [PMID: 32210163 PMCID: PMC7151639 DOI: 10.3390/medsci8010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. There were over two-million new cases in world in 2018. It is the second leading cause of death from cancer in western countries. At the molecular level, breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, which is characterized by high genomic instability evidenced by somatic gene mutations, copy number alterations, and chromosome structural rearrangements. The genomic instability is caused by defects in DNA damage repair, transcription, DNA replication, telomere maintenance and mitotic chromosome segregation. According to molecular features, breast cancers are subdivided in subtypes, according to activation of hormone receptors (estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor), of human epidermal growth factors receptor 2 (HER2), and or BRCA mutations. In-depth analyses of the molecular features of primary and metastatic breast cancer have shown the great heterogeneity of genetic alterations and their clonal evolution during disease development. These studies have contributed to identify a repertoire of numerous disease-causing genes that are altered through different mutational processes. While early-stage breast cancer is a curable disease in about 70% of patients, advanced breast cancer is largely incurable. However, molecular studies have contributed to develop new therapeutic approaches targeting HER2, CDK4/6, PI3K, or involving poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for BRCA mutation carriers and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (E.P.)
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Cytokeratin 5 alters β-catenin dynamics in breast cancer cells. Oncogene 2020; 39:2478-2492. [PMID: 31988452 PMCID: PMC7085458 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1164-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancers often contain subpopulations of cells that express the intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 5 (CK5). CK5+ cells are enriched in cancer stem cell (CSC) properties, can be induced by progestins, and predict poor prognosis in ER+ breast cancer. We established through CK5 knockout and overexpression in ER+ breast cancer cell lines that CK5 is important for tumorsphere formation, prompting us to speculate that CK5 has regulatory activity in CSCs. To interrogate CK5 interacting proteins that may be functionally cooperative, we performed immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry for CK5 in ER+ breast cancer cells. Focusing on proteins with signaling activity, we identified β-catenin, a key transcription factor of the Wnt signaling pathway and cell adhesion molecule, as a CK5 interactor, which we confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation in several breast cancer models. We interrogated the dual functions of β-catenin in relation to CK5. Knockout or knockdown of CK5 ablated β-catenin transcriptional activity in response to progestins and Wnt stimuli. Conversely, CK5 induced by progestins or overexpression was sufficient to promote loss of β-catenin at the cell membrane and total E-cadherin loss. A breast cancer patient-derived xenograft showed similar loss of membrane β-catenin and E-cadherin in CK5+ but not intratumoral CK5− cells and single cell RNA sequencing found the top enriched pathways in the CK5+ cell cluster were cell junction remodeling and signaling. This report highlights that CK5 actively remodels cell morphology and that blockade of CK5-β-catenin interaction may reverse the detrimental properties of CK5+ breast cancer cells.
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Generation of in situ sequencing based OncoMaps to spatially resolve gene expression profiles of diagnostic and prognostic markers in breast cancer. EBioMedicine 2019; 48:212-223. [PMID: 31526717 PMCID: PMC6838368 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gene expression analysis of breast cancer largely relies on homogenized tissue samples. Due to the high degree of cellular and molecular heterogeneity of tumor tissues, bulk tissue-based analytical approaches can only provide very limited system-level information about different signaling mechanisms and cellular interactions within the complex tissue context. Methods We describe an analytical approach using in situ sequencing (ISS), enabling highly multiplexed, spatially and morphologically resolved gene expression profiling. Ninety-one genes including prognostic and predictive marker profiles, as well as genes involved in specific cellular pathways were mapped within whole breast cancer tissue sections, covering luminal A/B-like, HER2-positive and triple negative tumors. Finally, all these features were combined and assembled into a molecular-morphological OncoMap for each tumor tissue. Findings Our in situ approach spatially revealed intratumoral heterogeneity with regard to tumor subtype as well as to the OncotypeDX recurrence score and even uncovered areas of minor cellular subpopulations. Since ISS-resolved molecular profiles are linked to their histological context, a deeper analysis of the core and periphery of tumor foci enabled identification of specific gene expression patterns associated with these morphologically relevant regions. Interpretation ISS generated OncoMaps represent useful tools to extend our general understanding of the biological processes behind tumor progression and can further support the identification of novel therapeutical targets as well as refine tumor diagnostics. Fund Swedish Cancerfonden, UCAN, Vetenskapsrådet, Cancer Genomics Netherlands, Iris, Stig och Gerry Castenbäcks Stiftelse, BRECT, PCM Program, King Gustaf V Jubilee Fund, BRO, KI and Stockholm County Council, Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
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Yu NY, Iftimi A, Yau C, Tobin NP, van 't Veer L, Hoadley KA, Benz CC, Nordenskjöld B, Fornander T, Stål O, Czene K, Esserman LJ, Lindström LS. Assessment of Long-term Distant Recurrence-Free Survival Associated With Tamoxifen Therapy in Postmenopausal Patients With Luminal A or Luminal B Breast Cancer. JAMA Oncol 2019; 5:1304-1309. [PMID: 31393518 DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.1856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Importance Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer have a long-term risk for fatal disease. However, the tumor biological factors that influence the long-term risk and the benefit associated with endocrine therapy are not well understood. Objective To compare the long-term survival from tamoxifen therapy for patients with luminal A or luminal B tumor subtype. Design, Setting, and Participants Secondary analysis of patients from the Stockholm Tamoxifen (STO-3) trial conducted from 1976 to 1990, which randomized postmenopausal patients with lymph node-negative breast cancer to receive adjuvant tamoxifen or no endocrine therapy. Tumor tissue sections were assessed in 2014 using immunohistochemistry and Agilent microarrays. Only patients with luminal A or B subtype tumors were evaluated. Complete long-term follow-up data up to the end of the STO-3 trial on December 31, 2012, were obtained from the Swedish National registers. Data analysis for the secondary analysis was conducted in 2017 and 2018. Interventions Patients were randomized to receive at least 2 years of tamoxifen therapy or no endocrine therapy; patients without recurrence who reconsented were further randomized to 3 additional years of tamoxifen therapy or no endocrine therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures Distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) by luminal A and luminal B subtype and trial arm was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analyses and time-dependent flexible parametric models to estimate time-varying hazard ratios (HRs) that were adjusted for patient and tumor characteristics. Results In the STO-3 treated trial arm, 183 patients had luminal A tumors and 64 patients had luminal B tumors. In the untreated arm, 153 patients had luminal A tumors and 62 had luminal B tumors. Age at diagnosis ranged from 45 to 73 years. A statistically significant difference in DRFI by trial arm was observed (log rank, P < .001 [luminal A subtype, n = 336], P = .04 [luminal B subtype, n = 126]): the 25-year DRFI for luminal A vs luminal B subtypes was 87% (95% CI, 82%-93%) vs 67% (95% CI, 56%-82%) for treated patients, and 70% (95% CI, 62%-79%) vs 54% (95% CI, 42%-70%) for untreated patients, respectively. Patients with luminal A tumors significantly benefited from tamoxifen therapy for 15 years after diagnosis (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.94), and those with luminal B tumors benefited from tamoxifen therapy for 5 years (HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24-0.59). Conclusions and Relevance Patients with luminal A subtype tumors had a long-term risk of distant metastatic disease, which was reduced by tamoxifen treatment, whereas patients with luminal B tumors had an early risk of distant metastatic disease, and tamoxifen benefit attenuated over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Y Yu
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adina Iftimi
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Yau
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco.,Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California
| | - Nicholas P Tobin
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura van 't Veer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Katherine A Hoadley
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | | | - Bo Nordenskjöld
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Tommy Fornander
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olle Stål
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Department of Oncology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Kamila Czene
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Laura J Esserman
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Linda S Lindström
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Esakov EL, Hale J, Richards EG, Torre-Healy L, Gullapalli K, Trivedi D, Chumakova A, Wessely O, Jensen J, Lathia J, Reizes O. Therapeutic strategies to induce ERα in luminal breast cancer to enhance tamoxifen efficacy. Endocr Relat Cancer 2019; 26:689-698. [PMID: 31167163 PMCID: PMC6885119 DOI: 10.1530/erc-19-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy and second leading cause of death in women worldwide, with hormone receptor-positive luminal breast cancers being the most widespread subtype. While these tumors are generally amenable to endocrine therapy, cellular heterogeneity and acquired ability of tumor cells to undergo cell state switching makes these populations difficult to be fully targeted and eradicated through conventional methods. We have leveraged a quality-by-design (QbD) approach that integrates biological responses with predictive mathematical modeling to identify key combinations of commercially available drugs to induce estrogen receptor expression for therapeutic targeting. This technology utilizes a high level of automation through a custom-built platform to reduce bias as well as design-of-experiments methodology to minimize the experimental iterations required. Utilizing this approach, we identified a combination of clinical compounds, each at concentrations well below their efficacious dose, able to induce the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) in hormone-positive breast cancer cells. Induction of ESR1 in luminal cells leads to chemosensitization. These findings provide proof of concept for the utility of the QbD strategy and identify a unique drug cocktail able to sensitize breast cancer cells to tamoxifen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Esakov
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | - James Hale
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | - Elliott G. Richards
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | - Luke Torre-Healy
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | | | | | - Anastasia Chumakova
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | - Oliver Wessely
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Justin Lathia
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
- Co-Corresponding Authors: Ofer Reizes, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, NC10, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, , Justin Lathia, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, NC10, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195,
| | - Ofer Reizes
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
- Co-Corresponding Authors: Ofer Reizes, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, NC10, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, , Justin Lathia, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic, NC10, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195,
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Matikas A, Foukakis T, Swain S, Bergh J. Avoiding over- and undertreatment in patients with resected node-positive breast cancer with the use of gene expression signatures: are we there yet? Ann Oncol 2019; 30:1044-1050. [PMID: 31131397 PMCID: PMC6695578 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prediction of benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy following resection of early breast cancer and, as a result, proper selection of candidates remains an elusive goal since the relative magnitude of benefit is the same regardless of the presence of clinicopathologic factors. Multiple studies, including randomized trials, establish the role of certain gene expression signatures in node-negative disease since they predict the risk of breast cancer relapse being so low that adjuvant chemotherapy can be omitted. In contrast, more limited data are available in higher risk, node-positive breast cancer patients, making the exclusion of adjuvant chemotherapy potentially hazardous. 'Prospective-retrospective' studies and limited prospective data show that several signatures, namely Oncotype Dx, MammaPrint, Prosigna, EndoPredict and Breast Cancer Index, select with different levels of success node-positive patients at very low risk for distant recurrence despite not receiving chemotherapy, although the long-term follow-up is still awaited. Pending, however the publication of the results from ongoing randomized studies which enroll patients with node-positive disease, major caution is warranted. Improper use and misinterpretation of these transcriptomic profiles can lead to undertreatment and exposure of patients to unnecessary risks resulting in increased breast cancer mortality for patients with axillary node-positive disease. With this review we critically discuss the available data on gene expression signatures that are used in clinical practice and offer practical recommendations regarding the management of patients with ER-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, node-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Matikas
- Department of Oncology/Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm; Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - T Foukakis
- Department of Oncology/Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm; Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - S Swain
- Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington; MedStar Health, Washington, USA
| | - J Bergh
- Department of Oncology/Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm; Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
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Palacios J, Matías-Guiu X, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, de Álava E, López JI. [Clinical challenges and implications of intratumor heterogeneity]. REVISTA ESPAÑOLA DE PATOLOGÍA : PUBLICACIÓN OFICIAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE ANATOMÍA PATOLÓGICA Y DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE CITOLOGÍA 2019; 52:234-241. [PMID: 31530406 DOI: 10.1016/j.patol.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tumors display a high, albeit variable, grade of intratumor heterogeneity, both from a clinical and a morphological viewpoint. Furthermore, recent methods of large-scale molecular analysis demonstrate to what extent tumors can also be heterogeneous from a molecular perspective. This is of paramount importance for patients as it has a great impact on the success of so-called precision therapies and explains the reason for a significant number of therapeutic failures in modern oncology. We present an up-to-date review of the latest findings in a group of tumors with a high social impact, commonly seen in the daily routine of the pathology laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Palacios
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, IRyCIS, CIBERONC, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España.
| | - Xavier Matías-Guiu
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova y Hospital Universitario Bellvitge, Universidad de Lleida, IRBLLEIDA, IDIBELL, CIBERONC, Lleida, España
| | - Jose Luis Rodríguez-Peralto
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto I+12, CIBERONC, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España
| | - Enrique de Álava
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío y AGS Osuna, Universidad de Sevilla, IBiS, CSIC, CIBERONC, Sevilla, España
| | - José Ignacio López
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Cruces, Instituto Biocruces-Bizkaia, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Barakaldo, Vizcaya, España; Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Cruces, Instituto Biocruces-Bizkaia, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Barakaldo, Vizcaya, España.
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Ramón Y Cajal S, Hümmer S, Peg V, Guiu XM, De Torres I, Castellvi J, Martinez-Saez E, Hernandez-Losa J. Integrating clinical, molecular, proteomic and histopathological data within the tissue context: tissunomics. Histopathology 2019; 75:4-19. [PMID: 30667539 PMCID: PMC6851567 DOI: 10.1111/his.13828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Malignant tumours show a marked degree of morphological, molecular and proteomic heterogeneity. This variability is closely related to microenvironmental factors and the location of the tumour. The activation of genetic alterations is very tissue‐dependent and only few tumours have distinct genetic alterations. Importantly, the activation state of proteins and signaling factors is heterogeneous in the primary tumour and in metastases and recurrences. The molecular diagnosis based only on genetic alterations can lead to treatments with unpredictable responses, depending on the tumour location, such as the tumour response in melanomas versus colon carcinomas with BRAF mutations. Therefore, we understand that the correct evaluation of tumours requires a system that integrates both morphological, molecular and protein information in a clinical and pathological context, where intratumoral heterogeneity can be assessed. Thus, we propose the term ‘tissunomics’, where the diagnosis will be contextualised in each tumour based on the complementation of the pathological, molecular, protein expression, environmental cells and clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Ramón Y Cajal
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefan Hümmer
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Peg
- Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier M Guiu
- Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pathology, Bellvitge University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inés De Torres
- Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Castellvi
- Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Martinez-Saez
- Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Hernandez-Losa
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Pathology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Spanish Biomedical Research Network Centre in Oncology (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
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McDonald KA, Kawaguchi T, Qi Q, Peng X, Asaoka M, Young J, Opyrchal M, Yan L, Patnaik S, Otsuji E, Takabe K. Tumor Heterogeneity Correlates with Less Immune Response and Worse Survival in Breast Cancer Patients. Ann Surg Oncol 2019; 26:2191-2199. [PMID: 30963401 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-019-07338-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intratumor heterogeneity implies that subpopulations of cancer cells that differ in genetic, phenotypic, or behavioral characteristics coexist in a single tumor (Ma in Breast Cancer Res Treat 162(1):39-48, 2017; Martelotto in Breast Cancer Res 16(3):210, 2014). Tumor heterogeneity drives progression, metastasis and treatment resistance, but its relationship with tumor infiltrating immune cells is a matter of debate, where some argue that tumors with high heterogeneity may generate neoantigens that attract immune cells, and others claim that immune cells provide selection pressure that shapes tumor heterogeneity (McGranahan et al. in Science 351(6280):1463-1469, 2016; McGranahan and Swanton in Cell 168(4):613-628, 2017). We sought to study the association between tumor heterogeneity and immune cells in a real-world cohort utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas. METHODS Mutant allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) was calculated to estimate intratumoral heterogeneity, and immune cell compositions were estimated using CIBERSORT. Survival analyses were demonstrated using Kaplan-Meir curves. RESULTS Tumors with high heterogeneity (high MATH) were associated with worse overall survival (p = 0.049), as well as estrogen receptor-positive (p = 0.011) and non-triple-negative tumors (p = 0.01). High MATH tumors were also associated with less infiltration of anti-tumor CD8 (p < 0.013) and CD4 T cells (p < 0.00024), more tumor-promoting regulatory T cells (p < 4e-04), lower expression of T-cell exhaustion markers, specifically PDL-1 (p = 0.0031), IDO2 (p = 0.34), ADORA2A (p = 0.018), VISTA (p = 0.00013), and CCR4 (p < 0.00001), lower expression of cytolytic enzymes granzyme A (p = 0.0056) and perforin 1 (p = 0.053), and low cytolytic activity score (p = 0.0028). CONCLUSIONS High heterogeneity tumors are associated with less immune cell infiltration, less activation of the immune response, and worse survival in breast cancer. Our results support the notion that tumor heterogeneity is shaped by selection pressure of tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry-Ann McDonald
- Breast Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tsutomu Kawaguchi
- Breast Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.,Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Qianya Qi
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xuan Peng
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Asaoka
- Breast Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Young
- Breast Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mateusz Opyrchal
- Department of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Santosh Patnaik
- Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Eigo Otsuji
- Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Breast Surgery, Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA. .,Department of Surgery, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA. .,Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. .,Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan. .,Department of Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan. .,Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. .,Breast Oncology and Surgery, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Martins-Filho SN, Alves VAF, Wakamatsu A, Maeda M, Craig AJ, Assato AK, Villacorta-Martin C, D'Avola D, Labgaa I, Carrilho FJ, Thung SN, Villanueva A. A phenotypical map of disseminated hepatocellular carcinoma suggests clonal constraints in metastatic sites. Histopathology 2019; 74:718-730. [PMID: 30636011 DOI: 10.1111/his.13809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Access to tissue in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited compared to other malignancies, particularly at advanced stages. This has precluded a thorough characterisation of molecular drivers of HCC dissemination, particularly in relation to distant metastases. Biomarker assessment is restricted to early stages, and paired primary-metastatic comparisons between samples from the same patient are difficult. METHODS AND RESULTS We report the evaluation of 88 patients with HCC who underwent autopsy, including multiregional sampling of primary and metastatic sites totalling 230 nodules analysed. The study included morphological assessment, immunohistochemistry and mutation status of the TERT promoter, the most frequently mutated gene in HCC. We confirm a strong predilection of HCC for lung dissemination, including subclinical micrometastases (unrecognised during imaging and macroscopic examinations) in 30% of patients with disseminated disease. Size of dominant tumour nodule; multinodularity; macrovascular invasion; high histological, nuclear and architectural grades; and cellular crowding were associated with the presence of extrahepatic metastasis. Among the immunohistochemistry markers tested, metastatic nodules had significantly higher K19 and EpCAM expression than primary liver tumours. Morphological and immunohistochemical features showed that metastatic HCC could be traced back to the primary tumour, sometimes to a specific hepatic nodule. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests limited heterogeneity in metastatic sites compared to primary tumour sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiao N Martins-Filho
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Venancio A F Alves
- Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alda Wakamatsu
- Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Miho Maeda
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda J Craig
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aline K Assato
- Laboratorio de Patologia do Fígado LIM 14, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Villacorta-Martin
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Delia D'Avola
- Liver Unit, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el Área Temática de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (Ciberehd), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ismail Labgaa
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Visceral Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Flair J Carrilho
- Departamento de Gastroenterologia, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Swan N Thung
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Liver Cancer Research Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Kurozumi S, Yamaguchi Y, Matsumoto H, Inoue K, Kurosumi M, Oyama T, Horiguchi J, Fujii T, Shirabe K. Comparing protein and mRNA expressions of the human epidermal growth factor receptor family in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Med Mol Morphol 2018; 52:90-98. [PMID: 30259117 DOI: 10.1007/s00795-018-0206-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family plays a vital role in the development of resistance to treatments in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. This study investigated the correlation between protein and mRNA expressions of the HER family in ER-positive breast cancer. We dissected regions of invasive cancer from the frozen tissues of 34 patients with ER-positive breast cancer using laser-capture microdissection, followed by evaluation of the mRNA levels of the ER and HER family (EGFR, HER2, HER3, and HER4) using the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. In addition, we assessed the protein expressions of the ER and HER family using an immunohistochemical (IHC) assay. A significant correlation was observed between the ER protein and mRNA expressions. For HER2, HER3, and HER4, protein expressions significantly correlated with mRNA levels. We established significant correlations of the mRNA level between EGFR versus HER2, as well as EGFR versus HER3. Furthermore, a significant correlation of the mRNA level between HER2 and HER3 was illustrated. In conclusion, IHC evaluation may be reliable and representable for mRNA. Hence, this study established a marked correlation between the mRNA expressions of HER family members in patients with ER-positive breast cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Breast Neoplasms/genetics
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- ErbB Receptors/genetics
- ErbB Receptors/metabolism
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Middle Aged
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptor, ErbB-2/genetics
- Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism
- Receptor, ErbB-3/genetics
- Receptor, ErbB-3/metabolism
- Receptor, ErbB-4/genetics
- Receptor, ErbB-4/metabolism
- Receptors, Estrogen/genetics
- Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasagu Kurozumi
- Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa, Maebashi-City, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.
- Division of Breast Surgery, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, Japan.
| | - Yuri Yamaguchi
- Research Institute for Clinical Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Kenichi Inoue
- Division of Breast Oncology, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, Japan
| | | | - Tetsunari Oyama
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Jun Horiguchi
- Department of Breast Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takaaki Fujii
- Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa, Maebashi-City, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Ken Shirabe
- Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa, Maebashi-City, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
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