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Muendlein A, Geiger K, Heinzle C, Gaenger S, Winder T, Severgnini L, Reimann P, Brandtner EM, Leiherer A, Drexel H, Decker T, Nonnenbroich C, Dechow T. Cell-free circulating RAS mutation concentrations significantly impact the survival of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:6435-6444. [PMID: 36763171 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04623-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE RAS mutations are predictors of an adverse outcome in EGFR-targeted therapies and have been proposed as prognostic biomarkers of survival in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The analysis of circulating tumor DNA from plasma samples, known as liquid biopsies, has indicated that the RAS mutation status may change over time, potentially affecting patients' prognosis. To further evaluate the clinical validity of RAS mutation retesting using liquid biopsies, we prospectively investigated the impact of the circulating quantitative RAS mutation status on the course of mCRC. METHODS The present study included 81 consecutively recruited patients with mCRC. We used targeted next-generation sequencing of circulating cell-free DNA to determine and quantify plasma RAS mutation status. RESULTS Patients with a RAS mutation detected by liquid biopsy (37%; n = 30) were at increased risk of death during the follow-up period compared to RAS wild-type patients. Patients with evidence of a RAS mutation in the primary tumor but a putative RAS mutation loss in plasma (28%; n = 11) showed a prolonged survival compared to patients with a preserved RAS mutation status. Also, circulating RAS mutation concentrations significantly affected the outcome: The mortality risk of patients with a high RAS mutation concentration increased fivefold compared to subjects with a putative RAS mutation loss or low RAS mutation concentration. CONCLUSION Our results emphasize the clinical value of circulating RAS mutations in managing mCRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Muendlein
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria.
| | - Kathrin Geiger
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Christine Heinzle
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Stella Gaenger
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - Thomas Winder
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Luciano Severgnini
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria
- Private University of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Triesen, Liechtenstein
| | - Patrick Reimann
- Department of Haematology and Oncology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria
- Private University of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Triesen, Liechtenstein
| | - Eva Maria Brandtner
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
| | - Andreas Leiherer
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
- Medical Central Laboratories, Feldkirch, Austria
| | - Heinz Drexel
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Vorarlberg Institute for Vascular Investigation and Treatment, Dornbirn, Austria
- Private University of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Triesen, Liechtenstein
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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RAS Mutation Conversion in Bevacizumab-Treated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Liquid Biopsy Based Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030802. [PMID: 35159069 PMCID: PMC8833999 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030802] [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: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recent evidence has been provided that the clonal evolution of mutant RAS colorectal tumors may lead to the negative selection of mutant RAS clones, with the appearance of a time window characterized by the disappearance of RAS mutant clones in plasma. We demonstrate here for the first time that the use of bevacizumab in the first-line treatment is the most significant factor for RAS conversion from mutant to wild type in plasma. The frequent appearance of this “RAS wild-type * window” in patients treated with a first line treatment containing bevacizumab could possibly present them as candidates for second line treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, which are otherwise precluded. Abstract Liquid biopsies have shown that, in RAS mutant colorectal cancer, the conversion to RAS wild-type * status during the course of the disease is a frequent event, supporting the concept that the evolutionary landscape of colorectal cancer can lead to an unexpected negative selection of RAS mutant clones. The aim of the present study was to clarify whether the negative selection of RAS mutation in plasma might be drug-dependent. For this purpose, we used liquid biopsy to compare the rate of conversion from RAS mutant to RAS wild-type * in two groups of originally RAS mutant mCRC patients: the first treated with chemotherapy alone, while the second was treated with chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab. Serial liquid biopsies were performed at 3 months (T1), 6 months (T2), 9 months (T3), and 12 months (T4) after starting first line treatments. We found that the only independent variable significantly associated to RAS status conversion was the use of bevacizumab. RAS conversion was not found associated to tumor burden reduction, although bevacizumab-treated patients who converted to RAS wild-type * had a significantly longer PFS compared to patients who remained RAS mutant. The appearance of a “RAS wild-type * window”, mainly in bevacizumab-treated patients, might present them as candidates for second line treatment with anti-EGFR, which was otherwise precluded.
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