Molecular characterization of squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA).

Authors

Benjamin Weinberg

Benjamin Adam Weinberg

Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Benjamin Adam Weinberg , Heinz-Josef Lenz , David Arguello , Wafik S. El-Deiry , Joanne Xiu , Zoran Gatalica , Zhuqing Liu , Sting Chen , Hesham El Ghazaly , Jimmy J. Hwang , Philip Agop Philip , Anthony Frank Shields , John Marshall , Mohamed E. Salem

Organizations

Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt, Department of Medicine and Oncology and Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, George Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Research Funding

Other

Background: Nivolumab has shown promising results in SCCA patients. The majority of SCCA cases have been linked to prior human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, HPV negative tumors are frequently TP53 mutated and often resistant to therapy. Molecular characteristics of SCCA are largely undefined. Here we explored the underlying biology of SCCA and the differences between TP53-wild type (TP53-WT) and TP53-mutated (TP53-MT) tumors. Methods: SCCA specimens underwent multiplatform testing with protein expression (IHC), gene amplification (ISH), and sequencing (NGS). Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was calculated using only somatic nonsynonymous missense mutations. Chi-square tests were used for comparative analyses. Results: In total, 253 tumors were studied. The most frequently mutated genes included PIK3CA (24%), BRCA2 (14%), FBXW7 (12.4%), TP53 (9.7%), and PTEN (8.9%). In a subset of 23 tumors subjected to Illumina NextSeq (592 gene) testing, the most common mutations were NOTCH2 (30%), NOTCH1 (27.3%), POLE (21.7%), TSC2 (17.4%), PTEN (14.3%), BRAF (13.6%), BRCA2 (13.0%), PIK3CA (13.0%), and FBXW7 (9.5%). Tumors frequently expressed MRP1 (97.6%), EGFR (92.7%), TOP2A (88.5%), TOPO1 (69.5%), MGMT (67.8%), and RRM1 (59.9%). Expression of PD-1 was seen in 55.8% (24/43) of tumors, and PD-L1 in 15.4% (9/34). HER2 was amplified in 2% (3/147) of samples, which has not been previously described in SCCA. When compared with TP53-WT (n = 93) tumors, TP53-MT (n = 10) had higher rates of BRAF (22% vs. 1%, p < 0.001) and RB1 mutations (44% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), whereas TP53-WT had higher expression of TOPO1 (76% vs. 40%, p = 0.01) and TUBB3 (19% vs. 50%, p = 0.02). There were no differences between the two groups in the frequency of PD-1 or PD-L1 expression. Mean TMB was 8.6 mutations/megabase and, using a TMB cut-off > 17 mutations/megabase to define high vs. low TMB, 6.7% of tumors were TMB-High. High TMB did not correlate with PD-1 (p = 0.50) or PD-L1 status (p = 0.52). Conclusions: Molecular profiling differences between TP53-MT and TP53-WT SCCA indicate different carcinogenic pathways and biology, which may influence response to therapy. Low frequency mutations in several druggable genes may provide therapeutic opportunities for patients with SCCA.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2017 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session C: Cancers of the Colon, Rectum, and Anus

Track

Cancers of the Colon, Rectum, and Anus

Sub Track

Prevention, Diagnosis, and Screening

Citation

J Clin Oncol 35, 2017 (suppl 4S; abstract 538)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2017.35.4_suppl.538

Abstract #

538

Poster Bd #

A20

Abstract Disclosures

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