Use of TMPRSS2-ERG gene rearrangement and quantitative ERG expression to predict clinical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Authors

Eric A. Klein

Eric Klein

Urology, Cleveland Clinic

Eric Klein , William Novotny , Cristina Magi-Galluzzi

Organizations

Urology, Cleveland Clinic, Genomic Health, Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: The association of TMPRSS2-ERG fusions and ERG expression in prostate cancer (PC) with adverse clinical outcomes has been controversial, with mixed results in the literature. We conducted a study to test whether tumor-derived gene expression profiles, including the presence of TMPRSS2-ERG fusions and ERG gene expression, are associated with clinical recurrence (cR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods: All patients with clinical stage T1/T2 prostate cancer treated with RP at CC from 1987 to 2004 were identified (n~2,600). A cohort sampling design was used to select 127 patients with cR and 374 patients without cR after RP. For each patient a primary Gleason pattern (GP) sample, secondary (or highest) GP sample, and an adjacent non-tumor tissue sample were evaluated. Surgical Gleason Score (GS) and clinical data were centrally reviewed. RNA was extracted from 6 manually dissected 10 µm formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections obtained from RP specimens and expression of TMPRSS2-ERGa, TMPRSS2-ERGb, ERG and reference genes were quantified using RT-PCR. Times to cR, PSA recurrence, and PC death were analyzed using Cox PH regression. Results: Blocks from 441 patients were evaluable. Median F/U was 5.8 years. Patients were mostly Caucasian (83%), clinical stage T1 (66%), had baseline PSA <10 ng/mL (82%), and had surgical Gleason score ≤7 (87%). 848 tumor samples and 410 non-tumor samples were assessed. TMPRSS2-ERGa and/or TMPRSS2-ERGb fusions were present in 51.8% of tumor samples and 7.5% of non-tumor samples. There was 89% concordance (95% CI: 86%, 92%) for TMPRSS2-ERG fusion status between the 2 tumor samples for each patient. High ERG expression was strongly associated with the presence of TMPRSS2-ERG fusions (p <0.01). We did not find an association between TMPRSS2-ERG a/b gene rearrangement or ERG expression with cR, PSA recurrence, PC death, or surgical GS (p > 0.2). Conclusions: This study was notable for the large number of cR events, use of a standardized quantitative assay, and rigorous central review of pathology and clinical data. We did not find an association of TMPRSS2-ERG gene rearrangements or ERG expression with aggressiveness of prostate cancer post RP.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2011 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

General Poster Session A: Prostate Cancer

Track

Prostate Cancer

Sub Track

Prostate Cancer

Citation

J Clin Oncol 29: 2011 (suppl 7; abstr 36)

Abstract #

36

Poster Bd #

A26

Abstract Disclosures