Purpose Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in females. Numerous drug-targetable biomarkers and predictive biomarkers have been developed. Some researchers have expressed doubts about the need for next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies in daily practice. This study analyzed the results of NGS studies on breast cancer at a single institute and evaluated the real-world applications of NGS data to precision medicine for breast cancer.
Materials and Methods We retrospectively collected the results of NGS studies and analyzed the histopathologic features and genetic profiles of patients treated for breast cancer from 2010 to 2021. Seventy cases had data from CancerSCAN, a customized panel of 375 cancer-associated genes, and 110 cases had data from TruSight Oncology 500.
Results The most frequently detected single nucleotide variant was the TP53 mutation (123/180, 68.3%), followed by PIK3CA mutations (51/180, 28.3%). Estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutation was detected in 11 patients (6.1%), of whom 10 had hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative breast cancer, and two had no history of prior endocrine therapy. Based on their NGS study results, 13 patients (7.2%) received target therapy. Among them, four patients had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation, and nine patients had a PIK3CA mutation.
Conclusion NGS can provide information about predictive biomarkers and drug-targetable biomarkers that can enable treatment and participation in clinical trials based on precision medicine. Further studies should be conducted to excavate novel drug-targetable biomarkers and develop additional target therapies.
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Purpose Detection of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations is a crucial process in the integrated diagnosis of glioblastomas. However, the TERT promoter region is difficult to amplify because of its high guanine-cytosine (GC) content (> 80%). This study aimed to analyze the capturing of TERT mutations by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.
Materials and Methods We compared the detection rate of TERT mutations between targeted NGS and Sanger sequencing in 25 cases of isocitrate dehydrgenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastomas and 10 cases of non-neoplastic gastric tissues. Our customized panel consisted of 232 essential glioma-associated genes.
Results Sanger sequencing detected TERT mutations in 17 out of 25 glioblastomas, but all TERT mutations were missed by targeted NGS. After the manual visualization of the NGS data using an integrative genomics viewer, 16 cases showed a TERT mutation with a very low read depth (mean, 21.59; median, 25), which revealed false-negative results using auto-filtering. We optimized our customized panel by extending the length of oligonucleotide baits and increasing the number of baits spanning the coverage of the TERT promoter, which did not amplify well due to the high GC content.
Conclusion Our study confirmed that it is crucial to consider the recognition of molecular bias and to carefully interpret NGS data.
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Purpose
Recently, the 8th edition staging system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was released, including a change in T category. We aimed to validate the new AJCC system.
Materials and Methods
The predictive value of the new AJCC was validated in comparison to the previous edition, in a total 1,008 patients who underwent curative resection for HCC as initial treatment.
Results
The 2-year area under the curve values for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparable in the 7th and 8th editions. Stage migration was observed in 63 patients (6.3%); from T2 to T1a for 44 patients and from T3 to T4 for 19 patients. The RFS and OS were not different between T1a and T1b in the 8th edition. For solitary tumors ≤ 2 cm, those with microvascular invasion had lower RFS and OS values than those without although they were all classified as T1a in the 8th edition. Tumors involving a major branch of the portal or hepatic vein (T4 by the 8th edition and T3b by the 7th edition) had shorter RFS and OS than multifocal tumors, at least one of which was > 5 cm (T3 by the 8th edition and T3a by the 7th edition).
Conclusion
The AJCC 8th edition staging system for HCC showed comparable predictive performance to the 7th edition. It is desirable in a future revision to consider sub-stratification of solitary tumors ≤ 2 cm (T1a) depending on the presence of vascular invasion, which is not included in the 8th edition.
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Purpose
The relationship between head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and subtypes of tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) has not been studied in-depth. In this study, we evaluated the expression patterns of TrkA, TrkB, and panTrk and their clinicopathological significance as well as association with p16 expression and human papilloma virus (HPV) status.
Materials and Methods
Total of 396 radically resected oropharyngeal (n=121) and non-oropharyngeal (n=275) HNSCCs were included. Immunohistochemistry for TrkA, TrkB, and panTrk was performed. In addition, p16 immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the HPV status. Using HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines, FaDu and CAL27, HPV type 16 E6/E7 gene was transfected, and then changes of TrkA and TrkB expression were analyzed.
Results
In the clinical samples of HNSCC, high expression of TrkA and panTrk were more associated with oropharyngeal and p16 positive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In patients with completely resected (R0-resected) oropharyngeal SCC, high TrkA expression was related to superior overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS). In patients with R0-resected oral cavity SCC, high panTrk was related to poor RFS. In HPV type E6/E7 gene-transfected FaDu and CAL27 cell lines, increase of TrkA expression was observed.
Conclusion
It seems that expression pattern of panTrk and TrkA differed according to anatomical sites of HNSCC and was closely related to p16 expression and patient prognosis. Trk expression should be considered in the context of anatomical site, p16 expression or HPV status and Trk subtypes.
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