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Krämer A, Bochtler T, Pauli C, Shiu KK, Cook N, de Menezes JJ, Pazo-Cid RA, Losa F, Robbrecht DG, Tomášek J, Arslan C, Özgüroğlu M, Stahl M, Bigot F, Kim SY, Naito Y, Italiano A, Chalabi N, Durán-Pacheco G, Michaud C, Scarato J, Thomas M, Ross JS, Moch H, Mileshkin L. Molecularly guided therapy versus chemotherapy after disease control in unfavourable cancer of unknown primary (CUPISCO): an open-label, randomised, phase 2 study. Lancet 2024; 404:527-539. [PMID: 39096924 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)00814-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with unfavourable subset cancer of unknown primary (CUP) have a poor prognosis when treated with standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Whether first-line treatment guided by comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) can improve outcomes is unknown. The CUPISCO trial was designed to inform a molecularly guided treatment strategy to improve outcomes over standard platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed, unfavourable, non-squamous CUP. The aim of the trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of molecularly guided therapy (MGT) versus standard platinum-based chemotherapy in these patients. This was to determine whether the inclusion of CGP in the initial diagnostic work-up leads to improved outcomes over the current standard of care. We herein report the primary analysis. METHODS CUPISCO was a phase 2, prospective, randomised, open-label, active-controlled, multicentre trial done at 159 sites in 34 countries outside the USA. Patients with central eligibility review-confirmed disease (acceptable histologies included adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated carcinoma) and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, evaluated by CGP, who reached disease control after three cycles of standard first-line platinum-based chemotherapy were randomly assigned 3:1 via a block-stratified randomisation procedure to MGT versus chemotherapy continuation for at least three further cycles. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03498521, and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS From July 10, 2018, to Dec 9, 2022, 636 (42%) of 1505 screened patients were enrolled. Median follow-up in the treatment period was 24·1 months (IQR 11·6-35·6). Of 438 patients who reached disease control after induction chemotherapy, 436 were randomly assigned: 326 (75%) to the MGT group and 110 (25%) to the chemotherapy group. Median progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population was 6·1 months (95% CI 4·7-6·5) in the MGT group versus 4·4 months (4·1-5·6) in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio 0·72 [95% CI 0·56-0·92]; p=0·0079). Related adverse event rates per 100-patient-years at risk were generally similar or lower with MGT versus chemotherapy. INTERPRETATION In patients with previously untreated, unfavourable, non-squamous CUP who reached disease control after induction chemotherapy, CGP with subsequent MGTs resulted in longer progression-free survival than standard platinum-based chemotherapy. On the basis of these results, we recommend that CGP is performed at initial diagnosis in patients with unfavourable CUP. FUNDING F Hoffmann-La Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alwin Krämer
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Tilmann Bochtler
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology-Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chantal Pauli
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kai-Keen Shiu
- UCLH Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Cancer of Unknown Primary Service, University College London, Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Natalie Cook
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Roberto A Pazo-Cid
- Medical Oncology Department, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ferran Losa
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital de Sant Joan Despí Moisès Broggi, ICO Hospitalet, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Debbie Gj Robbrecht
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jiří Tomášek
- Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Cagatay Arslan
- Izmir University of Economics Medical Point Hospital, Izmir, Türkiye
| | - Mustafa Özgüroğlu
- Istanbul University Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | | | - Frédéric Bigot
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Angers, France
| | - Sun Young Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yoichi Naito
- Department of General Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Antoine Italiano
- Institut Bergonie, Early Phase Trials and Sarcoma Units, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nasséra Chalabi
- Global Product Development Medical Affairs, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Chantal Michaud
- Global Product Development Medical Affairs, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Scarato
- Global Product Development Medical Affairs, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marlene Thomas
- Global Product Development Medical Affairs, F Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeffrey S Ross
- Pathology Group, Foundation Medicine, Cambridge, MA, USA; Upstate Medical University Departments of Pathology, Urology and Medicine (Oncology), Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Medical Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Linda Mileshkin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Gao F, Liu L, Xu X. Clinical characteristics and prognosis of liver metastases with unknown primary site. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:3637-3651. [PMID: 39145069 PMCID: PMC11319942 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-24-136] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Liver metastases from cancer of unknown primary (CUPL) constitute a rare disease, particularly among individuals younger than 50 years old. This paper aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with CUPL and analyze prognostic differences across distinct age groups. Methods Data pertaining to patients with CUPL were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to adjust for clinical variables. Cox regression analysis identified risk factors influencing overall survival (OS), while competing-risk analyses were conducted to determine prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival (CSS). Survival differences were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and cumulative incidence function (CIF). Results The study encompassed 4,691 patients, with 319 (6.8%) in the age <50 years group and 4,372 (93.2%) in the age ≥50 years group. Individuals with unexplained liver metastases exhibited a 1-year OS rate of 14.7% and a 1-year CSS rate of 23%. Following matching, age, histology, brain metastases, and chemotherapy were identified as independent prognostic factors affecting OS. Additionally, race, grade, histology, brain metastases, and chemotherapy were recognized as independent prognostic factors influencing CSS. Notably, the age <50 years group demonstrated superior OS and CSS compared to the age ≥50 years group before and after PSM. Among patients undergoing chemotherapy, the age <50 years group exhibited enhanced OS and CSS compared to their age ≥50 years counterparts. Furthermore, in individuals subjected to radiotherapy, the age <50 years group demonstrated superior OS, although no significant difference in CSS was observed. Conclusions The survival prognosis of patients with CUPL was found to be poor. However, both OS and CSS were more favorable in the age <50 years group compared to the age ≥50 years group. Additionally, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were associated with an OS benefit for patients in the age <50 years group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuli Gao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, First People's Hospital of Changshu City, Changshu, China
| | - Luojie Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, First People's Hospital of Changshu City, Changshu, China
| | - Xiaodan Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changshu Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, First People's Hospital of Changshu City, Changshu, China
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Tang L, Zhu Y, Du Y, Long X, Long Y, Tang Y, Liu J. Clinicopathologic features and genomic profiling of female axillary lymph node metastases from adenocarcinoma or poorly differentiated carcinoma of unknown primary. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:256. [PMID: 38750402 PMCID: PMC11096249 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05783-6] [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: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Axillary lymph node metastases from adenocarcinoma or poorly differentiated carcinoma of unknown primary (CUPAx) is a rare disease in women. This retrospective study intended to examine the clinicopathological features of CUPAx and compared CUPAx genetically with axillary lymph node metastases from breast cancer (BCAx), investigating differences in their biological behavior. METHODS We conducted the clinical and prognostic analysis of 58 CUPAx patients in West China Hospital spanning from 2009 to 2021. Gemonic profiling of 12 CUPAx patients and 16 BCAx patients was conducted by the FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx) platform. Moreover, we also compared the gene mutation spectrum and relevant pathways between the two groups and both TCGA and COSMIC databases. RESULTS The majority of the 58 CUPAx patients were HR-/HER2- subtype. Most patients received mastectomy combined radiotherapy (50 Gy/25f). CUPAx patients who received mastectomy instead of breast-conserving surgery had a more favorable overall prognosis. Radiotherapy in chest wall/breast and supraclavicular/infraclavicular fossa was the independent prognostic factor (HR = 0.05, 95%CI = 0.00-0.93, P = 0.04). In 28 sequencing samples (CUPAx, n = 12, BCAx, n = 16) and 401 TCGA-BRCA patients, IRS2 only mutated in CUPAx (33.33%) but amplified in BCAx (11.11%) and TCGA-BRCA (1.5%). Pathway analysis revealed that BCAx had more NOTCH pathway mutations than CUPAx. Enrichment analysis showed that CUPAx enriched more in mammary development and PML bodies than BCAx, but less in the positive regulation of kinase activity. CONCLUSIONS More active treatment methods, like chemotherapy, mastectomy and postoperative radiotherapy, could improve the prognosis of CUPAx. The differential mutation genes of CUPAx and BCAx might be associated with their respective biological behaviors like invasiveness and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liansha Tang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
- Biotherapy Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yueting Zhu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
- Biotherapy Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yang Du
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
- Biotherapy Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiangyu Long
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
- Biotherapy Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yixiu Long
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yuan Tang
- Department of Pathology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiyan Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Xiang Street, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
- Biotherapy Clinical Research Center of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Boys EL, Gao B, Grimison P, Sutherland S, MacKenzie KL, Reddel RR, Liu J. Retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary from three tertiary centers in Australia. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7052. [PMID: 38523552 PMCID: PMC10961596 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7052] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) remains an important tumor entity and a disproportionate cause of cancer mortality. Little is known about the contemporary clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of CUP patients based on updated international classification guidelines. We evaluated a contemporary CUP cohort to provide insight into current clinical practice and the impact of tissue of origin assignment, site-specific and empirical therapy in a real-world setting. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of CUP patients, as defined by the updated European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023 guidelines, across three tertiary referral centers in Australia between 2015 and 2022. We analyzed clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression proportional hazard model between favorable and unfavorable risk groups. RESULTS We identified a total of 123 CUP patients (n = 86 unfavorable, n = 37 favorable risk as per the 2023 ESMO guidelines). Sixty-four patients (52%) were assigned a tissue of origin by the treating clinician. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 6.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.1-12.1) months and overall survival (OS) 10.2 (95% CI 6.0-18.5) months. Unfavorable risk (hazard ratio [HR] 2.9, p = 0.006), poor performance status (HR 2.8, p < 0.001), and non-squamous histology (HR 2.5, p < 0.05) were associated with poor survival outcome. A total of 70 patients (57%) proceeded to systemic therapy. In patients with non-squamous histology and unfavorable risk, site-specific therapy compared to empirical chemotherapy did not improve outcome (median OS 8.2 vs. 11.8 months, p = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS In this real-world cohort, CUP presentations were heterogenous. Overall survival and rates of systemic treatment were poor. Poor performance status and unfavorable risk were associated with worse survival. For most patients, site-specific therapy did not improve survival outcome. Improved and timely access to diagnostic tests and therapeutics for this group of patients is urgently required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Boys
- ProCan®, Children's Medical Research InstituteWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Medical OncologyCrown Princess Mary Cancer CentreWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre, Blacktown HospitalBlacktownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Bo Gao
- Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Medical OncologyCrown Princess Mary Cancer CentreWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre, Blacktown HospitalBlacktownNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Peter Grimison
- Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Chris O'Brien LifehouseSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Sarah Sutherland
- Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Chris O'Brien LifehouseSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Karen L. MacKenzie
- ProCan®, Children's Medical Research InstituteWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Roger R. Reddel
- ProCan®, Children's Medical Research InstituteWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and HealthThe University of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Jia Liu
- ProCan®, Children's Medical Research InstituteWestmeadNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent's HospitalDarlinghurstNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Clinical Medicine, St Vincent's CampusUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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Liu X, Jiang H, Wang X. Advances in Cancer Research: Current and Future Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:100. [PMID: 38392019 PMCID: PMC10886776 DOI: 10.3390/bios14020100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Cancers of unknown primary (CUP) exhibit significant cellular heterogeneity and malignancy, which poses significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment. Recent years have seen deeper insights into the imaging, pathology, and genetic characteristics of CUP, driven by interdisciplinary collaboration and the evolution of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. However, due to their insidious onset, lack of evidence-based medicine, and limited clinical understanding, diagnosing and treating CUP remain a significant challenge. To inspire more creative and fantastic research, herein, we report and highlight recent advances in the diagnosis and therapeutic strategies of CUP. Specifically, we discuss advanced diagnostic technologies, including 12-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose integrated with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) or 68Ga-FAPI (fibroblast activation protein inhibitor) PET/CT, liquid biopsy, molecular diagnostics, self-assembling nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the discussion will extend to the effective treatment techniques currently available, such as targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and bio-nanotechnology-based therapeutics. Finally, a novel perspective on the challenges and directions for future CUP diagnostic and therapeutic strategies is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
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Juarez-Vignon Whaley JJ, Pophali P, Chornenkyy Y, Linton Peters M. Cancer of Unknown Primary: When Imaging, Pathology, and Molecular Biology Do Not Match. Case Rep Oncol 2024; 17:695-704. [PMID: 39015643 PMCID: PMC11249445 DOI: 10.1159/000539650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cancers of unknown primary are aggressive and rare malignancies with a complex diagnosis and management. Here we present a case in which imaging, pathology, and molecular biology did not match for a specific tumor site and the importance of a multidisciplinary team for these complicated cases. Case Presentation A man in his 70s with strong smoking history under workup for suspicion of metastatic lung cancer underwent lung mass biopsy. Immunohistochemical stains corresponded to hepatocellular/cholangiocarcinoma or germ cell tumor; however, dedicated liver and testicular studies including imaging and iscochrome 12p FISH were negative. Additionally, somatic variant profiling was not specific for any malignancy nor targetable variants. Given the pattern of disease, risk factors, and patient history, the patient received treatment for lung adenocarcinoma (carboplatin, pemetrexed, and pembrolizumab). The patient had a drastic improvement in dyspnea, weight gain, and was able to return to work. Conclusion This report describes a case in which immunohistochemistry and molecular profiling did not identify the tissue of origin and highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary team to reach a diagnosis and guide treatment without delaying patient care in patients with these diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Jose Juarez-Vignon Whaley
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Prateek Pophali
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yevgen Chornenkyy
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mary Linton Peters
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Zhu QZ, Li HJ, Li YQ, Yu XH, Shu KY. Pelvic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary site: A case report and brief literature review. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e36796. [PMID: 38206704 PMCID: PMC10754610 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
RATIONALE Cancer with unknown primary site is a kind of disease that is difficult to deal with clinically, accounting for 2% to 9% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases. Here, we report such a case with pelvic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of an unknown primary site and review the relevant literature. PATIENT CONCERNS DIAGNOSES A 43-year-old Chinese female patient was referred to our hospital and initially diagnosed as "malignant tumor of right adnexal area?, obstruction of right ureter, secondary hydronephrosis". INTERVENTIONS Thereafter cytoreductive surgery was performed which included a total hysterectomy, left adnexectomy, partial omentum resection, pelvic lymph node dissection, and para-aortic lymph node dissection. The primary lesion could not be identified by supplementary examination and postoperative pathology. The patient was diagnosed as pelvic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma whose primary site was unknown. To prevent a recurrence, we administered adjuvant chemotherapy for the patient. OUTCOMES The patient was followed up after treatment, complete remission has been maintained for 72 months, and no recurrence or metastasis has been found. LESSONS Our case demonstrates that surgery combined with chemotherapy could be helpful for pelvic metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Zhou Zhu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui-Juan Li
- Medical Department, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Qiang Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Hong Yu
- Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kuan-Yong Shu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
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Ren M, Cai X, Jia L, Bai Q, Zhu X, Hu X, Wang Q, Luo Z, Zhou X. Comprehensive analysis of cancer of unknown primary and recommendation of a histological and immunohistochemical diagnostic strategy from China. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1175. [PMID: 38041048 PMCID: PMC10691136 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11563-1] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies on cancer of unknown primary (CUP) mainly focus on treatment and prognosis in western populations and lacked clinical evaluation of different IHC markers, so this study aimed to evaluate characteristics of CUP and recommend a diagnostic strategy from a single center in China. METHODS AND RESULTS Data of 625 patients with CUP were retrospectively collected and reviewed. The patients ranged in age from 20 to 91 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.3:1. The predominant histological type was poor or undifferentiated adenocarcinomas (308; 49.3%). The results of Canhelp-Origin molecular testing for the identification of the tissue of origin in 262 of 369 patients (71.0%) were considered predictable (similarity score > 45), with the most common predicted primary tumor site being the breast (57, 21.8%). Unpredictable molecular results correlated with more aggressive clinical parameters and poor survival. Thee positivity rates of several targeted antibodies (GATA3, GCDFP15, TTF1, Napsin A, and PAX8), based on the clinically predicted site, were lower than those reported for the corresponding primary tumors. Nonetheless, TRPS1 and INSM1 were reliable markers of predicted breast carcinoma (75.0%) and neuroendocrine tumors (83.3%), respectively. P16 expression, as well as HPV and EBER testing contributed significantly to the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinomas. Survival analysis revealed that older ages (> 57), ≥ 3 metastatic sites, non-squamous cell carcinomas, bone/liver/lung metastases, unpredictable molecular results, and palliative treatment correlated with poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS We recommend a CUP diagnostic strategy involving the use of targeted antibody panels as per histological findings that is potentially applicable in clinical practice. The markers TRPS1, INSM1, and P16 expression, as well as HPV and EBER testing are particularly valuable in this aspect. Molecular testing is also predictive of survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Ren
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xu Cai
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Liqing Jia
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qianming Bai
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xichun Hu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qifeng Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhiguo Luo
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong'an Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Kolbinger FR, Bernard V, Lee JJ, Stephens BM, Branchi V, Raghav KPS, Maitra A, Guerrero PA, Semaan A. Significance of Distinct Liquid Biopsy Compartments in Evaluating Somatic Mutations for Targeted Therapy Selection in Cancer of Unknown Primary. J Gastrointest Cancer 2023; 54:1276-1285. [PMID: 36862364 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-023-00922-7] [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] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) accounts for 2-5% of all cancer diagnoses, wherein standard investigations fail to reveal the original tumor site. Basket trials allocate targeted therapeutics based on actionable somatic mutations, independent of tumor entity. These trials, however, mostly rely on variants identified in tissue biopsies. Since liquid biopsies (LB) represent the overall tumor genomic landscape, they may provide an ideal diagnostic source in CUP patients. To identify the most informative liquid biopsy compartment, we compared the utility of genomic variant analysis for therapy stratification in two LB compartments (circulating cell-free (cf) and extracellular vesicle (ev) DNA). METHODS CfDNA and evDNA from 23 CUP patients were analyzed using a targeted gene panel covering 151 genes. Identified genetic variants were interpreted regarding diagnostic and therapeutic relevance using the MetaKB knowledgebase. RESULTS LB revealed a total of 22 somatic mutations in evDNA and/or cfDNA in 11/23 patients. Out of the 22 identified somatic variants, 14 are classified as Tier I druggable somatic variants. Comparison of variants identified in evDNA and cfDNA revealed an overlap of 58% of somatic variants in both LB compartments, whereas over 40% of variants were only found in one or the other compartment. CONCLUSION We observed substantial overlap between somatic variants identified in evDNA and cfDNA of CUP patients. Nonetheless, interrogation of both LB compartments can potentially increase the rate of druggable alterations, stressing the significance of liquid biopsies for possible primary-independent basket and umbrella trial inclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona R Kolbinger
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vincent Bernard
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaewon J Lee
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bret M Stephens
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vittorio Branchi
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kanwal P S Raghav
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paola A Guerrero
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Alexander Semaan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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10
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Westphalen CB, Federer-Gsponer J, Pauli C, Karapetyan AR, Chalabi N, Durán-Pacheco G, Beringer A, Bochtler T, Cook N, Höglander E, Jin DX, Losa F, Mileshkin L, Moch H, Ross JS, Sokol ES, Tothill RW, Krämer A. Baseline mutational profiles of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary origin enrolled in the CUPISCO study. ESMO Open 2023; 8:102035. [PMID: 37922692 PMCID: PMC10774891 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.102035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with unfavorable carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) have an extremely poor prognosis of ∼1 year or less, stressing the need for more tailored treatments, which are currently being tested in clinical trials. CUPISCO (NCT03498521) was a phase II randomized study of targeted therapy/cancer immunotherapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, unfavorable CUP, defined as per the European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines. We present a preliminary, descriptive molecular analysis of 464 patients with stringently diagnosed, unfavorable CUP enrolled in the CUPISCO study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Genomic profiling was carried out on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue to detect genomic alterations and assess tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. RESULTS Overall, ∼32% of patients carried a potentially targetable genomic alteration, including PIK3CA, FGFR2, ERBB2, BRAFV600E, EGFR, MET, NTRK1, ROS1, and ALK. Using hierarchical clustering of co-mutational profiles, 10 clusters were identified with specific genomic alteration co-occurrences, with some mirroring defined tumor entities. CONCLUSIONS Results reveal the molecular heterogeneity of patients with unfavorable CUP and suggest that genomic profiling may be used as part of informed decision-making to identify the potential primary tumor and targeted treatment options. Whether stringently diagnosed patients with unfavorable CUP benefit from targeted therapies in a similar manner to those with matched known primaries will be a key learning from CUPISCO.
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Westphalen
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich & Department of Medicine III, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - C Pauli
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - T Bochtler
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg; Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - N Cook
- The University of Manchester and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | | | - D X Jin
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, USA
| | - F Losa
- Hospital de Sant Joan Despí-Moisès Broggi, ICO-Hospitalet, Barcelona, Spain
| | - L Mileshkin
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - H Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J S Ross
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, USA; SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, USA
| | - E S Sokol
- Foundation Medicine, Inc., Cambridge, USA
| | - R W Tothill
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - A Krämer
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
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11
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Štancl P, Karlić R. Machine learning for pan-cancer classification based on RNA sequencing data. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1285795. [PMID: 38028533 PMCID: PMC10667476 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1285795] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent improvements in cancer diagnostics, 2%-5% of all malignancies are still cancers of unknown primary (CUP), for which the tissue-of-origin (TOO) cannot be determined at the time of presentation. Since the primary site of cancer leads to the choice of optimal treatment, CUP patients pose a significant clinical challenge with limited treatment options. Data produced by large-scale cancer genomics initiatives, which aim to determine the genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic characteristics of a large number of individual patients of multiple cancer types, have led to the introduction of various methods that use machine learning to predict the TOO of cancer patients. In this review, we assess the reproducibility, interpretability, and robustness of results obtained by 20 recent studies that utilize different machine learning methods for TOO prediction based on RNA sequencing data, including their reported performance on independent data sets and identification of important features. Our review investigates the strengths and weaknesses of different methods, checks the correspondence of their results, and identifies potential issues with datasets used for model training and testing, assessing their potential usefulness in a clinical setting and suggesting future improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosa Karlić
- Bioinformatics Group, Division of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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12
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Le Tourneau C, André F, Helland Å, Mileshkin L, Minnaard W, Schiel A, Taskén K, Thomas DM, Veronese ML, Durán-Pacheco G, Leyens L, Rufibach K, Thomas M, Krämer A. Modified study designs to expand treatment options in personalised oncology: a multistakeholder view. Eur J Cancer 2023; 194:113278. [PMID: 37820553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.113278] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Personalised oncology, whereby patients are given therapies based on their molecular tumour profile, is rapidly becoming an essential part of optimal clinical care, at least partly facilitated by recent advances in next-generation sequencing-based technology using liquid- and tissue-based biopsies. Consequently, clinical trials have shifted in approach, from traditional studies evaluating cytotoxic chemotherapy in largely histology-based populations to modified, biomarker-driven studies (e.g. basket, umbrella, platform) of molecularly guided therapies and cancer immunotherapies in selected patient subsets. Such modified study designs may assess, within the same trial structure, multiple cancer types and treatments, and should incorporate a multistakeholder perspective. This is key to generating complementary, fit-for-purpose and timely evidence for molecularly guided therapies that can be used as proof-of-concept to inform further study designs, lead to approval by regulatory authorities and be used as confirmation of clinical benefit for health technology assessment bodies. In general, the future of cancer clinical trials requires a framework for the application of innovative technologies and dynamic design methodologies, in order to efficiently transform scientific discoveries into clinical utility. Next-generation, modified studies that involve the joint efforts of all key stakeholders will offer individualised strategies that ultimately contribute to globalised knowledge and collective learning. In this review, we outline the background and purpose of such modified study designs and detail key aspects from a multistakeholder perspective. We also provide methodological considerations for designing the studies and highlight how insights from already-ongoing studies may address current challenges and opportunities in the era of personalised oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Le Tourneau
- Department of Drug Development and Innovation (D3i), Institut Curie, INSERM U900 Research Unit, Paris-Saclay University, Paris, France
| | | | - Åslaug Helland
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Linda Mileshkin
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | - Kjetil Taskén
- Division of Cancer Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - David M Thomas
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, Australia
| | | | | | - Lada Leyens
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Alwin Krämer
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Hematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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13
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Moore EC, Blobe GC, DeVito NC, Hanks BA, Harrison MR, Hoimes CJ, Jia J, Morse MA, Jayaprakasan P, MacKelfresh A, Mulder H, Hockenberry AJ, Zander A, Stumpe MC, Michuda J, Beauchamp KA, Perakslis E, Taxter T, George DJ. Assessing the utility of molecular diagnostic classification for cancers of unknown primary. Cancer Med 2023; 12:19394-19405. [PMID: 37712677 PMCID: PMC10587948 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Roughly 5% of metastatic cancers present with uncertain origin, for which molecular classification could influence subsequent management; however, prior studies of molecular diagnostic classifiers have reported mixed results with regard to clinical impact. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the utility of a novel molecular diagnostic classifier by assessing theoretical changes in treatment and additional testing recommendations from oncologists before and after the review of classifier predictions. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed de-identified records from 289 patients with a consensus diagnosis of cancer of uncertain/unknown primary (CUP). Two (or three, if adjudication was required) independent oncologists separately reviewed patient clinical information to determine the course of treatment before they reviewed results from the molecular diagnostic classifier and subsequently evaluated whether the predicted diagnosis would alter their treatment plan. RESULTS Results from the molecular diagnostic classifier changed the consensus oncologist-reported treatment recommendations for 235 out of 289 patients (81.3%). At the level of individual oncologist reviews (n = 414), 64.7% (n = 268) of treatment recommendations were based on CUP guidelines prior to review of results from the molecular diagnostic classifier. After seeing classifier results, 98.1% (n = 207) of the reviews, where treatment was specified (n = 211), were guided by the tissue of origin-specific guidelines. Overall, 89.9% of the 414 total reviews either expressed strong agreement (n = 242) or agreement (n = 130) that the molecular diagnostic classifier result increased confidence in selecting the most appropriate treatment regimen. CONCLUSIONS A retrospective review of CUP cases demonstrates that a novel molecular diagnostic classifier could affect treatment in the majority of patients, supporting its clinical utility. Further studies are needed to prospectively evaluate whether the use of molecular diagnostic classifiers improves clinical outcomes in CUP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard C. Blobe
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer BiologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Nicholas C. DeVito
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Center for Cancer ImmunotherapyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Brent A. Hanks
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer BiologyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Center for Cancer ImmunotherapyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Michael R. Harrison
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic CancersDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Christopher J. Hoimes
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Center for Cancer ImmunotherapyDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic CancersDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jingquan Jia
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Michael A. Morse
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Parvathy Jayaprakasan
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Andrew MacKelfresh
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Hillary Mulder
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric Perakslis
- Duke Clinical Research InstituteDuke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | | | - Daniel J. George
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of MedicineDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic CancersDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
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14
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Bytnar JA, Lin J, Moncur JT, Shriver CD, Zhu K. Cancers of Unknown Primary: A Descriptive Study in the U.S. Military Health System. Mil Med 2023; 188:e516-e523. [PMID: 34296267 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usab291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancers of unknown primary (CUP) are defined as histologically confirmed metastatic cancers that do not have an identified primary site of origin despite an appropriate diagnostic workup. Although accessibility to and quality of medical care influence diagnosis of cancer including CUP, previous studies describing CUP have generally been conducted in patients with various accessibilities to care. This study aimed to describe the demographic, histologic, and temporal trend characteristics of CUP patients in the DoD Cancer Registry of the Military Health System (MHS), which provides universal health care access, reducing the potential effects of accessibility to care on research results. MATERIALS AND METHODS The data were obtained from the DoD's Automated Central Tumor Registry (ACTUR), which collects cancer data from beneficiaries who were diagnosed or received treatment in the MHS. We described the demographic and histologic distributions in CUP patients aged 18 years or older diagnosed from 1987 to 2013. We calculated the proportion of CUP patients among all metastatic cancers and the most common histologic categories of those tumors. We then evaluated whether the proportion of histologic types changed over time. RESULTS CUP comprised 13.3% of all metastatic cancers in ACTUR during the study period. The majority of CUP within ACTUR was moderately and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (51.3%) and poorly differentiated carcinomas (23.2%) followed by squamous cell carcinomas (12.5%). The percentages of CUP among metastasized cancers of the same histologic category ranged 12%-15% for moderately and well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, squamous cell, and poorly differentiated carcinomas, and 41%-46% for malignant neuroendocrine carcinomas and undifferentiated neoplasms. However, the percentages varied by sex, race, and age for certain pathologies. The proportion of CUP patients among all metastatic cancer patients has steadily declined from 22.4% to 8.3% from 1987 to 2013. CONCLUSION The proportion and trends of CUP in the ACTUR were generally consistent with other descriptive CUP studies. This study provides a description of CUP in a health care system with universal access in the USA and provides a foundation for future studies on CUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Bytnar
- Murtha Cancer Center/Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Jie Lin
- Murtha Cancer Center/Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Joel T Moncur
- The Joint Pathology Center, National Capital Region Market, Defense Health Agency, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Craig D Shriver
- Murtha Cancer Center/Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Kangmin Zhu
- Murtha Cancer Center/Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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15
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Krämer A, Bochtler T, Pauli C, Baciarello G, Delorme S, Hemminki K, Mileshkin L, Moch H, Oien K, Olivier T, Patrikidou A, Wasan H, Zarkavelis G, Pentheroudakis G, Fizazi K. Cancer of unknown primary: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol 2023; 34:228-246. [PMID: 36563965 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- A Krämer
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Haematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - T Bochtler
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Molecular Haematology/Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C Pauli
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich (USZ), Zurich, Switzerland; Medical Faculty, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - G Baciarello
- Medical Oncology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Rome, Italy
| | - S Delorme
- Division of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg
| | - K Hemminki
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Center, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - L Mileshkin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - H Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich (USZ), Zurich, Switzerland; Medical Faculty, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K Oien
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - T Olivier
- Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - A Patrikidou
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Institute Gustave Roussy, University of Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France
| | - H Wasan
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - G Zarkavelis
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | | | - K Fizazi
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Institute Gustave Roussy, University of Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France
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16
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Bytnar JA, Lin J, Moncur JT, Shriver CD, Zhu K. Cancers of unknown primary: Survival by histologic type, demographic features, and treatment in the U.S. Military Health System. Cancer Epidemiol 2023; 82:102316. [PMID: 36571909 DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2022.102316] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancers of unknown primary (CUP), a group of heterogenous metastatic cancers lacking a known primary site, have poor prognosis. This study compared survival of CUP by histologic type, patient characteristics, and treatment in the U.S. Military Health System (MHS), which provides universal care to its members. METHODS Patients histologically diagnosed with CUP were identified from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)'s Automated Central Tumor Registry. Median survival with 95 % confidence intervals was calculated for demographic and treatment variables by histologic type. A multivariable accelerated failure time model estimated time ratios and 95 % confidence intervals. RESULTS The study included 3358 CUP patients. The most prevalent CUP in this study was well- and moderately-differentiated adenocarcinomas. Median survival varied by histologic type with squamous cell carcinoma having the longest at 25.1 months and poorly-differentiated carcinomas having the shortest at 3.0 months. For each histologic type, survival was generally similar by sex and active-duty status although women with well- and moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma had longer survival than their male counterparts. Younger patients tended to have longer survival than those aged 65 years or older. Generally, there were no racial differences in survival except poorer survival for Black patients than White patients in the group of other histologic types. Patients with chemotherapy and radiation treatment generally had improved survival whereas patients with squamous cell carcinoma who received chemotherapy had shorter survival than those without. CONCLUSION Survival generally did not differ between racial groups, which may be related to equal healthcare access despite racial background. Further studies are warranted to better understand how survival in the MHS compares with that in the general U.S. POPULATION
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Bytnar
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jie Lin
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joel T Moncur
- The Joint Pathology Center, National Capital Region Medical Directorate, Defense Health Agency, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Craig D Shriver
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kangmin Zhu
- John P. Murtha Cancer Center Research Program, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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17
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Tang C, Hang J, Hung Y, Chiu N, Lai J, Chen M, Liu C, Yang M, Chao Y, Chang PM. A generational comparison for unfavorable cancer of unknown primary in a single institute over 20 years. Cancer Med 2023; 12:1090-1101. [PMID: 35781808 PMCID: PMC9883408 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognosis of unfavorable cancer of unknown primary is extremely poor. This is the first report to compared the treatment results between generations of CUP and examined prognostic factors. METHODS This retrospective single-center cohort study enrolled 68 patients with newly diagnosed unfavorable cancer of unknown primary at Taipei Veteran General Hospital from 2017 to 2020 as study cohort and 167 patients from 2000 to 2009 as historical cohort. RESULTS The median overall survival was 4.3 months in the study cohort (95% CI, 2.7-6.2 months) and 4.5 months in the historical cohort (95% CI, 3.0-5.5 months; p = 0.858). Eleven patients in the study cohort received immunotherapy. The disease control rates were 45%. Multivariate analysis showed that an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score > 1 and a C-reactive protein level > 1 correlated with poor survival. A new prognostic stratification model was constructed by using Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score and C-reactive protein values. The good-, intermediate-, and poor-risk groups had distinct median overall survival of 18.3, 7.0 and 1.2 months, respectively (area under the curve, 0.817; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The outcome of unfavorable cancer of unknown primary has not changed much over the last 20 years. The application of a new prognostic stratification model can further stratify unfavorable cancer of unknown primary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng‐Yu Tang
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Jen‐Fan Hang
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yi‐Ping Hung
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Nai‐Chi Chiu
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of RadiologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Jiun‐I Lai
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Clinical MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Ming‐Huang Chen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chun‐Yu Liu
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Muh‐Hwa Yang
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Clinical MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Genome Research CenterNational Yang‐Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yee Chao
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Peter Mu‐Hsin Chang
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of OncologyTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
- School of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical SciencesNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
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18
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Prognostic factors among patients with brain metastases from cancer of unknown primary site. J Neurooncol 2022; 159:647-655. [PMID: 35976548 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-022-04106-4] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cancers of an unknown primary site (CUPs) have a dismal prognosis, and the situation is even worse for CUPs patients with brain metastases (BM-CUPs). This study aims to give better insight into the occurrence and survival of BM-CUPs patients. METHODS Cases were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (1,430 BM-CUPs/17,140 CUPs). Baseline characteristics between CUPs patients with and without BM were tested using chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. Patients' overall survival (OS) times were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors on OS was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. RESULTS The proportion of BM-CUPs patients among CUPs increased from 8% in 2009-2010 to 10% in 2017-2018 (p < 0.001). Most patients presented with multiple brain lesions (53%). Survival of BM-CUPs improved over time: one-year OS increased from 10% for patients diagnosed in 2009-2010 to 17% (2017- 2018) (p < 0.01), and median survival times increased from 1.8 months to 2.2 months. Independent predictors of poor survival were multiple (HR 1.25; p < 0.01) or unknown (HR 1.48; p < 0.01) locations of BM, unknown/poorly/undifferentiated carcinoma histology (HR 1.53; p < 0.01), or clinical symptoms of BM (HR 1.74; p < 0.01), accompanying liver metastasis (HR 1.43; p < 0.01) and more than one metastatic site outside the brain compared to none (HR 1.52; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with BM-CUPs is steadily increasing over time and overall prognosis remains dismal. Our results, however, show distinct patient subgroups that exhibit comparatively better outcomes, and more predictors may likely still be identified.
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19
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Qi P, Sun Y, Liu X, Wu S, Wo Y, Xu Q, Wang Q, Hu X, Zhou X. Clinicopathological, molecular and prognostic characteristics of cancer of unknown primary in China: An analysis of 1420 cases. Cancer Med 2022; 12:1177-1188. [PMID: 35822433 PMCID: PMC9883567 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4973] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is defined the presence of metastatic disease without an identified primary site. An unidentifiable primary site of cancer creates significant challenges for treatment selection. We aimed to describe the clinicopathological, molecular, and prognostic characteristics of Chinese CUP patients. METHODS Patients with oncologist-confirmed CUP were identified at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from 2019 to 2020. Information on patient characteristics, tumor presentation, treatment, and outcome were retrospectively collected from the inpatient database and pathological consultation database for descriptive analysis. A multivariable logistic regression model was established to identify factors associated with patient prognosis. RESULTS A total of 1420 CUP patients were enrolled in this study. The baseline characteristics of the entire cohort included the following: median age (59 years old), female sex (45.8%), adenocarcinoma (47.7%), and poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumors (92.1%). For the inpatient cohort, the most common sites where cancer spread included the lymph nodes (41.8%), bone (22.0%), liver (20.1%), and peritoneum/retroperitoneum (16.0%). A total of 77.4% and 58.2% of patients were treated with local therapy and systemic therapy, respectively. Four prognostic factors, including liver metastasis, peritoneal/retroperitoneal metastasis, number of metastatic sites (N ≥ 2), and systemic treatment, were independently associated with overall survival. Additionally, 24.8% (79/318) of patients received molecular testing, including PD-L1, human papillomavirus, genetic variation, and 90-gene expression tests for diagnosis or therapy selection. CONCLUSION Cancer of unknown primary remains a difficult cancer to diagnose and manage. Our findings improve our understanding of Chinese CUP patient characteristics, leading to improved care and outcomes for CUP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Qi
- Department of PathologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,Institute of PathologyFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,The Cancer of Unknown Primary Group of Pathology CommitteeChinese Research Hospital AssociationShanghaiChina
| | - Yifeng Sun
- The Canhelp Genomics Research CenterCanhelp Genomics Co., Ltd.HangzhouChina
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,Department of Head & Neck Tumors and Neuroendocrine TumorsFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
| | - Sheng Wu
- The Canhelp Genomics Research CenterCanhelp Genomics Co., Ltd.HangzhouChina
| | - Yixin Wo
- The Canhelp Genomics Research CenterCanhelp Genomics Co., Ltd.HangzhouChina
| | - Qinghua Xu
- The Cancer of Unknown Primary Group of Pathology CommitteeChinese Research Hospital AssociationShanghaiChina,The Canhelp Genomics Research CenterCanhelp Genomics Co., Ltd.HangzhouChina,The Institute of Machine Learning and Systems Biology, College of Electronics and Information EngineeringTongji UniversityShanghaiChina,Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Department of GeneticsXuzhou Medical UniversityXuzhouChina
| | - Qifeng Wang
- Department of PathologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,Institute of PathologyFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,The Cancer of Unknown Primary Group of Pathology CommitteeChinese Research Hospital AssociationShanghaiChina
| | - Xichun Hu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,Department of Medical OncologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina
| | - Xiaoyan Zhou
- Department of PathologyFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghaiChina,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,Institute of PathologyFudan UniversityShanghaiChina,The Cancer of Unknown Primary Group of Pathology CommitteeChinese Research Hospital AssociationShanghaiChina
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20
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Cancer-of-Unknown-Primary-Origin: A SEER-Medicare Study of Patterns of Care and Outcomes among Elderly Patients in Clinical Practice. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122905. [PMID: 35740574 PMCID: PMC9221531 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122905] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer-of-unknown-primary-origin (CUP) is challenging to diagnose and treat, and little is known about its diagnostic work-up, treatment, and outcomes in routine healthcare. We examined data from elderly patients (at least 66 years old) diagnosed with CUP in real-world US clinical practice, using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare-linked database. Only half of elderly patients with CUP received all three diagnostic work-up procedures (biopsy, immunohistochemistry, and imaging), as recommended by guidelines. Patients who received all three diagnostic work-up procedures were more likely to receive any type of anticancer treatment, and patients who did not receive full diagnostic work-up had shorter median overall survival, particularly with increasing age. Overall, these results suggest that further studies are needed to understand why many patients given a diagnosis of CUP do not receive complete diagnostic work-up or treatment. Further research into improving diagnostic work-up and treatment effectiveness in patients diagnosed with CUP is required. Abstract Knowledge of contemporary patterns of cancer-of-unknown-primary-origin (CUP) diagnostic work-up, treatment, and outcomes in routine healthcare is limited. Thus, we examined data from elderly patients diagnosed with CUP in real-world US clinical practice. From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare-linked database, we included patients ≥ 66 years old with CUP diagnosed between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015. We analyzed baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, methods of diagnostic work-up (biopsy, immunohistochemistry, imaging), treatment-related factors, and survival. CUP diagnosis was histologically confirmed in 2813/4562 patients (61.7%). Overall, 621/4562 (13.6%) patients received anticancer pharmacotherapy; among these, 97.3% had a histologically confirmed tumor and 83.1% received all three procedures. Among those with a histologically confirmed tumor, increasing age, increasing comorbidity score, not receiving all three diagnostic measures, and having a not-further specified histologic finding of only ‘malignant neoplasm’ were all negatively associated with receipt of anticancer pharmacotherapy. Median overall survival was 1.2 months for all patients. Median time between CUP diagnosis and treatment initiation was 41 days. Limited diagnostic work-up was common and most patients did not receive anticancer pharmacotherapy. The poor outcomes highlight a substantial unmet need for further research into improving diagnostic work-up and treatment effectiveness in CUP.
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21
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Acosta R, Damas Fuentes M, Pena N, Rojas P, Zambrano C. Therapeutic impact and routine application of next‑generation sequencing: A single institute study. Biomed Rep 2022; 16:33. [PMID: 35386110 PMCID: PMC8972834 DOI: 10.3892/br.2022.1516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic sequencing of tumor tissues provides information on actionable gene aberrations that have diagnostic and therapeutic significance and may guide clinical management through the use of targeted therapies. The indications for these techniques and their possible limitations for application in daily practice should be established as a priority. In the present study, a group of patients with few suitable therapeutic options who were eligible for a next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis were analyzed, and the molecular targets identified and their therapeutic impact are described. A series of 26 patients treated at the Virgen Macarena Hospital for whom an NGS study was requested between January 2017 and December 2019 were reviewed. Actionable molecular alterations were identified in 20 of the cases, and 4 patients received NGS-guided treatment. NGS techniques represent a novel opportunity for guiding treatment in cancer patients. Patients with few therapeutic alternatives, either due to diagnosis, atypical evolution or resistance to standard therapy, may be suitable candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Acosta
- Department of Medical Oncology, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - María Damas Fuentes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Nicolás Pena
- Department of Medical Oncology, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Pilar Rojas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Carmen Zambrano
- Department of Medical Oncology, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, 41009 Seville, Spain
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22
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Kang S, Jeong JH, Yoon S, Yoo C, Kim KP, Cho H, Ryoo BY, Jung J, Kim JE. Real-world data analysis of patients with cancer of unknown primary. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23074. [PMID: 34845302 PMCID: PMC8630084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02543-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous malignancy in which the primary site of the tumor cannot be identified through standard work-up. The survival outcome of CUP is generally poor, and there is no consensus for treatment. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the real-world data of 218 patients with CUP (median age, 62 years [range, 19-91]; male, 62.3%). Next-generation sequencing was conducted in 22 (10%) patients, one of whom showed level 1 genetic alteration. Most (60.3%) patients were treated with empirical cytotoxic chemotherapy, and two patients received targeted therapy based on the NGS results. The median OS was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.2-11.4), and the median progression-free survival of patients treated with chemotherapy was 4.4 months (95% CI 3.4-5.3). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 0 or 1 and localized disease were significantly associated with favorable survival outcomes. Collectively, we found that CUP patients had a poor prognosis after standard treatment, and those with localized disease who received local treatment and those with better PS treated with multiple lines of chemotherapy had better survival outcomes. Targeted therapies based on NGS results are expected to improve survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sora Kang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Ho Jeong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shinkyo Yoon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Changhoon Yoo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyu-Pyo Kim
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyungwoo Cho
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baek-Yeol Ryoo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jinhong Jung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong Eun Kim
- Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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23
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Pinkiewicz M, Dorobisz K, Zatoński T. A Systematic Review of Cancer of Unknown Primary in the Head and Neck Region. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:7235-7241. [PMID: 34566429 PMCID: PMC8457440 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s319179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the vivid progress in molecular and genetic profiling, extensive diagnosis and multiple therapeutic modalities, cancers of unknown primary in the head and neck region continue to be a formidable challenge. Aim The purpose of the review is to present the most recent and well-established findings concerning cancers of unknown primary (CUPs) in the head and neck patients and consequently to provide medical specialists with essential information regarding the biology, pathology, histology, diagnosis and treatment of CUP in the head and neck region. Material and Methods The Medline/PubMed database was searched by using the following keywords “CUP”, “cancer of unknown primary”, “CUP biology”, “head and neck”. The references of the publications of interest were also screened for relevant papers. There were no limitations in regard to the publication date. Conclusion Unique biology and pathophysiology prompt the management of CUP to be demanding. The vivid rise in HPV-related CUPs during the last 20 years has put more focus on this phenomenon. New findings concerning the enigmatic biology of CUP provide fundaments for targeted therapy. Despite the availability of various diagnostic methods, the diagnosis of CUP continues to be a time-consuming, strenuous process that eventually provides answers. It remains controversial as to what combination of treatment methods is the most effective. There is no consensus on the value of combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy. Highly specific surgical treatments for particular histological types of CUP produce more satisfactory results. It is paramount to establish reliable guidelines concerning the diagnosis and treatment of CUP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milosz Pinkiewicz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Karolina Dorobisz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Tomasz Zatoński
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
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24
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Okumura M, Nakano E, Namikawa K, Takahashi A, Fujiwara Y, Yamazaki N. Efficacy of surgery for skin cancers initially suspected to be carcinoma of unknown primary: a retrospective observational study. Int J Dermatol 2021; 61:e150-e152. [PMID: 34152609 DOI: 10.1111/ijd.15707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mao Okumura
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Eiji Nakano
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Namikawa
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akira Takahashi
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Fujiwara
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Respiratory Medicine, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoya Yamazaki
- Department of Dermatologic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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25
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Redefining cancer of unknown primary: Is precision medicine really shifting the paradigm? Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 97:102204. [PMID: 33866225 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The concept of Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) has evolved with the advent of medical oncology. CUP can be difficult to diagnose and represents 2 to 5% of new cancers, therefore not exceptionally rare. Within CUPs can be identified a subset of favourable prognosis tumours, however the vast majority of CUP patients belongs to a poor prognosis group. CUP features significant oncological challenges, such as unravelling biological and transversal issues, and most importantly, improving patient's outcomes. In that regard, CUP patients' outcomes regrettably showed minimal improvement for decades and CUP remains a cancer group of very poor prognosis. The biology of CUP has two main hypotheses. One is that CUP is a subgroup of a given primary cancer, where the primary is present but cannot be seen due to its small size. The other, the "true" CUP hypothesis, states that CUP share features that make them a specific entity, whatever their tissue of origin. A true biological signature has not yet been described, but chromosomal instability is a hallmark of poor prognosis CUP group. Precision oncology, despite achieving identifying the putative origin of the CUP, so far failed to globally improve outcomes of patients. Targeting molecular pathways based on molecular analysis in CUP management is under investigation. Immunotherapy has not shown ground-breaking results, to date. Accrual is also a crucial issue in CUP trials. Herein we review CUP history, biological features and remaining questions in CUP biology, the two main approaches of molecular oncology in CUP management, in order to draw perspectives in the enormous challenge of improving CUP patient outcomes.
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26
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Ross JS, Sokol ES, Moch H, Mileshkin L, Baciarello G, Losa F, Beringer A, Thomas M, Elvin JA, Ngo N, Jin DX, Krämer A. Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Origin: Retrospective Molecular Classification Considering the CUPISCO Study Design. Oncologist 2021; 26:e394-e402. [PMID: 33219618 PMCID: PMC7930409 DOI: 10.1002/onco.13597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) accounts for 2%-5% of newly diagnosed advanced malignancies, with chemotherapy as the standard of care. CUPISCO (NCT03498521) is an ongoing randomized trial using comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) to assign patients with CUP to targeted or immunotherapy treatment arms based on genomic profiling. We performed a retrospective analysis of CUP cases referred for CGP to determine how many were potentially eligible for enrollment into an experimental CUPISCO arm. MATERIALS AND METHODS Centrally reviewed adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated CUP specimens in the FoundationCore database were analyzed using the hybrid capture-based FoundationOne CDx assay (mean coverage, >600×). Presence of genomic alterations, microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), genomic loss of heterozygosity (gLOH), and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positivity were determined. RESULTS A total of 96 of 303 patients (31.7%) could be matched to an experimental CUPISCO arm. Key genomic alterations included ERBB2 (7.3%), PIK3CA (6.3%), NF1 (5.6%), NF2 (4.6%), BRAF (4.3%), IDH1 (3.3%), PTEN, FGFR2, EGFR (3.6% each), MET (4.3%), CDK6 (3.0%), FBXW7, CDK4 (2.3% each), IDH2, RET, ROS1, NTRK (1.0% each), and ALK (0.7%). Median TMB was 3.75 mutations per megabase of DNA; 34 patients (11.6%) had a TMB ≥16 mutations per megabase. Three patients (1%) had high MSI, and 42 (14%) displayed high PD-L1 expression (tumor proportion score ≥50%). gLOH could be assessed in 199 of 303 specimens; 19.6% had a score of >16%. CONCLUSIONS Thirty-two percent of patients would have been eligible for targeted therapy in CUPISCO. Future studies, including additional biomarkers such as PD-L1 positivity and gLOH, may identify a greater proportion potentially benefiting from CGP-informed treatment. Clinical trial identification number. NCT03498521 IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings of this retrospective analysis of carcinoma of unknown primary origin (CUP) cases validate the experimental treatment arms being used in the CUPISCO study (NCT03498521), an ongoing randomized trial using comprehensive genomic profiling to assign patients with CUP to targeted or immunotherapy treatment arms based on the presence of pathogenic genomic alterations. The findings also suggest that future studies including additional biomarkers and treatment arms, such as programmed death-ligand 1 positivity and genomic loss of heterozygosity, may identify a greater proportion of patients with CUP potentially benefiting from comprehensive genomic profiling-informed treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S. Ross
- Foundation Medicine, Inc.CambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- SUNY Upstate Medical UniversitySyracuse, New YorkNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Holger Moch
- University of Zurich and University Hospital ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | | | - Ferran Losa
- Hospital de Sant Joan Despí Moisès BroggiBarcelonaSpain
| | | | | | | | - Nhu Ngo
- Foundation Medicine, Inc.CambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Alwin Krämer
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and University of HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
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27
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Dermawan JK, Rubin BP. The role of molecular profiling in the diagnosis and management of metastatic undifferentiated cancer of unknown primary ✰: Molecular profiling of metastatic cancer of unknown primary. Semin Diagn Pathol 2020; 38:193-198. [PMID: 33309276 DOI: 10.1053/j.semdp.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) refers to metastatic tumors for which the primary tumor of origin cannot be determined at the time of diagnosis, despite extensive clinicopathologic investigations. Molecular profiling is increasingly able to predict a probable primary tumor type for CUP when clinicopathologic workup is inconclusive. Numerous studies have explored the use of various molecular profiling techniques for identification of site/tissue of origin of CUP. These techniques include gene expression profiling utilizing microarray, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, RNA-sequencing, somatic gene mutation profiling with next-generation DNA sequencing, and epigenomics including DNA methylation profiling. Despite the generally poor prognosis of CUP, a minority of patients can expect to benefit from targeted therapy despite being agnostic to the tissue of origin. Studies have explored the use of various molecular profiling techniques to predict prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers, with the goal of improving outcome for patients with CUP. However, discordant results between non-randomized and randomized clinical trials in evaluating tumor-type specific therapies raise uncertainties of the benefits of molecularly-predicted tissue of origin-based treatment in routine clinical use. Nevertheless, the current overall trend is in favor of using molecular tools to refine the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with CUP. More large-cohort, randomized prospective studies are needed to assess and validate the utility and feasibility of molecular profiling to uncover potentially targetable genetic alterations. These efforts will also yield further biological insights into the biology and pathogenesis of CUP (Graphical Abstract).
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine K Dermawan
- Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, United States
| | - Brian P Rubin
- Robert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, United States.
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28
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Brain Metastasis from Unknown Primary Tumour: Moving from Old Retrospective Studies to Clinical Trials on Targeted Agents. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113350. [PMID: 33198246 PMCID: PMC7697886 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common intracranial tumours in adults and occur up to 3–10 times more frequently than primary brain tumours. In up to 15% of patients with BM, the primary tumour cannot be identified. These cases are known as BM of cancer of unknown primary (CUP) (BM-CUP). The understanding of BM-CUP, despite its relative frequency and unfavourable outcome, is still incomplete and clear indications on management are missing. The aim of this review is to summarize current evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of BM-CUP. Abstract Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common intracranial tumours in adults and occur up to 3–10 times more frequently than primary brain tumours. BMs may be the cause of the neurological presenting symptoms in patients with otherwise previously undiagnosed cancer. In up to 15% of patients with BMs, the primary tumour cannot be identified. These cases are known as BM of cancer of unknown primary (CUP) (BM-CUP). CUP has an early and aggressive metastatic spread, poor response to chemotherapy, and poor prognosis. The pathogenesis of CUP seems to be characterized by a specific underlying pro-metastatic signature. The understanding of BM-CUP, despite its relative frequency and unfavourable outcome, is still incomplete and clear indications on management are missing. Advances in diagnostic tools, molecular characterization, and target therapy have shifted the paradigm in the approach to metastasis from CUP: while earlier studies stressed the importance of finding the primary tumour and deciding on treatment based on the primary diagnosis, most recent studies focus on the importance of identifying targetable molecular markers in the metastasis itself. The aim of this review is to summarize current evidence on BM-CUP, from the diagnosis and pathogenesis to the treatment, with a focus on available studies and ongoing clinical trials.
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29
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Colomer R, Mondejar R, Romero-Laorden N, Alfranca A, Sanchez-Madrid F, Quintela-Fandino M. When should we order a next generation sequencing test in a patient with cancer? EClinicalMedicine 2020; 25:100487. [PMID: 32775973 PMCID: PMC7397394 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Technical advances in genome sequencing and the implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in clinical oncology have paved the way for individualizing cancer patient therapy based on molecular profiles. When and how to use NGS testing in the clinic is at present an unsolved issue, although new research results provide evidence favoring this approach in some types of advanced cancer. Clinical research is evolving rapidly, from basket and umbrella trials to adaptative design precision oncology clinical studies, and genomic and molecular data often displace the classical clinical validation procedures of biomarkers. In this context, physicians must be aware of the clinical evidence behind these new biomarkers and NGS tests available, in order to use them in the right moment, and with a critical point of view. This review will present the status of currently available targeted drugs that can be effective based on actionable molecular alterations, and the NGS tests that are currently available, offering a practical guide for the application of Clinical Precision Oncology in the real world routine practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Colomer
- Departament of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
- Medical Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Endowed Chair of Personalised Precision Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Fundación Instituto Roche, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebeca Mondejar
- Departament of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
- Medical Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Endowed Chair of Personalised Precision Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Fundación Instituto Roche, Spain
| | - Nuria Romero-Laorden
- Medical Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Sanchez-Madrid
- Departament of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
- Endowed Chair of Personalised Precision Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)-Fundación Instituto Roche, Spain
- Immunology Division, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Quintela-Fandino
- Departament of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
- Medical Oncology Division, Hospital Universitario Quirón, Pozuelo de Alarcón – Madrid, Spain
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Lombardo R, Tosi F, Nocerino A, Bencardino K, Gambi V, Ricotta R, Spina F, Siena S, Sartore-Bianchi A. The Quest for Improving Treatment of Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) Through Molecularly-Driven Treatments: A Systematic Review. Front Oncol 2020; 10:533. [PMID: 32457826 PMCID: PMC7225282 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Carcinomas of unknown primary (CUP) account for 3–5% of all malignancy and, despite a reduction in incidence, the overall survival has not improved over the last decade. Chemotherapy regimens have not provided encouraging results. New diagnostic technologies, such as next generation sequencing (NGS), could represent a chance to identify potentially targetable genomic alterations in order to personalize treatment of CUP and provide insights into tumor biology. Methods: A systematic review of studies of patients with CUP, whose tumor specimen was evaluated through a NGS panel, has been performed on June 10th, 2019 according to PRISMA criteria from PubMed, ASCO meeting library and Clinicaltrial.gov. We have identified potentially targetable alterations for which approved/off-label/in clinical trials drugs are available. Moreover, we have included case reports about CUP patients treated with targeted therapies driven by NGS results in order to explore the clinical role of NGS in this setting. Results: We have evaluated 15 publications of which eleven studies (9 full-text articles and 2 abstracts) have analyzed the genomic profiling of CUPs through NGS technology, with different platforms and with different patients cohorts, ranging from 16 to 1,806 patients. Among all these studies, 85% of patients demonstrated at least one molecular alteration, the most frequent involving TP53 (41.88%), KRAS (18.81%), CDKN2A (8.8%), and PIK3CA (9.3%). A mean of 47.3% of patients harbored a potentially targetable alteration for which approved/off-label/in clinical trials drugs were available. Furthermore, we have identified 4 case reports in order to evaluate the clinical relevance of a specific targeted therapy identified through NGS. Conclusions: NGS may represent a tool to improve diagnosis and treatment of CUP by identifying therapeutically actionable alterations and providing insights into tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Lombardo
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Tosi
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Annunziata Nocerino
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Bencardino
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Gambi
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Ricotta
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Spina
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Salvatore Siena
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Sartore-Bianchi
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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31
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Survival outcomes following craniotomy for intracranial metastases from an unknown primary. Int J Clin Oncol 2020; 25:1475-1482. [PMID: 32358736 PMCID: PMC7392948 DOI: 10.1007/s10147-020-01687-w] [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: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Management of patients with intracranial metastases from an unknown primary tumor (CUP) varies compared to those with metastases of known primary tumor origin (CKP). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recognizes the current lack of research to support the management of CUP patients with brain metastases. The primary aim was to compare survival outcomes of CKP and CUP patients undergoing early resection of intracranial metastases to understand the efficacy of surgery for patients with CUP. Methods A retrospective study was performed, wherein patients were identified using a pathology database. Data was collected from patient notes and trust information services. Surgically managed patients during a 10-year period aged over 18 years, with a histological diagnosis of intracranial metastasis, were included. Results 298 patients were identified, including 243 (82.0%) CKP patients and 55 (18.0%) CUP patients. Median survival for CKP patients was 9 months (95%CI 7.475–10.525); and 6 months for CUP patients (95%CI 4.263–7.737, p = 0.113). Cox regression analyses suggest absence of other metastases (p = 0.016), age (p = 0.005), and performance status (p = 0.001) were positive prognostic factors for improved survival in cases of CUP. The eventual determination of the primary malignancy did not affect overall survival for CUP patients. Conclusions There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. Surgical management of patients with CUP brain metastases is an appropriate treatment option. Current diagnostic pathways specifying a thorough search for the primary tumor pre-operatively may not improve patient outcomes.
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32
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Rassy E, Pavlidis N. Progress in refining the clinical management of cancer of unknown primary in the molecular era. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2020; 17:541-554. [PMID: 32350398 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-020-0359-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is an enigmatic disease entity encompassing heterogeneous malignancies without a detectable primary tumour, despite a thorough diagnostic workup. A minority of patients with CUP (15-20%) can be assigned a putative primary tissue of origin according to clinical and histopathological findings and typically have a more favourable prognosis with the use of corresponding tumour type-specific therapies. Thus, the majority of patients with CUP have disease that cannot be assigned to a culprit primary tumour, are treated with empirical chemotherapy and have a poor prognosis. In the molecular era, the use of (epi)genomic or transcriptomic CUP classifiers and DNA or RNA sequencing offers two, sometimes overlapping, therapeutic strategies: tumour type-specific therapy and biomarker-guided therapy. Published data reveal that the accuracy of site-of-origin predictions made using CUP classifiers ranges between 54% and 98% when compared with the assignment made according to the recommended clinicopathological criteria. These advances have led to promising results in non-randomized prospective studies evaluating the efficacy of tumour type-specific therapy; however, the favourable outcomes were not confirmed in randomized controlled studies comparing this approach with standard empirical chemotherapy. Currently, the evidence supporting the use of biomarker-guided therapies is limited to case reports and small case series. In this Review, we discuss the clinical management of CUP in the era of precision medicine. We focus on the advances in understanding the biology of CUP, the implications for the diagnosis and classification of CUP according to the tissue of origin and the shift away from empirical therapy towards tailored therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elie Rassy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, Paris, France.
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33
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Bakow BR, Elco CP, LeGolvan M, Dizon D, Ollila TA. Molecular Profiles of Brain and Pulmonary Metastatic Disease in Cancer of Unknown Primary. Oncologist 2020; 25:555-559. [PMID: 32310333 DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancers of unknown primary (CUP) are histologically confirmed malignancies but for which further investigation cannot identify a primary site. Improvements in histopathologic modalities for diagnosis have lessened the frequency of CUPs to 3%-5% of all malignancies compared with historical estimates of 5%-10%. Despite this, there is an ongoing debate as to whether CUPs are malignancies where the primary is not found or if they are otherwise a fully separate entity. Improvements in molecular analysis holds promise for improved identification and treatment of CUPs with mixed preliminary results. Here we present a woman with CUP and metastases in her brain and lung. We performed genomic profiling to compare the molecular makeup of each site in order to establish treatment targets. KEY POINTS: Cancer of unknown primary remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Molecular analysis may provide improvements in diagnosis and novel treatment options. Different sites of metastatic disease have subtle variations in molecular profile. Sequencing of different sites may offer therapeutic options that are either already approved or available in clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna R Bakow
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Internal Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Christopher P Elco
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Pathology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Mark LeGolvan
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Pathology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Don Dizon
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Thomas A Ollila
- Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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34
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Genomic profiling in oncology clinical practice. Clin Transl Oncol 2020; 22:1430-1439. [PMID: 31981077 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-020-02296-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of high-throughput technologies such as next-generation sequencing for DNA sequencing together with the decrease in their cost has led to the progressive introduction of genomic profiling in our daily practice in oncology. Nowadays, genomic profiling is part of genetic counseling, cancer diagnosis, molecular characterization, and as a biomarker of prognosis and response to treatment. Furthermore, germline or somatic genomic characterization of the tumor may provide new treatment opportunities for patients with cancer. In this review, we will summarize the clinical applications and limitations of genomic profiling in oncology clinical practice, focusing on next-generation sequencing.
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35
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Charoenkwan K, Srisomboon J. The Annual Meeting of the Thai Gynecologic Cancer Society 2019: Meeting report. J Gynecol Oncol 2019; 30:e118. [PMID: 31576703 PMCID: PMC6779612 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2019.30.e118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kittipat Charoenkwan
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jatupol Srisomboon
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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36
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Rassy E, Pavlidis N. The currently declining incidence of cancer of unknown primary. Cancer Epidemiol 2019; 61:139-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Binder C, Matthes KL, Korol D, Rohrmann S, Moch H. Cancer of unknown primary-Epidemiological trends and relevance of comprehensive genomic profiling. Cancer Med 2018; 7:4814-4824. [PMID: 30019510 PMCID: PMC6144156 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a distinct clinicopathological entity with poor prognosis, frequently resistant to chemotherapy. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) by next‐generation sequencing potentially identifies novel treatment options for CUP patients. The objective of this study was to determine incidence and survival trends and to discuss the value of CGP in CUP patients. Methods Age‐standardized incidence rates (ASR) per 100 000 were calculated for 2935 CUP patients from 1981 to 2014 using cancer registry data of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were estimated for sex, age, and histological groups. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HR). A literature review was conducted to assess the current use of CGP in CUP patients. Results ASR of CUP increased from 10.3 to 17.6 between 1981 and 1997 and decreased to 5.8/100 000 in 2014. Mean overall survival remained stable. Mortality was significantly lower for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (HR 0.48 [95% CI, 0.41‐0.57]) and neuroendocrine carcinoma (0.75 [0.63‐0.88]) and higher for unclassified neoplasms (1.25 [1.13‐1.66]) compared to adenocarcinomas. The literature review identified 10 studies using CGP of CUP tissue. Clinically relevant mutations were identified in up to 85% of CUP patients, of which 13%‐64% may benefit from currently available drugs. Conclusions CUP incidence decreased probably due to improved diagnostics, but mortality did not improve over the last 34 years. CGP testing may help to identify molecular signatures in CUP patients and enable targeted treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Binder
- Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katarina Luise Matthes
- Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Korol
- Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Rohrmann
- Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Cancer Registry Zurich and Zug, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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