GOG 8020/210: Risk stratification of lymph node metastasis, disease progression and survival using single nucleotide polymorphisms in endometrial cancer: An NRG oncology/gynecologic oncology group study

Functional annotation with expression validation identifies novel metastasis-relevant genes from post-GWAS risk loci in sporadic colorectal carcinomas

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third highest incidence cancer and is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Metastasis to distal organ is the major cause of cancer mortality. However, the underlying genetic factors are unclear. This study aimed to identify metastasis-relevant genes and pathways for better management of metastasis-prone patients.

METHODS

A case-case genome-wide association study comprising 2677 sporadic Chinese CRC cases (1282 metastasis-positive vs 1395 metastasis-negative) was performed using the Human SNP6 microarray platform and analysed with the correlation/trend test based on the additive model. SNP variants with association testing -log10 p value ≥5 were imported into Functional Mapping and Annotation (FUMA) for functional annotation.

RESULTS

Glycolysis was uncovered as the top hallmark gene set. Transcripts from two of the five genes profiled, hematopoietic substrate 1 associated protein X 1 (HAX1) and hyaluronan-mediatedmotility receptor (HMMR), were significantly upregulated in the metastasis-positive tumours. In contrast to disease-risk variants, HAX1 appeared to act synergistically with HMMR in significantly impacting metastasis-free survival. Examining the subtype datasets with FUMA and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) identified distinct pathways demonstrating sexual dimorphism in CRC metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining genome-wide association testing with in silico functional annotation and wet-bench validation identified metastasis-relevant genes that could serve as features to develop subtype-specific metastasis-risk signatures for tailored management of patients with stage I-III CRC.

Factors Associated With Survival Disparities Between Non-Hispanic Black and White Patients With Uterine Cancer

Importance

Disparities in survival exist between non-Hispanic Black (hereafter, Black) and non-Hispanic White (hereafter, White) patients with uterine cancer.

Objective

To investigate factors associated with racial disparities in survival between Black and White patients with uterine cancer.

Design, Setting, and Patients

This cohort study used data from the National Cancer Database on 274 838 Black and White patients who received a diagnosis of uterine cancer from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2017, with follow-up through December 2020. Statistical analysis was performed in July 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Overall survival by self-reported race and evaluation of explanatory study factors associated with hazard ratio (HR) reduction for Black vs White patients. A propensity scoring approach was applied sequentially to balance racial differences in demographic characteristics, comorbidity score, neighborhood income, insurance status, histologic subtype, disease stage, and treatment.

Results

The study included 32 230 Black female patients (mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 63.8 [10.0] years) and 242 608 White female patients (mean [SD] age at diagnosis, 63.5 [10.5] years) and had a median follow-up of 74.0 months (range, 43.5-113.8 months). Black patients were more likely than White patients to have low income (44.1% vs 14.0%), be uninsured (5.7% vs 2.6%), present with nonendometrioid histologic characteristics (46.1% vs 21.6%), have an advanced disease stage (34.1% vs 19.8%), receive first-line chemotherapy (33.8% vs 18.2%), and have worse 5-year survival (58.6% vs 78.5%). Among patients who received a diagnosis at younger than 65 years of age, the HR for death for Black vs White patients was 2.43 (95% CI, 2.34-2.52) in a baseline demographic-adjusted model and 1.29 (95% CI, 1.23-1.35) after balancing other factors. Comorbidity score, neighborhood income, insurance status, histologic subtype, disease stage, treatment, and unexplained factors accounted for 0.8%, 7.2%, 11.5%, 53.1%, 5.8%, 1.2%, and 20.4%, respectively, of the excess relative risk (ERR) among the younger Black vs White patients. Among patients 65 years or older, the HR for death for Black vs White patients was 1.87 (95% CI, 1.81-1.93) in the baseline model and 1.14 (95% CI, 1.09-1.19) after balancing other factors. Comorbidity score, neighborhood income, insurance status, histologic subtype, disease stage, treatment, and unexplained factors accounted for 3.0%, 7.5%, 0.0%, 56.2%, 10.6%, 6.9%, and 15.8%, respectively, of the ERR among Black vs White patients aged 65 years or older.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study suggests that histologic subtype was the dominant factor associated with racial survival disparity among patients with uterine cancer, while insurance status represented the main modifiable factor for women younger than 65 years. Additional studies of interactions between biology and social determinants of health are merited.

Improving Risk Assessment for Metastatic Disease in Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer Patients Using Molecular and Clinical Features: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

Objectives: A risk assessment model for metastasis in endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) was developed using molecular and clinical features, and prognostic association was examined. Methods: Patients had stage I, IIIC, or IV EEC with tumor-derived RNA-sequencing or microarray-based data. Metastasis-associated transcripts and platform-centric diagnostic algorithms were selected and evaluated using regression modeling and receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Seven metastasis-associated transcripts were selected from analysis in the training cohorts using 10-fold cross validation and incorporated into an MS7 classifier using platform-specific coefficients. The predictive accuracy of the MS7 classifier in Training-1 was superior to that of other clinical and molecular features, with an area under the curve (95% confidence interval) of 0.89 (0.80-0.98) for MS7 compared with 0.69 (0.59-0.80) and 0.71 (0.58-0.83) for the top evaluated clinical and molecular features, respectively. The performance of MS7 was independently validated in 245 patients using RNA sequencing and in 81 patients using microarray-based data. MS7 + MI (myometrial invasion) was preferrable to individual features and exhibited 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value. The MS7 classifier was associated with lower progression-free and overall survival (p ≤ 0.003). Conclusion: A risk assessment classifier for metastasis and prognosis in EEC patients with primary tumor derived MS7 + MI is available for further development and optimization as a companion clinical support tool.

Improving response to progestin treatment of low-grade endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVES

This review examines how response rates to progestin treatment of low-grade endometrial cancer can be improved. In addition to providing a brief overview of the pathogenesis of low-grade endometrial cancer, we discuss limitations in the current classification of endometrial cancer and how stratification may be refined using molecular markers to reproducibly identify 'low-risk' cancers which may represent the best candidates for progestin therapy. We also discuss constraints in current approaches to progestin treatment of low-grade endometrial cancer and perform a systematic review of predictive biomarkers.

METHODS

PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies reporting pre-treatment biomarkers associated with outcome in women with low-grade endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia with an intact uterus who received progestin treatment. Studies of fewer than 50 women were excluded. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID 152374). A descriptive synthesis of pre-treatment predictive biomarkers reported in the included studies was conducted.

RESULTS

Of 1908 records reviewed, 19 studies were included. Clinical features such as age or body mass index cannot predict progestin response. Lesions defined as 'low-risk' by FIGO criteria (stage 1A, grade 1) can respond well; however, the reproducibility and prognostic ability of the current histopathological classification system is suboptimal. Molecular markers can be reproducibly assessed, have been validated as prognostic biomarkers, and may inform patient selection for progestin treatment. DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE)-ultramutated tumors and a subset of p53 wild-type or DNA mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient tumors with 'low-risk' features (eg, progesterone and estrogen receptor-positive) may have improved response rates, though this needs to be validated.

DISCUSSION

Molecular markers can identify cases which may be candidates for progestin treatment. More work is needed to validate these biomarkers and potentially identify new ones. Predictive biomarkers are anticipated to inform future research into progestin treatment of low-grade endometrial cancer and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Using the Radiosensitivity Index (RSI) to Predict Pelvic Failure in Endometrial Cancer Treated With Adjuvant Radiation Therapy

PURPOSE

Variability exists in the adjuvant treatment for endometrial cancer (EC) based on surgical pathology and institutional preference. The radiosensitivity index (RSI) is a previously validated multigene expression index that estimates tumor radiosensitivity. We evaluate RSI as a genomic predictor for pelvic failure (PF) in EC patients treated with adjuvant radiation therapy (RT).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Using our institutional tissue biorepository, we identified EC patients treated between January 1999 and April 2011 with primarily endometrioid histology (n = 176; 86%) who received various adjuvant therapies. The RSI 10-gene signature was calculated for each sample using the previously published algorithm. Radiophenotype was determined using the previously identified cutpoint where RSI ≥ 0.375 denotes radioresistance (RR) and RSI < 0.375 describes radiosensitivity.

RESULTS

A total of 204 patients were identified, of which 83 (41%) were treated with adjuvant RT. Median follow-up was 38.5 months. All patients underwent hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with the majority undergoing lymph node dissection (n = 181; 88%). In patients treated with radiation, RR tumors were more likely to experience PF (3-year pelvic control 84% vs 100%; P = .02) with worse PF-free survival (PFFS) (3-year PFFS 65% vs 89%; P = .04). Furthermore, in the patients who did not receive RT, there was no difference in PF (P = .87) or PFFS (P = .57) between the RR/radiosensitive tumors. On multivariable analysis, factors that continued to predict for PF included the RR phenotype (hazard ratio [HR], 12.2; P = .003), lymph node involvement (HR, 4.4; P = .02), and serosal or adnexal involvement (HR, 5.3; P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

On multivariable analysis, RSI was found to be a significant predictor of PF in patients treated with adjuvant RT. We propose using RSI to predict which patients are at higher risk for failing in the pelvis and may be candidates for treatment escalation in the adjuvant setting.