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Laprovitera N, Riefolo M, Ambrosini E, Klec C, Pichler M, Ferracin M. Cancer of Unknown Primary: Challenges and Progress in Clinical Management. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030451. [PMID: 33504059 PMCID: PMC7866161 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Patients with cancer of unknown primary site suffer the burden of an uncertain disease, which is characterized by the impossibility to identify the tissue where the tumor has originated. The identification of the primary site of a tumor is of great importance for the patient to have access to site-specific treatments and be enrolled in clinical trials. Therefore, patients with cancer of unknown primary have reduced therapeutic opportunities and poor prognosis. Advancements have been made in the molecular characterization of this tumor, which could be used to infer the tumor site-of-origin and thus broaden the diagnostic outcome. Moreover, we describe here the novel therapeutic opportunities that are based on the genetic and immunophenotypic characterization of the tumor, and thus independent from the tumor type, which could provide most benefit to patients with cancer of unknown primary. Abstract Distant metastases are the main cause of cancer-related deaths in patients with advanced tumors. A standard diagnostic workup usually contains the identification of the tissue-of-origin of metastatic tumors, although under certain circumstances, it remains elusive. This disease setting is defined as cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Accounting for approximately 3–5% of all cancer diagnoses, CUPs are characterized by an aggressive clinical behavior and represent a real therapeutic challenge. The lack of determination of a tissue of origin precludes CUP patients from specific evidence-based therapeutic options or access to clinical trial, which significantly impacts their life expectancy. In the era of precision medicine, it is essential to characterize CUP molecular features, including the expression profile of non-coding RNAs, to improve our understanding of CUP biology and identify novel therapeutic strategies. This review article sheds light on this enigmatic disease by summarizing the current knowledge on CUPs focusing on recent discoveries and emerging diagnostic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Laprovitera
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (N.L.); (M.R.); (E.A.)
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mattia Riefolo
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (N.L.); (M.R.); (E.A.)
| | - Elisa Ambrosini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (N.L.); (M.R.); (E.A.)
| | - Christiane Klec
- Division of Oncology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (C.K.); (M.P.)
| | - Martin Pichler
- Division of Oncology, Medical University of Graz, 8036 Graz, Austria; (C.K.); (M.P.)
| | - Manuela Ferracin
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (N.L.); (M.R.); (E.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-051-209-4714
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Conway AM, Mitchell C, Kilgour E, Brady G, Dive C, Cook N. Molecular characterisation and liquid biomarkers in Carcinoma of Unknown Primary (CUP): taking the 'U' out of 'CUP'. Br J Cancer 2019; 120:141-153. [PMID: 30580378 PMCID: PMC6342985 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0332-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers of Unknown Primary (CUP) comprise a heterogeneous clinical entity of confirmed metastatic cancer where the primary site of origin is undetectable. It has a poor prognosis with limited treatment options. CUP is historically under-researched; however, understanding its biology has the potential to not only improve treatment and survival by implementation of biomarkers for patient management, but also to greatly contribute to our understanding of carcinogenesis and metastasis across all cancer types. Here we review the current advances in CUP research and explore the debated hypotheses underlying its biology. The evolution of molecular profiling and tissue-of-origin classifiers have the potential to transform the diagnosis, classification and therapeutic management of patients with CUP but robust evidence to support widespread use is lacking. Precision medicine has transformed treatment strategy in known tumour types; in CUP, however, there remains a clinical need for a better understanding of molecular characteristics to establish the potential role of novel or existing therapeutics. The emergence of liquid biopsies as a source of predictive and prognostic biomarkers within known tumour types is gaining rapid ground and this review explores the potential utility of liquid biopsies in CUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia-Marie Conway
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Claire Mitchell
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
| | - Elaine Kilgour
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Gerard Brady
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Caroline Dive
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
- Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Natalie Cook
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
- The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK.
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Clynick B, Dessauvagie B, Sterrett G, Harvey NT, Allcock RJN, Saunders C, Erber W, Meehan K. Genetic characterisation of molecular targets in carcinoma of unknown primary. J Transl Med 2018; 16:185. [PMID: 29973234 PMCID: PMC6032776 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is a metastatic epithelial malignancy in the absence of an identifiable primary tumour. Prognosis for patients with CUP is poor because treatment options are generally limited to broad spectrum chemotherapy. A shift towards personalised cancer management based on mutation profiling offers the possibility of new treatment paradigms. This study has explored whether actionable, oncogenic driver mutations are present in CUP that have potential to better inform treatment decisions. METHODS Carcinoma of unknown primary cases (n = 21) were selected and DNA was isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded sections prior to amplification and sequencing. Two distinct yet complementary targeted gene panels were used to assess variants in up to 76 known cancer-related genes for the identification of biologically relevant and actionable mutations. RESULTS Variants were detected in 17/21 cases (81%) of which 11 (52%) were potentially actionable with drugs currently approved for use in known primary cancer types or undergoing clinical trials. The most common variants detected were in TP53 (47%), KRAS (12%), MET (12%) and MYC (12%). Differences at the molecular level were seen between common CUP histological subtypes. CUP adenocarcinomas and poorly differentiated carcinomas harboured the highest frequency of variants in genes involved in signal transduction pathways (e.g. MET, EGFR, HRAS, KRAS, and BRAF). In contrast, squamous cell carcinoma exhibited a higher frequency of variants in cell cycle control and DNA repair genes (e.g. TP53, CDKN2A and MLH1). CONCLUSION Taken together, mutations in biologically relevant genes were detected in the vast majority of CUP tumours, of which half provided a potentially novel treatment option not generally considered in CUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Clynick
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
| | - B. Dessauvagie
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Fiona Stanley Hospital, 11 Robin Warren Dive, Murdoch, WA 6150 Australia
| | - G. Sterrett
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, J Block, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA 6009 Australia
| | - N. T. Harvey
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, J Block, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA 6009 Australia
| | - R. J. N. Allcock
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, J Block, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA 6009 Australia
| | - C. Saunders
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- Royal Perth Hospital, 197 Wellington Street, Perth, WA 6000 Australia
- Fiona Stanley Hospital, 11 Robin Warren Dive, Murdoch, WA 6150 Australia
| | - W. Erber
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, J Block, Hospital Ave, Nedlands, WA 6009 Australia
| | - K. Meehan
- School of Biomedical Sciences (M504), The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009 Australia
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Pentheroudakis G, Kotteas EA, Kotoula V, Papadopoulou K, Charalambous E, Cervantes A, Ciuleanu T, Fountzilas G, Pavlidis N. Mutational profiling of the RAS, PI3K, MET and b-catenin pathways in cancer of unknown primary: a retrospective study of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group. Clin Exp Metastasis 2014; 31:761-9. [PMID: 24997156 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-014-9666-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP) had a poor prognosis, determined by clinico-histological characteristics, partly due to the lack of insights on its biology. We screened tumour DNA from 87 patients with CUP for CTNNB1 (coding exons 2,3,4,5), MET (coding exon 18), PIK3CA (coding exons 9,20), KRAS (coding exons 1,2), BRAF (coding exon 15) gene mutations by using dd-sequencing and evaluated their impact on prognosis. Mutated gene incidences in the 87 CUP cases were: KRAS 11 (12.6 %), BRAF 5 (5.7 %), PIK3CA 8 (9 %), MET 6 (6.7 %) and CTNNB1 18 (20.7 %). Several mutations in the KRAS gene were not the commonly encountered mutations in other solid tumours. Activating mutations were observed in 10.2 % in KRAS, 4.5 % in BRAF, 6.6 % in PIK3CA, 4.5 % in MET, and 19.5 % in CTNNB1. Activating mutations in PIK3CA coding exon 9 were inversely correlated with MET coding exon 18 activating mutations (p = 0.036). MET activating mutations were prognostic for poor Progression-Free Survival (median PFS 5 vs 9 months, p = 0.009) and Overall Survival (median OS 7 vs 20 months, p = 0.005). The complex profile of either CTNNB1 or MET mutations also had an adverse prognostic significance (median OS 11 vs 21 months, p = 0.015). No other gene mutation exhibited prognostic significance. In multivariate analysis, poor performance status, male gender, visceral disease and adenocarcinoma histology, but not gene mutations, were independently associated with poor patient outcome. CTNNB1 gene mutations are frequent, and along with MET mutations have an adverse prognostic effect in patients with CUP.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Pentheroudakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece,
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