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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Jang H. A New View of Activating Mutations in Cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:4114-4123. [PMID: 36069825 PMCID: PMC9664134 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A vast effort has been invested in the identification of driver mutations of cancer. However, recent studies and observations call into question whether the activating mutations or the signal strength are the major determinant of tumor development. The data argue that signal strength determines cell fate, not the mutation that initiated it. In addition to activating mutations, factors that can impact signaling strength include (i) homeostatic mechanisms that can block or enhance the signal, (ii) the types and locations of additional mutations, and (iii) the expression levels of specific isoforms of genes and regulators of proteins in the pathway. Because signal levels are largely decided by chromatin structure, they vary across cell types, states, and time windows. A strong activating mutation can be restricted by low expression, whereas a weaker mutation can be strengthened by high expression. Strong signals can be associated with cell proliferation, but too strong a signal may result in oncogene-induced senescence. Beyond cancer, moderate signal strength in embryonic neural cells may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, and moderate signals in aging may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease. The challenge for improving patient outcomes therefore lies in determining signaling thresholds and predicting signal strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, NCI, Frederick, Maryland
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, NCI, Frederick, Maryland
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Cancer Innovation Laboratory, NCI, Frederick, Maryland
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Abstract
Three-dimensional protein structural data at the molecular level are pivotal for successful precision medicine. Such data are crucial not only for discovering drugs that act to block the active site of the target mutant protein but also for clarifying to the patient and the clinician how the mutations harbored by the patient work. The relative paucity of structural data reflects their cost, challenges in their interpretation, and lack of clinical guidelines for their utilization. Rapid technological advancements in experimental high-resolution structural determination increasingly generate structures. Computationally, modeling algorithms, including molecular dynamics simulations, are becoming more powerful, as are compute-intensive hardware, particularly graphics processing units, overlapping with the inception of the exascale era. Accessible, freely available, and detailed structural and dynamical data can be merged with big data to powerfully transform personalized pharmacology. Here we review protein and emerging genome high-resolution data, along with means, applications, and examples underscoring their usefulness in precision medicine. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Data Science, Volume 5 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA; .,Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA;
| | - Guy Nir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, and Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Cancer Immunometabolism, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA;
| | - Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Nussinov R, Tsai CJ, Jang H. Why Are Some Driver Mutations Rare? Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:919-929. [PMID: 31699406 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding why driver mutations that promote cancer are sometimes rare is important for precision medicine since it would help in their identification. Driver mutations are largely discovered through their frequencies. Thus, rare mutations often escape detection. Unlike high-frequency drivers, low-frequency drivers can be tissue specific; rare drivers have extremely low frequencies. Here, we discuss rare drivers and strategies to discover them. We suggest that allosteric driver mutations shift the protein ensemble from the inactive to the active state. Rare allosteric drivers are statistically rare since, to switch the protein functional state, they cooperate with additional mutations, and these are not considered in the patient cancer-specific protein sequence analysis. A complete landscape of mutations that drive cancer will reveal tumor-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Nussinov
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Chung-Jung Tsai
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hyunbum Jang
- Computational Structural Biology Section, Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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Zito Marino F, Bianco R, Accardo M, Ronchi A, Cozzolino I, Morgillo F, Rossi G, Franco R. Molecular heterogeneity in lung cancer: from mechanisms of origin to clinical implications. Int J Med Sci 2019; 16:981-989. [PMID: 31341411 PMCID: PMC6643125 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.34739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular heterogeneity is a frequent event in cancer responsible of several critical issues in diagnosis and treatment of oncologic patients. Lung tumours are characterized by high degree of molecular heterogeneity associated to different mechanisms of origin including genetic, epigenetic and non-genetic source. In this review, we provide an overview of recognized mechanisms underlying molecular heterogeneity in lung cancer, including epigenetic mechanisms, mutant allele specific imbalance, genomic instability, chromosomal aberrations, tumor mutational burden, somatic mutations. We focus on the role of spatial and temporal molecular heterogeneity involved in therapeutic implications in lung cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roberto Bianco
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Oncology Division, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Accardo
- Pathology Unit, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Ronchi
- Pathology Unit, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Floriana Morgillo
- Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Giulio Rossi
- Pathology Unit, Hospital S. Maria delle Croci, Azienda Romagna, Ravenna, Italy
| | - Renato Franco
- Pathology Unit, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
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Zhao Z, Fan X, Yang L, Song J, Fang S, Tu J, Chen M, Li J, Zheng L, Wu F, Zhang D, Ying X, Ji J. Recognition of Lung Adenocarcinoma-specific Gene Pairs Based on Genetic Algorithm and Establishment of a Deep Learning Prediction Model. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2019; 22:256-265. [PMID: 31142257 DOI: 10.2174/1386207322666190530102245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
AIM AND OBJECTIVE Lung cancer is a disease with a dismal prognosis and is the major cause of cancer deaths in many countries. Nonetheless, rapid technological developments in genome science guarantees more effective prevention and treatment strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, genes were pair-matched and screened for lung adenocarcinomaspecific gene relationships. False positives due to fluctuations in single gene expression were avoided and the stability and accuracy of the results was improved. RESULTS Finally, a deep learning model was constructed with machine learning algorithm to realize the clinical diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma in patients. CONCLUSION Comparing with the traditional methods which takes ingle gene as a feature, the relative difference between gene pairs is a higher order feature, leverage high-order features to build the model can avoid instability caused by a single gene mutation, making the prediction results more reliable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Xiaoxi Fan
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhejiang University Lishui Hospital, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui, China
| | - Jingjing Song
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Shiji Fang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Jianfei Tu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Minjiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Liyun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Fazong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Dengke Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Xihui Ying
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
| | - Jiansong Ji
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, Lishui 323000, China
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Review: Precision medicine and driver mutations: Computational methods, functional assays and conformational principles for interpreting cancer drivers. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1006658. [PMID: 30921324 PMCID: PMC6438456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
At the root of the so-called precision medicine or precision oncology, which is our focus here, is the hypothesis that cancer treatment would be considerably better if therapies were guided by a tumor’s genomic alterations. This hypothesis has sparked major initiatives focusing on whole-genome and/or exome sequencing, creation of large databases, and developing tools for their statistical analyses—all aspiring to identify actionable alterations, and thus molecular targets, in a patient. At the center of the massive amount of collected sequence data is their interpretations that largely rest on statistical analysis and phenotypic observations. Statistics is vital, because it guides identification of cancer-driving alterations. However, statistics of mutations do not identify a change in protein conformation; therefore, it may not define sufficiently accurate actionable mutations, neglecting those that are rare. Among the many thematic overviews of precision oncology, this review innovates by further comprehensively including precision pharmacology, and within this framework, articulating its protein structural landscape and consequences to cellular signaling pathways. It provides the underlying physicochemical basis, thereby also opening the door to a broader community.
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Zhong J, Chen JM, Chen SL, Yi YF. Constructing a Risk Prediction Model for Lung Cancer Recurrence by Using Gene Function Clustering and Machine Learning. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2019; 22:266-275. [PMID: 30698110 DOI: 10.2174/1386207322666190129111749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A significant proportion of patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be cured by surgery. The distant metastasis of tumors is the most common cause of treatment failure. Precisely predicting the likelihood that a patient develops distant metastatic risk will help identify patients who can further intervene, such as conventional adjuvant chemotherapy or experimental drugs. METHODS Current molecular biology techniques enable the whole genome screening of differentially expressed genes, and rapid development of a large number of bioinformatics methods to improve prognosis. RESULTS The genes associated with metastasis do not necessarily play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease, but rather reflect the activation of specific signal transduction pathways associated with enhanced migration and invasiveness. CONCLUSION In this study, we discovered several genes related to lung cancer resistance and established a risk model to predict high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhong
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Dongnan hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Jian-Ming Chen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Dongnan hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Song-Lin Chen
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Dongnan hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Yun-Feng Yi
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Dongnan hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
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Chan HT, Chin YM, Low SK. The Roles of Common Variation and Somatic Mutation in Cancer Pharmacogenomics. Oncol Ther 2019; 7:1-32. [PMID: 32700193 PMCID: PMC7359987 DOI: 10.1007/s40487-018-0090-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer pharmacogenomics is the science concerned with understanding genetic alterations and its effects on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-cancer drugs, with the aim to provide cancer patients with the precise medication that will achieve a good response and cause low/no incidence of adverse events. Advances in biotechnology and bioinformatics have enabled genomic research to evolve from the evaluation of alterations at the single-gene level to studies on the whole-genome scale using large-scale genotyping and next generation sequencing techniques. International collaborative efforts have resulted in the construction of databases to curate the identified genetic alterations that are clinically significant, and these are currently utilized in clinical sequencing and liquid biopsy screening/monitoring. Furthermore, countless clinical studies have accumulated sufficient evidence to match cancer patients to therapies by utilizing the information of clinical-relevant alterations. In this review we summarize the importance of germline alterations that act as predictive biomarkers for drug-induced toxicity and drug response as well as somatic mutations in cancer cells that function as drug targets. The integration of genomics into the medical field has transformed the era of cancer therapy from one-size-fits-all to cancer precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiu Ting Chan
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoon Ming Chin
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Siew-Kee Low
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.
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Cho WCS, Tan KT, Ma VWS, Li JYC, Ngan RKC, Cheuk W, Yip TTC, Yang YT, Chen SJ. Targeted next-generation sequencing reveals recurrence-associated genomic alterations in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 9:36344-36357. [PMID: 30555633 PMCID: PMC6284742 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The identification of genomic alterations related to recurrence in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients may help better stratify high-risk individuals and guide treatment strategies. This study aimed to identify the molecular biomarkers of recurrence in early-stage NSCLC. Results Of the 42 tumors evaluable for genomic alterations, TP53 and EGFR were the most frequent alterations with population frequency 52.4% and 50.0%, respectively. Fusion genes were detected in four patients, which had lower mutational burden and relatively better genomic stability. EGFR mutation and fusion gene were mutually exclusive in this study. CDKN2A, FAS, SUFU and SMARCA4 genomic alterations were only observed in the relapsed patients. Increased copy number alteration index was observed in early relapsed patients. Among these genomic alterations, early-stage NSCLCs harboring CDKN2A, FAS, SUFU and SMARCA4 genomic alterations were found to be significantly associated with recurrence. Some of these new findings were validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Conclusions The genomic alterations of CDKN2A, FAS, SUFU and SMARCA4 in early-stage NSCLC are found to be associated with recurrence, but confirmation in a larger independent cohort is required to define the clinical impact. Materials and Methods Paired primary tumor and normal lung tissue samples were collected for targeted next-generation sequencing analysis. A panel targets exons for 440 genes was used to assess the mutational and copy number status of selected genes in three clinically relevant groups of stage I/II NSCLC patients: 1) Early relapse; 2) Late relapse; and 3) No relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C S Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | | | - Victor W S Ma
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Jacky Y C Li
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Roger K C Ngan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
| | - Wah Cheuk
- Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Hudson AM, Stephenson NL, Li C, Trotter E, Fletcher AJ, Katona G, Bieniasz-Krzywiec P, Howell M, Wirth C, Furney S, Miller CJ, Brognard J. Truncation- and motif-based pan-cancer analysis reveals tumor-suppressing kinases. Sci Signal 2018; 11:eaan6776. [PMID: 29666306 PMCID: PMC7984728 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aan6776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge in cancer genomics is identifying "driver" mutations from the many neutral "passenger" mutations within a given tumor. To identify driver mutations that would otherwise be lost within mutational noise, we filtered genomic data by motifs that are critical for kinase activity. In the first step of our screen, we used data from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and The Cancer Genome Atlas to identify kinases with truncation mutations occurring within or before the kinase domain. The top 30 tumor-suppressing kinases were aligned, and hotspots for loss-of-function (LOF) mutations were identified on the basis of amino acid conservation and mutational frequency. The functional consequences of new LOF mutations were biochemically validated, and the top 15 hotspot LOF residues were used in a pan-cancer analysis to define the tumor-suppressing kinome. A ranked list revealed MAP2K7, an essential mediator of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, as a candidate tumor suppressor in gastric cancer, despite its mutational frequency falling within the mutational noise for this cancer type. The majority of mutations in MAP2K7 abolished its catalytic activity, and reactivation of the JNK pathway in gastric cancer cells harboring LOF mutations in MAP2K7 or the downstream kinase JNK suppressed clonogenicity and growth in soft agar, demonstrating the functional relevance of inactivating the JNK pathway in gastric cancer. Together, our data highlight a broadly applicable strategy to identify functional cancer driver mutations and define the JNK pathway as tumor-suppressive in gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Hudson
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Natalie L Stephenson
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
- LIGHT Laboratories, Faculty of Biological Science, The University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Cynthia Li
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Eleanor Trotter
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Adam J Fletcher
- Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Gitta Katona
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Patrycja Bieniasz-Krzywiec
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Matthew Howell
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
- RNA Biology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Chris Wirth
- Computational Biology Support, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - Simon Furney
- Genomic Oncology Research Group, Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Crispin J Miller
- RNA Biology Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
- Computational Biology Support, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK
| | - John Brognard
- Signalling Networks in Cancer Group, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, The University of Manchester, Manchester M20 4BX, UK.
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA
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Hudson A, Chan C, Woolf D, McWilliam A, Hiley C, O'Connor J, Bayman N, Blackhall F, Faivre-Finn C. Is heterogeneity in stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer obscuring the potential benefits of dose-escalated concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in clinical trials? Lung Cancer 2018; 118:139-147. [PMID: 29571993 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The current standard of care for the management of inoperable stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) using radiotherapy dose-fractionation and chemotherapy regimens that were established 3 decades ago. In an attempt to improve the chances of long-term control from cCRT, dose-escalation of the radiotherapy dose was assessed in the RTOG 0617 randomised control study comparing the standard 60 Gy in 30 fractions with a high-dose arm receiving 74 Gy in 37 fractions. Following the publication of this trial the thoracic oncology community were surprised to learn that there was worse survival in the dose-escalated arm and that for now the standard of care must remain with the lower dose. In this article we review the RTOG 0617 paper with subsequent analyses and studies to explore why the use of dose-escalated cCRT in stage 3 NSCLC has not shown the benefits that were expected. The overarching theme of this opinion piece is how heterogeneity between stage 3 NSCLC cases in terms of patient, tumour, and clinical factors may obscure the potential benefits of dose-escalation by causing imbalances in the arms of studies such as RTOG 0617. We also examine recent advances in the staging, management, and technological delivery of radiotherapy in NSCLC and how these may be employed to optimise cCRT trials in the future and ensure that any potential benefits of dose-escalation can be detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Hudson
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara Chan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - David Woolf
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Alan McWilliam
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Crispin Hiley
- Translational Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Division of Cancer Studies, King's College London, London, UK
| | - James O'Connor
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Neil Bayman
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Fiona Blackhall
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Corinne Faivre-Finn
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
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