Asparagine Dependency is a Targetable Metabolic Vulnerability in TP53-Altered Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

The TP53 tumor suppressor is frequently altered in lethal, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, to date there are no effective treatments that specifically target TP53 alterations. Using transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we showed here that TP53-altered prostate cancer (PCa) exhibits an increased dependency on asparagine and overexpresses asparagine synthetase (ASNS), the enzyme catalyzing the synthesis of asparagine. Mechanistically, loss or mutation of TP53 transcriptionally activated ASNS expression, directly as well as via mTORC1-mediated ATF4 induction, driving de novo asparagine biosynthesis to support CRPC growth. TP53-altered CRPC cells were sensitive to asparagine restriction by knockdown of ASNS or L-asparaginase treatment to deplete the intracellular and extracellular sources of asparagine, respectively, and cell viability was rescued by asparagine addition. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of intracellular asparagine biosynthesis using a glutaminase inhibitor and depletion of extracellular asparagine with L-asparaginase significantly reduced asparagine production and effectively impaired CRPC growth. This study highlights the significance of ASNS-mediated metabolic adaptation as a synthetic vulnerability in CRPC with TP53 alterations, providing a rationale for targeting asparagine production to treat these lethal prostate cancers.

Anki Tagger: A Generative AI Tool for Aligning Third-Party Resources to Preclinical Curriculum.

Using large language models, we developed a method to efficiently query existing flashcard libraries and select those most relevant to an individual's medical school curricula.

A Genome-Wide CRISPR Activation Screen Identifies PRRX2 as a Regulator of Enzalutamide Resistance in Prostate Cancer.

Androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors are the mainstay treatment for advanced prostate cancer, but resistance to therapy is common. Here, we used a CRISPR activation screen in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer cells to identify genes that promote resistance to AR inhibitors. Activation of the TGFß target gene paired-related homeobox2 (PRRX2) promoted enzalutamide resistance. PRRX2 expression was the highest in double-negative prostate cancer (DNPC), which lack AR signaling and neuroendocrine differentiation, and a PRRX2-related gene signature identified a subset of patients with DNPC with reduced overall survival. PRRX2-expressing cells showed alterations in the CDK4/6/Rb/E2F and BCL2 pathways. Accordingly, treatment with CDK4/6 and BCL2 inhibitors sensitized PRRX2-expressing, castration-resistant tumors to enzalutamide. Overall, PRRX2 was identified as a driver of enzalutamide resistance. The PRRX2 signature merits investigation as a biomarker of enzalutamide resistance in prostate cancer that could be reversed with CDK4/6 and BCL2 inhibitors. SIGNIFICANCE: PRRX2 mediates enzalutamide resistance via activation of the E2F and BCL2 pathways, which can be targeted with CDK4/6 and BCL2 inhibitors to reverse resistance.

PARP Inhibition in Advanced Prostate Cancer.

ABSTRACT: In May 2020, the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors rucaparib and olaparib were Food and Drug Administration approved for the management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers. Rucaparib was approved for tumors that harbor alterations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 following progression on chemotherapy and androgen receptor-directed therapy, whereas olaparib was approved for tumors that harbor alterations in a broader range of DNA damage repair genes following progression on androgen receptor-directed therapy. Loss-of-function mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase reliance on PARP-mediated mechanisms of DNA repair, and inhibition of this pathway results in the accumulation of lethal levels of DNA damage. This dependence is advantageous in the management of prostate cancer, as mutations in DNA damage repair genes are frequent. This review summarizes the role of PARP in cell homeostasis, methods of targeting PARP in cancer cells, and current clinical trials in the management of advanced prostate cancer with PARP inhibitors.

Activated ALK Cooperates with N-Myc via Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling to Induce Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer.

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer with poor prognosis, and there is a critical need for novel therapeutic approaches. NEPC is associated with molecular perturbation of several pathways, including amplification of MYCN. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma and other malignancies where it cooperates with N-Myc. We previously identified the first case of ALK F1174C-activating mutation in a patient with de novo NEPC who responded to the ALK inhibitor, alectinib. Here, we show that coactivation of ALK and N-Myc (ALK F1174C/N-Myc) is sufficient to transform mouse prostate basal stem cells into aggressive prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation in a tissue recombination model. A novel gene signature from the ALK F1174C/N-Myc tumors was associated with poor outcome in multiple human prostate cancer datasets. ALK F1174C and ALK F1174C/N-Myc tumors displayed activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Chemical and genetic ALK inhibition suppressed Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and tumor growth in vitro in NEPC and neuroblastoma cells. ALK inhibition cooperated with Wnt inhibition to suppress NEPC and neuroblastoma proliferation in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. These findings point to a role for ALK signaling in NEPC and the potential of cotargeting the ALK and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways in ALK-driven tumors. Activated ALK and N-Myc are well known drivers in neuroblastoma development, suggesting potential similarities and opportunities to elucidate mechanisms and therapeutic targets in NEPC and vice versa. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that coactivation of ALK and N-Myc induces NEPC by stimulating the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which can be targeted therapeutically.

Early-onset metastatic and clinically advanced prostate cancer is a distinct clinical and molecular entity characterized by increased TMPRSS2-ERG fusions.

BACKGROUND: Men with early-onset prostate cancer are at increased risk for cancer-related mortality, yet the prevalence and spectrum of molecular alterations in this patient population is unknown. Here, we analyze comprehensive genomic profiling data to characterize the molecular drivers of early-onset prostate cancer in patients with clinically advanced and metastatic disease. METHODS: Next-generation sequencing was ordered as a part of routine clinical care for 10,189 patients with prostate cancer between 02/2013 and 03/2020 using commercially available comprehensive genomic profiling. RESULTS: Deidentified genomic data for 10,189 unique patients with prostate cancer were obtained (median age = 66 y, range = 34-90 y). 439 patients were ≤50 y (4.3%), 1928 patients were between ages of 51 and 59 y (18.9%), and 7822 patients were ≥60 y  (76.8%). Of metastatic biopsy sites, lymph node, liver, and bone were the most common in all groups, accounting for 60.2% of all specimens. Overall, 97.4% of patients harbored pathologic genomic alterations. The most commonly altered genes were TP53, TMPRSS2-ERG, PTEN, AR, MYC, MLL2, RAD21, BRCA2, APC, SPOP, PIK3CA, RB1, MLL3, CDK12, ATM, and CTNNB1. Patients ≤50 y harbored significantly more TMPRSS2-ERG fusions than patients ≥60 y, while AR copy number alterations as well as SPOP and ASXL1 mutations were significantly less frequent. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically advanced and metastatic early-onset prostate cancer is a distinct clinical subgroup with characteristic genomic alterations including increased frequency of TMPRSS2-ERG fusions and fewer AR, SPOP, and ASXL1 alterations.

Genomic Profiling of Prostate Cancers from Men with African and European Ancestry.

PURPOSE: African American (AFR) men have the highest mortality rate from prostate cancer (PCa) compared with men of other racial/ancestral groups. Differences in the spectrum of somatic genome alterations in tumors between AFR men and other populations have not been well-characterized due to a lack of inclusion of significant numbers in genomic studies. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To identify genomic alterations associated with race, we compared the frequencies of somatic alterations in PCa obtained from four publicly available datasets comprising 250 AFR and 611 European American (EUR) men and a targeted sequencing dataset from a commercial platform of 436 AFR and 3018 EUR men. RESULTS: Mutations in ZFHX3 as well as focal deletions in ETV3 were more frequent in tumors from AFR men. TP53 mutations were associated with increasing Gleason score. MYC amplifications were more frequent in tumors from AFR men with metastatic PCa, whereas deletions in PTEN and rearrangements in TMPRSS2-ERG were less frequent in tumors from AFR men. KMT2D truncations and CCND1 amplifications were more frequent in primary PCa from AFR men. Genomic features that could impact clinical decision making were not significantly different between the two groups including tumor mutation burden, MSI status, and genomic alterations in select DNA repair genes, CDK12, and in AR. CONCLUSIONS: Although we identified some novel differences in AFR men compared with other populations, the frequencies of genomic alterations in current therapeutic targets for PCa were similar between AFR and EUR men, suggesting that existing precision medicine approaches could be equally beneficial if applied equitably.

Small-Molecule MYC Inhibitors Suppress Tumor Growth and Enhance Immunotherapy.

Small molecules that directly target MYC and are also well tolerated in vivo will provide invaluable chemical probes and potential anti-cancer therapeutic agents. We developed a series of small-molecule MYC inhibitors that engage MYC inside cells, disrupt MYC/MAX dimers, and impair MYC-driven gene expression. The compounds enhance MYC phosphorylation on threonine-58, consequently increasing proteasome-mediated MYC degradation. The initial lead, MYC inhibitor 361 (MYCi361), suppressed in vivo tumor growth in mice, increased tumor immune cell infiltration, upregulated PD-L1 on tumors, and sensitized tumors to anti-PD1 immunotherapy. However, 361 demonstrated a narrow therapeutic index. An improved analog, MYCi975 showed better tolerability. These findings suggest the potential of small-molecule MYC inhibitors as chemical probes and possible anti-cancer therapeutic agents.

Clinical and Immunological Implications of Frameshift Mutations in Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Presently, programmed death ligand 1 is the most commonly used biomarker to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in NSCLC. Owing to its several limitations, there is continuous search for more precise and reliable markers. Frameshift mutations by insertion or deletion (fsindels) are suggested to induce more immunogenic tumor-specific neoantigens, conferring better response to ICIs. Positive correlation of fsindels with ICI response has been studied in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. We investigated the implication of fsindels in the clinical outcomes and immune landscape of patients with NSCLC treated with ICIs. METHODS: We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas data set to analyze tumor mutational burden, neoantigen burden, and immune landscape in relation to fsindel status. In addition, utilizing the clinical data from 122 patients treated with ICIs, we evaluated the influence of fsindels on disease response rates and survival outcomes. RESULTS: A positive correlation between fsindel burden and tumor mutational burden and activated CD4/CD8 T-cell infiltration was shown. Presence of fsindels was also associated with significant prolongation of progression-free survival in patients treated with ICIs (median 6.2 versus 2.7 months [p = 0.01]). In addition, significant differences in the overall response rates (26% versus 12% [p = 0.04]) and disease control rates (68% versus 48% [p = 0.02]) were observed in patients with fsindels. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that fsindels may have a predictive role for ICI response in NSCLC.

Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of Renal Cell Carcinoma at Initial Diagnosis and Putative Local Recurrence.

In the context of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, it would typically be assumed that the site of recurrence is derived from the original tumor. Through the use of comprehensive genomic profiling in a case of localized disease with a subsequent recurrence in the renal fossa, we determined that the latter was a wholly distinct tumor. The original tumor harbors mutations in PBRM1, while the second harbors mutations in KDM5C. These findings, if further validated, could prompt caution in interpretation of genomic tests used for risk stratification and could have implications for ongoing studies of adjuvant therapy.

BRAF internal deletions and resistance to BRAF/MEK inhibitor therapy.

BRAF and MEK inhibitors have improved clinical outcomes in advanced, BRAFV600 -mutated melanomas. Acquired resistance occurs in most patients, with numerous and diverse drivers. We obtained pretreatment and progression biopsies from a patient who progressed on dabrafenib and trametinib. In addition to a preserved BRAFV600E mutation, an internal deletion (rearrangement) of BRAF was observed in the progression sample. This deletion involved exons 2-8, which includes the Ras-binding domain, and is analogous to previously documented BRAF fusions and splice variants known to reactivate RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling. In a large cohort of melanomas, 10 additional internal deletions were identified (0.4% of all melanomas; nine of which had concurrent BRAF mutations), as well as sporadically in other tumor types. Thus, we describe a novel mechanism of resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibition.

Comprehensive Genomic Profiling of 282 Pediatric Low- and High-Grade Gliomas Reveals Genomic Drivers, Tumor Mutational Burden, and Hypermutation Signatures.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of death for children with cancer in the U.S. Incorporating next-generation sequencing data for both pediatric low-grade (pLGGs) and high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) can inform diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic decision-making. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed comprehensive genomic profiling on 282 pediatric gliomas (157 pHGGs, 125 pLGGs), sequencing 315 cancer-related genes and calculating the tumor mutational burden (TMB; mutations per megabase [Mb]). RESULTS: In pLGGs, we detected genomic alterations (GA) in 95.2% (119/125) of tumors. BRAF was most frequently altered (48%; 60/125), and FGFR1 missense (17.6%; 22/125), NF1 loss of function (8.8%; 11/125), and TP53 (5.6%; 7/125) mutations were also detected. Rearrangements were identified in 35% of pLGGs, including KIAA1549-BRAF, QKI-RAF1, FGFR3-TACC3, CEP85L-ROS1, and GOPC-ROS1 fusions. Among pHGGs, GA were identified in 96.8% (152/157). The genes most frequently mutated were TP53 (49%; 77/157), H3F3A (37.6%; 59/157), ATRX (24.2%; 38/157), NF1 (22.2%; 35/157), and PDGFRA (21.7%; 34/157). Interestingly, most H3F3A mutations (81.4%; 35/43) were the variant K28M. Midline tumor analysis revealed H3F3A mutations (40%; 40/100) consisted solely of the K28M variant. Pediatric high-grade gliomas harbored oncogenic EML4-ALK, DGKB-ETV1, ATG7-RAF1, and EWSR1-PATZ1 fusions. Six percent (9/157) of pHGGs were hypermutated (TMB >20 mutations per Mb; range 43-581 mutations per Mb), harboring mutations deleterious for DNA repair in MSH6, MSH2, MLH1, PMS2, POLE, and POLD1 genes (78% of cases). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive genomic profiling of pediatric gliomas provides objective data that promote diagnostic accuracy and enhance clinical decision-making. Additionally, TMB could be a biomarker to identify pediatric glioblastoma (GBM) patients who may benefit from immunotherapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: By providing objective data to support diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic decision-making, comprehensive genomic profiling is necessary for advancing care for pediatric neuro-oncology patients. This article presents the largest cohort of pediatric low- and high-grade gliomas profiled by next-generation sequencing. Reportable alterations were detected in 95% of patients, including diagnostically relevant lesions as well as novel oncogenic fusions and mutations. Additionally, tumor mutational burden (TMB) is reported, which identifies a subpopulation of hypermutated glioblastomas that harbor deleterious mutations in DNA repair genes. This provides support for TMB as a potential biomarker to identify patients who may preferentially benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors.

First-in-Human Phase I Study of the Tamoxifen Metabolite Z-Endoxifen in Women With Endocrine-Refractory Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Purpose Endoxifen is a tamoxifen metabolite with potent antiestrogenic activity. Patients and Methods We performed a phase I study of oral Z-endoxifen to determine its toxicities, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and clinical activity. Eligibility included endocrine-refractory, estrogen receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. An accelerated titration schedule was applied until moderate or dose-limiting toxicity occurred, followed by a 3+3 design and expansion at 40, 80, and 100 mg per day. Tumor DNA from serum (circulating cell free [cf); all patients] and biopsies [160 mg/day and expansion]) was sequenced. Results Of 41 enrolled patients, 38 were evaluable for MTD determination. Prior endocrine regimens during which progression occurred included aromatase inhibitor (n = 36), fulvestrant (n = 21), and tamoxifen (n = 15). Patients received endoxifen once daily at seven dose levels (20 to 160 mg). Dose escalation ceased at 160 mg per day given lack of MTD and endoxifen concentrations > 1,900 ng/mL. Endoxifen clearance was unaffected by CYP2D6 genotype. One patient (60 mg) had cycle 1 dose-limiting toxicity (pulmonary embolus). Overall clinical benefit rate (stable > 6 months [n = 7] or partial response by RECIST criteria [n = 3]) was 26.3% (95% CI, 13.4% to 43.1%) including prior tamoxifen progression (n = 3). cfDNA mutations were observed in 13 patients ( PIK3CA [n = 8], ESR1 [n = 5], TP53 [n = 4], and AKT [n = 1]) with shorter progression-free survival ( v those without cfDNA mutations; median, 61 v 132 days; log-rank P = .046). Clinical benefit was observed in those with ESR1 amplification (tumor; 80 mg/day) and ESR1 mutation (cfDNA; 160 mg/day). Comparing tumor biopsies and cfDNA, some mutations ( PIK3CA, TP53, and AKT) were undetected by cfDNA, whereas cfDNA mutations ( ESR1, TP53, and AKT) were undetected by biopsy. Conclusion In endocrine-refractory metastatic breast cancer, Z-endoxifen provides substantial drug exposure unaffected by CYP2D6 metabolism, acceptable toxicity, and promising antitumor activity.

Analysis of 100,000 human cancer genomes reveals the landscape of tumor mutational burden.

BACKGROUND: High tumor mutational burden (TMB) is an emerging biomarker of sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibitors and has been shown to be more significantly associated with response to PD-1 and PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy than PD-1 or PD-L1 expression, as measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The distribution of TMB and the subset of patients with high TMB has not been well characterized in the majority of cancer types. METHODS: In this study, we compare TMB measured by a targeted comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) assay to TMB measured by exome sequencing and simulate the expected variance in TMB when sequencing less than the whole exome. We then describe the distribution of TMB across a diverse cohort of 100,000 cancer cases and test for association between somatic alterations and TMB in over 100 tumor types. RESULTS: We demonstrate that measurements of TMB from comprehensive genomic profiling are strongly reflective of measurements from whole exome sequencing and model that below 0.5 Mb the variance in measurement increases significantly. We find that a subset of patients exhibits high TMB across almost all types of cancer, including many rare tumor types, and characterize the relationship between high TMB and microsatellite instability status. We find that TMB increases significantly with age, showing a 2.4-fold difference between age 10 and age 90 years. Finally, we investigate the molecular basis of TMB and identify genes and mutations associated with TMB level. We identify a cluster of somatic mutations in the promoter of the gene PMS2, which occur in 10% of skin cancers and are highly associated with increased TMB. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that a CGP assay targeting ~1.1 Mb of coding genome can accurately assess TMB compared with sequencing the whole exome. Using this method, we find that many disease types have a substantial portion of patients with high TMB who might benefit from immunotherapy. Finally, we identify novel, recurrent promoter mutations in PMS2, which may be another example of regulatory mutations contributing to tumorigenesis.

Clinical Benefit in Response to Palbociclib Treatment in Refractory Uterine Leiomyosarcomas with a Common CDKN2A Alteration.

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) responds poorly to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and personalized therapies have yet to be systematically explored. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) can identify therapeutic targets and provide insight into the biology of this highly aggressive tumor. We report a case of uLMS treated with the CGP-matched therapy palbociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, with sustained clinical benefit in this rare and deadly malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study analyzed 279 clinically advanced/recurrent uLMS samples. Median patient age was 54 years (range, 23-83 years). DNA was extracted from 40 µm of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections, and CGP was performed on hybridization-captured, adaptor ligation-based libraries for up to 405 cancer-related genes plus introns from up to 31 genes frequently rearranged in cancer. Sequencing data were analyzed for base pair substitutions, insertions/deletions, copy number alterations, and rearrangements. RESULTS: CGP shows that 97.1% of uLMS harbor at least one alteration, and approximately 57% harbor alterations in one or more therapeutically targetable pathways. CDKN2A mutations that inactivate p16INK4a were identified in 11% of uLMS. We report the first demonstration of clinical benefit in response to palbociclib treatment for a uLMS patient with a CDKN2A mutation, resulting in disease stabilization and significant symptom reduction. CONCLUSION: A patient with uLMS harboring a CDKN2A mutation experienced clinical benefit from treatment with palbociclib, and genomic analysis of 279 uLMS samples revealed that 19% of patients had mutations affecting the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathway. These observations provide a rationale for a clinical trial investigating treatment with CDK pathway inhibitors for uLMS harboring relevant genomic alterations. The Oncologist 2017;22:416-421Implications for Practice: Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of individuals with uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) indicates that nearly 20% of patients may harbor a mutation affecting the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathway. The case presented demonstrates that a CDK inhibitory drug may provide clinical benefit to such individuals. Given the lack of curative therapies for uLMS, CGP could be performed on all cases of advanced uLMS and a CDK inhibitor could be recommended (preferably as part of a clinical trial) for individuals harboring a mutation in the CDK pathway.

Targeted Next Generation Sequencing Identifies Markers of Response to PD-1 Blockade.

Therapeutic antibodies blocking programmed death-1 and its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) induce durable responses in a substantial fraction of melanoma patients. We sought to determine whether the number and/or type of mutations identified using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel available in the clinic was correlated with response to anti-PD-1 in melanoma. Using archival melanoma samples from anti-PD-1/PD-L1-treated patients, we performed hybrid capture-based NGS on 236-315 genes and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing on initial and validation cohorts from two centers. Patients who responded to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 had higher mutational loads in an initial cohort (median, 45.6 vs. 3.9 mutations/MB; P = 0.003) and a validation cohort (37.1 vs. 12.8 mutations/MB; P = 0.002) compared with nonresponders. Response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival were superior in the high, compared with intermediate and low, mutation load groups. Melanomas with NF1 mutations harbored high mutational loads (median, 62.7 mutations/MB) and high response rates (74%), whereas BRAF/NRAS/NF1 wild-type melanomas had a lower mutational load. In these archival samples, TCR clonality did not predict response. Mutation numbers in the 315 genes in the NGS platform strongly correlated with those detected by whole-exome sequencing in The Cancer Genome Atlas samples, but was not associated with survival. In conclusion, mutational load, as determined by an NGS platform available in the clinic, effectively stratified patients by likelihood of response. This approach may provide a clinically feasible predictor of response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(11); 959-67. ©2016 AACR.

Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Identifies a Subset of Crizotinib-Responsive ALK-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Not Detected by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization.

INTRODUCTION: For patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to benefit from ALK inhibitors, sensitive and specific detection of ALK genomic rearrangements is needed. ALK break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and standard-of-care diagnostic assay, but identification of ALK rearrangements by other methods reported in NSCLC cases that tested negative for ALK rearrangements by FISH suggests a significant false-negative rate. We report here a large series of NSCLC cases assayed by hybrid-capture-based comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) in the course of clinical care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hybrid-capture-based CGP using next-generation sequencing was performed in the course of clinical care of 1,070 patients with advanced lung cancer. Each tumor sample was evaluated for all classes of genomic alterations, including base-pair substitutions, insertions/deletions, copy number alterations and rearrangements, as well as fusions/rearrangements. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients (4.4%) were found to harbor ALK rearrangements, of whom 41 had an EML4-ALK fusion, and 6 had other fusion partners, including 3 previously unreported rearrangement events: EIF2AK-ALK, PPM1B-ALK, and PRKAR1A-ALK. Of 41 patients harboring ALK rearrangements, 31 had prior FISH testing results available. Of these, 20 were ALK FISH positive, and 11 (35%) were ALK FISH negative. Of the latter 11 patients, 9 received crizotinib based on the CGP results, and 7 achieved a response with median duration of 17 months. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive genomic profiling detected canonical ALK rearrangements and ALK rearrangements with noncanonical fusion partners in a subset of patients with NSCLC with previously negative ALK FISH results. In this series, such patients had durable responses to ALK inhibitors, comparable to historical response rates for ALK FISH-positive cases. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) that includes hybrid capture and specific baiting of intron 19 of ALK is a highly sensitive, alternative method for identification of drug-sensitive ALK fusions in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously tested negative using standard ALK fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) diagnostic assays. Given the proven benefit of treatment with crizotinib and second-generation ALK inhibitors in patients with ALK fusions, CGP should be considered in patients with NSCLC, including those who have tested negative for other alterations, including negative results using ALK FISH testing.

Characterization of 298 Patients with Lung Cancer Harboring MET Exon 14 Skipping Alterations.

BACKGROUND: The hepatocyte growth factor receptor gene (MET) exon 14 skipping (METex14) has recently been described a potential driver alteration in lung cancer targetable by mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition factor (MET) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). METHODS: Well-validated hybrid capture-based comprehensive genomic profiling was performed at the request of individual treating physicians. RESULTS: Of 11,205 lung cancers profiled by comprehensive genomic profiling, 298 (2.7%) carcinomas harbored alterations predicted to cause METex14, including adenosquamous (8.2%), sarcomatoid (7.7%), histologic subtype not otherwise specified (3.0%), adenocarcinoma (2.9%), squamous cell (2.1%), large cell (0.8%), and SCLC (0.2%). Acinar features were present in 24% of the METex14 samples. Six cases (2%) harbored MET Y1003X mutations affecting binding of the MET-negative regulator, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase. The median age of all patients with METex14 was 73 years (range 43-95) and 60% were female. Concurrent, murine double minute gene (MDM2) amplification, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 gene (CDK4) amplification, and EGFR amplification were observed in 35%, 21%, and 6.4% of patients with METex14, respectively. KRAS mutation was observed in 3% of cases. Concurrent MET amplification (METamp) (median copy number 10) was identified in 15% of METex14 samples. Significant differences in tumor mutational burden and type of the METex14 alterations were observed between the METamp and non-METamp samples. Response to MET TKI was observed in both in patients with METamp and in patients without METamp METex14. CONCLUSION: Diverse targetable METex14 alterations were identified in patients with NSCLC across age groups, including elderly patients, and in all major NSCLC histologic subtypes with an overall frequency of 2.7%. These findings support the use of hybrid capture-based molecular profiling across NSCLC subtypes to identify patients who will potentially benefit from MET TKIs.