CCNE1 amplification as marker of poor prognosis and novel therapeutic target in advanced breast cancer.

Abstract

1040 Background: Cyclin E1 (CCNE1) overexpression or gene amplification is linked to dismal outcomes in various tumors, including breast cancer (BC). Recent studies suggest that CCNE1 amplification is a potential target for new synthetic lethality-based treatments, including CDK2-selective and PKMYT1 inhibition. This study explores the clinical and genomic characteristics of CCNE1-amplified BCs. Methods: We analyzed genomic and clinical data from consecutive BCs that underwent clinical tumor-normal targeted panel sequencing (MSK-IMPACT) between April 2014 and December 2021. Allele-specific copy number, including CCNE1 amplification, and fraction genome altered (FGA) were calculated by FACETS. Mutual exclusivity and co-occurrence analyses were performed using CoMEt. Benjamini–Hochberg method for multiple testing correction (q) was applied. Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was assessed by the Kaplan Meier method and Cox models, focusing on patients with available pre-treatment samples. Results: Out of 3,753 BCs, 125 (3.3%) had CCNE1 amplification. A higher occurrence of CCNE1 amplification was noted in post-treatment (n=2,368) compared to treatment-naïve tumors (n=1,385; 4% vs 2.4%, p=0.007). CCNE1 amplification was less common in hormone receptor (HR)+/HER2- BCs (2%) compared to HER2+ (7.6%) and triple-negative (7.2%) tumors (p<0.001). BCs with CCNE1 amplification showed higher median FGA, indicating increased genomic instability. In primary BC, TP53 alterations were more frequent in CCNE1-amplified tumors (q<0.001), while CDH1 alterations were mutually exclusive (q<0.001) suggesting that lobular BCs rarely harbor CCNE1 amplification. Similar trends were seen in post-treatment samples. CCNE1 amplification detected at baseline was linked to shorter median rwPFS in HR+/HER2- metastatic BCs treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors plus endocrine therapy (8.8 vs 15.2 months in CCNE1-amplified [n=9] vs CCNE1-non amplified [n=402]; hazard ratio [HR] 2.82, 95% CI 1.38-5.75), and in HER2+ metastatic BCs treated with first-line THP regimen (7.3 vs 20.8 months in CCNE1-amplified [n=5] vs CCNE1-non amplified [n=106]; HR 3.1, 95% CI 1.24-7.87). In a CCNE1-amplified triple-negative cell model (HCC1569), treatment with the PKMYT1 inhibitor RP-6306 significantly reduced tumor growth. Conclusions: CCNE1 amplification in BCs is associated with greater genomic instability and characterizes a group of metastatic BCs with poor response to standard of care therapies. Novel therapies targeting CCNE1-amplified tumors are under evaluation in preclinical and clinical studies.