Mismatch Repair Status Research Articles

Universal Lynch Syndrome Screening in Colorectal Cancer: A 5-Year Experience of a Portuguese Pathology Department.

Lynch syndrome (LS) is a prevalent genetic condition associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). Accurate identification of LS patients is challenging, and a universal tumor screening approach has been recommended. We present the methodology and results of universal LS screening in our hospital's Pathology Department. This retrospective study analyzed CRC tumors from a 5-year period (2017-2021). Immunohistochemistry was used to assess MMR protein expression, followed by BRAF V600E analysis and MLH1 promoter methylation. Statistical analysis examined associations between clinicopathologic variables MMR status and LS-suspected tumors. The study analyzed 939 colorectal carcinomas, with 8.7% exhibiting mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency, significantly lower than previous research. After applying the algorithm, 24 LS-suspected cases were identified, accounting for 2.6% of tested patients and 29.3% of MMR-deficient tumors. Our study establishes the feasibility of universal testing for all new cases of CRC in detecting individuals at risk for LS, even in the absence of clinical information. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the MMR status in our population, further investigations are warranted.

Introducing Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: Advancing the Frontier.

To give surgeons a review of the current and future use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in patients with localized colorectal cancer. Immunotherapy has revolutionized the standard of care in oncology and improved survival outcomes in several cancers. However, the applicability of immunotherapy is still an ongoing challenge. Some cancer types are less responsive to immunotherapy, and the heterogeneity in responses within cancer types is poorly understood. Clinical characteristics of the patient, the timing of immunotherapy in relation to surgery, diversities in the immune responses, clonal heterogeneity, different features of the tumor microenvironment, and genetic alterations are some factors among many that may influence the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this narrative review, we describe the major types of immunotherapy used to treat localized colorectal cancer. Furthermore, we discuss the prediction of response to immunotherapy in relation to biomarkers and radiological assessment. Finally, we consider the future perspectives of clinical implications and response patterns, as well as the potential and challenges of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in localized colorectal cancer. Establishing mismatch repair status at the time of diagnosis is central to the potential use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy, in particular immune checkpoint inhibitors, in localized colorectal cancer. To date, efficacy is primarily seen in patients with deficient mismatch repair status and POLE mutations, although a small group of patients with proficient mismatch repair does respond. In conclusion, neoadjuvant immunotherapy shows promising complete response rates, which may open a future avenue of an organ-sparing watch-and-wait approach for a group of patients.

MMR status of colorectal carcinomas at a tertiary cancer care centre in Central India

Microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency are important biomarkers in colorectal cancer (CRC) that have clinical implications for patient management and treatment. MMR deficiency can lead to MSI, which is characterized by alterations in the length of microsatellite DNA sequences. Clinical applications of MMR deficiency in colorectal adenocarcinoma are as a prognostic marker as well as Predictive marker for adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy. To assess the MMR status of colorectal adenocarcinomas.: This was a retrospective study of 127 colorectal adenocarcinomas cases. All the samples were either biopsies or surgically resected tumor tissues from patients of Carcinoma Colon and rectum. Immunohistochemistry was performed on Roche Ventana Benchmark XT autostainer.: MLH-1, PMS2, MSH2 and MSH6 expression was retained in the tumor cells in 106 cases and it was lost in 21 cases. Among various clinicopathological variables, tumor site and AJCC pStage were found to be significantly associated with dMMR tumors. Patients of colorectal adenocarcinomas were benefited by MMR testing as it influenced the adjuvant treatment in all Stage IIA cases as well as all metastatic cases. Incorporating MMR testing into routine clinical practice can help optimize patient management and treatment strategies in CRC.

ASO Visual Abstract: The Association of Mismatch Repair Status with Microscopically Positive (R1) Margins in Stage III Colorectal Cancer-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

ASO Visual Abstract: The Association of Mismatch Repair Status with Microscopically Positive (R1) Margins in Stage III Colorectal Cancer-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Analysis of clinical characteristics of mismatch repair status in colorectal cancer: a multicenter retrospective study

BackgroundMicrosatellite instability (MSI) caused by DNA mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is of great significance in the occurrence, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC).AimThis study aimed to analyze the relationship between mismatch repair status and clinical characteristics of CRC.MethodsThe histopathological results and clinical characteristics of 2029 patients who suffered from CRC and underwent surgery at two centers from 2018 to 2020 were determined. After screening the importance of clinical characteristics through machine learning algorithms, the patients were divided into deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) groups based on the immunohistochemistry results and the clinical feature data between the two groups were observed by statistical methods.ResultsThe dMMR and pMMR groups had significant differences in histologic type, TNM stage, maximum tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis, differentiation grade, gross appearance, and vascular invasion. There were significant differences between the MLH1 groups in age, histologic type, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, tumor location, and depth of invasion. The MSH2 groups were significantly different in age. The MSH6 groups had significant differences in age, histologic type, and TNM stage. There were significant differences between the PMS2 groups in lymph node metastasis and tumor location. CRC was dominated by MLH1 and PMS2 combined expression loss (41.77%). There was a positive correlation between MLH1 and MSH2 and between MSH6 and PMS2 as well.ConclusionsThe proportion of mucinous adenocarcinoma, protruding type, and poor differentiation is relatively high in dMMR CRCs, but lymph node metastasis is rare. It is worth noting that the expression of MMR protein has different prognostic significance in different stages of CRC disease.

The Association of Mismatch Repair Status with Microscopically Positive (R1) Margins in Stage III Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BackgroundThere is mounting evidence that microscopically positive (R1) margins in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) may represent a surrogate for aggressive cancer biology rather than technical failure during surgery. However, whether detectable biological differences exist between CRC with R0 and R1 margins is unknown. We sought to investigate whether mismatch repair (MMR) status differs between Stage III CRC with R0 or R1 margins.MethodsPatients treated for Stage III CRC from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019 were identified by using the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database. Patients were stratified according to MMR status (proficient [pMMR] vs. deficient [dMMR]) and margin status. Outcomes of interest included the R1 rate according to MMR and overall survival.ResultsA total of 3636 patients were included, of whom 473 (13.0%) had dMMR colorectal cancers. Patients with dMMR cancers were more likely to be elderly, female, and have right-sided cancers. R1 margins were significantly more common in patients with dMMR cancers (20.5% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.001), with the greatest difference seen in the rate of R1 margins related to the primary tumour (8.9% vs. 4.7%) rather than to lymph node metastases (11.6% vs. 10.5%). This association was seen in both right- and left-sided cancers. On multivariable analyses, R1 margins, but not MMR status, were associated with poorer survival, alongside age, pN stage, perineural invasion, and extramural venous invasion.ConclusionsIn patients with Stage III CRC, dMMR status is associated with increased risks of R1 margins following potentially curative surgery, supporting the use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in this patient group.

Comprehensive analysis of gene mutations and mismatch repair in Chinese colorectal cancer patients.

RAS, BRAF, and mismatch repair (MMR)/microsatellite instability (MSI) are crucial biomarkers recommended by clinical practice guidelines for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, their characteristics and influencing factors in Chinese patients have not been thoroughly described. To analyze the clinicopathological features of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations and the DNA MMR status in CRC. We enrolled 2271 Chinese CRC patients at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. MMR proteins were tested using immunohistochemical analysis, and the KRAS/NRAS/BRAF/PIK3CA mutations were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Microsatellite status was determined using an MSI detection kit. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software and logistic regression. The KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations were detected in 44.6%, 3.4%, 3.7%, and 3.9% of CRC patients, respectively. KRAS mutations were more likely to occur in patients with moderate-to-high differentiation. BRAF mutations were more likely to occur in patients with right-sided CRC, poorly differentiated, or no perineural invasion. Deficient MMR (dMMR) was detected in 7.9% of all patients and 16.8% of those with mucinous adenocarcinomas. KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations were detected in 29.6%, 1.1%, 8.1%, and 22.3% of patients with dMMR, respectively. The dMMR was more likely to occur in patients with a family history of CRC, aged < 50 years, right-sided CRC, poorly differentiated histology, no perineural invasion, and with carcinoma in situ, stage I, or stage II tumors. This study analyzed the molecular profiles of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, and MMR/MSI in CRC, identifying key influencing factors, with implications for clinical management of CRC.

Clinicopathological significance and prognostic analysis of p21 and EGFR in colorectal cancer: a retrospective analysis on 12 319 cases in China

AimsColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide. Accurate pathological diagnosis and predictive abilities for treatment response and prognosis are crucial for patients with CRC. This study aims...

Mismatch repair deficiency: how reliable is the two-antibody approach? A national real-life study.

Traditionally, mismatch repair (MMR) status is determined by a panel of four antibodies (MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6). If all proteins are retained, cases are MMR proficient (pMMR), while loss of one or more proteins is indicative of MMR deficiency (dMMR). This approach has been challenged in favour of a two-antibody approach, using PMS2 and MSH6 as a first screening. Their retainment is deemed sufficient to declare cases pMMR. In this study we aim to verify the validity of the two-antibody approach. We performed a nationwide study in colorectal cancer (CRC) and endometrial cancer (EC) diagnosed between 2016 and 2023, including 47,657 patients to evaluate the two-antibody approach. In 0.17% and 0.4% of cases of CRC and EC, respectively, dMMR cases would be missed with the two-antibody approach. Subgroup analyses pointed towards slightly increased miss rates in younger patients (under the age of 50 years) in both groups and identified special subtypes (signet ring cell carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, and mucinous carcinoma in CRC and clear cell carcinoma in EC) with increased miss rates. For these specific subgroups, a low threshold should be used for further testing. In case of ambiguous or heterogeneous staining patterns, four antibodies should be used. In general, the application of a two-antibody MMR testing strategy does not lead to considerable failure of dMMR identification and saves costs.

Clinical outcomes and impact of mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) in patients with pT4N0 colon cancer (CC): Data from a large, consecutive, multicenter, real-world cohort.

3619 Background: T4 is widely recognized as one of the most important and independent prognostic factors in adjuvant setting for CC patients. However, the optimal management in terms of adjuvant treatment in stage II (pT4N0) as well as the impact of DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) in this subset of patients remain unclear. Here, we present a large, multicenter, real-world analysis of pT4N0 CC patients. Methods: A real-world database including pts treated at 9 Italian institutions from April 2010 to November 2023 was queried. Clinico-pathological characteristics of pts diagnosed with a stage II pT4N0 CC were analyzed. Pts were stratified according to duration of treatment, DNA mismatch repair (MMR) status, type of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT). The primary endpoints were median relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 380 pts was included, and outcomes data were available for 288 pts.Median age was 73 years and 49% of pts were male. 47 pts (16%) had dMMR CC, among which Lynch Syndrome was diagnosed in 19%. 10% of pts had BRAF mutant tumor, and 38% KRAS mutant tumor. After a median follow-up of 40.6 months (37.9-49.3), 3-yr RFS and 5-yr RFS were 70% and 55%, respectively, regardless treatment; 3-yr OS was 88% and 5-yr OS 73%. 154 pts (53%) received ACT: oxaliplatin (oxa)-based CT was given to 103 pts (67%), compared to 51 pts who received monotherapy (33%). Six-month ACT was given to 38 pts (74.5%) and 75 pts (72.8%) in the monotherapy and oxa-based group, respectively. Pts receiving 6-month ACT had a significant longer OS compared to those who did not receive ACT (HR 0.17; 0.08-0.34; p &lt;.001). A trend towards improved OS was observed in pts receiving 6-month ACT versus pts receiving 3-month ACT (HR 0.46; 0.16-1.29; p 0.129). Similar results were observed in terms of RFS: 6-month ACT showed a longer RFS compared to 3-month ACT (HR 0.58; 0.32-1.05; p .068), and a significantly longer RFS compared to no-ACT (HR 0.50; 0.32-0.77; p .001). Oxa-based ACT was associated with a significant improvement in OS compared to monotherapy (HR 0.30; 0.11-0.85; p .016). Overall, pts with dMMR CC did not show a statistically significant difference in terms of OS and RFS (p .66 and .19 respectively) compared to proficient MMR pts. Conclusions: In this large real-world dataset, T4 was confirmed being a key poor prognostic factor, independently to MMR status. We observed that ACT provides large benefit in this population, and oxa-based ACT may be better than monotherapy. In addition, 6-month oxa-based ACT showed a trend towards a better outcome in comparison to 3-month ACT, even if not statistically significant. Given the retrospective nature of the study, these data should be validated in larger and prospective cohorts; however, this work may help oncologists in shared decision making in this specific subgroup of patients.

Immuno-based conversion therapy for survival in initially unresectable locally advanced or oligometastatic gastric cancer: A retrospective real-world study with multi-omics analysis.

e16109 Background: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown certain effectiveness in resectable gastric cancer (GC), but the efficacy of conversion ICIs in initially unresectable locally advanced or oligometastatic GC is unclear, particularly regarding efficacy prediction and drug resistance mechanisms through multi-omics analysis. Methods: This is a single-arm, retrospective real-world study to evaluate the efficacy of ICI-containing neoadjuvant/conversion treatment for patients with unresectable locally advanced or oligometastatic GC. Primary endpoints included complete pathological response (pCR) rate, major pathological response (MPR) rate, and R0 resection rate. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. Exploratory endpoint was the correlation between tumor genetic characteristics and treatment efficacy. Results: Of the 73 included patients, including 64.4% stage cIVa and 10.9% cIVb, 60 (82.2%) underwent radical surgery after conversion combination treatment. The pCR and MPR rates were 28.6% (95% CI 17.1–40.0%), 42.9% (95% CI 30.3–55.4%), with median DFS/PFS at 30.9 (95% CI 16.0-NA) and mOS at 41.3 (95% CI 23.9-NA) months. The stage IV patients achieved 76.4% R0 resection rate, 24.4% pCR rate, and 40.0% MPR rate, with significantly longer OS for R0 patients versus non-R0 ones (HR: 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.70, P = 0.0002), and 1-year OS rate 95.2% vs. 64.2%, the 2-year OS rates 71.1% vs. 9.2%, respectively. Even the mOS of stage IV nonMPR patients are significantly prolonged than that of nonR0 ones, indicating that the implementation of R0 surgery was more crucial than MPR. For stage IV patients of R0-MPR, R0-nonMPR and nonR0, the the 3-year OS rates were 85.0%, 51.3%, and near 0, respectively. Subgroup analysis identified significant correlations between pathological responses and pathological type, PD-L1 expression, and tumor mutational burden. The toxicity and post-surgery complications were manageable. Multi-omics analysis revealed that KMT2D mutations were associated with improved clinical outcomes and enhanced immune responses, while tumor cytochrome P450 was linked to treatment resistance. Additionally, an efficacy-predictive model PEMIT was established using an 8-gene panel and was confirmed to surpass common biomarkers such as PD-L1, tumor mutational burden, and mismatch repair status. Conclusions: ICIs-based neoadjuvant/conversion therapy demonstrated promising survival benefits and acceptable safety profiles for patients with unresectable locally advanced and oligometastatic GC, providing a valuable treatment option for this population. Multi-omics findings uncovered mechanisms of drug resistance and provided potential efficacy-related biomarkers.

Association of PD-L1 Expression with Clinicopathologic Characters in Gastric Cancer: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis.

The expression level of programmed death ligand-1(PD-L1) in patients with gastric cancer is the key to determining the use of immune drugs. The relationship between PD-L1 expression level and clinical characteristics is worth exploring. By setting the search terms correlated to PD-L1 and gastric cancer, a nearly comprehensive search was carried out in four major databases, and the deadline for searching was September 1, 2022. The retrieved documents were further screened by strict inclusion and exclusion criteria after removing the duplication. Next, the quality of the included studies was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) scale. Finally, the STATA15.1 software was used to process data and draw plots, and the odds ratios (ORs) were adopted to assess the pooled effect size. A total of 85 works of literature were included in this study through screening strictly, and detailed data were extracted after evaluating the quality of the literature. The process of analysis was conducted in the whole population, Asia-Africa population, European and American population, and Asian population with CPS≥1, amd all found that the expression of PD-L1 in gastric cancer was correlated with age, tumor size, EBV infection, Her-2 expression and microsatellite status. However, the subgroup of the region also found some differences in Asian and Western regions, which was interesting and worth studying further. The included research of this study did not have significant publish bias. After careful analysis, this study found that age (>60 years), tumor size (>5cm), EBV infection (+), Her-2 expression (+), microsatellite status (MSI), and mismatch repair status (dMMR) were risk factors for positive expression of PD-L1 in gastric cancer.

Real world experience of molecular landscape of uveal melanomas: Implications for personalized medicine strategies.

e21572 Background: In the realm of ocular oncology, Uveal Melanoma (UM) stands out as a rare and formidable malignancy, necessitating a deeper understanding of its molecular landscape to enhance treatment strategies. This abstract delves into the real-world experiences of unraveling the molecular intricacies of UM and explores the implications for personalized medicine strategies. Methods: In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of tissue samples from 7 UM cases to identify key genetic alterations and molecular features, elucidating the heterogeneity of this ocular malignancy. Results: Consistent with other studies, 57% (4/7) of our cohort harbored a driver mutation in either the GNAQ or GNA11 genes. GNAQ Q209 codon mutations (Q209L or Q209P), were the most frequent variants identified. GNAQ/GNA11 mutations are known to activate the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, contributing to uncontrolled cell proliferation; its presence qualifies for entry into clinical trial testing DYP688 in metastatic UM. Concurrent mutations were identified in EIF1AX (n = 1), SF3B1 genes (n = 1) and BAP1 (n = 1), highlighting the molecular diversity. EIF1AX, SF3B1, and BAP1 inactivating mutations indicate varying risks for distant metastasis, categorized as low, medium, and high risk, respectively. Notably, homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway gene mutations were identified in 28% (2/7) of cases. Additionally, SF3B1 mutations have been proposed to induce a BRCA-like phenotype, resulting in synthetic lethality to PARP inhibitors (PARPi). These findings provide opportunities to explore additional targeted therapy (off label) options with PARPi. In a case where gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed, an upregulation in PRAME gene expression (PRAME+) was observed. This finding potentially indicates an increased metastatic risk and a shorter time to metastasis, given that PRAME+ status has been established as an independent risk modifier for metastasis, regardless of the GEP-derived UM class (Class 1 or 2). TMB ranged from 2 to 21 muts/mb, with 5 out of 7 specimens showing low TMB ( &lt; 10 mutations/Mb) and two sample with high TMB (15 and 21muts/mb). This case with TMB of 21 muts/mb showed Deficient Mismatch Repair (dMMR) status. All samples evaluated for PD-L1 expression (n = 4) in our cohort showed &lt; 1% PD-L1 expression in tumor cells, including the dMMR tumor. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for a comprehensive genomic approach in guiding therapeutic decisions, understanding prognostic implications and advancing personalized medicine strategies for UM patients. Our study provides an overview of the molecular landscape of UMs with delineation of key molecular features, thereby enhancing our understanding of UM biology and setting the stage for the development of targeted therapies tailored to the unique genomic profile of each patient.

40MO First-line (1L) durvalumab + carboplatin/paclitaxel (CP) followed by durvalumab ± olaparib for endometrial cancer (EC) (DUO-E): Objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DoR) and time to treatment discontinuation or death (TDT) by mismatch repair (MMR) status

40MO First-line (1L) durvalumab + carboplatin/paclitaxel (CP) followed by durvalumab ± olaparib for endometrial cancer (EC) (DUO-E): Objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DoR) and time to treatment discontinuation or death (TDT) by mismatch repair (MMR) status

Incidence and potential prognostic implications of fibroblast growth factor receptor gene alterations and coexisting mutations in colorectal cancer.

e15558 Background: The fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family comprises four tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFR1-4). FGFR1 amplification (6.3%) as well as overexpression of FGFR1 (10.1%), FGFR2 (5.5%) and FGFR3 (16.2%) have been demonstrated in primary colorectal cancer (CRC, incidence in brackets). The prognostic utility of testing FGFR alterations and association with response to FGFR-inhibitors are still emerging. Here, we report FGFR alteration data with clinicopathological correlations and survival outcomes from a Sydney based Local Health District in Australia. Methods: Clinicopathological data was analysed from 341 ethnically diverse patients with CRC treated at Southwestern Sydney Local Health District from 2014-2021. Next generation sequencing for point mutations, deletions, and amplifications was performed using the Qiagen 30-gene panel. Mismatch repair (MMR) status was determined using immunohistochemical staining. Demographic characteristics, histological features and survival outcomes were recorded from electronic medical records. Results: Of the 341 patients, 42 (12.3%) had FGFR alterations of which 52% were men and 48% women. 32 patients were Caucasian, 4 Middle Eastern, 5 Asian and 1 South American. Median age at diagnosis was 66 years. Of the 42 patients, FGFR1 mutations were present in 26.2%, FGFR1 amplifications in 4.7% and FGFR1 deletions in 4.7%. FGFR2 mutations were present in 16.7%, and 50% had FGFR3 mutations. One patient had concurrent FGFR1 and FGFR3 mutations. The vast majority were adenocarcinoma (81%), followed by mucinous adenocarcinoma (17%) and adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine features (2%). 21.4% of patients with FGFR alterations had concurrent KRAS mutations, 28.6% had concurrent BRAF mutations (91.6% V600E) and MMR-deficiency was present in 19%. Median overall survival of patients with FGFR alterations was 44 months, for those who also had deficient MMR 48 months, concurrent BRAF V600E mutations 51 months and concurrent KRAS mutations 71 months. 43% (18 patients) were stage 4 at presentation. Of these 18 patients, 7 had FGFR1 mutations, 1 had a FGFR2 mutation and 10 had FGFR3 mutations. The median overall survival of patients with stage 4 disease was 11 months and those with concurrent BRAF V600E mutations 17 months. Two patients had concurrent KRAS mutations (both G12V), with median overall survival of 5.5 months and 1 patient had MMR deficiency, with an overall survival of 9 months. Conclusions: FGFR alterations were identified in 12.3% of patients with colorectal cancer in an ethnically diverse cohort in Australia. Concurrent KRAS and BRAF mutations appear to affect survival outcomes. Further multivariate analyses are underway.

A multi-centre, single arm, phase 2 trial of pembrolizumab in treatment-naïve patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site.

2659 Background: Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) represents a heterogeneous group of cancers that present with metastatic epithelial disease with no identifiable primary lesion at the time of diagnosis. Patients with poor prognostic features have limited effective systemic therapy options. Researchers hypothesize that these primary lesions are occult, in part, due to anti-cancer immune surveillance. We hypothesize, pembrolizumab will have activity in this setting. Methods: This single arm phase 2 study evaluated the use of pembrolizumab in treatment naïve patients with poor prognosis CUP. Patients ≥18 years of age with ECOG PS 0-1 and histologically proven, measurable metastatic carcinoma with no primary site identified were eligible. Pembrolizumab was administered at 200 mg intravenously every 3-weeks for up to 24 months. The primary endpoint was safety and objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1. Secondary objectives included progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The study used a Simon’s two stage design based on a one-sided test with a type 1 error rate of 0.1, null hypothesis for ORR ≤ 20% yielding a power of 0.8 with an alternate hypothesis of ≥40%. The null hypothesis will be rejected if 8 or more responses are observed in 25 patients. Mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) testing was not mandatory for patients. Results: There were 27 evaluable and 6 unevaluable (no response assessment, included in adverse event analysis) patients. The median age was 64 (range 21-80) and the majority were male (57.6%) and ECOG 1 (84.8%). Four patients experienced grade 3 treatment related adverse events (pain, anorexia, fatigue, confusion, and anemia). There were no treatment related deaths or new signals of toxicity. Of the evaluable patients, the ORR was 18.5% (4 partial responses and 1 complete response), disease control rate was 51.9% (9 stable disease) and thus the null hypothesis could not be rejected. For evaluable patients, the median PFS and OS were 2.56 (95% CI 2.10 – 7.46) and 9.79 (95% CI 3.84 – 16.03) months respectively. The one patient who developed a CR had MMR deficiency and has completed 2 years of therapy. Of the 4 patients with a partial response, one had an MMR proficient tumour, while the remaining 3 had unknown MMR status. Conclusions: Although not meeting the primary endpoint, pembrolizumab has some activity in CUP patients. Patients with CUP should be screened for MMR or MSI. Future studies should evaluate combination therapies with the addition of pembrolizumab. Clinical trial information: NCT03391973 .

Somatic mismatch repair deficiency in pancreas cancer (PC): Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) outcomes and exploratory genomic analyses.

4144 Background: Microsatellite instability (MSI-H) occurs in the setting of Lynch syndrome (LS), which is caused by germline pathogenic variants (gPV) in mismatch repair (MMR) genes. The incidence and implications of somatic MMR variants without LS gPV in PC is unknown. We present a large cohort of patients (pts) with somatic only MMR variants and PC, and outline clinico-genomic descriptors, MSI-H prevalence, MMR methylation status, and response to ICB, comparing these features with a LS PC cohort. We also present microsatellite status (MS) orthogonal testing strategies. Methods: Institutional databases queried to identify pts with somatic MMR variants or LS gPVs and PC consented to matched tumor-normal NGS from 2012-2023. Clinico-genomic data abstracted from medical record. MiMSI used to assess MS stable (MSS) and indeterminate (MSI-I) PC. MMR status determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Composite MSI-H adjudicated as loss of MMR protein expression by IHC or MSI-H interpretation by MSISensor or MiMSI. Zygosity status assessed with FACETs. Exploratory mutational signature analysis performed on tumor mutation burden-high (TMB-H &gt; 10) tumors with deconstructSigs. MMR methylation analyses underway. Results: N=55/4,626 (1.2%) pts with PC and MMR variant: N=23 somatic MMR variant only (Somatic Cohort) and N=32 LS Cohort. In Somatic Cohort, 10 (43%) MSI-H cases; 6 reclassified as MSI-H by MiMSI (N=2 MSI-I; N=4 MSS). Zygosity status: 11 (48%) biallelic, 11 (48%) monoallelic, 1 (4%) indeterminate. Of 11 monoallelic cases, 3 MSI-H. N=7/14 (50%) evaluable pts had dominant MSI-H mutational signatures. In LS Cohort, 17 (59%) MSI-H cases; 5 reclassified as MSI-H by MiMSI (N=4 MSI-I; N=1 MSS). Zygosity status (N=27 evaluable): 9 (33%) biallelic, 15 (56%) monoallelic, 3 (11%) indeterminate. Of 15 monoallelic cases, 4 MSI-H. N=7/15 (44%) evaluable pts had dominant MSI-H signatures. N=20 pts received ICB (N= 14 LS; N= 6 Somatic Cohort). Median ICB duration: 27.7 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.5, -). Overall response rate: 50% in both cohorts; similar duration of response. Conclusions: MSI-H arises due to somatic and germline oncogenesis at similar rates in ~1% of PC. MMR methylation analyses may provide further insight into the mechanisms of MSI-H. Orthogonal MS testing key to inform accurate MS status. MiMSI valuable in classifying low-cellularity specimens. Pts with MSI-H PC treated with ICB derive durable benefit, irrespective of germline or somatic etiology. [Table: see text]

A phase 2, open-label, single-arm, prospective, multicenter study of nab-sirolimus plus letrozole in advanced or recurrent endometrioid endometrial cancer.

TPS5640 Background: This clinical trial is designed to evaluate the antitumor activity of nab-sirolimus in combination with letrozole in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC). Despite recent pivotal data demonstrating improved outcomes with immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, regardless of mismatch repair status, alternative nonchemotherapy-based treatment options for patients with advanced or recurrent EEC remain necessary. Dysregulation of mTOR signaling is implicated in the pathology of EEC, in which &gt;80% harbor PTEN or PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway alterations. Moreover, crosstalk between mTOR and estrogen receptor signaling pathways is associated with endocrine therapy resistance. GOG-3007 and other phase 2 studies have demonstrated that the combination of conventional mTOR inhibitors (mTORis) and endocrine therapy provides clinical benefit in patients with EEC. nab-Sirolimus is an mTOR inhibitor that uses albumin-bound sirolimus nanoparticles given by IV and is approved by the US FDA for malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor. Preclinical data of nab-sirolimus demonstrated improved tumor accumulation, mTOR inhibition, and tumor growth suppression compared with conventional mTORis. We hypothesize that the simultaneous inhibition of mTOR and ER with nab-sirolimus and letrozole, respectively, may provide a signal of synergistic antitumor activity in patients with recurrent EEC. Methods: In this phase 2, open-label, single-arm, multicenter study (NCT05997017), nab-sirolimus (100 mg/m2, intravenous, on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle) and letrozole (2.5 mg, oral, daily) are administered to patients (~29 planned, Simon’s 2-stage design) with clinically confirmed, advanced, or recurrent EEC. Eligibility criteria include age ≥18 years, ≤1 prior chemotherapy-based regimen in the advanced, metastatic, or recurrent setting, prior adjuvant chemotherapy is permitted, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score 0 or 1, naive to mTORi, and measurable disease (per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] v1.1). The primary endpoint is best overall response rate by RECIST v1.1. Key secondary endpoints include duration of response, disease control rate (defined as complete response plus partial response plus stable disease of ≥12 weeks after start of treatment), progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Exploratory endpoints include correlation of baseline molecular biomarkers with clinical outcomes. The trial is open for enrollment. Clinical trial information: NCT05997017 .

Mutational signatures of colorectal cancers according to distinct computational workflows.

Tumor mutational signatures have gained prominence in cancer research, yet the lack of standardized methods hinders reproducibility and robustness. Leveraging colorectal cancer (CRC) as a model, we explored the influence of computational parameters on mutational signature analyses across 230 CRC cell lines and 152 CRC patients. Results were validated in three independent datasets: 483 endometrial cancer patients stratified by mismatch repair (MMR) status, 35 lung cancer patients by smoking status and 12 patient-derived organoids (PDOs) annotated for colibactin exposure. Assessing various bioinformatic tools, reference datasets and input data sizes including whole genome sequencing, whole exome sequencing and a pan-cancer gene panel, we demonstrated significant variability in the results. We report that the use of distinct algorithms and references led to statistically different results, highlighting how arbitrary choices may induce variability in the mutational signature contributions. Furthermore, we found a differential contribution of mutational signatures between coding and intergenic regions and defined the minimum number of somatic variants required for reliable mutational signature assignment. To facilitate the identification of the most suitable workflows, we developed Comparative Mutational Signature analysis on Coding and Extragenic Regions (CoMSCER), a bioinformatic tool which allows researchers to easily perform comparative mutational signature analysis by coupling the results from several tools and public reference datasets and to assess mutational signature contributions in coding and non-coding genomic regions. In conclusion, our study provides a comparative framework to elucidate the impact of distinct computational workflows on mutational signatures.

Nationwide Real-World Data of Microsatellite Instability and/or Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Cancer: Prevalence and Testing Patterns.

Determination of microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair (MMR) status in cancer has several clinical implications. Our aim was to integrate MSI/MMR status from patients tested in Greece to assess the prevalence of MSI-high (MSI-H)/deficient MMR (dMMR) per tumor type, testing patterns over time and concordance between MSI and MMR status. We retrospectively recorded MSI/MMR testing data of patients with diverse tumor types performed in pathology and molecular diagnostics laboratories across Greece. Overall, 18 of 22 pathology and/or molecular diagnostics laboratories accepted our invitation to participate. In the 18 laboratories located across the country, 7916 tumor samples were evaluated for MSI/MMR status. MSI/MMR testing significantly increased in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and other tumor types overtime (p < 0.05). The highest prevalence was reported in endometrial cancer (47 of 225 patients, 20.9%). MSI-H/dMMR was observed in most tumor types, even in low proportions. Among 904 tumors assessed both for MSI and MMR status, 21 had discordant results (overall discordance rate, 2.3%). We reported MSI-H/dMMR prevalence rates in patients with diverse cancers, while demonstrating increasing referral patterns from medical oncologists in the country overtime. The anticipated high rate of concordance between MSI and MMR status in paired analysis was confirmed.