Temporal Intratumoral Heterogeneity Research Articles

Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity in Clonal Evolution of Nonsmall-cell Lung Cancer: Implications for Therapy

Abstract Introduction Tumoral heterogeneity has been associated with treatment resistance and failure in patients with cancer. Tumoral heterogeneity can be either intertumoral (static variation of cancer cells) or intratumoral (spatial and temporal variation of cancer cells). Nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is considered a model disease for the study of tumoral heterogeneity, given the emerging evidence about the clinical implications of genetic variations among NSCLC subtypes. This review provides an overview of the etiology, detection, and management methods of intratumoral heterogeneity in NSCLC and discusses their clinical implications. Methods The authors searched biomedical databases (Medline, Scopus, Embase) for studies reporting on intratumoral heterogeneity in NSCLC. Results Intratumoral heterogeneity occurs in single tumors, multiple tumors in the same organs, primary tumors and metastases, and among distinct metastases. Genetic (selective pressure, clonal evolution, genomic instability) and nongenetic pathways (tumor metabolism, hypoxia) precipitate heterogeneity across the spatial and temporal progression of the disease. Proposed classifications are based either on cancer subtypes or mutations detected and metastasis sites. Liquid biopsies (cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells) combined with imaging (computed tomographies (CTs), positron emission tomography/computed tomographies (PET/CTs)) have a major potential for the continuous minimally invasive monitoring of intratumoral heterogeneity in comparison to conventional biopsies. Targeted therapies have a higher likelihood to induce heterogeneity and resistance, while PD-L1 immunotherapy represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Conclusion Spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity within a single patient sets additional challenges to personalized precision medicine, calling for continuous cellular and molecular-level surveillance and adequate adjustment of the treatment plan.

Efficacy and safety of futibatinib for refractory advanced solid malignancies with FGFR alterations identified in circulating tumor DNA: TiFFANY, A GOZILA-affiliated Trial.

3102 Background: FGFR alterations are observed in approximately 7% of advanced solid malignancies and are associated with poor prognosis and resistance to traditional anti-cancer therapy. Despite this, optimal therapeutic strategies with FGFR inhibitors for most of FGFR-altered solid malignancies are yet to be defined. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has the potential to accurately detect FGFR alterations by assessing spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity. Methods: We conducted a multicenter, investigator-initiated, phase II basket-type trial, TiFFANY, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of futibatinib, a highly selective covalent pan-FGFR inhibitor, in patients (pts) with advanced solid malignancies with FGFR alterations identified by ctDNA analysis who were refractory or intolerant to standard-of-care treatment. ctDNA analysis was performed in the GOZILA study. Enrolled pts received futibatinib at a dose of 20 mg once daily in a 21 day-cycle. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR). We set the threshold ORR of 5% and expected one of 25%. Planned sample size was 26 with one-sided alpha of 2.5% and power of 80%. Blood and tissue samples collected before treatment (baseline), at week 3, and after disease progression were analyzed for biomarkers and resistance mechanisms. Results: Twenty-six pts with FGFR alterations (mutation, 9; amplification, 13; fusion, 4) in ctDNA were enrolled between August 2019 and March 2021. The primary endpoint was met with five (19.2%; 95% CI, 6.6–39.4%) achieving a confirmed partial response (PR) in various cancer types (biliary tract, gastric, urothelial, and urachal cancer). Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.6 and 8.9 months. The most common treatment-associated adverse events were hyperphosphatemia (100%), eye toxicity (46.2%) and diarrhea (42.3%), all of which were manageable. The median proportional change in ctDNA fraction from baseline to 3 weeks after treatment initiation in pts who achieved PR was significantly less than in pts with stable or progressive disease (0.11 vs. 1.0 vs. 1.6, respectively). Pts with no concurrent RTK/RAS/PI3K and cell cycle alterations in ctDNA were significantly more likely to respond to futibatinib than those with at least one of these alterations (ORR 50% vs. 0%; P=0.0038). Acquired gene alterations in ctDNA after progression tended to be more common in pts with FGFR amplification (83.3%) than in those with FGFR mutation or fusion (60% or 66.7%). Conclusions: Futibatinib demonstrated promising efficacy in refractory advanced solid malignancies with FGFR alterations in ctDNA with an acceptable toxicity profile. Oncogenic co-alterations detected by ctDNA genotyping may predict primary resistance. Clinical trial information: JapicCTI-194624 .

Spatial and temporal intra-tumoral heterogeneity in advanced HGSOC: Implications for surgical and clinical outcomes

Limited evidence exists on the impact of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) on tumor evolution, clinical outcomes, and surgical operability. We perform systematic multi-site tumor mapping at presentation and matched relapse from 49 high-tumor-burden patients, operated up front. From SNP array-derived copy-number data, we categorize dendrograms representing tumor clonal evolution as sympodial or dichotomous, noting most chemo-resistant patients favor simpler sympodial evolution. Three distinct tumor evolutionary patterns from primary to relapse are identified, demonstrating recurrent disease may emerge from pre-existing or newly detected clones. Crucially, we identify spatial heterogeneity for clinically actionable homologous recombination deficiency scores and for poor prognosis biomarkers CCNE1 and MYC. Copy-number signature, phenotypic, proteomic, and proliferative-index heterogeneity further highlight HGSOC complexity. This study explores HGSOC evolution and dissemination across space and time, its impact on optimal surgical cytoreductive effort and clinical outcomes, and its consequences for clinical decision-making.

Abstract B022: Subclonal somatic copy number alterations emerge and dominate in relapsed/refractory osteosarcoma

Abstract Objective: Multiple large-scale tumor genomic profiling efforts have been undertaken in osteosarcoma, however little is known about the spatial and temporal intratumor heterogeneity and how it may drive treatment resistance. Methods: We performed 30-80x whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 37 tumor samples from 8 patients with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma. Each patient had at least one sample from a primary site and one sample from a metastatic or relapse site. A set of high confidence single nucleotide variants (SNV), copy number alterations (CNA), structural variations (SV) were called for each sample using our pediatric expanded genomics pipeline and an evolutionary analysis was performed using a custom pipeline of computational tools. Results: Of the 8 patients in our cohort, 4 had localized disease at diagnosis (OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE6, OSCE9) and 4 had metastatic disease at diagnosis (OSCE1, OSCE2, OSCE3, OSCE10). There were 17 samples from primary sites, 7 were pretreatment biopsies, 10 from on therapy primary resections. 20 samples came from metastatic sites, 15 of which were from lung metastases. Driver gene SNV’s were identified in 5 of 8 patients, including TP53 (OSCE1), ATRX (OSCE3, OSCE10), RB1 (OSCE4), and CDKN2A (OSCE9). There were no new driver SNV’s that emerged post-therapy in any patient. HATCHet, an algorithm that infers clone-specific copy number alterations, identified subclonal CNAs in all but one patient (OSCE2). In the 7 patients with subclonal CNAs, 6 had two copy number clones identified, and 1 patient (OSCE10) had three copy number clones identified. In 5 patients (OSCE1, OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE6, OSCE10) there is a copy number clone that is subclonal in the primary tumor which emerges and dominates at subsequent relapses. The resistant clone in each of these cases had either MYC gain/amplification. Amplifications in CCNE1 (OSCE1), RAD21 (OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE10), VEGFA (OSCE1, OSCE9), IGF1R (OSCE6) were also identified as potential drivers in the resistant copy number clones. In two of these patients (OSCE1, OSCE6), this treatment-resistant subclone becomes the dominant copy number clone by the time of primary resection. SNV based phylogenies revealed a heterogenous mix of monoclonal and polyclonal seeding of metastases and monophyletic and polyphyletic modes of dissemination. Over half the new mutations acquired in recurrent disease were attributed to HRD or cisplatin mutational signatures. TP53 structural variants were seen in 6/8 patients (OSCE2, OSCE3, OSCE4, OSCE6, OSCE9, OSCE10). New structural variants involving driver genes were only detected in one relapse sample from patient OSCE10 (DMD deletion). Conclusion: Subclonal copy number clones emerge and dominate in relapsed osteosarcoma, with MYC gain/amplification a defining characteristic in our cohort. Selective pressure from neoadjuvant chemotherapy reveals this clone at the time of primary resection, highlighting that genomic profiling at this time point may be more reflective of its metastatic potential. Citation Format: Michael D. Kinnaman, Simone Zaccaria, Alvin Makohon-Moore, Gunes Gundem, Juan E. Arango Ossa, Nancy Bouvier, Filemon S. Dela Cruz, Meera Hameed, Julia Lynne Glade Bender, William D. Tap, Paul Meyers, Elli Papaemmanuil, Andrew Kung, Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue. Subclonal somatic copy number alterations emerge and dominate in relapsed/refractory osteosarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Sarcomas; 2022 May 9-12; Montreal, QC, Canada. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2022;28(18_Suppl):Abstract nr B022.

Subclonal somatic copy number alterations emerge and dominate in recurrent osteosarcoma.

11533 Background: Multiple large-scale tumor genomic profiling efforts have been undertaken in osteosarcoma, however little is known about the spatial and temporal intratumor heterogeneity and how it may drive treatment resistance. Methods: We performed 30-80x whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 37 tumor samples from 8 patients with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma. A set of high confidence single nucleotide variants (SNV), copy number alterations (CNA), structural variations (SV) were called for each sample using our pediatric expanded genomics pipeline and an evolutionary analysis was performed using a custom pipeline of computational tools. Results: Of the 8 patients in our cohort, 4 had localized disease at diagnosis (OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE6, OSCE9) and 4 had metastatic disease at diagnosis (OSCE1, OSCE2, OSCE3, OSCE10). There were 17 samples from primary sites, 7 were pretreatment biopsies, 10 from on therapy primary resections. 20 samples came from metastatic sites, 15 of which were from lung metastases. Driver gene SNV’s were identified in 5 of 8 patients, including TP53 (OSCE1), ATRX (OSCE3, OSCE10), RB1 (OSCE4), and CDKN2A (OSCE9). No new driver SNV’s emerged post-therapy in any patient. HATCHet, an algorithm which infers clone specific copy number alterations, identified subclonal CNAs in all but one patient (OSCE2). In the 7 patients with subclonal CNAs, 6 had two copy number clones identified, and 1 patient (OSCE10) had three copy number clones identified. In 5 patients (OSCE1, OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE6, OSCE10) there is a copy number clone that is subclonal in the primary tumor which emerges and dominates at subsequent relapses. The resistant clone in each of these cases had either MYC gain/amplification. Amplifications in CCNE1 (OSCE1), RAD21 (OSCE4, OSCE5, OSCE10), VEGFA (OSCE1, OSCE9), IGF1R (OSCE6) were also identified as potential drivers in the resistant copy number clones. In two of these patients (OSCE1, OSCE6), the treatment resistant subclone becomes the dominant copy number clone by the time of primary resection. SNV based phylogenies revealed monoclonal and polyclonal seeding of metastases and monophyletic and polyphyletic modes of dissemination. Over half the new mutations acquired in recurrent disease were attributed to HRD or cisplatin mutational signatures. Conclusions: Subclonal copy number clones emerge and dominate in relapsed osteosarcoma, with MYC gain/amplification a defining characteristic in our cohort. Selective pressure from neoadjuvant chemotherapy reveals this clone at the time of primary resection, implying genomic profiling at this timepoint may be more reflective of its metastatic potential. [Table: see text]

Simulating the Dynamic Intra-Tumor Heterogeneity and Therapeutic Responses.

Simple SummaryVarious aspects of intra-tumor heterogeneity are key factors for improving clinical practice, but studies on them remain incomplete. Based on the clonal evolution theory, this study proposes a model to simulate the temporal variability of intra-tumor heterogeneity of cancer cell subpopulations. Multiple types of therapies are also incorporated in the model for the simulation of treatment responses at different time points. The simulation results in this study indicate the importance of the timing of therapy and the superiority of neoadjuvant therapy before surgery. The model is incorporated in a webserver for the convenience of understanding the roles of heterogeneity in cancer treatment response.A tumor is a complex tissue comprised of heterogeneous cell subpopulations which exhibit substantial diversity at morphological, genetic and epigenetic levels. Under the selective pressure of cancer therapies, a minor treatment-resistant subpopulation could survive and repopulate. Therefore, the intra-tumor heterogeneity is recognized as a major obstacle to effective treatment. In this paper, we propose a stochastic clonal expansion model to simulate the dynamic evolution of tumor subpopulations and the therapeutic effect at different times during tumor progression. The model is incorporated in the CES webserver, for the convenience of simulation according to initial user input. Based on this model, we investigate the influence of various factors on tumor progression and treatment consequences and present conclusions drawn from observations, highlighting the importance of treatment timing. The model provides an intuitive illustration to deepen the understanding of temporal intra-tumor heterogeneity dynamics and treatment responses, thus helping the improvement of personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Differentiated Thyroid Tumors: An Intriguing Reappraisal in the Era of Personalized Medicine.

Differentiated thyroid tumors (DTTs) are characterized by significant molecular variability in both spatial and temporal intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH), that could influence the therapeutic management. ITH phenomenon appears to have a relevant role in tumor growth, aggressive behavior and drug resistance. Accordingly, characteristics and consequences of ITH in DTTs should be better analyzed and understood in order to guide clinical practice, improving survival. Consequently, in the present review, we investigated morphological and molecular ITH of DTTs in benign, borderline neoplasms and in malignant entities, summarizing the most significant data. Molecular testing in DTTs documents a high risk for recurrence of cancer associated with BRAFV600E, RET/PTC 1/3, ALK and NTRK fusions, while the intermediate risk may be related to BRAFK601E, H/K/N RAS and PAX8/PPARγ. In addition, it may be suggested that tumor genotype is associated with peculiar phenotype.

A basket trial of trastuzumab deruxtecan, a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate, for HER2-amplified solid tumors identified by circulating tumor DNA analysis (HERALD trial).

TPS3650 Background: Trastuzumab deruxtecan, a new HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, has been approved for unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer by the Food and Drug Administration. In a phase I/II trial, trastuzumab deruxtecan showed a manageable safety profile and antitumor activity in HER2-positive various cancer types. In addition, a tissue-based HER2 test occasionally cannot identify accurate HER2 status due to spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity, leading to potentially missing an opportunity for responders to receive benefit from anti-HER2-targeted therapy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis can detect comprehensive somatic genome alterations by assessment of spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity with minimal invasiveness. Methods: We designed an investigator-initiated multicenter phase II basket trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan in advanced solid tumor malignancies with HER2 amplification identified by Guardant360, a 74-gene sequencing ctDNA panel, as a part of the Nationwide Cancer Genome Screening Project (GOZILA study, UMIN000029315). The key eligibility criteria are as follows: 1) Histopathologically confirmed advanced solid tumor malignancy; 2) Identified HER2 amplification by Guardant360; 3) Failed prior standard therapy. The participants will receive intravenously 5.4 mg/kg of trastuzumab deruxtecan every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR). The planned sample size is 55-65. A Bayesian model considering the potential heterogeneity across cancer types will be applied to detect ORR of 5% versus 25% to a certain level while maintaining the false-positive error rate in each cancer type at 10%. Furthermore, tumor tissue, ctDNA and circulating tumor cells are serially collected and analyzed to investigate the predictive biomarkers and resistance mechanisms. The trial was activated in late 2019. At the time of the abstract submission, 2 patients have been enrolled. This trial is granted by AMED under Grant Number JP18lk0201084. Clinical trial information: JapicCTI-194707 .

Abstract CT096: Phase I study of in situ autologous vaccination for prostate cancer in a neo-adjuvant setting

Abstract Background: Certain solid malignancies like prostate cancer pose two major challenges for effective immunotherapy. The inherently low mutation load and spatial and temporal intra-tumor heterogeneity yields an immune exclusion and development of an “immune desert” within the tumor micro-environment (TME). Additionally, there is a response failure to immunomodulation, due to tumor/patient immunosuppressive mechanisms. In an effort to transform the prostate tumor environment into an immunogenic ecosystem, we are using PolyIC:LC as an immunemodulator. The novelty of this approach is a “host targeted”, in-situ “autovaccination” strategy, which uses the patient’s own tumor as the antigen source leading to activation of both an innate and adaptive immune response. As all patients will have their cancer removed after investigational therapy we can study baseline versus treatment induced changes in bio-specimens collected before, during, and after patients are exposed to PolyIC:LC. Correlative studies include characterization of tissue and systemic biomarkers of response using multiple platforms like cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF), RNA-seq, whole exome sequencing, seromics, TCR-sequencing, neoantigen specific T-cell responses, as well as assessing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at multiple time points to determine the potential in detecting tumor response to immunemodulation. Methods: This is a Phase I dose escalation study (NCT03262103) seeking to determine a safe dose and schedule of intratumoral (IT) plus intramuscular (IM) PolyIC:LC injections prior to radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer. The dose and frequency of IT PolyIC:LC will be increased in successive cohorts using a 3+3 design and traditional dose escalation rules. The dose and schedule of IM PolyIC:LC will remain fixed in successive cohorts. The study will consist of 24 enrolled subjects, recruited into cohorts consisting of a minimum of 3 and maximum of 6 patients per cohort. The first cohort, consisting of three patients, has been completed. Recruitment for the second cohort has begun with two patients already enrolled. The inclusion criteria extend to patients diagnosed with high risk (Gleason 7-10, cT2a-cT3b) clinically localized prostate cancer with no prior hormonal or radiation therapy and with plans to undergo radical prostatectomy. Week 1 serves as the priming course with the patient coming in for a pre-treatment biopsy followed by an IT injection. Weeks 3-6 consist of a booster treatment course with IM injections two times a week. Weeks 7-9 are a rest period with no injections followed by radical prostatectomy at week 10. Blood is drawn at weeks 1, 3, 6, and 9. At the time of surgery, blood, tissue, and lymph node are collected for research purposes. Following each IT and IM injection, the subject remains in clinic for monitoring for at least 1 hour or 30 minutes respectively. Patients are seen 6 weeks post-prostatectomy as per standard of care. The next follow-up visit is approximately 3 months following surgery where the first post-operative PSA check is performed. Assuming PSA levels are undetectable, the patient is followed up at routine intervals for PSA testing. Citation Format: Sujit S. Nair, Rachel Weil, Elena Gonzalez-Gugel, Marcia Meseck, Alex Rubinsteyn, Yulia Kodysh, Akriti Gupta, Keerthi Sadanala, Kacie Schlussel, Kamala Bhatt, Avinash Reddy, Rajan Patel, Tin Thawte, Adam Farkas, Siarhei Dzedzik, Kenneth Haines, Julia Wagner, Macy Robison, Cynthia Knauer, Andres Salazar, Matthew Galsky, Nina Bhardwaj, Ashutosh Tewari. Phase I study of in situ autologous vaccination for prostate cancer in a neo-adjuvant setting [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT096.

TiFFANY study: A multicenter phase II basket-type clinical trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of pan-FGFR inhibitor TAS-120 for advanced solid malignancies with FGFR alterations identified by circulating tumor DNA.

TPS3156 Background: Approximately 7% of advanced solid malignancies have FGFR gene alterations. However, standard treatment for FGFR-altered malignancies has not been established. Moreover, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has a potential to accurately identify FGFR alterations by assessing spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity, which have shown to be associated with a poor prognosis and resistance to anti-cancer therapy. Methods: We are conducting an investigator-initiated multicenter phase II basket-type trial to investigate efficacy and safety of TAS-120, a highly selective covalent pan-FGFR inhibitor, for the patients with advanced solid malignancies with FGFR alterations identified by ctDNA analysis as a part of the Nationwide Cancer Genome Screening Project (GOZILA study, UMIN000029315). Eligibility criteria include histologically confirmed unresectable advanced or recurrent solid tumors regardless of histology of origin; ECOG PS of 0 or 1; refractory or intolerant to the standard therapies; and clonal FGFR alterations ( FGFR1-3 gain-of-function mutations, FGFR1,2 amplifications and FGFR2,3 fusions) identified by a 73-gene sequencing ctDNA panel (Guardant360). Enrolled patients will receive TAS-120 20 mg once daily, orally, in a 21 day-cycle. The primary endpoint is to clarify objective response rate (ORR) assessed by investigators per RECIST v1.1. The secondary endpoints are to evaluate progression-free survival, duration of response, time to treatment failure, disease control rate, overall survival, ORR by central determination, and incidence of adverse events. Target sample size is determined as 26 to test the null hypothesis of ORR as 5% with one-sided alpha level of 2.5% and power of 80% to detect an expected value of ORR as 25%. Furthermore, tumor tissue and ctDNA will be serially collected and analyzed to investigate the resistance mechanisms and provide clinically meaningful biomarker which may be used for identifying and implementing treatment changes. Clinical trial information: 194624.

SY11-6 - Nationwide cancer genome screening project utilizing circulating tumor DNA analysis for advanced gastrointestinal cancer

Liquid biopsy has emerged as an excellent molecular diagnostic tool for assessing spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity in cancer with minimal invasiveness. In colorectal cancer, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis can identify not only genomic alterations associated with resistance to anti-EGFR therapy, but also predictive biomarkers to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as mutations in mismatch repair genes, microsatellite-high phenotype, and tumor mutation burden. Furthermore, the emergence of alterations in genes, such as RAS, EGFR, HER2, and MET, can be detected as acquired resistance mechanisms in specific genes by longitudinally monitoring ctDNAs during treatment. To determine the value of ctDNA analysis for decision-making by more accurate molecular marker-based selection of patients, clinical trials must be refined to evaluate the efficacy of study treatment in patients with targetable genomic alterations confirmed by ctDNA analysis. In addition, resistance biomarkers should be explored by monitoring ctDNA in large-scale clinical trials for identification of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies. We launched a ctDNA analysis-based cancer genome screening project as part of the SCRUN-Japan GI-SCREEN since February 2018. In our study, genomic alterations in 73 genes in ctDNA from blood have been analyzed using a next-generation sequencing based method for 200 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Furthermore, umbrella trials have concurrently been conducted for patients with specific genomic alterations, such as HER2 amplification. Serial monitoring of ctDNA is also planned to explore the resistance biomarkers in each clinical trial. Our project can help to realize cancer precision medicine utilizing ctDNA analysis for metastatic colorectal cancer. In the near future, this project will expand to appropriately 2,000 patients with all advanced gastrointestinal cancers. Updated results will be presented.

MS05.03 Tumor Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer

MS05.03 Tumor Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer

Reappraisal of HER2 status in the spectrum of advanced urothelial carcinoma: a need of guidelines for treatment eligibility

Although human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) may represent a therapeutic target, its evaluation in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder does not rely on a standardized scoring system by immunohistochemistry or fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), as reflected by various methodology in the literature and clinical trials. Our aim was to improve and standardize HER2 amplification detection in bladder cancer. We assessed immunohistochemical criteria derived from 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAPs) guidelines for breast cancer and investigated intratumoral heterogeneity in a retrospective multicentric cohort of 188 patients with locally advanced urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 178 primary tumors and 126 lymph node metastases, eligible cases (moderate/strong, complete/incomplete membrane staining) were assessed by FISH. HER2 overexpression was more frequent with 2013 ASCO/CAP than 2007 ASCO/CAP guidelines (p < 0.0001). The rate of positive HER2 FISH was similar between primary tumor and lymph node metastases (8%). Among positive FISH cases, 48% were associated with moderate/strong incomplete membrane staining that were not scored eligible for FISH by 2007 ASCO/CAP criteria. Among 3+ immunohistochemistry score cases, 67% were associated with HER2-positive FISH. Concordance between primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases was moderate for immunohistochemistry (κ = 0.54 (CI 95%, 0.41–0.67)) and FISH (κ = 0.50 (CI 95%, 0.20–0.79)). HER2-positive FISH was more frequent in micropapillary carcinomas (12%) and carcinoma with squamous differentiation (11%) than in pure conventional carcinoma (6%). Intratumoral heterogeneity for HER2 immunohistochemistry was observed in 7% primary tumor and 6% lymph node metastases; 24% positive HER2 FISH presented intratumoral heterogeneity. Our study suggests that HER2 evaluation should include an immunohistochemistry screening step with eligibility for FISH including incomplete/complete and moderate/strong membrane staining. Spatial or temporal intratumoral heterogeneity prompts to perform evaluation on both tumor and lymph node, and for each histological variant observed.

Clinical Utility of Analyzing Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Multiple genomic changes caused by clonal evolution induced by therapeutic pressure and corresponding intratumoral heterogeneity have posed great challenges for personalized therapy against metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the past decade. Liquid biopsy has emerged as an excellent molecular diagnostic tool for assessing predominant spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity with minimal invasiveness.Previous studies have revealed that genomic alterations in RAS, BRAF, ERBB2, and MET, as well as other cancer-related genes associated with resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy, can be analyzed with high diagnostic accuracy by circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis. Furthermore, by longitudinally monitoring ctDNAs during anti-EGFR therapy, the emergence of genomic alterations can be detected as acquired resistance mechanisms in specific genes, mainly those associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Analysis of ctDNA can also identify predictive biomarkers to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as mutations in mismatch repair genes, microsatellite instability-high phenotype, and tumor mutation burden. Some prospective clinical trials evaluating targeted agents for genomic alterations in ctDNA or exploring resistance biomarkers by monitoring of ctDNA are ongoing.To determine the value of ctDNA analysis for decision-making by more accurate molecular marker-based selection of patients and identification of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies or sensitive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors, clinical trials must be refined to evaluate the efficacy of study treatment in patients with targetable genomic alterations confirmed by ctDNA analysis, and resistance biomarkers should be explored by monitoring ctDNA in large-scale clinical trials. In the near future, ctDNA analysis will play an important role in precision medicine for mCRC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are determined according to the molecular profile, which is confirmed by analyzing tumor tissue. Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may overcome the limitations of tissue-based analysis by capturing spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity of mCRC. Clinical trials must be refined to test the value of ctDNA analysis in patient selection and identification of biomarkers. This review describes ctDNA analysis, which will have an important role in precision medicine for mCRC.

Non-blood circulating tumor DNA detection in cancer.

Tumor DNA contains specific somatic alterations that are crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Due to the spatial and temporal intra-tumor heterogeneity, multi-sampling is needed to adequately characterize the somatic alterations. Tissue biopsy, however, is limited by the restricted access to sample and the challenges to recapitulate the tumor clonal diversity. Non-blood circulating tumor DNA are tumor DNA fragments presents in non-blood body fluids, such as urine, saliva, sputum, stool, pleural fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of tumor DNA in these non-blood body fluids and their application to the diagnosis, screening, and monitoring of cancers. Non-blood circulating tumor DNA has an enormous potential for large-scale screening of local neoplasms because of its non-invasive nature, close proximity to the tumors, easiness and it is an economically viable option. It permits longitudinal assessments and allows sequential monitoring of response and progression. Enrichment of tumor DNA of local cancers in non-blood body fluids may help to archive a higher sensitivity than in plasma ctDNA. The direct contact of cancerous cells and body fluid may facilitate the detection of tumor DNA. Furthermore, normal DNA always dilutes the plasma ctDNA, which may be aggravated by inflammation and injury when very high amounts of normal DNA are released into the circulation. Altogether, our review indicate that non-blood circulating tumor DNA presents an option where the disease can be tracked in a simple and less-invasive manner, allowing for serial sampling informing of the tumor heterogeneity and response to treatment.

Intratumoral heterogeneity and subclonal diversification of early breast cancer

Heterogeneity has long been recognized as a feature of some primary breast cancers manifesting as mixed histopathological subtypes or variable expression of the therapeutic targets ER, PgR and HER2. The recent emergence of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has revolutionized our understanding of the extent and nature of subclonal diversification. Careful examination of primary breast cancers often reveals multiple genomically distinct subclones that may contain driver alterations that follow spatial patterns of segregation. Subclonality is of clinical relevance as it forms the substrate of selection and can give rise to aggressive clinical features such as invasiveness, metastasis and treatment resistance. However, spatial and temporal intra-tumoral heterogeneity pose fundamental challenges to representative sampling and consequently the feasibility of a personalized medicine approach. Fundamental clinical and biological questions are starting to be addressed by applying NGS to the study of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and the insights that it provides should be used to better inform the prospective design of clinico-genomics trials.

Medulloblastoma: From Myth to Molecular.

Current therapies for medulloblastoma were introduced primarily in the 1980s and consist of predominantly cytotoxic, nontargeted approaches. Mortality from medulloblastoma remains significant. In addition, many survivors suffer from severe treatment-related effects of radiation and cytotoxic chemotherapy. Further intensification of nonspecific therapy is unlikely to offer additional benefits, because survival rates have reached a plateau. Recent publications in medulloblastoma have revolved largely around the recognition that medulloblastoma per se does not exist, but rather, that there are a group of histologically similar but clinically and molecularly distinct entities that have been grouped under that rubric. Distinguishing the four molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma-wingless (WNT), sonic hedgehog (SHH), group 3, and group 4-in the daily treatment of patients, as well in the setting of clinical trials, is an important challenge in the near term for the pediatric neuro-oncology community. The preponderance of morbidity in treating patients with medulloblastoma is secondary to the treatment or prophylaxis of leptomeningeal metastases, and the cause of most deaths is leptomeningeal metastases. Recurrence of medulloblastoma is a nearly universally fatal event, with no significant salvage rate. The extent of spatial and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity as medulloblastoma metastasizes to leptomeninges and as it evolves in the face of radiation and cytotoxic chemotherapy is just beginning to be understood as a major barrier to therapeutic success. Pediatric neuro-oncology clinicians and scientists must now determine how best to incorporate rapid changes in our biologic understanding of medulloblastoma into the next generation of upfront clinical trials, with the goal of both improving survival for the highest-risk patients and improving quality of life for survivors.

Breast Cancer Heterogeneity: Roles in Tumorigenesis and Therapeutic Implications

Breast cancer heterogeneity constitutes a significant investigational and therapeutic challenge. Here we review recent findings on breast cancer heterogeneity, focusing on its extent across the distinct molecular subtypes, the degree of spatial and temporal intra-tumor heterogeneity, and possible approaches to dissect and counteract it. Recent massively parallel sequencing studies have solidified the notion that estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative breast cancers have divergent genetic landscapes. Numerous studies have addressed the origins of heterogeneity and the challenges it poses for patient management; however, its dynamic evolution in the light of novel targeted therapies is yet to be fully understood. Tumor heterogeneity poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Implementation of novel methodologies, such as single cell sequencing and analysis of cell-free DNA, might afford us the means to comprehend intra-tumor heterogeneity with greater precision, and to overcome the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges posed by it.

Tumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer

The objective of this literature review is to describe the types of tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer and their clinical implication. Two kinds of tumor heterogeneity are described: intertumor heterogeneity and intra-tumor heterogeneity. In breast cancer, inter-tumor heterogeneity was best characterized in the 2000s thanks to high throughput analyses. These analyzes resulted in a molecular classification of breast cancers distinguishing four subtypes: Luminal A, Luminal B, HER 2+ and basal like. This variability may be observed between the primary tumor and metastases, namely the temporal intratumor heterogeneity. The average discrepancy for the progesterone receptor, estrogen, and between HER2 status appears to be 33%, 20% and 8%, respectively. It is then interesting to study the heterogeneity within the primary tumor: this spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity is poorly known. Physiopathology of intra-tumor heterogeneity light be deciphered by studies on cancer stem cells and clonal evolution model. In addition, the tumor microenvironment seems to actively contribute to this heterogeneity. The major interest to study this heterogeneity is the clinical implication that could result. While precision medicine is emerging, it is important to capture the heterogeneity of each specific tumor type. These new biological knowledge will allow us to anticipate such heterogeneity and individualize the management of breast cancer.

Abstract 24: Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity of primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma in never smokers

Abstract Aim: Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity challenges personalized lung cancer care, especially where it relies upon small diagnostic samples. To explore genomic representation provided by tumor subsampling, we performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) of multiple regions of individual primary pulmonary adenocarcinomas (LUAC). Methods: An observational study was performed on three cases of never-smoking LUAC resected with curative intent. Post-diagnostic residual fresh tumor was procured with informed consent, along with constitutional samples from normal lung or blood. Selection criteria included: histologically confirmed LUAC; never-smoker [defined as fewer than 100 cigarettes consumed in a lifetime]; and no prior malignancy, cytotoxic therapy or thoracic radiotherapy. Tissue samples were procured by an anatomical pathologist and research scientist and snap frozen within 60 minutes of devascularization, then stored at -80 degrees celsius. Nine macrodissected subsamples met quality criteria of &amp;gt;40% tumor cellularity and &amp;lt;20% necrosis (Case 1, 4 regions; Case 2, 3 regions; Case 3, 2 regions) as assessed visually by 2 anatomical pathologists. High molecular weight DNA was extracted from tissue using Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini Kit and from blood using Qiagen Blood Maxi Kit. WGS was performed on paired end libraries using Illumina's HiSeq 2000 platform to 80x (tumor), 40x (normal lung) and 30x (blood) coverage. Reads were aligned to GRCh37 with BWA-MEM. Duplicates were removed using Picard and local INDEL realignment and base quality recalibration were performed with GATK. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were called by MuTect, Varscan, Strelka and SomaticSniper. Variants were considered ‘high priority’ if predicted by SNPEff to have ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ functional significance. Structural variants were detected from WGS data using Breakdancer and Pindel. Sample genotyping was performed using Illumina's HumanOmni2.5-8 array and used to call copy number variations (CNVs) using the Genome Alteration Print tool. Results: All cases were Caucasian females. Case 1 consisted of a 37 year old with a well to moderately differentiated pathological stage IV (AJCC 7th Edition; T4 N1 M1a) tumor 75mm in maximal dimension for which DNA from 4 tumor regions and whole blood was available. Case 2 was an 80 year old with a 24mm, acinar predominant, moderately differentiated pathological stage 1A (T1b N0 M0) tumor for which DNA from 3 tumor regions and whole blood was available. Case 3 was an 82 year old with a 35mm, acinar predominant, pathological stage 1B (T2a N0 M0) tumor for which DNA from 2 tumor regions and non-tumor lung was available. Mean tumor cellularity (and mean sequencing coverage achieved) for regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 for case 1 were 50% (98x), 50% (100x), 73% (99x) and 58% (134x), respectively. Similarly, for regions 1, 2 and 3 of case 2, mean cellularity (and coverage) was 45% (93x), 45% (114x) and 40% (93x), respectively. Case 3 demonstrated 45% (107x) and 55% (97x) mean cellularity (and coverage) for regions 1 and 2, respectively. Less than 10% necrosis was observed in all tumor regions. Of 10275 SNVs detected in case 1, 3198 (3198/10275, 31%) were found in all 4 subsamples. 6911/15689 (44%) and 5595/9528 (59%) were shared among all subsamples in cases 2 and 3, respectively. The numbers of SNVs unique to each region relative to total SNVs observed for each region in case were: 869/5999 (14%), 1129/6437 (18%), 914/6969 (13%) and 517/5936 (9%). Similarly, the numbers of unique SNVs as a proportion of total SNVs for each region in case 2 were 1148/9835 (12%), 2556/11404 (22%) and 2632/10714 (25%); and for case 3 were 2293/7888 (29%) and 1640/7235 (23%). In case 1, 7 of 303 (2%) high priority variants were detected in all regions. Similarly, 44/303 (15%) and 29/302 (10%) high priority variants were detected in all tumor regions for case 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusion: Significant intratumoral heterogeneity was observed. These findings have significant implications not only for diagnostic testing of lung cancer but also for clinical trial design. Prospective clinical trials incorporating assessment of both geographic and temporal intratumoral heterogeneity will help explore the implications of this phenomenon on patient treatment. Acknowledgements: We acknowledge the patients, nurses, and staff of The Prince Charles Hospital for their contributions to this project. Funding: MD supported by Cancer Council Queensland and NHMRC PhD Scholarships. Supported by funding from NHMRC, Cancer Australia, TPCH Foundation, Queensland Health, Cancer Council Queensland. Citation Format: Marissa G. Daniels, Lutz Krause, Jonathan J. Ellis, Ian A. Yang, Rayleen V. Bowman, Vandana Relan, Kelly Chee, Felicia Goh, Brielle Parris, Leanne Morrison, Maria Martins, Linda Passmore, Elizabeth McCaul, Deborah Courtney, Edwina Duhig, Morgan Windsor, Rishendran Naidoo, Kwun M. Fong. Intratumoral genomic heterogeneity of primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma in never smokers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Precision Medicine Series: Integrating Clinical Genomics and Cancer Therapy; Jun 13-16, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(1_Suppl):Abstract nr 24.