Project description:Unique sub-clones within rectal tumors may harbor mutations which contribute to inter-patient variation in response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Analysis of the influence of nCRT on the extent and nature of intra-tumoral genetic heterogeneity in rectal cancer may provide insights into mechanisms of resistance. Ten locally advanced rectal cancer patients underwent pre-treatment biopsies. At the time of surgery, tissue from the treated tumor was obtained and analyzed. Pre- and post-treatment specimens were subjected to whole exome and confirmatory deep sequencing for somatic mutations. Copy number variation was assessed using OncoScan SNP arrays. In total, data from 32 pre/post-treatment samples are provided. The provided data include the pre/post tumor samples and the Affymetrix OncoScan SNP arrays.
Project description:Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is the treatment of choice in advanced rectal cancer, even though there are many patients who will not benefit from it. There are still no effective methods for predicting which patients will respond or not. The present study aimed to define the genomic profile of rectal tumors and to identify alterations that are predictive of response in order to optimize therapeutic strategies. Methods: Forty-eight candidates for NCRT were recruited and their pretherapy biopsies analyzed by array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH). Pathologic response was evaluated by tumor regression grade (TRG).Results: Both Smoothing and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) approaches identified similar alterations, with a prevalence of DNA gains. Non responsive patients had a different alteration profile from responsive ones, with a higher number of genome changes mainly located on 2q21, 7q21, 7q36, 13q12, 13q32-34, 16p13, 17p12 chromosomal regions. Conclusion: This exploratory study suggests that an in depth characterization of chromosomal alterations by aCGH would provide useful predictive information about response to NCRT and help to optimize therapy in rectal cancer patients. 48 samples included in the study were analyzed on whole genome BAC arrays with the aim to characterize genomic alterations and correlate them with the tumor response to therapy. The case series was composed by 15%,81% and 4% of uT2, uT3 and uT4 tumors, respectively. At the diagnosis 56% of patients had uN0 tumors and 44% uN+. 30%,13%, 23% and 34% of patients reached/mantained respectively ypT0, ypT1, ypT2 and ypT3. With regard to response to NCRT, according to TRG criteria proposed by Dworak, two group were defined: non responders (TRG0-2= 56%) and responders (TRG3-4=44%). Clinical and pathological parameters: uT: pre-therapy stage determined by ultrasounds techniques uN: pre-therapy lymph node status determined by ultrasounds techniques ypT: pathologic stage after a neoadjuvant treatment ypN: pathologic lymph node status after a neoadjuvant treatment
Project description:Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is the treatment of choice in advanced rectal cancer, even though there are many patients who will not benefit from it. There are still no effective methods for predicting which patients will respond or not. The present study aimed to define the genomic profile of rectal tumors and to identify alterations that are predictive of response in order to optimize therapeutic strategies. Methods: Forty-eight candidates for NCRT were recruited and their pretherapy biopsies analyzed by array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH). Pathologic response was evaluated by tumor regression grade (TRG).Results: Both Smoothing and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) approaches identified similar alterations, with a prevalence of DNA gains. Non responsive patients had a different alteration profile from responsive ones, with a higher number of genome changes mainly located on 2q21, 7q21, 7q36, 13q12, 13q32-34, 16p13, 17p12 chromosomal regions. Conclusion: This exploratory study suggests that an in depth characterization of chromosomal alterations by aCGH would provide useful predictive information about response to NCRT and help to optimize therapy in rectal cancer patients.
Project description:Our study was the first to investigate the role of hsa_circ_004119 in RC of NACRT, providing a biomarker about the efficacy of NACRT. Hsa_circRNA_405159 could be the therapeutic target of rectal cancer to improve the efficiency of neoadjuvant chemoradiation.
Project description:Exosomes may be used as biomarkers for the prediction and monitoring of response to anti-cancer treatment, yet relevant knowledge is very limited in the case of rectal cancer. Here we applied a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach to reveal exosome components connected with different responses to neoadjuvant radiotherapy in this group of patients and processes associated with identified discriminatory molecules. Moreover, the composition of serum-derived exosomes and a whole plasma was analyzed in parallel to compare the biomarker potential of both specimens, which revealed the highest capacity of exosome proteome to discriminate samples of patients with different responses to radiotherapy.
Project description:Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, RNA molecules which regulate numerous cellular processes. Specific miRNA may be abnormally down-regulated or up-regulated in colorectal cancer and have been found associated with prognosis or response to treatments. However, no study has ever addressed their predictive role in rectal cancer. Therefore, we used microarray technology and RT-PCR to profile miRNA expression patterns in patients (pts) with rectal cancer, with the aim to identify a specific M-bM-^@M-^\signatureM-bM-^@M-^] associated with pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy. Methods: 38 pts with locally advanced rectal cancer (cT3-4/N+) were treated with capecitabine-oxaliplatin and pelvic conformal radiotherapy (45 cGy) followed by surgery (after 6-8 weeks). Pathologic response was scored according to the tumor regression grade (TRG) scale. MiRNA expression profile was analysed by microarray on fresh frozen biopsies obtained before treatment start and confirmed by RT-PCR. The correlation between miRNA expression profile and the TRG coded as TRG1 (pathologic Complete Response-pCR) versus TRG >1 (no pCR) was assessed by statistical analysis methods specifically designed for this study. Findings: 14 miRNAs were selected by arrays analysis as differentially expressed in TRG1 pts and 13 were confirmed by RT-PCR. In particular, 11 miRNAs (miR-1183, miR-483-5p, miR-622, miR-125a-3p, miR-1224-5p, miR-188-5p, miR-1471, miR-671-5p, miR-1909*, miR-630 and miR-765) were significantly up-regulated in TRG1 pts, while 2 miRNAs were under -expressed (miR-1274b and miR-720). miR-622 and miR-630 showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in selecting TRG1 cases and were significantly correlated with EGFR (M-OM-^G2=11M-bM-^@M-"793; p= 0M-bM-^@M-"001) and TS expression (M-OM-^G2=10M-bM-^@M-"589; p= 0M-bM-^@M-"001). Interpretation: A set of 13 miRNAs is strongly associated with pathologic complete response and may represent a specific marker of response to chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Experiments were performed on purified RNA from preoperatory biopsies of 38 patients with histological diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma invading through the intestinal wall and/or with pelvic lymph node involvement as evaluated by endorectal ultrasonography (uT3-T4 and/or uN+). Patients were treated with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (capecitabine + oxaliplatin in combination with 45 Gy of pelvic conformal radiotherapy). Patients have been divided in the following two groups: group A those who had obtained a pathologic complete response M-bM-^@M-^S TRG 1, including the patient without detectable disease who refused surgery, group B any pathologic response other than complete.