Project description:PURPOSE: Intermediate-risk neuroblastoma patients >18 months of age, with non-MYCN amplified, International Neuroblastoma Risk Group Staging System (INRGSS) localised, unresectable or International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) stage 3 tumors, and unfavourable histology have inferior outcomes compared to other intermediate-risk patients. This study aimed to identify genetic prognostic biomarkers within this rare subgroup. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a large, international study including chromosomal copy number in all cases, next-generation DNA sequencing in most, and telomere maintenance mechanisms (TMM) and gene expression in a subset, and correlated results with patient survival. RESULTS: Among 98 tumors, 9/98 (9.2%) had oncogene amplifications (CDK4/MDM2/TERT co-amplification (n=1), CDK4/MDM2 co-amplification (n=4), CDK4 (n=2), TERT (n=1), and MYC (n=1)), while 63/98 (64.3%) had typical segmental chromosomal aberrations (tSCAs). Patients with tumors with oncogene amplification had the worst 5-year event-free survival (EFS) [0%] (p<0.0001 log rank test) and 5-year overall survival (OS) [44.4% (95% CI: 21.4-92.3%)] (p <0.01 log rank test). Patients with tumors harbouring tSCAs had inferior EFS compared to those with numerical chromosomal aberrations only [51.7% (95% CI: 40.6-65.8%) vs. 93.3% (95% CI: 81.5-100%)] (p <0.01). Patients with p53 pathway tumor alterations (n=10) had worse EFS than those without [0% vs. 61.1% (95% CI: 50.3-74.3%)] (p <0.0001, log-rank test) and worse OS [26.7% (95% CI: 8.9-80.3%) vs. 80.9% (95% CI: 71.8-91.3%)] (p<0.001 log rank test). Multi-variable analysis identified tSCAs as an independent prognostic variable for EFS and oncogene amplification or p53 pathway abnormalities as independent prognostic variables for EFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Oncogene amplification and/or p53 pathway abnormalities and/or typical SCAs identify patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma with inferior outcome for whom intensified or alternative treatments should be considered.
Project description:Purpose: Neuroblastoma is characterized by substantial clinical heterogeneity. Despite intensive treatment, the survival rates of high-risk neuroblastoma patients are still disappointingly low. Somatic chromosomal copy number aberrations have been shown to be associated with patient outcome, particularly in low- and intermediate-risk neuroblastoma patients. To improve outcome prediction in high-risk neuroblastoma, we aimed to design a prognostic classification method based on copy number aberrations. Methods: In an international collaboration, normalized high-resolution DNA copy number data (arrayCGH and SNP arrays) from 556 high-risk neuroblastomas obtained at diagnosis were collected from nine collaborative groups and segmented using the same method. We applied logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression to identify genomic aberrations associated with poor outcome. Results: In this study, we identified two types of copy number aberrations that are associated with extremely poor outcome. (i) Distal 6q losses were detected in 5.9% of patients and were associated with a ten-year survival probability of only 3.4%. (ii) Amplifications of regions not encompassing the MYCN locus were detected in 18% of patients and were associated with a ten-year survival probability of only 5.8%. Conclusion: Using a unique large copy number dataset of high-risk neuroblastoma cases, we identified a small subset of high-risk neuroblastoma patients with extremely low survival probability that might be eligible for inclusion in clinical trials of new therapeutics. The amplicons may also nominate alternative treatments that target the amplified genes.
Project description:Frequency and prognostic significance of genetic abnormalities in a subgroup of intermediate risk neuroblastoma patients: A SIOPEN study
Project description:Gleason grading is an important prognostic indicator for prostate adenocarcinoma and is crucial for patient treatment decisions. However, intermediate-risk patients diagnosed in Gleason Grade Groups (GG) 2 and GG3 can harbour either aggressive or non-aggressive disease, resulting in under- or over-treatment of a significant number of patients. Here, we performed proteomic, differential expression, machine learning, and survival analyses for 1,348 matched tumour and benign samples from 278 patients. Three proteins (F5, TMEM126B and EARS2) were identified as candidate biomarkers in patients with biochemical recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression yielded 18 proteins, from which a risk score was constructed to dichotomise prostate cancer patients into low- and high-risk groups. This 18-protein signature is prognostic for the risk of biochemical recurrence and completely independent of the intermediate GG. Our results suggest that markers generated by computational proteomic profiling have the potential for clinical applications including integration into prostate cancer management.