Landscape of somatic alterations in large-scale solid tumors from an Asian population.

Extending the benefits of tumor molecular profiling for all cancer patients requires a comprehensive analysis of tumor genomes across distinct patient populations worldwide. In this study, we perform deep next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) from tumor tissues and matched blood specimens from over 10,000 patients in China by using a 450-gene comprehensive assay, developed and implemented under international clinical regulations. We perform a comprehensive comparison of somatically altered genes, the distribution of tumor mutational burden (TMB), gene fusion patterns, and the spectrum of various somatic alterations between Chinese and American patient populations. Here, we show 64% of cancers from Chinese patients in this study have clinically actionable genomic alterations, which may affect clinical decisions related to targeted therapy or immunotherapy. These findings describe the similarities and differences between tumors from Chinese and American patients, providing valuable information for personalized medicine.

Long noncoding RNA activated by transforming growth factor-ß promotes cancer development and is a prognostic marker in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been highlighted as crucial elements in cancer biology. LncRNA activated by transforming growth factor-ß (ATB) was identified to promote the development of multiple cancers and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in human cancers. However, to the best of our knowledge, the functional role of ATB in cervical cancer has not been verified yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of lncRNA ATB was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay in cervical cancer cell lines and clinical specimens. The clinical significance of ATB was statistically evaluated by analyzing the relationship between ATB overexpression and the clinicopathological characteristics of cervical cancer patients. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were conducted to investigate the role of ATB in the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of cervical cancer patients or subgroup patients. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses were adopted to identify the risk factors of OS and PFS of cervical cancer patients. RESULTS: LncRNA ATB was upregulated in cervical cancer cell lines and tissues (P < 0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that ATB overexpression was correlated with higher squamous cell carcinoma antigen level, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage of cervical cancer patients (P < 0.05). In addition, survival analysis showed that ATB upregulation was associated with poorer OS in cervical cancer patients and in subgroup patients without/with lymph node metastasis and with FIGO Stage I/II (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high ATB expression was defined as an independent risk factor of poorer OS and early recurrence of cervical cancer patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LncRNA ATB correlates with the malignant phenotypes and poor prognosis of cervical cancer. ATB may serve as a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target of cervical cancer patients.