Challenges of diagnosing homologous recombination deficiencies in metastatic prostate cancer: a six-year experience from a single institution.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the prevalence of homologous recombination deficiencies (HRD) to determine the efficacy of different techniques and clinical characteristics of patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with metastatic prostate cancer who underwent molecular testing at our hospital between 2016 and 2022. We used tumor tissue, ctDNA, and lymphocytes for somatic or germline testing. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes. RESULTS: 144 patients were tested (113 somatic, 21 germline, and 10 both). Technical issues prevented the analysis of 23 prostatic samples (18.7%). 12 (8.3%) patients had HRD. BRCA2 was the most frequent mutation (66.7%). Patients with HRD were younger (57.5 years). Patients with BRCA mutations had poorer survival (31.9 vs 56.3 months, p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: In our institution, 8.3% of the patients had HRD. Tumor tissue analysis failed in 18.7% of tests. ctDNA analysis is an alternative detection method. BRCA mutations are correlated with poor prognosis.

Intracranial thrombus composition is associated with occlusion location and endovascular treatment outcomes: results from ITACAT multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of thrombolytics directed towards different thrombus components regarding site of occlusion in combination with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) to achieve endovascular complete recanalization is unclear. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a prospective database in two stroke centers. Intracranial thrombi retrieved by MT were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining for fibrin and red blood cell proportions, and CD61 immunostaining for platelets proportion in thrombus (PLTPT) assessment. Thrombi composition, baseline variables, etiology, treatment features and occlusion location were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 221 patients completed the per protocol analysis and 110 cases achieved a final expanded Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (eTICI) 3 (49%) of which 70 were MT (32%) by first pass effect (FPE). Thrombi from medium distal vessel occlusions had higher PLTPT compared with thrombi from proximal large vessel occlusions (68% vs 61%, P=0.026). In particular, middle cerebral artery M2-M3 segment thrombi had the highest PLTPT (70%), and basilar artery thrombi the lowest PLTPT (41%). After logistic regression analysis adjusted for occlusion location and intravenous fibrinolysis, lower baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.95, 95% CI 0.913 to 0.998) and PLTPT (aOR 0.97, 95% CI 0.963 to 0.993) were independently associated with FPE. Fewer MT passes (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.538 to 0.842) and platelet poor thrombus (<62% PLTPT; aOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.288 to 4.440) were independently associated with final eTICI 3. CONCLUSIONS: Occlusion location might be a surrogate parameter for thrombus composition. Platelet poor clots and fewer MT passes were independently associated with complete endovascular recanalization. Clinical trials testing the benefits of combining selective intra-arterial platelet antagonists with MT to improve endovascular outcomes are warranted.

CTNND1 is involved in germline predisposition to early-onset gastric cancer by affecting cell-to-cell interactions.

BACKGROUND: CDH1 and CTNNA1 remain as the main genes for hereditary gastric cancer. However, they only explain a small fraction of gastric cancer cases with suspected inherited basis. In this study, we aimed to identify new hereditary genes for early-onset gastric cancer patients (EOGC; < 50 years old). METHODS: After germline exome sequencing in 20 EOGC patients and replication of relevant findings by gene-panel sequencing in an independent cohort of 152 patients, CTNND1 stood out as an interesting candidate gene, since its protein product (p120ctn) directly interacts with E-cadherin. We proceeded with functional characterization by generating two knockout CTNND1 cellular models by gene editing and introducing the detected genetic variants using a lentiviral delivery system. We assessed ß-catenin and E-cadherin levels, cell detachment, as well as E-cadherin localization and cell-to-cell interaction by spheroid modeling. RESULTS: Three CTNND1 germline variants [c.28_29delinsCT, p.(Ala10Leu); c.1105C > T, p.(Pro369Ser); c.1537A > G, p.(Asn513Asp)] were identified in our EOGC cohorts. Cells encoding CTNND1 variants displayed altered E-cadherin levels and intercellular interactions. In addition, the p.(Pro369Ser) variant, located in a key region in the E-cadherin/p120ctn binding domain, showed E-cadherin mislocalization. CONCLUSIONS: Defects in CTNND1 could be involved in germline predisposition to gastric cancer by altering E-cadherin and, consequently, cell-to-cell interactions. In the present study, CTNND1 germline variants explained 2% (3/172) of the cases, although further studies in larger external cohorts are needed.

Tumor analysis of MMR genes in Lynch-like syndrome: Challenges associated with results interpretation.

BACKGROUND: Up to 70% of suspected Lynch syndrome patients harboring MMR deficient tumors lack identifiable germline pathogenic variants in MMR genes, being referred to as Lynch-like syndrome (LLS). Previous studies have reported biallelic somatic MMR inactivation in a variable range of LLS-associated tumors. Moreover, translating tumor testing results into patient management remains controversial. Our aim is to assess the challenges associated with the implementation of tumoral MMR gene testing in routine workflows. METHODS: Here, we present the clinical characterization of 229 LLS patients. MMR gene testing was performed in 39 available tumors, and results were analyzed using two variant allele frequency (VAF) thresholds (≥5% and ≥10%). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: More biallelic somatic events were identified at VAF ≥ 5% than ≥10% (35.9% vs. 25.6%), although the rate of nonconcordant results regarding immunohistochemical pattern increased (30.8% vs. 20.5%). Interpretation difficulties question the current utility of the identification of MMR somatic hits in the diagnostic algorithm of suspected LS cases.

Prevalence of Homologous Recombination Deficiency Among Patients With Germline RAD51C/D Breast or Ovarian Cancer.

Importance: RAD51C and RAD51D are involved in DNA repair by homologous recombination. Germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in these genes are associated with an increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer. Understanding the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) status of tumors from patients with germline PVs in RAD51C/D could guide therapeutic decision-making and improve survival. Objective: To characterize the clinical and tumor characteristics of germline RAD51C/D PV carriers, including the evaluation of HRD status. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included 91 index patients plus 90 relatives carrying germline RAD51C/D PV (n = 181) in Spanish hospitals from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2021. Genomic and functional HRD biomarkers were assessed in untreated breast and ovarian tumor samples (n = 45) from June 2022 to February 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Clinical and pathologic characteristics were assessed using descriptive statistics. Genomic HRD by genomic instability scores, functional HRD by RAD51, and gene-specific loss of heterozygosity were analyzed. Associations between HRD status and tumor subtype, age at diagnosis, and gene-specific loss of heterozygosity in RAD51C/D were investigated using logistic regression or the t test. Results: A total of 9507 index patients were reviewed, and 91 patients (1.0%) were found to carry a PV in RAD51C/D; 90 family members with a germline PV in RAD51C/D were also included. A total of 157 of carriers (86.7%) were women and 181 (55.8%) had received a diagnosis of cancer, mainly breast cancer or ovarian cancer. The most prevalent PVs were c.1026+5_1026+7del (11 of 56 [19.6%]) and c.709C>T (9 of 56 [16.1%]) in RAD51C and c.694C>T (20 of 35 [57.1%]) in RAD51D. In untreated breast cancer and ovarian cancer, the prevalence of functional and genomic HRD was 55.2% (16 of 29) and 61.1% (11 of 18) for RAD51C, respectively, and 66.7% (6 of 9) and 90.0% (9 of 10) for RAD51D. The concordance between HRD biomarkers was 91%. Tumors with the same PV displayed contrasting HRD status, and age at diagnosis did not correlate with the occurrence of HRD. All breast cancers retaining the wild-type allele were estrogen receptor positive and lacked HRD. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of germline RAD51C/D breast cancer and ovarian cancer, less than 70% of tumors displayed functional HRD, and half of those that did not display HRD were explained by retention of the wild-type allele, which was more frequent among estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. Understanding which tumors are associated with RAD51C/D and HRD is key to identify patients who can benefit from targeted therapies, such as PARP (poly [adenosine diphosphate-ribose] polymerase) inhibitors.

Expert-based collaborative analysis of the situation and prospects of biomarker test implementation in oncology in Spain / Análisis colaborativo de expertos de la situación y perspectivas de la implementación de pruebas de biomarcadores en oncología en España

Purpose: Biomarkers as screening for precision medicine is a fundamental step. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to highlight the existing barriers in the implementation of Precision Medicine in Spain, with a special emphasis on barriers in access to the determination of biomarkers. Second, to provide a Roadmap that can help implement Precision Medicine equitably at the national level and optimize the use of biomarkers. Methods: A systematic review of literature (SRL) and a focus group (FG) with multidisciplinary experts has been carried out in 2023. Participants were contacted individually, and discourse analysis was processed anonymously. Results: We carried out a quantitative (SRL) and a qualitative approach (FG). The discourse analysis and roadmap were sent individually to each expert for approval. Conclusions: The potential of Precision Medicine has not been fulfilled in Spain. While several regional initiatives are in place, a national plan or strategy around Precision Medicine and use of biomarkers is lacking. In a general context of rapid progress at a global and European level, including the 2021 Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, it is time to define and implement a National Plan to make the promise come true. While some comparable countries within Europe – such as the UK or France – are mature enough to adopt such strategies, in Spain there is still a long way to go. We consider that the different strands of work outlined in the Roadmap can be used as basis for such purpose.(AU)

RhoA downregulation in the murine intestinal epithelium results in chronic Wnt activation and increased tumorigenesis.

Rho GTPases are molecular switches regulating multiple cellular processes. To investigate the role of RhoA in normal intestinal physiology, we used a conditional mouse model overexpressing a dominant negative RhoA mutant (RhoAT19N) in the intestinal epithelium. Although RhoA inhibition did not cause an overt phenotype, increased levels of nuclear ß-catenin were observed in the small intestinal epithelium of RhoAT19N mice, and the overexpression of multiple Wnt target genes revealed a chronic activation of Wnt signaling. Elevated Wnt signaling in RhoAT19N mice and intestinal organoids did not affect the proliferation of intestinal epithelial cells but significantly interfered with their differentiation. Importantly, 17-month-old RhoAT19N mice showed a significant increase in the number of spontaneous intestinal tumors. Altogether, our results indicate that RhoA regulates the differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells and inhibits tumor initiation, likely through the control of Wnt signaling, a key regulator of proliferation and differentiation in the intestine.

Clinical Relevance of Tumour-Infiltrating Immune Cells in HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy.

Currently, therapy response cannot be accurately predicted in HER2-negative breast cancer (BC). Measuring stromal tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and mediators of the tumour microenvironment and characterizing tumour-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) may improve treatment response in the neoadjuvant setting. Tumour tissue and peripheral blood samples were retrospectively collected from 118 patients, and sTILs were evaluated. Circulating exosomes and myeloid-derived suppressor cells were determined by flow cytometry. TIICs markers (CD4, CD8, CD20, CD1a, and CD68) were assessed immunohistochemically. High sTILs were significantly associated with pathological complete response (pCR; p = 0.048) and event-free survival (EFS; p = 0.027). High-CD68 cells were significantly associated with pCR in triple-negative (TN, p = 0.027) and high-CD1a cells with EFS in luminal-B (p = 0.012) BC. Cluster analyses of TIICs revealed two groups of tumours (C1 and C2) that had different immune patterns and clinical outcomes. An immunoscore based on clinicopathological variables was developed to identify high risk (C1) or low-risk (C2) patients. Additionally, cluster analyses revealed two groups of tumours for both luminal-B and TNBC. Our findings support the association of sTILs with pCR and show an immunological component in a subset of patients with HER2-negative BC. Our immunoscore may be useful for future escalation or de-escalation treatments.

MRI Surveillance and Breast Cancer Mortality in Women With BRCA1 and BRCA2 Sequence Variations.

Importance: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) surveillance is offered to women with a pathogenic variant in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene who face a high lifetime risk of breast cancer. Surveillance with MRI is effective in downstaging breast cancers, but the association of MRI surveillance with mortality risk has not been well defined. Objective: To compare breast cancer mortality rates in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 sequence variation who entered an MRI surveillance program with those who did not. Design, Setting, and Participants: Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 sequence variation were identified from 59 participating centers in 11 countries. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire between 1995 and 2015 and a follow-up questionnaire every 2 years to document screening histories, incident cancers, and vital status. Women who had breast cancer, a screening MRI examination, or bilateral mastectomy prior to enrollment were excluded. Participants were followed up from age 30 years (or the date of the baseline questionnaire, whichever was later) until age 75 years, the last follow-up, or death from breast cancer. Data were analyzed from January 1 to July 31, 2023. Exposures: Entrance into an MRI surveillance program. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for breast cancer mortality associated with MRI surveillance compared with no MRI surveillance using a time-dependent analysis. Results: A total of 2488 women (mean [range] age at study entry 41.2 [30-69] years), with a sequence variation in the BRCA1 (n = 2004) or BRCA2 (n = 484) genes were included in the analysis. Of these participants, 1756 (70.6%) had at least 1 screening MRI examination and 732 women (29.4%) did not. After a mean follow-up of 9.2 years, 344 women (13.8%) developed breast cancer and 35 women (1.4%) died of breast cancer. The age-adjusted HRs for breast cancer mortality associated with entering an MRI surveillance program were 0.20 (95% CI, 0.10-0.43; P < .001) for women with BRCA1 sequence variations and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.10-17.25; P = .93) for women with BRCA2 sequence variations. Conclusion and Relevance: Results of this cohort study suggest that among women with a BRCA1 sequence variation, MRI surveillance was associated with a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality compared with no MRI surveillance. Further studies of women with BRCA2 sequence variations are needed to ascertain these women obtain the same benefits associated with MRI surveillance.

Clinical application of the HM-1000 image processing for HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization signal quantification in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate quantification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene amplification is important for predicting treatment response and prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of HER2 status, particularly in cases with equivocal status on immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, but has some limitations of non-classical amplifications and such cases are diagnosed basing on additional IHC and FISH. This study investigated the clinical utility of a novel super-resolution fluorescence microscopy technique for the better FISH signal visualization and HER2 FISH classification. METHODS: Fourteen breast cancer tissue samples were retrospectively collected between September 2018 and February 2022, and FISH HER2 signal quantification was evaluated by determining the HER2/chromosome 17 centromere (CEP17) ratio and the number of HER2 signals per nucleus in super- versus conventional-resolution images. RESULTS: Super-resolution images maintained the same overall HER2 diagnosis from routine, but HER2 FISH amplification changed negative to monosomy in two cases. Two Letrozole non-response relapses coincided to monosomy samples. The median number of HER2 signals per nucleus was 7.5 in super-resolution images and 4.0 in conventional-resolution images in HER2-positive samples and 2.8 and 2.1 signals per nucleus, respectively, in HER2-negative samples. CONCLUSIONS: Super-resolution images improved signal visualization, including a significant difference in the number of countable HER2 and CEP17 signals in a single nucleus compared with conventional-resolution images. Increased accuracy of signal quantification by super-resolution microscopy may provide clinicians with more detailed information regarding HER2 FISH status that allows to better FISH classification such as HER2-low samples.

Expert-based collaborative analysis of the situation and prospects of biomarker test implementation in oncology in Spain.

PURPOSE: Biomarkers as screening for precision medicine is a fundamental step. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, to highlight the existing barriers in the implementation of Precision Medicine in Spain, with a special emphasis on barriers in access to the determination of biomarkers. Second, to provide a Roadmap that can help implement Precision Medicine equitably at the national level and optimize the use of biomarkers. METHODS: A systematic review of literature (SRL) and a focus group (FG) with multidisciplinary experts has been carried out in 2023. Participants were contacted individually, and discourse analysis was processed anonymously. RESULTS: We carried out a quantitative (SRL) and a qualitative approach (FG). The discourse analysis and roadmap were sent individually to each expert for approval. CONCLUSIONS: The potential of Precision Medicine has not been fulfilled in Spain. While several regional initiatives are in place, a national plan or strategy around Precision Medicine and use of biomarkers is lacking. In a general context of rapid progress at a global and European level, including the 2021 Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, it is time to define and implement a National Plan to make the promise come true. While some comparable countries within Europe - such as the UK or France - are mature enough to adopt such strategies, in Spain there is still a long way to go. We consider that the different strands of work outlined in the Roadmap can be used as basis for such purpose.

Genetic and clinical characterization of a novel FH founder mutation in families with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary syndrome. Previously, we published the largest cohort of FH mutation carriers in Spain and observed a highly recurrent missense heterozygous variant, FH(NM_000143.4):c.1118A > G p.(Asn373Ser), in 104 individuals from 31 apparently unrelated families. Here, we aimed to establish its founder effect and characterize the associated clinical phenotype. RESULTS: Haplotype analysis confirmed that families shared a common haplotype (32/38 markers) spanning 0.61-0.82 Mb, indicating this recurrent variant was inherited from a founder ancestor. Cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis were diagnosed in 64.6% (64/99) and 98% (50/51) of patients, respectively, and renal cell cancer was present in 10.4% (10/96). The pathogenic FH_c.1118A > G variant is a Spanish founder mutation that originated 12-26 generations ago. We estimate that the variant may have appeared between 1370 and 1720. Individuals carrying this founder mutation had similar frequency of renal cell cancer and a higher frequency of renal cysts and leiomyomas than those in other cohorts of this syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: In the Spanish province of Alicante there is a high prevalence of HLRCC because of the founder mutation FH c.1118A > G; p.(Asn373Ser). The characterization of founder mutations provides accurate and specific information regarding their penetrance and expressivity. In individuals with suspected HLRCC from the province of Alicante, genetic testing by direct analysis of the founder FH c.1118A > G; p.(Asn373Ser) mutation may be a faster and more efficient diagnostic tool compared with complete gene sequencing.

The benefit of adding polygenic risk scores, lifestyle factors, and breast density to family history and genetic status for breast cancer risk and surveillance classification of unaffected women from germline CHEK2 c.1100delC families.

To determine the changes in surveillance category by adding a polygenic risk score based on 311 breast cancer (BC)-associated variants (PRS311), questionnaire-based risk factors and breast density on personalized BC risk in unaffected women from Dutch CHEK2 c.1100delC families. In total, 117 unaffected women (58 heterozygotes and 59 non-carriers) from CHEK2 families were included. Blood-derived DNA samples were genotyped with the GSAMDv3-array to determine PRS311. Lifetime BC risk was calculated in CanRisk, which uses data from the Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm (BOADICEA). Women, were categorized into three surveillance groups. The surveillance advice was reclassified in 37.9 % of heterozygotes and 32.2 % of non-carriers after adding PRS311. Including questionnaire-based risk factors resulted in an additional change in 20.0 % of heterozygotes and 13.2 % of non-carriers; and a subanalysis showed that adding breast density on top shifted another 17.9 % of heterozygotes and 33.3 % of non-carriers. Overall, the majority of heterozygotes were reclassified to a less intensive surveillance, while non-carriers would require intensified surveillance. The addition of PRS311, questionnaire-based risk factors and breast density to family history resulted in a more personalized BC surveillance advice in CHEK2-families, which may lead to more efficient use of surveillance.

Weakly Supervised Deep Learning Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Solid Tumors Based on PD-L1 Expression.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) IHC is the most commonly used biomarker for immunotherapy response. However, quantification of PD-L1 status in pathology slides is challenging. Neither manual quantification nor a computer-based mimicking of manual readouts is perfectly reproducible, and the predictive performance of both approaches regarding immunotherapy response is limited. In this study, we developed a deep learning (DL) method to predict PD-L1 status directly from raw IHC image data, without explicit intermediary steps such as cell detection or pigment quantification. We trained the weakly supervised model on PD-L1-stained slides from the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) cohort (N = 233) and validated it on the pan-cancer-Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) cohort (N = 108). We also investigated the performance of the model to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in terms of progression-free survival. In the pan-cancer-VHIO cohort, the performance was compared with tumor proportion score (TPS) and combined positive score (CPS). The DL model showed good performance in predicting PD-L1 expression (TPS ≥ 1%) in both NSCLC-MSK and pan-cancer-VHIO cohort (AUC 0.88 ± 0.06 and 0.80 ± 0.03, respectively). The predicted PD-L1 status showed an improved association with response to ICIs [HR: 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 1-2.3), P = 0.049] compared with TPS [HR: 1.4 (0.96-2.2), P = 0.082] and CPS [HR: 1.2 (0.79-1.9), P = 0.386]. Notably, our explainability analysis showed that the model does not just look at the amount of brown pigment in the IHC slides, but also considers morphologic factors such as lymphocyte conglomerates. Overall, end-to-end weakly supervised DL shows potential for improving patient stratification for cancer immunotherapy by analyzing PD-L1 IHC, holistically integrating morphology and PD-L1 staining intensity. SIGNIFICANCE: The weakly supervised DL model to predict PD-L1 status from raw IHC data, integrating tumor staining intensity and morphology, enables enhanced patient stratification in cancer immunotherapy compared with traditional pathologist assessment.

Platelet Analysis in the Thrombus Plus Serum BNP for Detecting Clot-Related Atrial Fibrillation. Results From the ITACAT Multicentric Registry.

Occult atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cause of cryptogenic stroke. This study aimed to investigate the utility of surrogate markers within the clot (clot markers), in combination with serum biomarkers, to identify AF-associated clots in patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy. Each retrieved thrombus was analyzed to identify fibrin, red blood cells, platelets - CD61 staining (PLT) and T-CD4 lymphocyte/macrophage/monocyte (CD4) profile. Serum biomarkers such as D-dimer, lipoprotein (A), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were also assessed in the acute phase of the stroke. Patients with stroke-related AF and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke were compared by matched case-control design to identify markers associated with AF clot profile. The predictive abilities of clot markers and serum biomarkers to detect AF clot were tested in patients with cryptogenic stroke. In patients with AF clot, the PLT percentage was higher (66.64% vs. 55.43%, OR = 1.03); CD4 percentage was lower (3.84% vs. 7.95%, OR = 0.95); and BNP marker was higher (2114 pg/ml vs. 276 pg/ml, OR = 1.04) compared to LAA clot. PLT was independently associated to AF-clot (OR, 1.04) but demonstrated moderate ability to identify AF-clot cases (C-test 0.668, p = 0.018). The combination of PLT with BNP significantly improved AF-clot prediction (C-test 0.847, p < 0.001). The clot composition of patients with cryptogenic stroke and AF detection showed four-fold higher PLT and BNP pattern of risk than patients with cryptogenic stroke without AF detection (38.5% vs. 8.7%) (OR = 1.40). Integrating intra-thrombus platelet with serum BNP offers a promising approach for detecting AF-associated clots in patients with cryptogenic stroke.

Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) Polymorphisms in Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Patients.

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) expression has been proposed as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for some cancer types, but knowledge about the predictive value of SPARC polymorphisms in the context of neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer (BC) is lacking. In 132 HER2-negative BC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we determined polymorphisms in the SPARC gene and analyzed their association with outcome. We also determined SPARC protein expression in tumor tissue. SPARC rs19789707 was significantly associated with response to treatment according to the Miller and Payne system in the breast (multivariate: odds ratio (OR), 3.81; p = 0.028). This association was significant in the subgroup of patients with luminal tumors (univariate: p = 0.047). Regarding survival, two SPARC variants showed significant associations with event-free survival: the rs19789707 variant in the subgroup of luminal A tumors (univariate: p = 0.006), and the rs4958487 variant in the subgroup of luminal B tumors (univariate: p = 0.022). In addition, SPARC rs4958487, rs10065756, and rs12153644 were significantly correlated with SPARC protein expression. Our findings suggest that SPARC polymorphisms could be good predictors of treatment response and survival in BC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, especially those with luminal tumors.

Glyoxal acid-free (GAF) histological fixative is a suitable alternative to formalin: results from an open-label comparative non-inferiority study.

Formalin, an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, has been the gold standard for fixation of histological samples for over a century. Despite its considerable advantages, growing evidence points to objective toxicity, particularly highlighting its carcinogenicity and mutagenic effects. In 2016, the European Union proposed a ban, but a temporary permission was granted in consideration of its fundamental role in the medical-diagnostic field. In the present study, we tested an innovative fixative, glyoxal acid-free (GAF) (a glyoxal solution deprived of acids), which allows optimal tissue fixation at structural and molecular level combined with the absence of toxicity and carcinogenic activity. An open-label, non-inferiority, multicentric trial was performed comparing fixation of histological specimens with GAF fixative vs standard phosphate-buffered formalin (PBF), evaluating the morphological preservation and the diagnostic value with four binary score questions answered by both the central pathology reviewer and local center reviewers. The mean of total score in the GAF vs PBF fixative groups was 3.7 ± 0.5 vs 3.9 ± 0.3 for the central reviewer and 3.8 ± 0.5 vs 4.0 ± 0.1 for the local pathologist reviewers, respectively. In terms of median value, similar results were observed between the two fixative groups, with a median value of 4.0. Data collected indicate the non-inferiority of GAF as compared to PBF for all organs tested. The present clinical performance study, performed following the international standard for performance evaluation of in vitro diagnostic medical devices, highlights the capability of GAF to ensure both structural preservation and diagnostic value of the preparations.

SEOM clinical guideline on heritable TP53-related cancer syndrome (2022)

Li-Fraumeni syndrome is caused by heterozygous germline pathogenic variants in the TP53 gene. It involves a high risk of a variety of malignant tumors in childhood and adulthood, the main ones being premenopausal breast cancer, soft tissue sarcomas and osteosarcomas, central nervous system tumors, and adrenocortical carcinomas. The variability of the associated clinical manifestations, which do not always fit the classic criteria of Li-Fraumeni syndrome, has led the concept of SLF to extend to a more overarching cancer predisposition syndrome, termed hereditable TP53-related cancer syndrome (hTP53rc). However, prospective studies are needed to assess genotype–phenotype characteristics, as well as to evaluate and validate risk-adjusted recommendations. This guideline aims to establish the basis for interpreting pathogenic variants in the TP53 gene and provide recommendations for effective screening and prevention of associated cancers in carrier individuals (AU)