Abstract P6-03-02: EGFR genomic alterations in 5,605 cases of refractory and metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Ali SM , Wang K , Johnson A , Rodriguez AA , Elvin JA , Vergilio J-A , Suh JH , Chumsri S , Morosini D , Yelensky R , Lipson D , Chmielecki J , Miller VA , Ross JS , Chang J , Stephens PJ 
Published: May 2016

Background: Previous failed trials of anti-EGFR therapy (TBCRC001) in breast cancer have not directly assessed EGFR amplification instead relying on pathway activation surrogates. Previous studies have examined EGFR amplification primarily retrospectively for research purposes without being part of a standard diagnostic evaluation. We evaluated 5,606 clincally advanced breast cases for which comprehensive genomic profiling was performed in the course of clinical care to identify EGFR altered mBC cases.

Methods: DNA was extracted from 40 microns of FFPE sections from 5,605 mBC. Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) was performed using a hybrid-capture, adaptor ligation based next generation sequencing assay of up to 236 or 315 genes to a mean coverage depth of &gt;600X. The results were analyzed for base substitutions, short insertions and deletions, selected rearrangements, and copy number changes.

Results: 155 (2.7%) of 5,605 mBC featured EGFR alterations. 126 (10.6%) featured EGFR amplification, and 27 (2.2%) featured ERBB2 subs/indels, with no cases harboring both amplification and another GA of EGFR. These patient (pts) had a median age of 55 years (range 30 to 78). For EGFR altered cases, specimens utilized for CGP included 59 (38%) from the patient's primary BC and 93 (60%) from metastatic sites including liver (14%), lymph node (14%), lung (8%), soft tissue (6%), skin (5%) and with information not available for 3 cases. 75 (48%) mBC were submitted as IDC, 69 (45%) as breast carcinoma NOS, 5 (3 %) as metaplastic BC, and 7 (5%) as other mBC. For the 126 EGFR amplified breast patients, quantitative estimation of EGFR copy number ranged from 6 to 380 copies, with a median of 12 copies. A patient with heavily pretreated case and whose TNBC harbored 32 copies of EGFR was begun on erlotinib and has experienced a 20 months ongoing complete response to erlotinib, and will be presented as will other outcomes and biomarker characterization of these cases.

Conclusions: Given anecdotal evidence that mBC is responsive to anti-EGFR targeted therapies, prediction of benefit from such therapies may be linked to sensitive and specific detection of EGFR alteration in mBC cases. This study demonstrates a 2.7% EGFR alteration rate of mBC, with a striking median copy number of 12 for the subset of EGFR amplified cases. Given these findings along with anecdotal report of patient benefit, utilization of CGP in the course of clinical care or for clinical trials for mBC may help optimize treatement with targeted therapies for these patients including the direction of anti-EGFR monotherapy to EGFR altered patients.

Citation Format: Ali SM, Wang K, Johnson A, Rodriguez AA, Elvin JA, Vergilio J-A, Suh JH, Chumsri S, Morosini D, Yelensky R, Lipson D, Chmielecki J, Miller VA, Ross JS, Chang J, Stephens PJ. EGFR genomic alterations in 5,605 cases of refractory and metastatic breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-03-02.