Abstract 5268: The spectrum of FGFR mutations in pediatric and young adult solid tumor
Authors: Wu Jinhua , Schubert Jeffrey , Xu Feng , Long Ariel , Patel Maha , Golenberg Netta , Fu Weixuan , Cao Kajia , Chen Jiani , Denenberg Elizabeth H. , Fanning Elizabeth A. , Bagatell Rochelle , Laetsch Theodore W. , Resnick Adam , Santi Mariarita , Storm Phillip Jay B. , Luo Minjie , Surrey Lea F. , Zhong Yiming , Li Marilyn M. 
Published: June 2022

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are a family of receptor tyrosine kinases expressed on the cell membrane that play crucial roles in cellular lineage commitment, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Deregulated FGFR signaling is observed in a subset of tumors across various histologies, making FGFRs ideal therapeutic targets. We sought to determine the genetic landscape of FGFR-family variations in a cohort of pediatric and young adult patients with solid tumors. The CHOP Comprehensive Solid Tumor Panel was performed on 1,420 patients. The panel covers 238 cancer genes and screens for single nucleotide variants (SNVs), indels, copy number alterations, and 117 fusion gene partners interrogating over 700 exons for known and novel fusions. Identified variants were categorized and reported according to the AMP/ASCO/CAP guidelines. Fifty-six patients (4.1%), including 47 children and 9 young adults, were found to carry at least one FGFR alteration in their tumors. CNS tumors accounted for most of the cases (51 total, 87.9%), with pilomyxoid astrocytoma/pilocytic astrocytoma and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor the most common (13 and 12 patients, respectively). Non-CNS solid tumors included rhabdomyosarcoma (4 patients), neuroblastoma/ganglioneuroblastoma (2), and follicular thyroid carcinoma (1). FGFR somatic alterations were found in 56 tumors including 41 SNVs and small indels, 6 internal tandem duplications (ITDs), and 15 fusions genes. The most common SNVs observed were hotspot mutations p.K656E and p.N546K of FGFR1. Sequence alterations in FGFR1 contained 35 SNVs and small indels, mostly gain of function mutations located in the kinase domain, and 6 kinase domain ITDs. One SNV was identified in FGFR2 in the immunoglobulin domain. Two SNVs were reported in FGFR3, both of which were in the fibroblast growth factor receptor family domain, and 3 SNVs were identified in FGFR4, all occurring at the p.V550 codon located on the kinase domain. Companion mutations in non-FGFR genes were detected in 27 tumors, predominantly involving RAS signaling pathway genes including NF1 (14 variants), PIK3CA (8), PTPN11 (6) and PIK3R1 (4). Among fusion variants, FGFR1-TACC1 fusions were found in 5 patients, mostly in pediatric patients. One FGFR3-TACC3 fusion was identified in one young adult patient. Seven pediatric patients tested positive for FGFR2 fusions; all with different 3’ partners. The detection of an FGFR alteration defined or changed the histologic diagnosis for 22 patients. Our results reveal that FGFR alterations account for 4.1% (56/1420) of the patients with solid tumors tested in our laboratory. The majority of the FGFR-positive tumors are low-grade CNS tumors. Further, the identification of FGFR alterations can significantly improve the tumor diagnosis and provide genomic evidence for potential targeted treatment with FGFR inhibitors.

Citation Format: Jinhua Wu, Jeffrey Schubert, Feng Xu, Ariel Long, Maha Patel, Netta Golenberg, Weixuan Fu, Kajia Cao, Jiani Chen, Elizabeth H. Denenberg, Elizabeth A. Fanning, Rochelle Bagatell, Theodore W. Laetsch, Adam Resnick, Mariarita Santi, Phillip Jay B. Storm, Minjie Luo, Lea F. Surrey, Yiming Zhong, Marilyn M. Li. The spectrum of FGFR mutations in pediatric and young adult solid tumor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5268.