Abstract 3191: Detection of molecular drivers in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: study on archival tissue from EORTC 90101 “CREATE” phase II clinical trial
Authors: Wozniak Agnieszka , Lee Che-Jui , van Wezel Tom , Sufliarsky Jozef , Gelderblom Hans , Blay Jean-Yves , Debiec-Rychter Maria , Sciot Raf , Bovee Judith V.M.G. , Schöffski Patrick 
Published: September 2020

Background. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMFT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm, mainly driven by anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, which is present in 50% of cases and target for ALK inhibition. For the current project we used tumor material from IMFT patients treated with the ALK/ROS1/MET inhibitor crizotinib in the frame of EORTC 90101, where IMFT patients were attributed to ALK+/- sub-cohorts based on the presence (&gt;15% of cells) or absence (&lt;15%) of ALK rearrangement by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC) [Schöffski at al. Lancet Respir Med. 2018]. The aim of the project was to evaluate the frequency of ALK rearrangement, compare different methods of ALK detection, perform a detailed characterization of ALK rearrangement partners, and to identify other potential molecular drivers with potential pharmacodynamic relevance.

Material and Methods. Archival material from 24 IMFT cases, both primary or metastatic samples, was analyzed by IHC using ALK antibodies: ALK1 (DAKO) and ALK-D5F3 (Cell Signalling), and pan-NTRK (Ventana, clone EPR17341). ALK and ROS1 rearrangement were studied by FISH and fusion genes were detected using the Archer CTL Fusion Panel.

Results. ALK immunopositivity by ALK1 and ALK-D5F3 was observed in 14 out of 24 cases and 11/21, respectively. ALK rearrangement by FISH was found in 13/23 samples. With Archer, fusion transcripts were identified in 13/20 specimens, all but one involving ALK with 11 different fusion partners. In one case we detected an ETV6-NTRK3 fusion; NTRK positivity was confirmed by IHC. Interestingly, the NTRK fusion case responded to crizotinib, which shows cone anti-NTRK activity [Okamura et al. JCO Precis Oncol 2019]. We did not detect ROS1 rearrangement by FISH in any sample.

Two samples with ALK rearrangement by Archer were negative by FISH, with 11% and 0% of cells with ALK split signal, but both showed protein expression with both antibodies used. They responded to crizotinib with either a RECIST 1.1 complete response or stable disease, for 43 and 9 months, respectively. All but one case with ALK rearrangement by Archer were positive by ALK IHC with ALK1 antibody. The only immunonegative sample had an EML4-ALK1 fusion. Two cases were positive with ALK-D5F3 antibody but no ALK positivity was detected using ALK1, and no ALK rearrangement was detected by FISH or Archer panel, suggesting false positive results.

Conclusions. ALK rearrangement is the most common driver in IMFT and the fusion can involve multiple partners. ALK1 but not the ALK-D5F3 antibody shows high ALK specificity in IMFT. The Archer CTL Fusion panel is a reliable and sensitive method for detecting fusion transcripts in IMFT, also allowing to detect alternative fusion genes, which may be responsible for the sensitivity to kinase inhibitors.

Citation Format: Agnieszka Wozniak, Che-Jui Lee, Tom van Wezel, Jozef Sufliarsky, Hans Gelderblom, Jean-Yves Blay, Maria Debiec-Rychter, Raf Sciot, Judith V.M.G. Bovee, Patrick Schöffski. Detection of molecular drivers in inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: study on archival tissue from EORTC 90101 “CREATE” phase II clinical trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3191.