Abstract P2-11-05: Effects of Intrinsic Subtypes and 21-gene Assay on the Early and Late Recurrence Risks in Patients with Early Stage HER2+ Breast Cancer: An Analysis of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N9831 (Alliance) Trial
Authors: Chumsri Saranya , Li Zhuo , Norton Nadine , Moreno-Aspitia Alvaro , Colon-Otero Gerardo , Knutson Keith L. , Wolff Antonio C. , Perez Edith A. , Thompson E. A. 
Published: March 2023

Background: We previously demonstrated that intrinsic subtypes were associated with prognosis for early recurrence risk in patients (pts) with early-stage HER2-positive (HER2+) BC treated with trastuzumab (H) in the N9831 trial. Here, we evaluated the prognostic value of Intrinsic subtypes and 21-gene assay and the risk of early and late recurrence in the N9831 trial. Methods: NanoString custom code set, which included PAM50 and housekeeping genes, was used to quantify mRNA and generated intrinsic subtypes and risk of recurrence (ROR) score from the N9831 trial in Arms A and C: Arm A chemotherapy alone and arm C concurrent H. Quantitative RT-PCR of 21 genes, calculation of the axis, including estrogen axis (ER, PGR, BCL2, SCUBE2), HER2 axis (GRB7, HER2), proliferation axis (Ki67, STK15, Survivin, CCNB1, MYBL2), invasion axis (MMP11, CTSL2), and recurrence score (RS) risk group assignment (RS group 1 and 2: RS &lt; 31 and RS group 3: RS ≥ 31) were performed using Oncotype DX assay. Cox regression models for RFS were used for analysis. Early recurrence was defined as a recurrence that occurred at ≤ 5 years, and late recurrence was defined as recurrence at &gt; 5 years. Results: A total of 783 patients (Arm A 409 and Arm C 374) were included in this analysis. Using multivariate Cox regression analysis to evaluate the risk of early recurrence in patients who received chemotherapy alone in arm A, both invasion genes (MMP11 HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.05-1.44, p 0.01 and CTSL2 HR 1.36, 95%CI 1.1-1.69, p 0.005) and invasion axis (HR 1.64, 95%CI 1.26-2.13, p &lt; 0.001) were associated with a higher rate of early recurrence. CD68 was associated with improved outcomes (HR 0.56, 95%CI 0.38-0.83, p 0.004). For the risk of early recurrence in patients treated with trastuzumab in arm C, ER (HR 0.85, 95%CI 0.74-0.97, p 0.02), PR (HR 0.78, 95%CI 0.64-0.94, p 0.008), and estrogen axis (HR 0.7, 95%CI 0.57-0.87, p 0.001) were associated with improved outcomes. Invasion axis (HR 1.61, 95%CI 1.08-2.41, p 0.02), Oncotype Dx risk group (3 vs. 1 and 2, HR 8.89, 95%CI 1.27-1124, p 0.02), and basal subtype (HR 2.77, 95%CI 1.1-5.95, p 0.03) were also significantly associated with worse outcomes. For risk of late recurrence, in arm A, ER (HR 1.22, 95%CI 1.04-1.44, p 0.02), PR (1.26, 95%CI 1.05-1.5, p 0.01), and estrogen axis (1.39, 95%CI 1.09-1.77, p 0.008) were associated with worse outcomes. Oncotype Dx risk group (3 vs. 1 and 2, HR 0.4, 95%CI 0.16-0.98, p 0.05) was associated with improved outcomes. However, neither individual gene, axis, nor intrinsic subtypes were associated with the risk of late recurrence in patients treated with trastuzumab. Conclusions: For risks of early recurrence, the invasion genes/axis were associated with increased risks of recurrence in patients with early-stage HER2+ BC regardless of trastuzumab treatment. Among patients treated with trastuzumab, ER genes/axis, Oncotype Dx risk group, and intrinsic subtype were prognostic for risks of recurrence in the first five years. For risks of late recurrence, ER genes/axis and Oncotype Dx risk group were prognostic but only in patients treated with chemotherapy alone. The ER genes/axis were associated with less recurrence in the first five years but worse after five years, reflecting a higher risk of late recurrence in ER/PR+ HER2+ BC patients treated with chemotherapy alone. However, none of the individual gene, axis, or intrinsic subtypes were associated with the risk of late recurrence in patients treated with trastuzumab. Therefore, future studies are needed to identify biomarkers for the risk of late recurrence in HER2+ BC patients treated with adjuvant trastuzumab. Support: BCRF-19-161; U10CA180821, U10CA180882, Genentech. https://acknowledgments.alliancefound.org; Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00005970

Citation Format: Saranya Chumsri, Zhuo Li, Nadine Norton, Alvaro Moreno-Aspitia, Gerardo Colon-Otero, Keith L. Knutson, Antonio C. Wolff, Edith A. Perez, E. A. Thompson. Effects of Intrinsic Subtypes and 21-gene Assay on the Early and Late Recurrence Risks in Patients with Early Stage HER2+ Breast Cancer: An Analysis of the North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) N9831 (Alliance) Trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-05.