Abstract 536: Molecular residual disease detection in early stage breast cancer with a personalized sequencing approach
Authors: Cutts Rosalind J. , Coakley Maria , Garcia-Murillas Isaac , Ulrich Lara , Howarth Karen , Emmett Warren , Perry Malcolm , Ellis Pete , Knape Charlene , Johnston Stephen R. , Ring Alistair , Russell Simon , Evans Abigail , Skene Anthony , Wheatley Duncan , Dowsett Mitch , Smith Ian E. , Turner Nicholas C. 
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) presents a strategy to identify Molecular Residual Disease (MRD) in patients with breast cancer. Tools capable of detecting ctDNA at lower concentrations are needed to increase sensitivity and lengthen lead time between ctDNA detection and relapse. We present results from a highly sensitive personalized sequencing approach for ctDNA detection of MRD based on multiple patient specific mutations.

Methods: 22 early breast cancer patients (12 hormone receptor positive HER2 negative (HR+HER2-), 7 HER2+ and 3 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)) enrolled in the ChemoNEAR sample collection study were included. Tumor DNA from FFPE samples was Whole Exome Sequenced to identify patient specific mutations and design personalized Residual Disease and Recurrence (RaDaRTM) multiplex PCR assays. Cell free DNA was extracted from 147 plasma samples (median volume 4ml, range 0.5-5ml) and sequenced with RaDaR assays, with 10-61 variants (median 41) per panel, to 100,000x per locus. A matched single timepoint buffy coat was sequenced to identify confounding CHIP mutations. A proprietary algorithm was used to identify ctDNA. Tumor Sequencing of multiple biopsy timepoints was carried out for 14 patients (mean 2.8 samples per patient) and clonal populations estimated with Pyclone. For clusters of greater than 10 mutations, RaDaR panels were supplemented with additional variants for clonal tracking.

Results: At a median follow-up of 24.6 months post-surgery, MRD was identified in 100% (17/17) of relapsed patients, and in none of the 54 time points in the 5 patients that did not relapse (p=0.0002, Log rank test). Detection of ctDNA levels ranged from 7.4 parts per million (ppm), equivalent to Allele Frequency (AF) of 0.0007%, to 13,195ppm (1.3%) (median 625ppm and 0.06% AF). Median lead-time from ctDNA detection to clinical relapse in patients with extracranial disease relapse was 12.89 months (range 3.72-26.04). In three patients with brain only relapse, ctDNA was detected prior to relapse in all patients (3/3, 100%) albeit with a reduced lead time over clinical relapse (3.85, 4.21 and 5.65 months), which was not previously achievable with single mutation dPCR MRD-detection assays. In 8/14 patients with multiple tumor samples sequenced, multiple clones (mean 3.4 clones/patient) were identified, with heterogenous polyclonal relapse in 4/8 patients, and a single clone detectable in 4/8 patients.

Conclusions: In a retrospective, multi-center, proof-of-principle study of early stage breast cancer patients with personalized sequencing assays, ctDNA-detected MRD associates with relapse free survival and long lead time over clinical relapse. Sequencing based ctDNA testing can detect patients with brain-only relapses, with increased sensitivity over first generation dPCR-based ctDNA assays.

Citation Format: Rosalind J. Cutts, Maria Coakley, Isaac Garcia-Murillas, Lara Ulrich, Karen Howarth, Warren Emmett, Malcolm Perry, Pete Ellis, Charlene Knape, Stephen R. Johnston, Alistair Ring, Simon Russell, Abigail Evans, Anthony Skene, Duncan Wheatley, Mitch Dowsett, Ian E. Smith, Nicholas C. Turner. Molecular residual disease detection in early stage breast cancer with a personalized sequencing approach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 536.