Abstract PO4-15-05: Genomic characterization and molecular predictive biomarkers for chemotherapy in a real-world population with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Olsson Erik , Lindman Henrik , Digkas Evangelos , Thurfjell Viktoria , Ali Haidar Mir , Krüger Ute , Wennstig Anna-Karin , Sundqvist Marie , Valachis Antonis 
Published: May 2024

Background: The genomic landscape of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) in a real-world population is poorly defined and despite recent advances in precision oncology, molecular biomarkers for chemotherapy are largely lacking. The presence of specific genomic alterations and alterations in oncogenic pathways have the potential to provide prognostic as well as predictive information for chemotherapy, which remains the backbone treatment strategy for mTNBC.

Methods: We conducted next-generation sequencing (NGS) with the FoundationOne CDx panel on tissue from the primary tumor and/or metastasis of 112 consecutive patients with mTNBC that were treated between 1998 and 2019 at 4 different Swedish hospitals. Every genomic alteration was, if applicable, subdivided into 1 of 10 canonical oncogenic pathways and noted for its involvement in the homologous recombination pathway (HRP). Frequently altered genes and pathways were then correlated with overall survival (OS) and evaluated regarding their association with progression-free survival (PFS) and response rate (RR) in patients treated with different chemotherapy agents. Tumor samples of patients with rapid progression or exceptional response to chemotherapy underwent exploratory comparison with regards to frequently altered genes and pathways and known clinical prognostic factors were compared between the two patient groups.

Results: After excluding 15 patients due to insufficient quantity/quality of tumor tissue or absence of clinical data, 97 patients were analyzed. The median age at diagnosis of metastatic disease was 61 (range: 28-90), 80 % had visceral disease and 26 % received platinum-based chemotherapy in the first line setting. The most frequently altered genes were: TP53 (82 %), RAD21 (25 %), PIK3CA (23 %), MYC (22 %) and BRCA 1 or 2 (16 %). The most frequently altered pathways were TP53 (86 %), PI3K (60 %), RTK/RAS (47 %) and cell cycle (36 %). In total, 26 % of patients had an alteration in the HRP. None of the most frequently occurring genomic alterations were associated with OS. Variants of clinical significance in the HRP and BRCA1/BRCA2 genes were associated with a longer PFS in patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in the first line setting (HR 0.12-0.84 and 0.12-0.92). Exceptional responders to chemotherapy exhibited a more favorable clinical profile than rapid progressors (median age 51.5 vs 66.5, median Charlson comorbidity index 0.5 vs 3) whereas some numerical difference in the genomic profiling in terms of genomic alterations in MYC and RAS/RTK pathways (more often in exceptional responders) could be observed.

Conclusions: We found no genomic alteration with prognostic significance in a cohort of mTNBC patients treated with chemotherapy in a real-world setting. Somatic variants of clinical significance in BRCA 1 and 2 and other HRP-related genes seem to define subgroups of patients with mTNBC that respond favorably to platinum-based chemotherapy. Further research into the genomic landscape of tumors from patients with rapid progression or exceptional response to specific treatment strategies can provide insights into mechanisms of resistance and identify new predictive biomarkers.

Citation Format: Erik Olsson, Henrik Lindman, Evangelos Digkas, Viktoria Thurfjell, Haidar Mir Ali, Ute Krüger, Anna-Karin Wennstig, Marie Sundqvist, Antonis Valachis. Genomic characterization and molecular predictive biomarkers for chemotherapy in a real-world population with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-15-05.