Mutational spectrum and precision oncology for biliary tract carcinoma

• Published in: Theranostics Vol. 11; no. 10; pp. 4585 - 4598
• Main Authors: Lin, Jianzhen, Cao, Yinghao, Yang, Xu, Li, Guangyu, Shi, Yang, Wang, Dongxu, Long, Junyu, Song, Yang, Mao, Jinzhu, Xie, Fucun, Bai, Yi, Zhang, Lei, Yang, Xiaobo, Wan, Xueshuai, Wang, Anqiang, Guan, Mei, Zhao, Lin, Hu, Ke, Pan, Jie, Huo, Li, Lu, Xin, Mao, Yilei, Sang, Xinting, Zhang, Henghui, Wang, Kai, Wang, Xiaoyue, Zhao, Haitao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Ivyspring International Publisher Pty Ltd 01.01.2021; Ivyspring International Publisher
• Subjects: Aged; Bile Duct Neoplasms - genetics; Bile Duct Neoplasms - pathology; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; Biomarkers; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma - genetics; Carcinoma - pathology; Chemotherapy; Cholangiocarcinoma; Cholangiocarcinoma - genetics; Cholangiocarcinoma - pathology; Clinical medicine; Consent; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 - genetics; DNA Copy Number Variations; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Exome Sequencing; Female; Gallbladder; Gallbladder Neoplasms - genetics; Gallbladder Neoplasms - pathology; Genomics; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; Humans; INDEL Mutation; Male; Medical prognosis; Middle Aged; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Mutation; Neoplasm Staging; Oncology; Patients; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Precision Medicine; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) - genetics; Receptors, LDL - genetics; Research Paper; Transcription Factors - genetics; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - genetics; Tumors; biliary tract cancer; targeted therapy; precision medicine; genomic alterations; molecular screening
• ISSN: 1838-7640; 1838-7640
• DOI: 10.7150/thno.56539

The genomic spectrum of biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) has been characterized and is associated with distinct anatomic and etiologic subtypes, yet limited studies have linked genomic alterations with personalized therapies in BTC patients. This study analyzed 803 patients with BTC:164 with gallbladder cancer, 475 with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and 164 with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We determined genomic alterations, mutational signatures related to etiology and histopathology and prognostic biomarkers. Personalized targeted therapies for patients harboring potentially actionable targets (PATs) were investigated. The median tumor mutation burden (TMB) was 1.23 Mut/Mb, with 4.1% of patients having hypermutated BTCs. Unlike the results obtained from the Western population, the most frequently altered cancer-related genes in our cohort included (53%), (26%), (18%), (14%) and (14%). Germline mutations occurred mostly in DNA damage repair genes. Notably, 35.8% of the ICCs harbored aristolochic acid related signatures and an elevated TMB. and mutations and amplified 7q31.2 were demonstrated to negatively affect patient prognosis. Moreover, 19 genes were proposed to be PATs in BTCs, with 25.4% of patients harboring these PATs. Forty-six patients received PAT-matched targeted therapies, achieving a 26.1% objective response rate; the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.0 months, with 56.8% of patients obtaining PFS benefits. Extensive genomic diversity and heterogeneity were observed among BTC patients, with contributions according to potential etiology exposures, anatomical subtypes and clinicopathological characteristics. We also demonstrated that patients with refractory BTCs who have PATs can derive considerable benefit from receiving a matched therapy, initiating further prospective clinical trials guided by molecular profiling among this aggressive cancer.