Prognostic value of the 6-gene OncoMasTR test in hormone receptor–positive HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer: Comparative analysis with standard clinicopathological factors

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic performance of a 6-gene molecular score (OncoMasTR Molecular Score [OMm]) and a composite risk score (OncoMasTR Risk Score [OM]) and to conduct a within-patient comparison against four routinely used molecular and clinicopathological risk assessment tools: Oncotype DX Recurrence Score, Ki67, Nottingham Prognostic Index and Clinical Risk Category, based on the modified Adjuvant! Online definition and three risk factors: patient age, tumour size and grade. Methods: Biospecimens and clinicopathological information for 404 Irish women also previously enrolled in the Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment [Rx] were provided by 11 participating hospitals, as the primary objective of an independent translational study. Gene expression measured via RT-qPCR was used to calculate OMm and OM. The prognostic value for distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided ones. Results: OMm and OM (both with likelihood ratio statistic [LRS] P Discussion: Both OncoMasTR scores were significantly prognostic for DRFS and IDFS and provided additional prognostic information to the molecular and clinicopathological risk factors/tools assessed. OM was also the most accurate risk classification tool for identifying DR. A concise 6-gene signature with superior risk stratification was shown to increase prognosis reliability, which may help clinicians optimise treatment decisions. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02050750 NCT00310180.</p

Validation of the OncoMasTR Risk Score in Estrogen Receptor-Positive/HER2-Negative Patients: A TransATAC study.

PURPOSE: To test the validity of OncoMasTR Molecular Score (OMm), OMclin1, and OncoMasTR Risk Score (OMclin2) prognostic scores for prediction of distant recurrence (DR) in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer treated with 5 years' endocrine therapy only and compare their performance with the Oncotype DX Recurrence Score (RS). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: OMm incorporates three master transcription regulator genes. OMclin1 combines OMm, tumor size, grade, and nodal status; OMclin2 incorporates OMm, tumor size, and nodal status. OMclin1 and OMclin2 were evaluated for 646 postmenopausal patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative primary breast cancer with 0-3 involved lymph nodes in TransATAC. Patients were randomized to 5 years' anastrozole or tamoxifen without chemotherapy. RS was available in all cases. We used likelihood ratio-χ2, C-index, and Kaplan-Meier analyses to assess prognostic information. RESULTS: OMm, OMclin1, and OMclin2 were highly prognostic for prediction of DR in years 0-10 among all patients [likelihood ratio (LR)-χ2 = 25.4, 48.7, and 45.0, respectively, all P < 0.001; C-index = 0.67, 0.71, and 0.71, respectively], compared with RS (LR-χ2 = 18.8; P < 0.001; C-index = 0.63). All three scores provided significant additional prognostic value beyond clinical treatment score, Nottingham Prognostic Index, and Ki67. OMclin1 and OMclin2 categorized 190 and 267 node-negative patients as low risk (DR rates: 2.9% and 4.9%, respectively). In comparison, RS categorized 296 node-negative patients as low-risk and 128 patients as intermediate-risk (DR rate: 6.6% and 17.3%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: OMm, OMclin1, and OMclin2 were highly prognostic for early and late DR in women with early-stage ER-positive breast cancer receiving 5 years' endocrine therapy. In TransATAC, OMclin1 and the OncoMasTR Risk Score (OMclin2) were superior to RS in identifying patients at increased risk of DR

Evaluation of the OncoMasTR prognostic signature in postmenopausal women with primary ER-positive breast cancer.

Background: The assessment of distant recurrence (DR) risk in patients with early estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy is essential in making decisions on additional treatment. OncoMasTR (OM) is a continuous risk prediction model that provides a quantitative assessment of the likelihood of DR in patients with ER-positive breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic performance of OM in predicting DR for postmenopausal patients treated with anastrozole or tamoxifen. Methods: OM incorporates three genes and was developed in an endocrine treated population. OMclinical incorporates clinical parameters into the molecular OM. OM was evaluated for 648 ER-positive, HER2-negative patients with 0 to 3 involved lymph nodes in the TransATAC cohort. DR was the primary endpoint. Cox regression models were used to assess the prognostic performance. OM was evaluated for the overall time period and secondarily for late DR (years 5-10), and in node-negative and node-positive patients separately. Results: OM and OMclinical were highly prognostic for the prediction of DR in years 0-10 among all patients (LRχ2= 25.43 and LRχ2= 48.73, respectively, P < 0.001). OM/OMclinical provided significant additional prognostic value beyond standard clinicopathological variables. In women with node-negative disease, OM identified 37.8% of women as low risk with a 10-year DR risk of 3.5% (1.6-7.7), which was significantly lower compared to those categorised as high risk (10-year DR risk: 16.4% (12.4-21.5); HR = 4.8 (2.0-11.2)). Similar risk stratification and 10-year DR risks were observed for OMclinical in women with node-negative disease (HR = 6.5 (2.6-16.3)). Little prognostic information was provided for node-positive patients. OM and OMclinical were also highly prognostic for the prediction of late DR (LRχ2= 12.84 and LRχ2= 25.61, respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusions: OM and OMclinical were highly prognostic for early and late DR in women with early-stage (particularly node-negative) ER-positive breast cancer receiving 5 years of endocrine therapy and merit further evaluation as risk stratifiers to identify women who can safely forego chemotherapy

Analytical validation of OncoMasTR, a multigene test for predicting risk of distant recurrence in hormone receptor-positive early stage breast cancer

Background: OncoMasTR is a new multigene prognostic test that was discovered via a novel transcriptional network analysis method that identified upstream Master Transcription Regulators (MTRs), which regulate previously identified prognostic biomarkers. The optimised OncoMasTR signature incorporating clinicopathological information has been shown to be significantly prognostic for predicting distant recurrence in two independent cohorts (TransATAC & a subset of TAILORx from participating Irish centres). The analytical performance characteristics of the OncoMasTR test, comprising solely three prognostic MTRs, were determined. Methods: Relative gene expression levels were measured by RT-qPCR. Assay precision and input ranges were determined using a panel of samples representative of low and high recurrence risk tested across a number of runs incorporating different sources of variation. Serial dilutions of a pooled patient RNA sample was used to establish the linear range and efficiency of the individual gene assays. Results: The overall standard deviation of the OncoMasTR risk score was 0.15, which represents less than 2% of the 10-unit risk score range. The majority of the variability in OncoMasTR results was related to within-run variation (78.2%) with other between-run variation sources contributing relatively little (PCR instrument (0.6%), assay operator (5.2%), reagent lots (7.3%) or loading position (8.7%)). Consistent risk scores were measured for individual samples from 40ng down to 500-fold RNA input range corresponding to CT values of 23 – 36, demonstrating the ability of the test to reliably detect low level expression of the OncoMasTR panel. Importantly, PCR efficiencies were similar for the individual MTR and reference gene assays which ranged from 79 – 95%. Conclusions: The OncoMasTR prognostic test displays robust analytical and clinical performance and is being launched as a CE-marked test. The concise nature of the three gene signature and a simplified workflow that can be readily adopted using standard laboratory equipment will enable convenient qualification by local laboratories for decentralised use

Analytical Validation of a Novel 6-Gene Signature for Prediction of Distant Recurrence in Estrogen Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative, Early-Stage Breast Cancer

BackgroundOncoMasTR is a recently developed multigene prognostic test for early-stage breast cancer. The test has been developed in a kit-based format for decentralized deployment in molecular pathology laboratories. The analytical performance characteristics of the OncoMasTR test are described in this study.MethodsExpression levels of 6 genes were measured by 1-step reverse transcription-quantitative PCR on RNA samples prepared from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast tumor specimens. Assay precision, reproducibility, input range, and interference were determined using FFPE-derived RNA samples representative of low and high prognostic risk scores. A pooled RNA sample derived from 6 FFPE breast tumor specimens was used to establish the linear range, limit of detection, and amplification efficiency of the individual gene expression assays.ResultsThe overall precision of the OncoMasTR test was high with an SD of 0.16, which represents less than 2% of the 10-unit risk score range. Test results were reproducible across 4 testing sites, with correlation coefficients of 0.94 to 0.96 for the continuous risk score and concordance of 86% to 96% in low-/high-risk sample classification. Consistent risk scores were obtained across a > 100-fold RNA input range. Individual gene expression assays were linear up to quantification cycle values of 36.0 to 36.9, with amplification efficiencies of 80% to 102%. Test results were not influenced by agents used during RNA isolation, by low levels of copurified genomic DNA, or by moderate levels of copurified adjacent nontumor tissue.ConclusionThe OncoMasTR prognostic test displays robust analytical performance that is suitable for deployment by local pathology laboratories for decentralized use

Apelin: A putative novel predictive biomarker for bevacizumab response in colorectal cancer

Bevacizumab (bvz) is currently employed as an anti-angiogenic therapy across several cancer indications. Bvz response heterogeneity has been well documented, with only 10-15% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients benefitting in general. For other patients, clinical efficacy is limited and side effects are significant. This reinforces the need for a robust predictive biomarker of response. To identify such a biomarker, we performed a DNA microarray-based transcriptional profiling screen with primary endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from normal and tumour colon tissues. Thirteen separate populations of tumour-associated ECs and 10 of normal ECs were isolated using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. We hypothesised that VEGF-induced genes were overexpressed in tumour ECs; these genes could relate to bvz response and serve as potential predictive biomarkers. Transcriptional profiling revealed a total of 2,610 differentially expressed genes when tumour and normal ECs were compared. To explore their relation to bvz response, the mRNA expression levels of top-ranked genes were examined using quantitative PCR in 30 independent tumour tissues from CRC patients that received bvz in the adjuvant setting. These analyses revealed that the expression of MMP12 and APLN mRNA was significantly higher in bvz non-responders compared to responders. At the protein level, high APLN expression was correlated with poor progression-free survival in bvz-treated patients. Thus, high APLN expression may represent a novel predictive biomarker for bvz unresponsiveness.</p