Does Evaluation of Tumour Budding in Diagnostic Biopsies have a Clinical Relevance? : A Systematic Review

Tumour budding has emerged as a promising prognostic marker in many cancers. We systematically reviewed all studies that evaluated tumour budding in diagnostic biopsies. We conducted a systematic review of PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane library for all articles that have assessed tumour budding in diagnostic (i.e. pretreatment or pre-operative) biopsies of any tumour type. Two independent researchers screened the retrieved studies, removed duplicates, excluded irrelevant studies and extracted data from the eligible studies. A total of 13 reports comprising 11 cohorts were found to have studied tumour budding in diagnostic biopsies. All these reports showed that evaluation of tumour budding in diagnostic biopsies was easily applicable. A strong association was observed between tumour budding score in diagnostic biopsies and corresponding surgical samples. Evaluation of tumour budding in diagnostic biopsies had a significant prognostic value for lymph node metastasis and patient survival. In all studies, tumour budding was a valuable marker of tumour aggressiveness and can be evaluated in technically satisfactory diagnostic biopsies. Thus, the assessment of tumour budding seems to identify the behaviour of cancer, and therefore to facilitate treatment planning.Peer reviewe

Association of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes with intestinal-type gastric cancer molecular subtypes and outcome

While host immune response is likely to be important for the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, detailed information on the T lymphocyte infiltration in different gastric cancer subtypes is lacking. Here, we studied the presence of CD3, CD8, and FOXP3 (Forkhead box p3) expressing T lymphocytes in a retrospective cohort of 190 intestinal gastric and gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas. The cancers represented four distinct molecular subtypes: Epstein-Barr virus–positive (EBV+), mismatch-repair-deficient (MMR-D), aberrant TP53, and the “other” subtype. The absolute numbers of CD3+, CD8+, and FOXP3+ T lymphocytes were analyzed in relation with these molecular subtypes and selected clinicopathological parameters. Overall, there was a large variation in the amount of infiltrating T lymphocyte in all molecular subtypes. Among the subtypes, EBV+ cancers differed from the other subtypes in increased lymphocyte infiltration and high CD8+/FOXP3+ ratio. While the TP53 aberrant subtype did not differ in the absolute amount of T lymphocyte, the ratio of CD8+/FOXP3+ and CD3+/FOXP3+ cells was highest in this subtype, possibly reflecting immunosuppression associated with genomic instability. Increased CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltrates were associated with better survival, and remained as independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. This study is the first to investigate lymphocytic infiltration within four molecular subtypes of intestinal-type gastric cancer in a European cohort. The results provide an important addition to the current knowledge of T lymphocyte–dependent immune response in gastric cancer and its prognostic significance.Peer reviewe

FHOD1 and FMNL1 formin proteins in intestinal gastric cancer: correlation with tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes and molecular subtypes

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is the third most common cause of cancer death. Intestinal type GC is a molecularly diverse disease. Formins control cytoskeletal processes and have been implicated in the progression of many cancers. Their clinical significance in GC remains unclear. Here, we characterize the expression of formin proteins FHOD1 and FMNL1 in intestinal GC tissue samples and investigate their association with clinical parameters, GC molecular subtypes and intratumoral T lymphocytes. Methods The prognostic significance of FHOD1 and FMNL1 mRNA expression was studied with Kaplan-Meier analyses in an online database. The expression of FHOD1 and FMNL1 proteins was characterized in GC cells, and in non-neoplastic and malignant tissues utilizing tumor microarrays of intestinal GC representing different molecular subtypes. FHOD1 and FMNL1 expression was correlated with clinical parameters, molecular features and T lymphocyte infiltration. Immunohistochemical expression of neither formin correlated with survival. Results Kaplan-Meier analysis associated high FHOD1 and FMNL1 mRNA expression with reduced overall survival (OS). Characterization of FHOD1 and FMNL1 in GC cells showed cytoplasmic expression along the actin filaments. Similar pattern was recapitulated in GC tissue samples. Elevated FMNL1 was associated with larger tumor size and higher disease stage. Downregulation of FHOD1 associated with TP53-mutated GC tumors. Tumor cell FHOD1 expression strongly correlated with high numbers of tumor-infiltrating CD8 + lymphocytes. Conclusions FHOD1 and FMNL1 proteins are expressed in the tumor cells of intestinal GC and significantly associate with clinical parameters without direct prognostic significance. FHOD1 correlates with high intratumoral CD8 + T lymphocyte infiltration in this cohort.Peer reviewe

Correlation of Somatostatin Receptor 1–5 Expression, [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC, [18F]F-FDG PET/CT and Clinical Outcome in a Prospective Cohort of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Purpose: The aim of this study was to correlate immunohistochemical (IHC) tissue levels of SSTR1-5 with the receptor density generated from [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC uptake in a prospective series of NF-PNENs. Methods: Twenty-one patients with a total of thirty-five NF-PNEN-lesions and twenty-one histologically confirmed lymph node metastases (LN+) were included in this prospective study. Twenty patients were operated on, and one underwent endoscopic ultrasonography and core-needle biopsy. PET/CT with both [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC and [18F]F-FDG was performed on all patients. All histological samples were re-classified and IHC-stained with monoclonal SSTR1-5 antibodies and Ki-67 and correlated with [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT. Results: Expression of SSTR1-5 was detected in 74%, 91%, 80%, 14%, and 77% of NF-PNENs. There was a concordance of SSTR2 IHC with positive/negative [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC finding (Spearman’s rho 0.382, p = 0.043). All [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC-avid tumors expressed SSTR2 or SSTR3 or SSTR5. Expression of SSTR5 was higher in tumors with a low Ki-67 proliferation index (PI) (−0.353, 95% CI −0.654–0.039, p = 0.038). The mean Ki-67 PI for SSTR5 positive tumors was 2.44 (SD 2.56, CI 1.0–3.0) and 6.38 (SD 7.25, CI 2.25–8.75) for negative tumors. Conclusion: SSTR2 was the only SSTR subtype to correlate with [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Our prospective study confirms SSTR2 to be of the highest impact for SST PET/CT signal

Prediction of the aggressiveness of non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors based on the dual-tracer PET/CT

Abstract Background Predicting the aggressive behavior of non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNET) remains controversial. We wanted to explore, in a prospective setting, whether the diagnostic accuracy can be improved by dual-tracer functional imaging 68Ga-DOTANOC and 18F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with NF-PNETs. Methods Thirty-one patients with NF-PNET (90% asymptomatic) underwent PET-imaging with 18F-FDG and 68Ga-DOTANOC, followed by surgery (n = 20), an endoscopic ultrasonography and fine-needle biopsy (n = 2) or follow-up (n = 9). A focal activity on PET/CT greater than the background that could not be identified as physiological activity was considered to indicate tumor tissue. The imaging results were compared to histopathology. The mean follow-up time was 31.3 months. Results Thirty-one patients presented a total of 53 lesions (40 histologically confirmed) on PET/CT. Thirty patients had a 68Ga-DOTANOC-positive tumor (sensitivity 97%) and 10 patients had an 18F-FDG-positive tumor. In addition, one 68Ga-DOTANOC-negative patient was 18F-FDG-positive. 18F-FDG-PET/CT was positive in 19% (3/16) of the G1 tumors, 63% (5/8) of the G2 tumors and 1/1 of the well-differentiated G3 tumor. 68Ga-DOTANOC-PET/CT was positive in 94% of the G1 tumors, 100% of the G2 tumors and 1/1 of the well-differentiated G3 tumor. Two out of six (33%) of the patients with lymph node metastases (LN+) were 18F-FDG-positive. The 18F-FDG-PET/CT correlated with tumor Ki-67 (P = 0.021). Further, the Krenning score correlated with tumor Ki-67 (P = 0.013). 18F-FDG-positive tumors were significantly larger than the 18F-FDG-negative tumors (P = 0.012). 18F-FDG-PET/CT showed a positive predictive value of 78% in the detection of potentially aggressive tumors (G2, G3, or LN + PNETs); the negative predictive value was 69%. Conclusions 18F-FDG-PET/CT is useful to predict tumor grade but not the LN+ of NF-PNETs. Patients with 18F-FDG-avid NF-PNETs should be referred for surgery. The 68Ga-DOTANOC-PET/CT also has prognostic value since the Krenning score predicts the histopathological tumor grade. Trial registration The study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov; Non-functional Pancreatic NET and PET imaging, NCT02621541

Prediction of the aggressiveness of non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors based on the dual-tracer PET/CT

Peer reviewe

Correlation of Somatostatin Receptor 1–5 Expression, [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC, [18F]F-FDG PET/CT and Clinical Outcome in a Prospective Cohort of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Purpose: The aim of this study was to correlate immunohistochemical (IHC) tissue levels of SSTR1-5 with the receptor density generated from [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC uptake in a prospective series of NF-PNENs. Methods: Twenty-one patients with a total of thirty-five NF-PNEN-lesions and twenty-one histologically confirmed lymph node metastases (LN+) were included in this prospective study. Twenty patients were operated on, and one underwent endoscopic ultrasonography and core-needle biopsy. PET/CT with both [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC and [18F]F-FDG was performed on all patients. All histological samples were re-classified and IHC-stained with monoclonal SSTR1-5 antibodies and Ki-67 and correlated with [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT. Results: Expression of SSTR1-5 was detected in 74%, 91%, 80%, 14%, and 77% of NF-PNENs. There was a concordance of SSTR2 IHC with positive/negative [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC finding (Spearman’s rho 0.382, p = 0.043). All [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC-avid tumors expressed SSTR2 or SSTR3 or SSTR5. Expression of SSTR5 was higher in tumors with a low Ki-67 proliferation index (PI) (−0.353, 95% CI −0.654–0.039, p = 0.038). The mean Ki-67 PI for SSTR5 positive tumors was 2.44 (SD 2.56, CI 1.0–3.0) and 6.38 (SD 7.25, CI 2.25–8.75) for negative tumors. Conclusion: SSTR2 was the only SSTR subtype to correlate with [68Ga]Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Our prospective study confirms SSTR2 to be of the highest impact for SST PET/CT signal

Combined epithelial marker analysis of tumour budding in stage II colorectal cancer

Tumour budding predicts survival of stage II colorectal cancer (CRC) and has been suggested to be associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the underlying molecular changes of tumour budding remain poorly understood. Here, we performed multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) to phenotypically profile tumours using known EMT-associated markers: E-cadherin (adherence junctions), integrin beta 4 (ITGB4; basement membrane), ZO-1 (tight junctions), and pan-cytokeratin. A subpopulation of patients showed high ITGB4 expression in tumour buds, and this coincided with a switch of ITGB4 localisation from the basal membrane of intact epithelium to the cytoplasm of budding cells. Digital image analysis demonstrated that tumour budding with high ITGB4 expression in tissue microarray (TMA) cores correlated with tumour budding assessed from haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) whole sections and independently predicted poor disease-specific survival in two independent stage II CRC cohorts (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.50 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.50-13.5), n = 232; HR = 3.52 (95% CI = 1.30-9.53), n = 72). Furthermore, digitally obtained ITGB4-high bud count in random TMA cores was better associated with survival outcome than visual tumour bud count in corresponding H&E-stained samples. In summary, the mIHC-based phenotypic profiling of human tumour tissue shows strong potential for the molecular characterisation of tumour biology and for the discovery of novel prognostic biomarkers.Peer reviewe

CDX2 Loss With Microsatellite Stable Phenotype Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Stage II Colorectal Carcinoma

Current risk factors in stage II colorectal carcinoma are insufficient to guide treatment decisions. Loss of CDX2 has been shown to associate with poor clinical outcome and predict benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II and III colorectal carcinoma. The prognostic relevance of CDX2 in stage II disease has not been sufficiently validated, especially in relation to clinical risk factors, such as microsatellite instability (MSI) status, BRAF mutation status, and tumor budding. In this study, we evaluated the protein expression of CDX2 in tumor center and front areas in a tissue microarrays material of stage II colorectal carcinoma patients (n=232). CDX2 expression showed a partial or total loss in respective areas in 8.6% and 10.9% of patient cases. Patients with loss of CDX2 had shorter disease-specific survival when scored independently either in tumor center or tumor front areas (log rank P=0.012; P=0.012). Loss of CDX2 predicted survival independently of other stage II risk factors, such as MSI status and BRAF mutation status, pT class, and tumor budding (hazard ratio=5.96, 95% confidence interval=1.55-22.95; hazard ratio=3.70, 95% confidence interval=1.30-10.56). Importantly, CDX2 loss predicted inferior survival only in patients with microsatellite stable, but not with MSI-high phenotype. Interestingly, CDX2 loss associated with low E-cadherin expression, tight junction disruption, and high expression of ezrin protein. The work demonstrates that loss of CDX2 is an independent risk factor of poor disease-specific survival in stage II colorectal carcinoma. Furthermore, the study suggests that CDX2 loss is linked with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition independently of tumor budding.Peer reviewe

An easily adaptable validated risk score predicts cancer-specific survival in stage II colon cancer

Non peer reviewe