Age-dependency of the prognostic impact of tumor genomics in localized resectable MYCN non-amplified neuroblastomas Report from the SIOPEN Biology Group on the LNESG Trials

BACKGROUND: Biology based treatment reduction, i.e. surgery alone also in case of not totally resected tumors, was advised in neuroblastoma patients with localized resectable disease without MYCN amplification. However, whether the genomic background of these tumors may influence outcome was unknown and therefore scrutinized in a meta-analysis comprising two prospective therapy studies and a ‘validation’ cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Diagnostic samples were derived from 406 INSS stages 1/2A/2B tumors from three cohorts: LNESGI/II and COG. Genomic data were analyzed in two age groups (cut-off: 18 months) and quality controlled by the SIOPEN Biology Group. RESULTS: In both patient age groups stage 2 tumors led to similarly reduced event-free survival (5y-EFS: 83+3% versus 80+4%), but overall survival was only decreased in patients >18m (5y-OS: 97+1% versus 87+4%; p=0.001). In the latter age subgroup, only tumors with SCA led to relapses, with 11q loss as the strongest marker (5y-EFS: 40+15% versus 89+5%; p18m but not <18m. CONCLUSION: The tumor genomic make-up of resectable non-MYCN amplified stage 2 neuroblastomas has a distinct age-dependent prognostic impact in neuroblastoma patients. While in the younger age group tumors with unfavourable (SCA) and favorable genetics showed relapses, both without worsening OS, in the older age group only tumors with unfavorable genetics led to relapses and decreased OS.N/

Frequency and Prognostic Impact of ALK Amplifications and Mutations in the European Neuroblastoma Study Group (SIOPEN) High-Risk Neuroblastoma Trial (HR-NBL1).

In neuroblastoma (NB), the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase can be constitutively activated through activating point mutations or genomic amplification. We studied ALK genetic alterations in high-risk (HR) patients on the HR-NBL1/SIOPEN trial to determine their frequency, correlation with clinical parameters, and prognostic impact. Diagnostic tumor samples were available from 1,092 HR-NBL1/SIOPEN patients to determine ALK amplification status (n = 330), ALK mutational profile (n = 191), or both (n = 571). Genomic ALK amplification (ALKa) was detected in 4.5% of cases (41 out of 901), all except one with MYCN amplification (MNA). ALKa was associated with a significantly poorer overall survival (OS) (5-year OS: ALKa [n = 41] 28% [95% CI, 15 to 42]; no-ALKa [n = 860] 51% [95% CI, 47 to 54], [P &lt; .001]), particularly in cases with metastatic disease. ALK mutations (ALKm) were detected at a clonal level (&gt; 20% mutated allele fraction) in 10% of cases (76 out of 762) and at a subclonal level (mutated allele fraction 0.1%-20%) in 3.9% of patients (30 out of 762), with a strong correlation between the presence of ALKm and MNA (P &lt; .001). Among 571 cases with known ALKa and ALKm status, a statistically significant difference in OS was observed between cases with ALKa or clonal ALKm versus subclonal ALKm or no ALK alterations (5-year OS: ALKa [n = 19], 26% [95% CI, 10 to 47], clonal ALKm [n = 65] 33% [95% CI, 21 to 44], subclonal ALKm (n = 22) 48% [95% CI, 26 to 67], and no alteration [n = 465], 51% [95% CI, 46 to 55], respectively; P = .001). Importantly, in a multivariate model, involvement of more than one metastatic compartment (hazard ratio [HR], 2.87; P &lt; .001), ALKa (HR, 2.38; P = .004), and clonal ALKm (HR, 1.77; P = .001) were independent predictors of poor outcome. Genetic alterations of ALK (clonal mutations and amplifications) in HR-NB are independent predictors of poorer survival. These data provide a rationale for integration of ALK inhibitors in upfront treatment of HR-NB with ALK alterations

A human neural crest model reveals the developmental impact of neuroblastoma-associated chromosomal aberrations

Early childhood tumours arise from transformed embryonic cells, which often carry large copy number alterations (CNA). However, it remains unclear how CNAs contribute to embryonic tumourigenesis due to a lack of suitable models. Here we employ female human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation and single-cell transcriptome and epigenome analysis to assess the effects of chromosome 17q/1q gains, which are prevalent in the embryonal tumour neuroblastoma (NB). We show that CNAs impair the specification of trunk neural crest (NC) cells and their sympathoadrenal derivatives, the putative cells-of-origin of NB. This effect is exacerbated upon overexpression of MYCN, whose amplification co-occurs with CNAs in NB. Moreover, CNAs potentiate the pro-tumourigenic effects of MYCN and mutant NC cells resemble NB cells in tumours. These changes correlate with a stepwise aberration of developmental transcription factor networks. Together, our results sketch a mechanistic framework for the CNA-driven initiation of embryonal tumours

Prognostic relevance of TLX3 (HOX11L2) expression in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated with Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster (BFM) protocols containing early and late re-intensification elements

TLX3 expression (TLX3+) in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) seems to be associated with a poor prognosis when treated with regimens that lack early and/or late re-intensification therapy elements. Because such elements are essential components of the ALL-BFM (Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster) protocols, we evaluated whether TLX3+ T-ALL patients benefit from this type of therapy. Thirty-one/131 childhood T-ALL cases (24%) enrolled into four population-based Austrian ALL-BFM therapy studies were TLX3+. The male to female ratio was 3·5:1 and median age and leucocyte count at diagnosis were 8·7 years and 58·9 × 109/l, respectively. Twenty-four patients (77%) were good responders to prednisone. All were in complete remission after induction therapy. After a median observation time of 4·9 years (range 0·4–16·1 years) 28/31 TLX3+ cases remained in first complete remission after chemotherapy with one after additional stem cell transplantation. Although molecular disease was frequently present after a 4-drug induction therapy, final treatment outcome was excellent indicating that TLX3+ T-ALL cases may benefit from a BFM-type of ALL therapy with early and late re-intensification elements. Moreover, the fact that 2/3 relapses were also NUP214-ABL1+ suggests that these cases might represent the particular risk-prone TLX3+ subgroup that could benefit from a targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy

Pulmonary involvement in pediatric-onset multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis: Effect on course and outcome.

To assess the effect of pulmonary involvement on the course and outcome of multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (MS-LCH) in children. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 420 consecutive patients with MS-LCH. In this analysis, the term &quot;risk organs&quot; is defined as involvement of the liver, spleen, and/or hematopoietic system. The effect of pulmonary involvement on survival was assessed with multivariate Cox regression with adjustment for risk organs involvement and age. RESULTS: Pulmonary involvement in MS-LCH was present at diagnosis in 102 patients (24%). Of the 318 patients without pulmonary involvement at diagnosis, it developed in 28 within a median of 10 months (range, 1 month-5.5 years). The 5-year overall survival rate in patients without risk organ involvement at diagnosis was 96% in patients without pulmonary involvement and 94% in those with pulmonary involvement. In patients with risk organ involvement at diagnosis, the 5-year overall survival rate was 73% in patients without pulmonary involvement and 65% in patients with pulmonary involvement. In multivariate analysis, pulmonary involvement at diagnosis had no significant impact on survival rats (P = .109, hazard ratio = 1.5). CONCLUSIONS: In multivariate analysis, pulmonary involvement was not an independent prognostic variable and should therefore be excluded from the definition of risk organ involvement in MS-LCH