The emergence of immunotherapy in oncology requires the discovery, validation and subsequent adoption of robust, sensitive and specific predictive and prognostic biomarkers for daily practice. Until ...now, anti-PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue sections has been the only validated companion diagnostic test for first-line immunotherapy for advanced and metastatic cancer, notably non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, detection of this biomarker presents limitations that have stimulated the development of other biomarkers and other approaches. Within this context, the use of a liquid biopsy (LB) could provide an important complementary or alternative added value to PD-L1 IHC. In this review, we discuss how LBs have been used in the field of immuno-oncology (I-O) to predict response, relapse or adverse advents for patients undergoing immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy (anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4) and we highlight recent developments. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), proteins and cytokines detected in plasma as well as circulating T-lymphocytes are discussed as potential sources for developing new I-O biomarkers. The quantification of cfDNA as a predictive biomarker, as well as its sequencing for the determination of tumor mutational burden, is already well advanced. Additionally, the quantification of PD-L1 from CTCs, bound on exosomes or free in plasma, as well as the determination of cytokines, are also being actively investigated with promising results having recently been published. Lastly, analysis of T-lymphocytes, especially by analyzing the T-cell receptor, has recently emerged as a valuable biomarker that might become relevant for the prediction of response to ICIs. While LBs have not yet been implemented in routine I-O clinical practice, recent promising data and rapidly advancing technologies indicate that this approach has the potential to soon personalize the clinical management of cancer patients receiving ICIs.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Résumé
Les cellules tumorales circulantes (CTCs) proviennent de la tumeur primaire et/ou des sites métastatiques et sont une véritable
biopsie liquide en temps réel
du cancer. De nombreux progrès ...technologiques permettent aujourd’hui de détecter et de caractériser ces cellules rares afin de disposer d’informations moléculaires et phénotypiques complémentaires de la biopsie standard : leur pertinence clinique n’est plus à démontrer. La radiothérapie a pour rôle d’améliorer le contrôle locorégional de la tumeur, et la question de son effet sur la valeur pronostique des CTCs associées au risque de diffusion systémique du cancer se pose et est discutée dans cette revue.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Successful application of programmed death 1 (PD1) checkpoint inhibitors in the clinic may ultimately benefit from appropriate patient selection based upon predictive biomarkers. Molecular ...characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTC) is crucial for the investigation of molecular-targeted therapies while predictive biomarkers for response to PD1 checkpoint inhibitors are lacking. We sought to assess whether overexpression of PD-L1 in CTCs could be detected at baseline and at different timepoints during treatment in a prospective cohort of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and used to predict clinical outcome after treatment with curative intent.
We developed a highly sensitive, specific and robust RT-qPCR assay for PD-L1 mRNA expression in EpCAM(+) CTCs. In a prospective cohort of 113 locally advanced HNSCC patients treated with curative intent we evaluated PD-L1 expression in the EpCAM(+) CTC fraction at baseline, after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy (week 6) and at the end of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (week 15).
PD-L1 overexpression was found in 24/94 (25.5%) patients at baseline, 8/34 (23.5%) after induction chemotherapy and 12/54 (22.2%) patients at the end of treatment. Patients with CTCs overexpressing PD-L1 at end of treatment had shorter progression-free survival (P = 0.001) and overall survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that PD-L1 overexpression at end of treatment was independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival and overall survival. The absence of PD-L1 overexpression at the end of treatment was strongly associated with complete response with an odds ratio = 16.00 (95% CI = 2.76–92.72, P = 0.002).
We demonstrate that detection of CTCs overexpressing PD-L1 is feasible and may provide important prognostic information in HNSCC. Our results suggest that adjuvant PD1 inhibitors deserve evaluation in HNSCC patients in whom PD-L1(+) CTCs are detected at the end of curative treatment.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Bone is the most common metastatic site for breast cancer. Estrogen-related-receptor alpha (ERRα) has been implicated in cancer cell invasiveness. Here, we established that ERRα promotes spontaneous ...metastatic dissemination of breast cancer cells from primary mammary tumors to the skeleton. We carried out cohort studies, pharmacological inhibition, gain-of-function analyses in vivo and cellular and molecular studies in vitro to identify new biomarkers in breast cancer metastases. Meta-analysis of human primary breast tumors revealed that high ERRα expression levels were associated with bone but not lung metastases. ERRα expression was also detected in circulating tumor cells from metastatic breast cancer patients. ERRα overexpression in murine 4T1 breast cancer cells promoted spontaneous bone micro-metastases formation when tumor cells were inoculated orthotopically, whereas lung metastases occurred irrespective of ERRα expression level. In vivo, Rank was identified as a target for ERRα. That was confirmed in vitro in Rankl stimulated tumor cell invasion, in mTOR/pS6K phosphorylation, by transactivation assay, ChIP and bioinformatics analyses. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of ERRα reduced primary tumor growth, bone micro-metastases formation and Rank expression in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic studies and meta-analysis confirmed a positive association between metastases and ERRα/RANK in breast cancer patients and also revealed a positive correlation between ERRα and BRCA1
carriers. Taken together, our results reveal a novel ERRα/RANK axis by which ERRα in primary breast cancer promotes early dissemination of cancer cells to bone. These findings suggest that ERRα may be a useful therapeutic target to prevent bone metastases.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Le traitement des cancers a évolué vers l’utilisation thérapeutique de plus en plus ciblée dans le cadre de la médecine personnalisée. Il est indispensable au clinicien d’avoir un profil biologique ...de la tumeur et particulièrement des cellules à potentiel métastatique pour optimiser les traitements. La recherche et caractérisation des cellules tumorales circulantes ont montré un intérêt pronostique dans de nombreuses localisations tumorales. Dans cette revue de la littérature nous décrirons les principales techniques pour la recherche et la caractérisation des cellules tumorales circulantes ainsi que leur intérêt dans les cancers gynécologiques et mammaire. Nous discuterons finalement comment cette technologie permettra l’optimisation des traitements.
Cancer treatment has evolved toward personalized medicine. It is mandatory for clinicians to ascertain tumor biological features in order to optimize patients’ treatment. Identification and characterization of circulating tumor cells demonstrated a prognostic value in many solid tumors. Here, we describe the main technologies for identification and characterization of circulating tumor cells and their clinical application in gynecologic and breast cancers.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cause of leptomeningeal metastases (LM). LM diagnosis is confirmed by the detection of tumor cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using ...conventional cytology (gold standard). However, even with optimal CSF sample volume and time to the analysis, the sensitivity of this technique is low, demanding repeated samples. Here, we aimed to evaluate the value of circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection in CSF using the CellSearch® system for LM diagnosis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
This prospective, monocentric study included adult BC patients with suspected LM (clinical and/or radiological signs). CSF samples from 1–3 lumbar puncture(s) were analyzed: protein level, conventional cytology (60 drops), and CTC detection with the CellSearch® system (60 drops, first lumbar puncture only). Sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) were calculated, using the results of the conventional cytology as the gold-standard.
RESULTS
Forty-nine eligible patients were included (Jan 2017-Jan 2020): median age 51.8, 95.9% women, 20.4% HER2+ BC, 93.8% previously diagnosed with metastatic BC, 89.8% with clinical symptoms. Among them, 40 were evaluable (CTC detection failure: n=8, eligibility criteria failure: n=1). Median sample volume was 3.0 mL for conventional cytology samples (median time to analysis: 22min) and 3.3 mL for CTC samples. Of the 40 evaluable patients, 18 had a positive cytology (on CSF sample n=°1/n°2: n=16/n=2) and were therefore diagnosed with LM using the gold-standard method. Protein level was elevated in 88.2% of these patients, compared with 45.1% of patients with negative CSF cytology (p=0.005). CTCs were detected in these 18 patients (median 5824 CTCs, range 93-45052). CTCs were also detected in 5/22 patients with a negative cytology (median 2 CTCs, range 1–44). Among them, one patient (44 CTCs) was diagnosed with a cytologically-proven LM 9 months later, while there was no further argument for LM in the other 4 patients’ history (1–3 CTC), who died of the extra-cerebral disease after a median time of 5.2 months (range 0.9–25.9). The detection of at least one CTC in CSF was associated with a Se of 100.0% (IC95% 82.4–100) and a Spe of 77.3% (IC95% 64.3–90.3) for the diagnosis of LM.
CONCLUSION
CTCs were detected with the CellSearch® system in all patients diagnosed with a cytologically-proven LM, as well as in a few patients without a cytological confirmation of LM. The prognosis of these patients with CSF cytology-/CTCs+ needs to be further investigated in a larger cohort.
PDF
