Analysis of ESR1 mutation in circulating tumor DNA demonstrates evolution during therapy for metastatic breast cancer
A partir d'échantillons sanguins prélevés sur 171 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein de stade avancé, cette étude évalue l'association entre la détection de mutations du gène ESR1 dans l'ADN tumoral circulant et la réponse à un traitement par inhibiteurs d'aromatase
A large number of breast cancers express the estrogen receptor, making them susceptible to hormonal treatments. Unfortunately, these tumors can develop mutations in the estrogen receptor gene (ESR1) and become resistant to hormonal therapies that were previously effective. Schiavon et al. used three independent cohorts of breast cancer patients to demonstrate that these mutations only evolved in cases where hormonal therapy was started late in the course of the disease, after development of metastasis, and not during the initial course of treatment. If these findings are confirmed in prospective clinical trials, then they will explain why starting hormonal treatment early decreases the risk of subsequent resistance to hormonal therapy.
Acquired ESR1 mutations are a major mechanism of resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs). We developed ultra high–sensitivity multiplex digital polymerase chain reaction assays for ESR1 mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and investigated the clinical relevance and origin of ESR1 mutations in 171 women with advanced breast cancer. ESR1 mutation status in ctDNA showed high concordance with contemporaneous tumor biopsies and was accurately assessed in samples shipped at room temperature in preservative tubes. ESR1 mutations were found exclusively in estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer patients previously exposed to AI. Patients with ESR1 mutations had a substantially shorter progression-free survival on subsequent AI-based therapy [hazard ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.9 to 23.1; P = 0.0041]. ESR1 mutation prevalence differed markedly between patients who were first exposed to AI during the adjuvant and metastatic settings [5.8% (3 of 52) versus 36.4% (16 of 44), respectively; P = 0.0002]. In an independent cohort, ESR1 mutations were identified in 0% (0 of 32; 95% CI, 0 to 10.9) tumor biopsies taken after progression on adjuvant AI. In a patient with serial sampling, ESR1 mutation was selected during metastatic AI therapy to become the dominant clone in the cancer. ESR1 mutations can be robustly identified with ctDNA analysis and predict for resistance to subsequent AI therapy. ESR1 mutations are rarely acquired during adjuvant AI but are commonly selected by therapy for metastatic disease, providing evidence that mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapy may be substantially different between the treatment of micrometastatic and overt metastatic cancer.
Science Translational Medicine , résumé, 2014