No abstract

In the Breast International Group (BIG) and North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) co-led phase III adjuvant breast cancer trial, ALTTO (Adjuvant Lapatinib and/or Trastuzumab Treatment Optimisation), two central laboratories, the European Institute of Oncology (IEO; Milan, Italy) and Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), are responsible for confirming the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), estrogen receptor α(ER), and progesterone receptor status of the primary breast tumors for the Rest of World (excluding China, which conducts a separate central review) and North American patients, respectively, prior to patient study entry. As of December 2009, discordance in HER2 and ER testing between local and central laboratories was observed by both central laboratories. For IEO, 14.5% of 8,037 HER2 cases locally positive [by either immunohistochemistry (IHC) or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)] were not able to be confirmed as centrally positive; whereas for Mayo, 5.8% of 412 HER2 cases locally positive were not able to be confirmed as centrally positive (Table 1). Central and local IHC ER discordance was 12.1% and 11.7% for 9,021 IEO screened cases and 419 Mayo screened cases, respectively (Table 2). In particular, IEO observed more false-positive (locally positive/centrally negative) HER2 findings than Mayo and Mayo observed more false-positive ER findings than IEO. Purpose: Motivated by the above findings, we launched a ring study to assess whether the central lab results of a subset of local/central discordant ALTTO cases could be confirmed in the other central lab. Methods: IEO and Mayo exchanged and retested a subset of FFPE breast tumors collected in ALTTO. IEO sent 20 HER2 false-positive, 5 ER false-positive, and 5 ER false-negative (locally negative/centrally positive) ALTTO breast tumors to Mayo. Mayo sent 5 HER2 false-positive, 20 ER false-positive, and 5 ER false-negative ALTTO breast tumors to IEO. IEO and Mayo performed IHC for ER according to their own methodology: DAKO cocktail of ER 1D5 and 2.123 monoclonal antibodies and monoclonal ER 1D5 antibody, respectively. The two laboratories performed IHC for HER2 according to the HercepTest® manufacturers’ instructions (Dako, Carpenteria, CA) and FISH for HER2 using the PathVysion HER2 DNA probe kit and the HER2/centromere 17 probe mixture (Abbott Molecular, Des Plaines, IL). Results: IEO and Mayo confirmed the central HER2-negative result in 100% of 25 cases. Analyses of ER are ongoing and ER results will be presented. Conclusions: In this subset of patients, enrollment ineligibility did not change when HER2 testing was performed by either IEO or Mayo Clinic central laboratories. Table 1. HER2 Local/Central Lab Results Table 2. ER Local/Central Lab Results Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-10-36.

Background: Prediction of benefit from trastuzumab in patients (pts) with HER2+ breast cancer remains an important goal. We sought to investigate the predictive value of quantitative measurement of HER2, HER3, HER4, EGFR, ER and PTEN protein expression on the benefit of trastuzumab in the phase III HER2+ adjuvant N9831 study for pts randomized to chemotherapy alone (Arm A) or chemotherapy with sequential (Arm B) or concurrent trastuzumab (Arm C). Methods: For each marker, we evaluated quantitative expression, relationship with demographic data, and association with disease-free survival (DFS) of pts. Freshly cut tissue microarray slides with up to three-fold redundancy per specimen from the N9831 cohort were treated identically using the AQUA (Camp, et al; Nat Med 2002, JCO 2008) method of quantitative immunofluorescence for each marker. HER2 was tested with CB11 (mouse monoclonal, Biocare, Inc.) and preliminary results were available for 698 of nearly 1400 pt specimens to be tested. The minimum value per pt was used in statistical analysis. Specimens were classified with high versus low expression based on a median value cutpoint for each marker. Median follow-up was 7.0 yrs. Results: Quantitative HER2 was compared with centrally performed HER2 testing by IHC and FISH. Median quantitative HER2 via AQUA was 10,017 units for the HER2 IHC 3+ group (n=607) versus 1058, 831, and 970 for the HER2 IHC 2+ (n=68), 1+ (n=11), and 0 (n=11) groups, respectively. The Spearman correlation between quantitative HER2 and FISH HER2/CEP17 ratio was 0.32 (p<0.001). High quantitative HER2 was associated with lower percentage of hormone receptor positivity (48% vs 59%, chi-sq p=0.003) but not associated with age, race, nodal positivity, tumor histology, grade, or size. High HER2 did not impact DFS in any arm of the study (See Table). Data for additional HER2 testing, HER3, HER4, EGFR, ER and PTEN are in process and will be ready by September, 2011. Conclusions: Similar to results based on standard HER2 testing by IHC and FISH in N9831, quantitative HER2 did not impact benefit from adjuvant trastuzumab. Results for additional markers will be presented. Our complete quantitative results for a second epitope on HER2, HER3, HER4, ER and EGFR will be the first report of these markers in a large patient cohort in the adjuvant setting. Disease Free Survival Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD05-03.

A SLN+ biopsy by FS predicts the presence of NSLN metastases and, in combination with other factors, may justify immediate CALND. CALND may, however, be avoided in selected low-risk SLN+ patients.

Introduction: Previously, we detected amplification of chromosome 9p24.1 encoding PDL1, PDL2, and JAK2 (the PDJ amplicon) in up to 25% of triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) using oligonucleotide CGH arrays (aCGH). Amplification was associated with poor outcome and activation of the JAK/STAT pathway. Here, we have developed a novel fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for detection of the JAK2/PDL1 amplification. Methods: We selected five 9p24.1-amplified and five non-amplified paraffin embedded TNBC tumor samples, defined by aCGH log2ratio>2.0 as amplified for FISH validation. 5' JAK2 DNA labeled with SpectrumGreen dUTP, 3' JAK2 DNA labeled in SpectrumOrange dUTP and a commercially available chromosome 9 centromeric probe (Spectrum Aqua) were combined as one probe set. The break-apart (BAP) probe set was applied to individual slides, hybridized, and washed, 50 events/sample were counted. We defined 9p24.1 amplification by FISH as the ratio of average JAK2 score/ average centromere 9 (CEN 9) score >1.1. Nonparametric student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: In the amplified subgroup (n=5), JAK2 amplification was detected by FISH with the range from 1.89 to 21.0 (mean, 6.76). To adjust for aneuploidy, the ratio of JAK2 to CEN 9 was measured with the range from 1.02 to 9.21 (mean ratio, 2.9). The sample with highest level of amplification (aCGH log2ratio =4) detected by aCGH also scored highest by FISH (FISH ratio=9.21). One case with JAK2 amplification (aCGH log2ratio =3) was not detected by FISH (ratio, 1.02), but had low tumor cell content. In the non-amplification subgroup (n=5), JAK2 amplification was detected by FISH with the range from 0.98 to 3.54 (mean, 1.8), the ratio of JAK2 to CEN 9 was measured with the range from 0.48 to1.05 (mean, 0.73). Of note, two tumors with copy number loss by aCGH were confirmed by FISH (ratio 0.48, 0.56). In total, the 9p24.1 amplification was detected in 4 out 5 (80%) amplified samples defined by aCGH and 5 out 5 not amplified. A significant difference in JAK2: CEN 9 ratio (p=0.03) was observed between the amplified and non-amplified subgroups but not in JAK2 absolute scores (p=0.095). Conclusion: In this study, we have developed a novel FISH assay for detection of the 9p24.1 amplification in TNBC, encoding JAK2, PD-L1, and PD-L2. The FISH assay correlates with detection of the amplification by aCGH, but is less sensitive, in particular in tissue with lower tumor cell content. We predict that 9p24.1 amplification will be a clinically relevant biomarker in TNBC. Citation Format: Chen M, Andreozzi M, Pockaj B, Barrett MT, Ocal IT, McCullough AE, Anderson KS. A novel fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to detect 9p24.1 amplification in triple negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-07-17.