American Society of Clinical Oncology, JCO Precision Oncology, 3, p. 1-11, 2019
DOI: 10.1200/po.19.00136
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3369780
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PURPOSE To describe the clinical and molecular features of metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRCs) bearing uncommon atypical RAS (At- RAS) mutations at codons other than 12, 13, 59, 61, 117, and 146. MATERIALS AND METHODS By exploiting five next-generation sequencing sources (Italian collaboration, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, the Biomarker Research for Anti-EGFR Monoclonal Antibodies by Comprehensive Cancer Genomics (BREAC) study, and the Foundation Medicine database), we retrieved 175 At- RAS mutated cases. Molecular data were obtained from 163 samples from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Foundation Medicine database. Clinical data were available for 27 At- RAS–positive and 467 negative cases from the Italian collaboration, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, and the BREAC study. RESULTS At- RAS mutations were identified in 163 (0.9%) of 18,270 mCRCs. Among 133 with evaluable microsatellite instability status, 11 (8%) were microsatellite instability high. POLE exonuclease domain mutations had higher frequency (7%) than expected and were found only in microsatellite-stable tumors with high tumor mutational burden (TMB). Overall, 17% (28 of 163) of At- RAS cases had TMB greater than 20 mutations/Mb. Co-occurring typical RAS/BRAF V600E mutations and NF1 mutations, presumed to cause RAS activation, were found in 30% and 12% of samples, respectively (up to 43% and 50%, respectively, in TMB-high samples). Patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type mCRC achieved a median overall survival (OS) of 42.1 months, whereas those harboring isolated At- RAS, typical RAS, or BRAF V600E mutations showed a median OS of 32.3, 30.0, and 17.9 months, respectively ( P < .001). No significant OS difference ( P = .240) was found between patients with At- RAS versus typical RAS-mutated mCRC. Only one of six patients evaluable for primary resistance to anti–epidermal growth factor receptors achieved tumor response. CONCLUSION At- RAS mutations may be a marker for RAS pathway activation and can be associated with high co-occurrence of POLE exonuclease domain mutations.