Dataset Information

The mutation profile of differentiated thyroid cancer coexisting with undifferentiated anaplastic cancer resembles that of anaplastic thyroid cancer but not that of archetypal differentiated thyroid cancer.

ABSTRACT: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has one of the lowest cancer mutational burdens, while anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) has a much higher mutation frequency. A fraction of ATC has an associated differentiated component, which suggests the coevolution of both cancers. Here, we aimed to compare mutation frequency in coexisting ATC and DTC diagnosed concurrently in the same thyroid gland (3 cases) as well as in archetypal DTC and ATC alone (5 cases each). Single-nucleotide variations (SNV) and copy number variations (CNV) were analyzed in each case based on the next-generation sequencing data. We found a similar extent of mutational events, both SNV and CNV, in undifferentiated and differentiated components of thyroid cancers coexisting in one patient. The magnitude of these mutations was comparable to the level of mutations observed in ATC alone; yet, it was much higher than in archetypal DTC. This suggested that, despite histopathological features of differentiated tumors, molecular characteristics of such cancers coexisting with ATC and archetypal DTC could be significantly different. Pairwise comparison of mutational profiles of coexisting cancers enabled assumption on the possible evolution of both components, which appeared distinct in 3 analyzed cases. This included independent development of ATC and DTC diagnosed concurrently in two lobes of the same thyroid, as well as the development of anaplastic and differentiated cancer from the common ancestor that putatively gained a key driver mutation (BRAF^V600E or KRAS^Q61R), which was followed either by early or late molecular separation of both cancers.

SUBMITTER: Mika J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7822790 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The mutation profile of differentiated thyroid cancer coexisting with undifferentiated anaplastic cancer resembles that of anaplastic thyroid cancer but not that of archetypal differentiated thyroid cancer.

Mika Justyna J Łabaj Wojciech W Chekan Mykola M Abramowicz Agata A Pietrowska Monika M Polański Andrzej A Widłak Piotr P

Journal of applied genetics 20210201 1

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has one of the lowest cancer mutational burdens, while anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) has a much higher mutation frequency. A fraction of ATC has an associated differentiated component, which suggests the coevolution of both cancers. Here, we aimed to compare mutation frequency in coexisting ATC and DTC diagnosed concurrently in the same thyroid gland (3 cases) as well as in archetypal DTC and ATC alone (5 cases each). Single-nucleotide variations (SNV) and c ...[more]

PMID: 33222100

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) are rare and frequently lethal tumors that so far have not been subjected to comprehensive genetic characterization. METHODS:We performed next-generation sequencing of 341 cancer genes from 117 patient-derived PDTCs and ATCs and analyzed the transcriptome of a representative subset of 37 tumors. Results were analyzed in the context of The Cancer Genome Atlas study (TCGA study) of papillary thyroid cancers (PTC). RESULTS:Compared to PDTCs, ATCs had a greater mutation burden, including a higher frequency of mutations in TP53, TERT promoter, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway effectors, SWI/SNF subunits, and histone methyltransferases. BRAF and RAS were the predominant drivers and dictated distinct tropism for nodal versus distant metastases in PDTC. RAS and BRAF sharply distinguished between PDTCs defined by the Turin (PDTC-Turin) versus MSKCC (PDTC-MSK) criteria, respectively. Mutations of EIF1AX, a component of the translational preinitiation complex, were markedly enriched in PDTCs and ATCs and had a striking pattern of co-occurrence with RAS mutations. While TERT promoter mutations were rare and subclonal in PTCs, they were clonal and highly prevalent in advanced cancers. Application of the TCGA-derived BRAF-RAS score (a measure of MAPK transcriptional output) revealed a preserved relationship with BRAF/RAS mutation in PDTCs, whereas ATCs were BRAF-like irrespective of driver mutation. CONCLUSIONS:These data support a model of tumorigenesis whereby PDTCs and ATCs arise from well-differentiated tumors through the accumulation of key additional genetic abnormalities, many of which have prognostic and possible therapeutic relevance. The widespread genomic disruptions in ATC compared with PDTC underscore their greater virulence and higher mortality. FUNDING:This work was supported in part by NIH grants CA50706, CA72597, P50-CA72012, P30-CA008748, and 5T32-CA160001; the Lefkovsky Family Foundation; the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering; the Byrne fund; and Cycle for Survival.

Project description:Several studies have demonstrated an expression of the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) in the cancer-related neovasculature of thyroid malignancies. Due to the poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options for patients with anaplastic (ATC) and poorly differentiated (PDTC) thyroid carcinoma, the aim of our study was to investigate the theranostic approach of PSMA expression in these patients. The PSMA uptake on Gallium-68 (68Ga)-PSMA-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and glucose uptake on F-18-Fluordeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET/CTs were analysed in two ATC and six PDTC patients. The PSMA expression in corresponding patients' tissue samples was detected by immunohistochemistry. In addition, various tissue sections from 22 ATC and six PDTC patients were examined concerning PSMA expression. 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT showed heterogeneous PSMA expression among patients and lesions. Six of the eight analyzed patients (two ATC, four PDTC) showed increased glucose metabolism without increased PSMA uptake after PET/CT. In one patient (PDTC), 18F-FDG-PET/CT tracer uptake was positive and 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT showed heterogeneous results. Another patient (PDTC) evidenced only PSMA-positive lesions and received two cycles of Lutetium-177 (177Lu)-PSMA therapy, which kept his disease stable for seven months. There was a correlation between immunohistochemical PSMA expression and uptake on 68Ga-PMSA-PET/CT in three of the examined patients. Twenty-seven of the analyzed 39 ATC and 13 of the analyzed 22 PDTC tissue sections showed a strong PSMA expression. Considering the rarity of PDTC and ATC, which is the reason for the small patient population we studied, the findings of this study confirm the high diagnostic sensitivity and superiority of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in comparison to 68Ga-PSMA-PET/CT in the diagnosis of ATC and PDTC. However, it can be suggested that 68Ga-PMSA-PET/CT can be considered as a beneficial adjunct to the well-established 18F-FDG-PET/CT for a few individual selected patients with ATC and PDTC to detect lesions not discovered by 18F-FDG-PET/CT and to determine patients' eligibility for a radioligand therapy. Radiolabelled PSMA-ligands may, in the future, represent a theranostic approach with only minor side effects for a few individual selected patients with ATC and PDTC who need alternative treatment options in case of progression when established therapies are no longer effective. However, due to the small sample size of our collective, larger studies are needed to allow for a final evaluation on the significance of PSMA-targeted diagnostic and therapy for ATC and PDTC.

Dataset Information

The mutation profile of differentiated thyroid cancer coexisting with undifferentiated anaplastic cancer resembles that of anaplastic thyroid cancer but not that of archetypal differentiated thyroid cancer.

Publications

The mutation profile of differentiated thyroid cancer coexisting with undifferentiated anaplastic cancer resembles that of anaplastic thyroid cancer but not that of archetypal differentiated thyroid cancer.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets