Comparison of Fibroblast Growth-factor Receptor Gene Alterations at the DNA versus Messenger RNA Level in Advanced Urothelial Cancer: Insights for Clinical Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-692
Author(s):  
Andrea Necchi ◽  
Daniele Raggi ◽  
Chiara C. Volpi ◽  
Patrizia Giannatempo ◽  
Maurizio Colecchia ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 458-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy L Rose ◽  
Michele C Hayward ◽  
Ashley H Salazar ◽  
Patrick Eulitt ◽  
Katrina McGinty ◽  
...  

458 Background: Fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) inhibitors are a promising new targeted therapy for patients with metastatic urothelial cancer (UC) and FGFR alterations. FGFR-altered tumors are more likely to be of the luminal molecular subtype, which is less immune infiltrated and may be less likely to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICP). Methods: Metastatic UC patients at the University of North Carolina who underwent targeted exon sequencing (any CLIA-certified platform) and were treated with ICP since 2014 were identified. Patients with any FGFR alteration were compared to patients without alterations (including mutations, fusions, and amplifications in FGFR1-4). Overall response rates (ORR) to ICP were assessed by a radiologist (K.M.) per RECIST 1.1 and compared between FGFR-altered and unaltered tumors using Fisher’s exact tests. Patients who died prior to radiologic assessment were considered non-responders. Results: 66 patients (median age 70, 65% male, 76% white, 21% black) were identified. Most patients (74%) had received prior platinum-based chemotherapy, and 13% had received 2 or more prior lines of therapy. At the time of initiation of ICP, 32% of patients had a hemoglobin < 10, 33% had liver metastases, and 72% had a performance status > 0. Fifteen (22%) patients had FGFR alterations. The ORR for all patients was 15%, with ORR of 13% in FGFR-altered patients compared with 16% in unaltered patients (p = 1.0). No patients (0/9, 0%) with known pathogenic mutations in FGFR3 responded to ICP compared to 10/57 (18%) of patients without these alterations (p = 0.33). 46% of FGFR-altered patients who stopped ICP due to progression received subsequent therapy. Conclusions: Response rates to ICP are low and there was no difference in ORR between FGFR-altered and unaltered patients. While no patient with pathogenic FGFR3 mutations responded to ICP in our cohort, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Given low response rates overall, some FGFR-altered patients may benefit from treatment with FGFR inhibitors prior to ICP. Analysis of larger cohorts of patients as well as patients from clinical trials and more in-depth molecular profiling may add further clarity.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 992-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth E. Plowright ◽  
Zhihua Li ◽  
P. Leif Bergsagel ◽  
Marta Chesi ◽  
Dwayne L. Barber ◽  
...  

The t(4;14) translocation occurs in 25% of multiple myeloma (MM) and results in both the ectopic expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) from der4 and immunoglobulin heavy chain-MMSET hybrid messenger RNA transcripts from der14. The subsequent selection of activating mutations of the translocated FGFR3 by MM cells indicates an important role for this signaling pathway in tumor development and progression. To investigate the mechanism by which FGFR3 overexpression promotes MM development, interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent murine B9 cells were transduced with retroviruses expressing functional wild-type or constitutively activated mutant FGFR3. Overexpression of mutant FGFR3 resulted in IL-6 independence, decreased apoptosis, and an enhanced proliferative response to IL-6. In the presence of ligand, wild-type FGFR3-expressing cells also exhibited enhanced proliferation and survival in comparison to controls. B9 clones expressing either wild-type FGFR3 at high levels or mutant FGFR3 displayed increased phosphorylation of STAT3 and higher levels of bcl-xL expression than did parental B9 cells after cytokine withdrawal. The mechanism of the enhanced cell responsiveness to IL-6 is unknown at this time, but does not appear to be mediated by the mitogen-activated protein kinases SAPK, p38, or ERK. These findings provide a rational explanation for the mechanism by which FGFR3 contributes to both the viability and propagation of the myeloma clone and provide a basis for the development of therapies targeting this pathway.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohan Garje ◽  
Josiah An ◽  
Mohammad Obeidat ◽  
Kranthi Kumar ◽  
Hesham A. Yasin ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document