78 Background: DNA copy number aberrations (CNAs) are common in oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinomas (OGCs) and display extensive inter-tumour heterogeneity. CNA patterns define gastric cancer molecular subtypes and ERBB2 amplifications, present in a small fraction of patients with OGC, are predictive for ERBB2-targeted drug sensitivity. Together, this suggests a critical role of CNAs determining OGC tumour biology and clinical outcomes. Despite this, predictive and prognostic CNA biomarkers have not been identified for the majority of OGCs, precluding the development of effective personalized therapy approaches for these aggressive tumours. Intra-tumour heterogeneity, characterized by the presence of multiple subclones with distinct genetic profiles within an individual cancer, can hinder the accurate molecular analysis and classification of tumours. The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether chemotherapy-naïve localized OGCs display intra-tumour macroheterogeneity of CNA profiles. Methods: Tissue specimens from four tumour regions representing the macroscopic spatial extent of each of five OGCs were systematically collected after surgical resection. DNA extracted from these FFPE specimens was analysed by molecular inversion probe SNP arrays for high resolution CNA detection. Results: Comparison of genome wide copy number and B-allele frequency profiles suggested highly concordant CNA profiles across the regions from individual primary tumours. Eight driver CNAs leading to amplification of the MET, KRAS, ERBB2, PIK3CA or FGFR2 oncogenes were identified in 4/5 tumours. Only one out of these eight driver CNA’s, harbouring the KRAS oncogene, was heterogeneous within a tumour. Conclusions: Although chromosomal instability is thought to be common in this tumour type, this pilot study suggests that macroheterogeneity is limited and that CNA profiles assessed from a single tumour biopsy are likely to be representative of the dominant CNA profile of localized OGCs. Thus, clinical correlative CNA analyses may be possible from single biopsies of localized OGCs. Mutational heterogeneity and microheterogeneity in microdissected and single cells are currently being investigated.
Molecular profiling of single cancer cells and clinical tissue specimens with semiconductor quantum dots
