Sara Torrecilla1, Daniela Sia2, Andrew N Harrington3, Zhongyang Zhang4, Laia Cabellos5, Helena Cornella5, Agrin Moeini5, Genis Camprecios2, Wei-Qiang Leow6, Maria Isabel Fiel2, Ke Hao4, Laia Bassaganyas5, Milind Mahajan2, Swan N Thung2, Augusto Villanueva2, Sander Florman2, Myron E Schwartz2, Josep M Llovet7. 1. Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute), Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Liver Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, BCLC Group, IDIBAPS, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 2. Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute), Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA. 3. Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute), Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Mount Sinai West/St Lukes, Department of Surgery, Residency Program, New York, USA. 4. Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA. 5. Liver Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, BCLC Group, IDIBAPS, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 6. Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute), Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. 7. Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program (Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Recanati Miller Transplantation Institute), Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Liver Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, BCLC Group, IDIBAPS, Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Electronic address: Josep.Llovet@mssm.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: According to the clonal model of tumor evolution, trunk alterations arise at early stages and are ubiquitous. Through the characterization of early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis, we aimed to identify trunk alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and study their intra- and inter-tumor distribution in advanced lesions. METHODS: A total of 151 samples representing the multistep process of hepatocarcinogenesis were analyzed by targeted-sequencing and a single nucleotide polymorphism array. Genes altered in early lesions (31 dysplastic nodules [DNs] and 38 small HCCs [sHCC]) were defined as trunk. Their distribution was explored in: a) different regions of large tumors (43 regions, 21 tumors), and b) different nodules of the same patient (39 tumors, 17 patients). Multinodular lesions were classified as intrahepatic metastases (IMs) or synchronous tumors based on chromosomal aberrations. RESULTS: TERT promoter mutations (10.5%) and broad copy-number aberrations in chromosomes 1 and 8 (3-7%) were identified as trunk gatekeepers in DNs and were maintained in sHCCs. Trunk drivers identified in sHCCs included TP53 (23%) and CTNNB1 (11%) mutations, and focal amplifications or deletions in known drivers (6%). Overall, TERT, TP53 and CTNNB1 mutations were the most frequent trunk events and at least one was present in 51% of sHCCs. Around 90% of mutations in these genes were ubiquitous among different regions of large tumors. In multinodular HCCs, 35% of patients harbored IMs; 85% of mutations in TERT, TP53 and/or CTNNB1 were retained in primary and metastatic tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Trunk events in early stages (TERT, TP53, CTNNB1 mutations) were ubiquitous across different regions of the same tumor and between primary and metastatic nodules in >85% of cases. This concept supports the knowledge that single biopsies would suffice to capture trunk mutations in HCC. LAY SUMMARY: Trunk alterations arise at early stages of cancer and are shared among all malignant cells of the tumor. In order to identify trunk alterations in HCC, we characterized early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis represented by dysplastic nodules and small lesions. Mutations in TERT, TP53 and CTNNB1 genes were the most frequent. Analyses in more advanced lesions showed that mutations in these same genes were shared between different regions of the same tumor and between primary and metastatic tumors, suggesting their trunk role in this disease.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: According to the clonal model of tumor evolution, trunk alterations arise at early stages and are ubiquitous. Through the characterization of early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis, we aimed to identify trunk alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and study their intra- and inter-tumor distribution in advanced lesions. METHODS: A total of 151 samples representing the multistep process of hepatocarcinogenesis were analyzed by targeted-sequencing and a single nucleotide polymorphism array. Genes altered in early lesions (31 dysplastic nodules [DNs] and 38 small HCCs [sHCC]) were defined as trunk. Their distribution was explored in: a) different regions of large tumors (43 regions, 21 tumors), and b) different nodules of the same patient (39 tumors, 17 patients). Multinodular lesions were classified as intrahepatic metastases (IMs) or synchronous tumors based on chromosomal aberrations. RESULTS: TERT promoter mutations (10.5%) and broad copy-number aberrations in chromosomes 1 and 8 (3-7%) were identified as trunk gatekeepers in DNs and were maintained in sHCCs. Trunk drivers identified in sHCCs included TP53 (23%) and CTNNB1 (11%) mutations, and focal amplifications or deletions in known drivers (6%). Overall, TERT, TP53 and CTNNB1 mutations were the most frequent trunk events and at least one was present in 51% of sHCCs. Around 90% of mutations in these genes were ubiquitous among different regions of large tumors. In multinodular HCCs, 35% of patients harbored IMs; 85% of mutations in TERT, TP53 and/or CTNNB1 were retained in primary and metastatic tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Trunk events in early stages (TERT, TP53, CTNNB1 mutations) were ubiquitous across different regions of the same tumor and between primary and metastatic nodules in >85% of cases. This concept supports the knowledge that single biopsies would suffice to capture trunk mutations in HCC. LAY SUMMARY: Trunk alterations arise at early stages of cancer and are shared among all malignant cells of the tumor. In order to identify trunk alterations in HCC, we characterized early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis represented by dysplastic nodules and small lesions. Mutations in TERT, TP53 and CTNNB1 genes were the most frequent. Analyses in more advanced lesions showed that mutations in these same genes were shared between different regions of the same tumor and between primary and metastatic tumors, suggesting their trunk role in this disease.
Authors: Peter Chianchiano; Maryam Kherad Pezhouh; Amy Kim; Claudio Luchini; Andrew Cameron; Matthew J Weiss; Jin He; Lysandra Voltaggio; Kiyoko Oshima; Robert A Anders; Laura D Wood Journal: Hum Pathol Date: 2017-11-24 Impact factor: 3.466
Authors: L X Xu; M H He; Z H Dai; J Yu; J G Wang; X C Li; B B Jiang; Z F Ke; T H Su; Z W Peng; Y Guo; Z B Chen; S L Chen; S Peng; M Kuang Journal: Ann Oncol Date: 2019-06-01 Impact factor: 32.976
Authors: Laia Bassaganyas; Roser Pinyol; Roger Esteban-Fabró; Laura Torrens; Sara Torrecilla; Catherine E Willoughby; Sebastià Franch-Expósito; Maria Vila-Casadesús; Itziar Salaverria; Robert Montal; Vincenzo Mazzaferro; Jordi Camps; Daniela Sia; Josep M Llovet Journal: Clin Cancer Res Date: 2020-09-01 Impact factor: 12.531