Lisa Grünmüller1, Julia Thierauf2, Stephanie E Weissinger1, Christoph Bergmann3, Agnes Bankfalvi4, Johannes Veit2, Thomas K Hoffmann2, Peter Möller1, Jochen K Lennerz1,5. 1. Institute of Pathology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. 2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Ulm, Ulm, Germany. 3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Essen, Germany. 4. Department of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany. 5. Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Advanced stage at presentation, lack of BRAF mutations and overall rarity pose unique challenges to the therapy and trial design in sinonasal melanoma. METHODS: Here, we assessed the expression status of 12 proteins in two independent cohorts of sinonasal melanoma (n = 20). RESULTS: Each case showed expression of at least one protein (KIT, TP53, MYC, HER2, EGFR, MET, VEGFR, BRAF V600E and/or MDM2), whereas lack of ALK, FLI1 and PDGFRα expression underscores differences to cutaneous melanoma. Comparison of marker frequencies to a metareview of the literature indicates that MYC, HER2, EGFR and MET had not been previously assessed. CONCLUSION: Expression of at least one potentially targetable protein per case illustrates proteome pathway profiling as one starting point for marker stratified trial design.
BACKGROUND: Advanced stage at presentation, lack of BRAF mutations and overall rarity pose unique challenges to the therapy and trial design in sinonasal melanoma. METHODS: Here, we assessed the expression status of 12 proteins in two independent cohorts of sinonasal melanoma (n = 20). RESULTS: Each case showed expression of at least one protein (KIT, TP53, MYC, HER2, EGFR, MET, VEGFR, BRAFV600E and/or MDM2), whereas lack of ALK, FLI1 and PDGFRα expression underscores differences to cutaneous melanoma. Comparison of marker frequencies to a metareview of the literature indicates that MYC, HER2, EGFR and MET had not been previously assessed. CONCLUSION: Expression of at least one potentially targetable protein per case illustrates proteome pathway profiling as one starting point for marker stratified trial design.