Cerhan, James R

Purpose Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is associated with an increased risk of developing second cancers. However, it is unknown whether CLL alters the disease course of these cancers once they occur. Patients and Methods All patients with cancers of the breast (n = 579,164), colorectum (n = 412,366), prostate (n = 631,616), lung (n = 489,053), kidney (n = 95,795), pancreas (n = 82,116), and ovary (n = 61,937) reported to the SEER program from 1990 to 2007 were identified. Overall survival (OS; death resulting from any cause) and cancer-specific survival were examined, comparing patients with and without pre-existing CLL. Cancer-specific survival was evaluated for each tumor type in a site-specific manner (eg, death resulting from breast cancer in a patient with breast cancer). Results Patients with cancers of the breast (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70; P < .001), colorectum (HR, 1.65; P < .001), kidney (HR, 1.54; P < .001), prostate (HR, 1.92; P < .001), or lung (HR, 1.19; P < .001) had inferior OS if they had a pre-existing diagnosis of CLL after adjusting for age, sex, race, and disease stage. These results for OS remained significant for patients with cancers of the breast, colorectum, and prostate after excluding or censoring CLL-related deaths. Cancer-specific survival was also inferior for patients with cancers of the breast (HR, 1.41; P = .005) and colorectum (HR, 1.46; P < .001) who had pre-existing CLL after adjusting for age, sex, race, and disease stage. Conclusion Inferior OS and cancer-specific survival was observed for several common cancers in patients with pre-existing CLL. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal management of these malignancies in patients with CLL and whether more aggressive screening or alternative approaches to adjuvant therapy are needed.

Abstract Background: Our genome-wide association study (GWAS) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) identified 4 highly correlated intronic variants within the IRF8 gene that were associated with CLL. These results were further supported by a recent meta-analysis of our GWAS with two other GWAS of CLL, supporting the IRF8 gene as a strong candidate for CLL risk. Methods: To refine the genetic association of CLL risk, we conducted Sanger sequencing of IRF8 in 94 CLL cases and 96 controls. We then conducted fine mapping by genotyping 39 variants (of which 10 were identified from sequencing) in 745 CLL cases and 1,521 controls. We also assessed these associations with risk of other non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. Results: The strongest association with CLL risk was observed with a common single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located within the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of IRF8 (rs1044873, log additive OR = 0.7, P = 1.81 × 10−6). This SNP was not associated with the other NHL subtypes (all P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: We provide evidence that rs1044873 in the IRF8 gene accounts for the initial GWAS signal for CLL risk. This association appears to be unique to CLL with little support for association with other common NHL subtypes. Future work is needed to assess functional role of IRF8 in CLL etiology. Impact: These data provide support that a functional variant within the 3′UTR of IRF8 may be driving the GWAS signal seen on 16q24.1 for CLL risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(3); 461–6. ©2013 AACR.

AbstractMany common genetic variants have been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but individual study results are often conflicting. To confirm the role of putative risk alleles in B-cell NHL etiology, we performed a validation genotyping study of 67 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms within InterLymph, a large international consortium of NHL case-control studies. A meta-analysis was performed on data from 5633 B-cell NHL cases and 7034 controls from 8 InterLymph studies. rs3789068 in the proapoptotic BCL2L11 gene was associated with an increased risk for B-cell NHL (odds ratio = 1.21, P random = 2.21 × 10−11), with similar risk estimates for common B-cell subtypes. PRRC2A rs3132453 in the HLA complex class III region conferred a reduced risk of B-cell NHL (odds ratio = 0.68, P random = 1.07 × 10−9) and was likewise evident for common B-cell subtypes. These results are consistent with the known biology of NHL and provide insights into shared pathogenic components, including apoptosis and immune regulation, for the major B-cell lymphoma subtypes.

Abstract Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a malignancy of lymphocytes, and there is growing evidence for a role of germline genetic variation in immune genes in NHL etiology. Methods: To identify susceptibility immune genes, we conducted a 2-stage analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 1,253 genes using the Immune and Inflammation Panel. In Stage 1, we genotyped 7,670 SNPs in 425 NHL cases and 465 controls, and in Stage 2 we genotyped the top 768 SNPs on an additional 584 cases and 768 controls. The association of individual SNPs with NHL risk from a log-additive model was assessed using the OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: In the pooled analysis, only the TAP2 coding SNP rs241447 (minor allele frequency = 0.26; Thr655Ala) at 6p21.3 (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.17–1.53) achieved statistical significance after accounting for multiple testing (P = 3.1 × 10−5). The TAP2 SNP was strongly associated with follicular lymphoma (FL, OR = 1.82, 95%CI 1.46–2.26; p = 6.9 × 10−8), and was independent of other known loci (rs10484561 and rs2647012) from this region. The TAP2 SNP was also associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.08–1.77; P = 0.011), but not chronic lymphocytic leukemia (OR = 1.08; 95% CI 0.88–1.32). Higher TAP2 expression was associated with the risk allele in both FL and DLBCL tumors. Conclusion: Genetic variation in TAP2 was associated with NHL risk overall, and FL risk in particular, and this was independent of other established loci from 6p21.3. Impact: Genetic variation in antigen presentation of HLA class I molecules may play a role in lymphomagenesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(10); 1799–806. ©2012 AACR.

Summary A recent meta‐analysis of three genome‐wide association studies of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia ( CLL ) identified two common variants at the 6p21.31 locus that are associated with CLL risk. To verify and further explore the association of these variants with other non‐ H odgkin lymphoma ( NHL ) subtypes, we genotyped 1196 CLL cases, 1699 NHL cases, and 2410 controls. We found significant associations between the 6p21.31 variants and CLL risk (rs210134: P = 0·01; rs210142: P = 6·8 × 10 −3 ). These variants also showed a trend towards association with some of the other NHL subtypes. Our results validate the prior work and support specific genetic pathways for risk among NHL subtypes.

AbstractGenetic aberrations, including trisomies 3 and 18, and well-defined IGH translocations, have been described in marginal zone lymphomas (MZLs); however, these known genetic events are present in only a subset of cases. Here, we report the cloning of an IGH translocation partner on chromosome X, t(X;14)(p11.4;q32) that deregulates expression of an poorly characterized orphan G-protein–coupled receptor, GPR34. Elevated GPR34 gene expression was detected independent of the translocation in multiple subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and distinguished a unique molecular subtype of MZL. Increased expression of GPR34 was also detected in tissue from brain tumors and surface expression of GPR34 was detected on human MZL tumor cells and normal immune cells. Overexpression of GPR34 in lymphoma and HeLa cells resulted in phosphorylation of ERK, PKC, and CREB; induced CRE, AP1, and NF-κB–mediated gene transcription; and increased cell proliferation. In summary, these results are the first to identify a role for a GPR34 in lymphoma cell growth, provide insight into GPR34-mediated signaling, identify a genetically unique subset of MZLs that express high levels of GPR34, and suggest that MEK inhibitors may be useful for treatment of GPR34-expressing tumors.

PurposeThe optimal management of stage I follicular lymphoma, according to consensus guidelines, is based on uncontrolled experiences of select institutions. Diverse treatment approaches are used despite guidelines that recommend radiation therapy (XRT).Patients and MethodsWe analyzed outcomes of patients with stage I follicular lymphoma enrolled onto the National LymphoCare database.ResultsOf 471 patients with stage I follicular lymphoma, 206 patients underwent rigorous staging as defined by both a bone marrow aspirate and biopsy and an imaging study (a computed tomography [CT] scan of the whole body, a positron emission tomography [PET]/CT scan, or both). Rigorously staged patients had superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with nonrigorously staged patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.63). Treatments given to rigorously staged patients were rituximab/chemotherapy (R-chemo; 28%), XRT (27%), observation (17%), systemic therapy + XRT (13%), rituximab monotherapy (12%), and other (3%). With a median follow-up of 57 months for PFS, there were 44 progression events (in 21% of patients) for rigorously staged patients. For these patients, PFS was significantly improved with either R-chemo or systemic therapy + XRT compared with patients receiving XRT alone after adjustment for histology, LDH, and the presence of B symptoms. There were no differences in overall survival.ConclusionIn this largest, prospectively enrolled group of patients with stage I follicular lymphoma, variable treatment approaches resulted in similar excellent outcomes, which challenges the paradigm that XRT should be standard for this presentation.

Abstract We performed a meta-analysis of 3 genome-wide association studies to identify additional common variants influencing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) risk. The discovery phase was composed of genome-wide association study data from 1121 cases and 3745 controls. Replication analysis was performed in 861 cases and 2033 controls. We identified a novel CLL risk locus at 6p21.33 (rs210142; intronic to the BAK1 gene, BCL2 antagonist killer 1; P = 9.47 × 10−16). A strong relationship between risk genotype and reduced BAK1 expression was shown in lymphoblastoid cell lines. This finding provides additional support for polygenic inheritance to CLL and provides further insight into the biologic basis of disease development.

Abstract Background: Postmenopausal hormone (PMH) therapy represents a controversial colorectal cancer (CRC) preventive intervention. Because colorectal carcinogenesis is a heterogeneous process, we evaluated associations between PMH therapy and incident CRC in relation to KRAS mutation status in a population-based cohort of older women [Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS)]. Methods: The IWHS enrolled 41,836 randomly selected women, ages 55 to 69 years, in 1986. PMH therapy and other exposure data were recorded at baseline. Tissue samples from prospectively identified CRC cases (n = 507) were analyzed for somatic KRAS mutations (exon 2, codons 12 and 13). Multivariable Cox regression models were fit to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: PMH therapy (ever vs. never) was inversely associated with KRAS mutation–negative (RR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.66–1.06; P = 0.14) and KRAS mutation–positive (RR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.58–1.16; P = 0.27) tumors, although the observed risk estimates were not statistically significant. When anatomic subsite was additionally considered, the strongest association was found for KRAS mutation–negative, distal colorectal tumors (RR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43–0.96; P = 0.03). Conclusions: To our knowledge, we provide the first report of KRAS-defined CRC risks associated with PMH therapy. These data suggest that PMH therapy may reduce CRC risk through mechanisms beyond KRAS mutation status but might provide greater benefits for KRAS mutation–negative than mutation-positive tumors (at least in the distal colorectum). Impact: Findings from this prospective cohort study provide novel insights about the molecular biology of PMH therapy–related CRC risk reduction. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(4); 681–4. ©2012 AACR.