Pierson, Karlyn E.

AbstractBackgroundObtaining a diagnosis and treating pulmonary malignancies during the same anesthesia requires either an on‐site pathologist or a system for remotely evaluating microscopic images. Cytology specimens are challenging to remotely assess given the need to navigate through dispersed and three‐dimensional cell clusters. Remote navigation is possible using robotic telepathology, but data are limited on the ease of use of current systems, particularly for pulmonary cytology.MethodsAir dried modified Wright‐Giemsa stained slides from 26 touch preparations of transbronchial biopsies and 27 smears of endobronchial ultrasound guided fine needle aspirations were scored for ease of adequacy assessment and ease of diagnosis on robotic (rmtConnect Microscope) and non‐robotic telecytology platforms. Diagnostic classifications were compared between glass slides and the robotic and non‐robotic telecytology assessments.ResultsCompared to non‐robotic telecytology, robotic telecytology had a greater ease of adequacy assessment and non‐inferior ease of diagnosis. The median time to diagnosis using robotic telecytology was 85 s (range 28–190 s). Diagnostic categories were concordant for 76% of cases in robotic versus non‐robotic telecytology and 78% of cases in robotic telecytology versus glass slide diagnosis. Weighted Cohen's kappa scores for agreement in these comparisons were 0.84 and 0.72, respectively.ConclusionsUse of a remote‐controlled robotic microscope improved the ease of adequacy assessment compared to non‐robotic telecytology and enabled strongly concordant diagnoses to be expediently rendered. This study provides evidence that modern robotic telecytology is a feasible and user‐friendly method of remotely and potentially intraoperatively rendering adequacy assessments and diagnoses on bronchoscopic cytology specimens.

Abstract In lung adenocarcinoma, gene fusion involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene leads to overexpression of its tyrosine kinase domain, which serves as the oncogenic driver in lung tumors carrying such a molecular alteration. Similar fusions involving ROS1, RET and NTRK are also found in lung cancer and tumors with oncogenic fusions often respond well to targeted therapy. However, these tumors do develop resistance to the targeting drug and patients eventually relapse while on treatment. Although newer drugs have been developed, it remains a challenge to effectively control cancer recurrence after targeted therapy. In vivo tumor models carrying these fusions, particularly those that have progressed while on targeted treatment, will help to facilitate further drug evaluations prior to their administration to the patient as well as offer an opportunity to better understand the molecular mechanisms driving disease onset, progression, and drug resistance in tumors carrying the fusion of interest. Here, we describe the first patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) carrying an STRN-ALK fusion. The patient was diagnosed with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma in 2011. She was initially treated with crizotinib and remained stable until 2015. At the time of disease progression, a biopsy was taken with patient consent under CT guidance from a chest wall mass using an 18-gauge needle and then implanted into two SCID-beige mice subcutaneously and into the fat pad of the kidney. Palpable tumor was observed in both mice at about 28 weeks post implantation and passaged at 36 weeks. They have been passaged two successive times and viably frozen. Pathologic analysis of the PDX showed that both tumors have the same mucinous morphology as observed in the original biopsy sample. RNA-seq and matepair analysis revealed that the tumors carry a rare fusion involving the first three exons of STRN and exon 20 to 3’ end of the ALK gene. The patient has been on ceritinib since January 2016 and remains stable as of last follow up. Several unique features contributed to the success of this study. 1) The metastatic chest wall lesion used for the PDX developed was easily accessible on the chest wall using a relative large 18-gauge needle for CT-guided biopsies. 2) The slow growth of the tumor biopsy mirrors the clinical course of the disease observed in the patient. 3) The patient remains clinically stable and continues to respond to TKi. The availability of a viable PDX tumor model for this rare STRN-ALK fusion offers a unique opportunity to identify the most appropriate drug for the patient at the time of disease progression as well as the opportunity to examine the unique molecular features associated with this rare ALK fusion. This work was supported in part by the National Foundation for Cancer Research Hillsberg Lung Cancer Translational Research Grant and by the Biomarker Discovery Program at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. Citation Format: HongZheng Res, XiaoNan Hou, Karlyn E. Pierson, Patric Eiken, Asha Nair, PingYang Yang, Joanne Eunhee Yi, Aaron S. Mansfield, Jin Jen. Establishment of a unique patient-derived tumor model positive for STRN-ALK fusion from a patient with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR-IASLC International Joint Conference: Lung Cancer Translational Science from the Bench to the Clinic; Jan 8-11, 2018; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(17_Suppl):Abstract nr A17.

Abstract Mutations in the EGFR gene or transcript fusion involving EML4-ALK result in oncogenic activation of these oncogenes driving lung adenocarcinoma growth in tumors carrying such an alteration. For lung adenocarcinoma with these genetic changes, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been highly effective at reducing tumor burden and improve the outcome of the patients. Unfortunately, drug resistance eventually develops in these tumors and challenges remain in controlling lung cancer recurrence after targeted therapy. To overcome recurrence, we initiated a prove-of-principle study to evaluate the feasibility of an integrated strategy utilizing genomic profiles of the tumor and patient-specific tumor xenografts derived (PDX) from biopsies for ex vivo evaluation of antitumor drugs to help guide personalized treatment of lung cancer in patients who have developed resistance to targeted therapy drugs. Our study has three main objectives. 1) Use tumor biopsies obtained at the time of recurrence for oncogene mutation and RNAseq analyses to identify molecular changes in oncogenes and gene pathways that can be potentially targeted. 2) Evaluate drug efficacy and optimize personalized therapy for each patient using PDX models. 3) Assess clinical feasibility and our experience using integrated approaches for lung cancer patients who failed targeted therapy. This study was approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB) and utilizes both clinical and research biopsies. A dedicated nurse study coordinator reviews clinical patient list and history on weekly basis and informs the study team of each potential candidate patient. A total of 30 patients having ALK positive lung cancers have been identified and followed up from nearly 500 potentially ALK positive cases between April 2014 to Sept. 2015. Most patients were never smokers but six were former smokers and two were current smokers. Age at diagnoses ranged from 27-78 years (median = 61). Seven patients (23%) were 45 years or younger at the time of diagnosis. A total of 22 patients are currently being treated with crizotinib while eight are on ceritinib or alectinib. For each biopsy, tumor tissues are obtained using a 20 gauge needle, transferred on ice in preserving media and implanted within one hour into 6-8 week old NOD/SCID mice. Many patients have been on treatment for 2-3 years with stable disease so they do not require biopsy. Using a similar strategy, we also obtained biopsies from patients with EGFR gene mutations in their tumors and have progressed while on targeted therapy. A total of seven cases have been implanted. We will report our experiences in patient selection, clinical follow up, patient consent, PDX development, time from biopsy to tumor establishment, and the results of molecular analyses. Our study enabled us to gain new insights regarding the molecular changes associated with recurring tumors after they have failed targeted therapy as well as clinical experiences on how to utilize state-of-the art approaches and comprehensive genomic information to further improve cancer patient care upon disease progression. Acknowledgements: This work is supported in part by the Hillsberg Award from the National Foundation for Cancer Research and by the Biomarker Discovery Program at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. Citation Format: Jin Jen, Aaron Mansfield, Patrick W. Eiken, Shawn Stoddard, Karlyn Pierson, Xiaonan Hou, Hong Zheng Ren, Julian Molina, Joanne Yi, Ping Yang. Integrated Approaches to Treating Lung Adenocarcinoma Resistant to Targeted Therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Patient-Derived Cancer Models: Present and Future Applications from Basic Science to the Clinic; Feb 11-14, 2016; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2016;22(16_Suppl):Abstract nr B34.