Intertumor heterogeneity of locally advanced gastric cancer.

Abstract

435 Background: The aim of the present study was to determine to the effect of HER2, dMMR, PD-L1 status in the primary tumor and in metastasis to the regional lymph node of GC patients. Methods: A total of 44 patients with primary loco-regional (N+) gastric adenocarcinoma were recruited, and two formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor-containing blocks of each patient (one block with primary tumor and one block with metastasis to the regional lymph node)were selected for HER2, dMMR, PD-L1 (CPS) immunohistochemical (IHC) assay. Clinicopathological characteristics were recorded, and intertumoral heterogeneity of HER2, dMMR, PD-L1 IHC expression was determined. Results: The study included 19 women and 25 men, 30 patients had Laurén’s intestinal type of cancer, 14 had a Laurén’s diffuse type. In 5 patients (11.4%) overexpression of Her-2 neu was detected, and heterogeneity was detected in all five cases: in three patients with HER2 overexpression in the primary tumor, no overexpression was detected in the metastasis to the regional lymph node, in two cases overexpression was detected in the metastasis, while no overexpression was observed in the primary tumor. 2 patients showed signs of dMMR (4.5%), in one case, heterogeneity in dMMR status was also revealed: signs of dMMR in the primary tumor and its absence in regional metastasis (pMMR). Assessment of PD-L1 status was carried out using the CPS formula. Ten patients (22.7%) had a negative PD-L1 status (CPS=0) both in the primary tumor and in regional metastasis. Positive PD-L1 status in the primary tumor: in 24 patients CPS= 0-5 (54.5%), in 5 patients CPS= 5-10 (11.4%) and 5 patients CPS= 10 or more (11.4% ). Positive PD-L1 status in regional lymph node metastasis: in 24 patients CPS= 0-5 (54.5%), in 5 patients CPS= 5-10 (11.4%) and in 5 patients CPS= 10 or more ( 11.4%). In 5 cases (11.4%) marked heterogeneity in PD-L1 status between the primary tumor and its regional metastasis (1 case with dMMR heterogeneity). Conclusions: The research findings in this paper indicate that the intertumoral heterogeneity of HER2 overexpression is common in GC patients, We highly recommend multi-block HER2 assessment for accurate diagnosis of GC. Given the rarity of status detection dMMR, a study in a larger number of patients is required, however, our data also confirm the presence of heterogeneity in dMMR status, and probably the possibility of metastasis of a more aggressive pMMR clone. Heterogeneity in PD-L1 status is quite rare and amounted to only 11.4%, which also has important practical significance.