Monitoring of circulating tumour DNA in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma predicts clinical outcome and reveals disease progression earlier than radiological imaging.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease with a need for better tools to guide treatment selection and follow-up. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the prognostic value and treatment monitoring potential of longitudinal circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) measurements in patients with advanced PDAC undergoing palliative chemotherapy. Using KRAS peptide nucleic acid clamp-PCR, we measured ctDNA levels in plasma samples obtained at baseline and every 4 weeks during chemotherapy from 81 patients with locally advanced and metastatic PDAC.

Comprehensive ctDNA Measurements Improve Prediction of Clinical Outcomes and Enable Dynamic Tracking of Disease Progression in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising tumor-specific biomarker in pancreatic cancer, but current evidence of the clinical potential of ctDNA is limited. In this study, we used comprehensive detection methodology to explore the utility of longitudinal ctDNA measurements in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Experimental Design: A targeted eight-gene next-generation sequencing panel was used to detect point mutations and copy-number aberrations (CNA) in ctDNA from 324 pre-treatment and longitudinal plasma samples obtained from 56 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Prognostic value of disseminated tumor cells in unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a prospective observational study.

Background: Although pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) rarely metastasizes to the skeleton, disseminated tumor cells have been detected in bone marrow samples from patients with this disease. The prognostic value of such findings is currently unclear. Thus, the current study aimed to clarify the prognostic information associated with disseminated tumor cell detection in samples from patients with PDAC.

Detection of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow predict late recurrences in operable breast cancer patients.

Background: Operable breast cancer patients may experience late recurrences because of reactivation of dormant tumor cells within the bone marrow (BM). Identification of patients who would benefit from extended therapy is therefore needed.

Methods: BM samples obtained pre- and post-surgery were previously analysed for presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTC) by a multimarker mRNA quantitative reverse-transcription PCR assay.

Fragment size and level of cell-free DNA provide prognostic information in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: It was recently demonstrated that the size of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments that originates from tumor cells are shorter than cfDNA fragments that originates from non-malignant cells. We investigated whether cfDNA fragment size and cfDNA levels might have prognostic value in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, before (n = 61) initiation of chemotherapy and after the first cycle of chemotherapy (n = 39).

The Prognostic Relevance of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastases Assessed by PHGR1 mRNA Quantification in Stage I to III Colon Cancer.

Background: Regional lymph node (LN) metastasis is a strong and well-established prognostic factor in colon cancer, and recent data suggest a prognostic value of detecting micrometastases and isolated tumor cells in regional LNs. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical relevance of detecting sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases in colon cancer patients by measuring the novel metastasis marker PHGR1 mRNA.

Methods: Using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, we measured PHGR1 mRNA levels in SLNs and primary tumors from 206 patients surgically treated for stage I to III colon cancer and 52 normal LNs from patients undergoing surgery for benign colon diseases.

Expression profiling and intracellular localization studies of the novel Proline-, Histidine-, and Glycine-rich protein 1 suggest an essential role in gastro-intestinal epithelium and a potential clinical application in colorectal cancer diagnostics.

Background: The primary function of the intestines is the absorption of water and nutrients. Although our knowledge about these processes on the cellular level is extensive, a number of important intracellular elements remain unknown. Here, we characterize the novel proline-, histidine-, glycine-rich 1 (PHGR1) mRNA and protein on the molecular level and propose a functional role of the PHGR1 protein in the intestinal and gastric epithelium.

Single-cell mRNA profiling reveals transcriptional heterogeneity among pancreatic circulating tumour cells.

Background: Single-cell mRNA profiling of circulating tumour cells may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of these cells and their role in the metastatic process. In addition, such analyses may reveal new knowledge about the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy resistance and tumour progression in patients with cancer.

Methods: Single circulating tumour cells were isolated from patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer with immuno-magnetic depletion and immuno-fluorescence microscopy.

Molecular subtypes in stage II-III colon cancer defined by genomic instability: early recurrence-risk associated with a high copy-number variation and loss of RUNX3 and CDKN2A.

Objective: We sought to investigate various molecular subtypes defined by genomic instability that may be related to early death and recurrence in colon cancer.

Methods: We sought to investigate various molecular subtypes defined by instability at microsatellites (MSI), changes in methylation patterns (CpG island methylator phenotype, CIMP) or copy number variation (CNV) in 8 genes. Stage II-III colon cancers (n = 64) were investigated by methylation-specific multiplex ligated probe amplification (MS-MLPA).

Influence of microsatellite instability and KRAS and BRAF mutations on lymph node harvest in stage I-III colon cancers.

Lymph node (LN) harvest is influenced by several factors, including tumor genetics. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is associated with improved node harvest, but the association to other genetic factors is largely unknown. Research methods included a prospective series of stage I-III colon cancer patients undergoing ex vivo sentinel-node sampling.

Prognostic relevance of occult metastases detected by cytokeratin 20 and mucin 2 mRNA levels in sentinel lymph nodes from colon cancer patients.

Purpose: To investigate the prognostic value of occult metastases detected by quantitative measurements of candidate biomarkers in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) from patients curatively resected for colon cancer.

Methods: Resection specimens from consecutive patients undergoing surgery for localized colon cancer were subjected to ex vivo SLN mapping. SLNs were examined for the presence of metastases by routine hematoxylin-erythrosin-safranin staining and by cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and mucin 2 (MUC2) mRNA quantification.

Comparison of a PNA clamp PCR and an ARMS/Scorpion PCR assay for the detection of K-ras mutations.

Point mutations in the K-ras gene have been shown to confer resistance against epidermal growth factor receptor-directed therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer. Accordingly, K-ras mutation testing has become mandatory in hospitals offering such treatment. We compared the performance and reagent costs of 2 sensitive methods for detection of K-ras mutations: a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and a commercially available amplification refractory mutation system/Scorpion (ARMS/S) PCR assay.

Heterogeneous distribution of K-ras mutations in primary colon carcinomas: implications for EGFR-directed therapy.

Purpose: K-ras mutations predict resistance against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-directed therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to analyze the distribution of K-ras mutations in primary tumors and corresponding sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) from colon cancer patients.

Methods: Tumor biopsies and SLNs from 158 patients with non-metastatic colon cancer were analyzed for K-ras mutations in codons 12 and 13 by a sensitive and quantitative peptide nucleic acid clamp PCR assay.

Detection of occult metastases in sentinel lymph nodes from colon cancer patients by K-ras mutation peptide nucleic acid clamp PCR.

Objective: To identify colon cancer patients with occult lymph node metastases.

Summary Of Background Data: The prognostic value of regional lymph node (LN) metastases in colorectal cancer patients is well established. The disease recurrences nevertheless experienced by 20% to 30% of the LN negative patients suggest a potential for improvement in current LN diagnostics.

The potential of cytokeratin 20 and mucin 2 mRNA as metastasis markers in regional lymph nodes of colon cancer patients investigated by quantitative RT-PCR.

Purpose: The presence of regional lymph node metastases is one of the most important prognostic factors in colon cancer. Nevertheless, up to 30% of the lymph node negative patients experience disease recurrence. Possibly, this patient group may be identified by more sensitive techniques than routine histopathological examination of the lymph nodes.

A small subgroup of operable breast cancer patients with poor prognosis identified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR detection of mammaglobin A and trefoil factor 1 mRNA expression in bone marrow.

Purpose: The utility of three different epithelial mRNA markers to detect clinically significant, disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow (BM) was explored.

Methods: Mammaglobin A (hMAM), trefoil factor 1 (TFF-1) and prostate derived Ets factor (PDEF) mRNA were quantitated by real-time RT-PCR in BM samples from 192 breast cancer patients undergoing surgery (control group: 26 healthy women).

Results: During a median follow-up of 72 months, four of the five hMAM BM-positive and three of the seven TFF-1 BM-positive patients experienced a systemic relapse.

High-fidelity DNA polymerase enhances the sensitivity of a peptide nucleic acid clamp PCR assay for K-ras mutations.

Sensitive detection of tumor-specific point mutations is of interest in both the early detection of cancer and the monitoring of treatment at a molecular level. Recently, peptide nucleic acid (PNA) clamp real-time PCR has provided a time-sparing and sensitive method for the detection of mutations in the presence of a large excess of wild-type DNA. We present the first report that the sensitivity of PNA clamp PCR is limited by the low fidelity of TaqDNA polymerase.