Gastric Cancer Subtypes Help Predict Outcomes

Subtypes of gastric cancer predicted survival and success of adjuvant chemotherapy, according to the findings of a recent study.

In the study, researchers used gene expression data from a cohort of 262 individuals with gastric cancer enrolled in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project to develop a subtype prediction model. The association of each gastric cancer subtype with survival and benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy was tested using data from 2 additional cohorts that included 267 individuals and 432 individuals. The researchers also developed a risk assessment model (TCGA score).
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The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) subtype was associated with the best prognosis, and the worse prognosis was associated with the genomically stable (GS) subtype. While patients with microsatellite instability (MSI) and chromosomal instability (CIN) subtypes had better overall survival compared with those with the GS subtype, they had worse overall survival compared with patients with the EBV subtype.

Patients with the CIN subtype experienced the greatest benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy, while patients with the GS subtype experienced the least benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. 

In addition, the TCGA risk score was found to be an independent prognostic factor.

“Our prediction model successfully stratified patients by survival and adjuvant chemotherapy outcomes,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Sohn BH, Hwang JE, Jang HJ, et al. Clinical Significance of Four Molecular Subtypes of Gastric Cancer Identified by The Cancer Genome Atlas Project [published online July 26, 2017]. Clin Cancer Res. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-2211.