TMPRSS2:ERG fusion identifies a subgroup of prostate cancers with a favorable prognosis

Abstract

Purpose: Our aim was to assess the frequency of ERG overexpression and TMPRSS2:ERG rearrangement in prostate cancer and their association with clinicopathologic variables and outcome.

Experimental design: The presence of the TMPRSS2:ERG rearrangement was studied by reverse transcription-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization in 19 prostate cancer xenografts and 7 prostate cancer cell lines. The expression of ERG was studied in the xenografts and cell lines and in 49 freshly frozen clinical prostate samples by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The frequency of the TMPRSS2:ERG fusion in clinical prostate cancer (n = 253) on tissue microarrays was assessed by three-color fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Results: Seven of 19 (37%) of the xenografts overexpressed ERG and had TMPRSS2:ERG rearrangement. Two xenografts, representing small cell carcinomas, also contained the fusion but did not express ERG. In clinical tumor specimens, the overexpression of ERG was associated with the rearrangement (P = 0.0019). Fifty of 150 (33%) of the prostatectomy specimens and 28 of 76 (37%) of the hormone-refractory prostate cancers on the tissue microarrays carried the TMPRSS2:ERG rearrangement. It was associated with longer progression-free survival in patients treated by prostatectomy (P = 0.019), and according to multivariate analysis, it was an independent predictor of favorable outcome (relative risk, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.98). The fusion was not associated with Gleason score, pT stage, diagnostic prostate-specific antigen, or cell proliferation activity in prostatectomy specimens nor with the AR gene amplification in hormone-refractory tumors.

Conclusions: The TMPRSS2:ERG rearrangement can be found in about one third of prostate cancers. A subgroup of prostate cancer patients with a good prognosis may be identified by the rearrangement.