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. 2022 Oct 1;23(10):3331-3337.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2022.23.10.3331.

Association between PIK3CA Mutations in Blood and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Peruvian Breast Cancer Patients

Carlos A Castaneda  1   2 , Miluska Castillo  3 , Luis A Bernabe  3 , Nancy Suarez  3 , Atocha Romero  4 , Joselyn Sanchez  3 , Ebert Torres  5 , Javier Enciso  6 , Katherine Tello  3 , Nataly Enciso  6 , Marco Velarde  7 , Miguel De La Cruz  7 , Jorge Dunstan  7 , Jose M Cotrina  7 , Julio Abugattas  7 , Miguel Pinillos  7 , Katia Roque  1 , Hugo Fuentes  1 , Ebert Poquioma  8 , Henry Guerra  5 , Henry L Gomez  1
Affiliations

Association between PIK3CA Mutations in Blood and Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Peruvian Breast Cancer Patients

Carlos A Castaneda et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) presence and tumor features including tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) levels in Peruvian breast cancer patients.

Materials and methods: This was a prospective study conducted at the Instituto Nacional de Enfemedades Neoplasicas, Peru. We evaluated level of TIL and PIK3CA mutations in ctDNA. Clinical characteristics, including outcome data, were collected from the patient file. Survival was calculated from the date of blood sample drawn to the event time. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS software version 25.

Results: We analyzed plasma samples from 183 breast cancer patients. most cases were of Luminal-B (44.8%) phenotype and stage II (41.5%), and median stromal TIL was 30%. PIK3CA mutation in ctDNA was detected in 35% cases (most with E545K) and was associated with lower TIL level (p=0.04). PIK3CA in ctDNA tended to be associated with advanced stages (p=0.09) in the whole series and with higher recurrence rates (p=0.053) in the non-metastatic setting. Patients with presence of PIK3CA in ctDNA tended to have shorter survival (p=0.083).

Conclusion: Presence of PIK3CA mutation in ctDNA was frequently found in our Peruvian breast cancer series, was associated with lower TIL levels and tended to predict poor outcomes.

Keywords: Lymphocytes; PIK3CA; breast cancer; ctDNA.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lesion Images of Three Early Breast Cancer Patients with Presence of ctDNA and Recurrence. (A) Lung metastases were diagnosed after 20 months of detection of ctDNA E545K mutation in a 59 years old woman with stage III metaplastic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). After liquid biopsy, the patient underwent neoadjuvant doxorubicin, paclitaxel, mastectomy, and adjuvant capecitabine and radiation. (B) Lung metastases were diagnosed after 3 months of detection of ctDNA E542K mutation in a 74 years old woman with stage III ductal grade-3 TNBC. Before liquid biopsy, the patient completed neoadjuvant doxorubicin, paclitaxel, mastectomy, and adjuvant radiation. (C, D) Lung and brain metastases were diagnosed after 30 months of ctDNA E545K mutation in a 46 woman with stage I grade-3 ductal TNBC. After liquid biopsy patient underwent tumorectomy/sentinel node biopsy, adjuvant doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and radiation
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan-Meier Curve for Overall Survival by Subtype
Figure 3
Figure 3
Kaplan-Meier Curve for Overall Survival by Stage
Figure 4
Figure 4
Kaplan-Meier Curve for Overall Survival by ctDNA Status
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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