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Clinical Trial
. 2025 Jul 25:225:115585.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2025.115585. Epub 2025 Jun 18.

Genomic profiling of primary tumor and lymph node metastasis in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer: prospective cohort study within TAXIS (OPBC-03, SAKK 23/16, IBCSG 57-18, ABCSG-53, GBG 101)

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Clinical Trial

Genomic profiling of primary tumor and lymph node metastasis in patients with clinically node-positive breast cancer: prospective cohort study within TAXIS (OPBC-03, SAKK 23/16, IBCSG 57-18, ABCSG-53, GBG 101)

Michael Knauer et al. Eur J Cancer. .
Free article

Abstract

Introduction: Genomic tests informing systemic therapy recommendations for breast cancer (BC) were developed and validated on primary tumor (PT) tissue. Agreement of genomic tests between the PT and matched lymph node metastases (LNm) in patients with BC is currently unclear, which limits their use in nodal tissue.

Methods: Prespecified study within the international phase III TAXIS trial (NCT03513614). Tissue from PT and matched LNm were assessed with the primary objective of comparing genomic recurrence risk and subtypes. Clinical risk was assessed using the Adjuvant!Online tool and clinical subtypes were determined based on hormone receptor and Her2 testing. Agreement was assessed using Cohen's Kappa (Κ).

Results: Eighty-nine patients with stage II/III BC from 26 European centers were included. Median age was 63 years (range 50-72). Agreement in genomic risk between the PT and LNm was found in 84.3 % (Κ=0.64). However, 15.6 % exhibited genomic high risk in the LNm and low risk in the PT, while 16.0 % demonstrated low risk in the LNm and high risk in the PT. Genomic subtypes of PT and LNm showed disagreement in 17.1 % of patients with luminal BC (Κ=0.70). 96.5 % of patients were clinically categorized as high risk, whereas genomically, 25.6 % of them were classified as low risk in the LNm (Κ=0.17) and 31.7 % in the PT (Κ=0.13). Genomic subtyping reclassified 35.5 % of the clinically luminal tumor subtypes.

Conclusion: Disagreement in genomically estimated risk exists in over 15 % of patients, potentially leading to over- or undertreatment. Consequently, the applicability of genomic tests in LNm remains controversial.

Keywords: 70-gene profile MammaPrint; 80-gene profile BluePrint; Axillary surgery; Breast cancer; Genomic profiling; Lymph node metastasis; Tailored axillary surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Michael Knauer reported receiving advisory board fees from Myriad outside the submitted work. Daniel Egle reported receiving personal fees from AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, MSD, Novartis Pfizer, and Sirius and nonfinancial support from Roche outside the submitted work. Simone Muenst reported honoraria from AbbVie. William Audeh and Andrea Menicucci are employees of Agendia Inc. Christian Kurzeder reported honoraria from Tesaro, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Novartis, PharmaMar, Genomic Health, Roche, Eli Lilly S.A., Pfizer, Daichi; consulting or advisory role for Tesaro, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Novartis, PharmaMar, Genomic Health, Roche, Eli Lilly S.A., Merck MSD, Pfizer, and travel, accommodations and expenses from GSK, Astra Zeneca, and Roche. Walter P. Weber reported research support from Agendia paid to the University Hospital Basel (last tranche in January 2022) for the TAXIS study (OPBC-03, SAKK 23/16, IBCSG 57–18, ABCSG-53, GBG 101). Payment or honoraria for lectures: MSD (for Best of SGBCC in April 2023). All other authors report no conflicts of interest.

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