Integrative molecular characterization of resistance to neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Molecular properties associated with complete response or acquired resistance to concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) are incompletely characterized.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We performed integrated whole exome/transcriptome sequencing and immune infiltrate analysis on rectal adenocarcinoma tumors prior to neoadjuvant CRT (pre-CRT) and at time of resection (post-CRT) in 17 patients (8 complete/partial responders [R], 9 nonresponders [NR]).

RESULTS: CRT was not associated with increased tumor mutational burden or neoantigen load and did not alter the distribution of established somatic tumor mutations in rectal cancer. Concurrent / mutations (KP) associated with NR tumors and were enriched for an epithelial-mesenchymal transition transcriptional program. Furthermore, NR was associated with reduced CD4/CD8 T-cell infiltrates and a post-CRT M2 macrophage phenotype. Absent any local tumor recurrences, KP/NR status predicted worse progression-free survival, suggesting that local immune escape during or after CRT with specific genomic features contributes to distant progression.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, while CRT did not impact genomic profiles, CRT impacted the tumor immune microenvironment, particularly in resistant cases.