Endometrial Carcinoma Recurrence Score (ECARS) validates to identify aggressive disease and associates with markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and PI3K alterations.

Gynecol Oncol
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

PURPOSE: Our previously reported 29-gene expression signature identified an aggressive subgroup of endometrial cancer patients with PI3K activation. We here wanted to validate these findings by independent patient series.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 29-gene expression signature was assessed in fresh frozen tumor tissue from 280 primary endometrial carcinomas (three independent cohorts), 19 metastatic lesions and in 333 primary endometrial carcinomas using TCGA data, and expression was related to clinico-pathologic features and survival. The 29-gene signature was assessed by real-time quantitative PCR, DNA oligonucleotide microarrays, or RNA sequencing. PI3K alterations were assessed by immunohistochemistry, DNA microarrays, DNA sequencing, SNP arrays or fluorescence in situ hybridization. A panel of markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was also correlated to the 29-gene signature score.

RESULTS: High 29-gene Endometrial Carcinoma Recurrence Score (ECARS) values consistently validated to identify patients with aggressive clinico-pathologic phenotype and reduced survival. Within the presumed favorable subgroups of low grade, endometrioid tumors confined to the uterus, high ECARS still predicted a poor prognosis. The score was higher in metastatic compared to primary lesions (P

CONCLUSIONS: ECARS validates to identify aggressive endometrial carcinomas in multiple, independent patients cohorts. The higher signature score in metastatic compared to primary lesions, and the potential link to PI3K activation and EMT, support further studies of ECARS in relation to response to PI3K and EMT inhibitors in clinical trials of metastatic endometrial carcinoma.

Year of Publication
2014
Journal
Gynecol Oncol
Volume
134
Issue
3
Pages
599-606
Date Published
2014 Sep
ISSN
1095-6859
URL
DOI
10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.06.026
PubMed ID
24995579
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