PI3KCA mutations and/or PTEN loss in Her2-positive breast carcinomas treated with trastuzumab are not related to resistance to anti-Her2 therapy

Virchows Arch. 2012 Aug;461(2):129-39. doi: 10.1007/s00428-012-1267-2. Epub 2012 Jun 29.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether activating mutations of the p110α catalytic subunit of class A phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3KCA) or complete loss of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is associated with response to anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) treatment in breast cancer (BC). We analysed PI3KCA hot-spot mutations and PTEN immunohistochemical expression in 129 Her2-positive infiltrating BC treated with trastuzumab, including 26 cases treated with neoadjuvant therapy, 48 metastatic infiltrating breast cancer (IBC; MBC) and 55 early-stage IBC, with complete clinical information (mean follow-up 37, 66 and 32 months, respectively). PI3KCA hot-spot mutations were observed in 25 cases (19 %): 12 (9 %) in exon 9 and 13 (10 %) in exon 20. No correlations were observed between mutations and pathological and biological parameters. In patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy and in MBC, we did not observe any relationship with response to trastuzumab-based therapy. PTEN loss was observed in 24 out of 86 informative cases (28 %), 3 (13 %) of which were also mutated for PI3KCA. PI3K pathway activation, defined as PI3KCA mutation and/or PTEN loss, was not associated with response to treatment or clinical outcome in MBC. PI3KCA mutation and/or PTEN loss should not exclude patients from potentially beneficial anti-Her2 therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / therapeutic use
  • Base Sequence
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation*
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics*
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / biosynthesis
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Trastuzumab

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • PI3KCA protein, human
  • Transcription Factors
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human
  • Trastuzumab