Therapeutic implications of detecting MAPK-activating alterations in cutaneous and unknown primary melanomas Journal Article


Authors: Shoushtari, A. N.; Chatila, W. K.; Arora, A.; Sanchez-Vega, F.; Kantheti, H. S.; Rojas Zamalloa, J. A.; Krieger, P.; Callahan, M. K.; Betof Warner, A.; Postow, M. A.; Momtaz, P.; Nair, S.; Ariyan, C. E.; Barker, C. A.; Brady, M. S.; Coit, D. G.; Rosen, N.; Chapman, P. B.; Busam, K. J.; Solit, D. B.; Panageas, K. S.; Wolchok, J. D.; Schultz, N.
Article Title: Therapeutic implications of detecting MAPK-activating alterations in cutaneous and unknown primary melanomas
Abstract: Purpose: Cutaneous and unknown primary melanomas frequently harbor alterations that activate the MAPK pathway. Whether MAPK driver detection beyond BRAF V600 is clinically relevant in the checkpoint inhibitor era is unknown. Experimental Design: Patients with melanoma were prospectively offered tumor sequencing of 341-468 genes. Oncogenic alterations in 28 RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway genes were used to construct MAPK driver groups. Time to treatment failure (TTF) was determined for patients who received first-line programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) monotherapy, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, or subsequent genomically matched targeted therapies. A Cox proportional hazards model was constructed for TTF using driver group and clinical variables. Results: A total of 670 of 696 sequenced melanomas (96%) harbored an oncogenic RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway alteration; 33% had ≥1 driver. Nine driver groups varied by clinical presentation and mutational burden. TTF of PD-1 monotherapy (N = 181) varied by driver, with worse outcomes for NRAS Q61 and BRAF V600 versus NF1 or other alterations (median 4.2, 7.5, 22, and not reached; P < 0.0001). Driver group remained significant, independent of tumor mutational burden and clinical features. TTF did not vary by driver for nivolumab plus ipilimumab (N = 141). Among 172 patients with BRAF V600 wildtype melanoma who progressed on checkpoint blockade, 27 were treated with genomically matched therapy, and eight (30%) derived clinical benefit lasting ≥6 months. Conclusions: Targeted capture multigene sequencing can detect oncogenic RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway alterations in almost all cutaneous and unknown primary melanomas. TTF of PD-1 monotherapy varies by mechanism of ERK activation. Oncogenic kinase fusions can be successfully targeted in immune checkpoint inhibitor. refractory melanoma. © 2021 American Association for Cancer Research.
Journal Title: Clinical Cancer Research
Volume: 27
Issue: 8
ISSN: 1078-0432
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Date Published: 2021-04-15
Start Page: 2226
End Page: 2235
Language: English
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.Ccr-20-4189
PUBMED: 33509808
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC8046739
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 3 May 2021 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Neal Rosen
    419 Rosen
  2. Jedd D Wolchok
    898 Wolchok
  3. David Solit
    738 Solit
  4. Michael Andrew Postow
    328 Postow
  5. Paul Chapman
    322 Chapman
  6. Christopher Barker
    200 Barker
  7. Margaret Kathleen Callahan
    187 Callahan
  8. Katherine S Panageas
    483 Panageas
  9. Mary Sue Brady
    202 Brady
  10. Charlotte Eielson Ariyan
    141 Ariyan
  11. Daniel Coit
    532 Coit
  12. Klaus J Busam
    670 Busam
  13. Nikolaus D Schultz
    435 Schultz
  14. Arshi Arora
    35 Arora
  15. Parisa   Momtaz
    45 Momtaz
  16. Walid Khaled Chatila
    84 Chatila