Comprehensive molecular profiling of desmoplastic small round cell tumor Journal Article


Authors: Slotkin, E. K.; Bowman, A. S.; Levine, M. F.; Dela Cruz, F.; Coutinho, D. F.; Sanchez, G. I.; Rosales, N.; Modak, S.; Tap, W. D.; Gounder, M. M.; Thornton, K. A.; Bouvier, N.; You, D.; Gundem, G.; Gerstle, J. T.; Heaton, T. E.; LaQuaglia, M. P.; Wexler, L. H.; Meyers, P. A.; Kung, A. L.; Papaemmanuil, E.; Zehir, A.; Ladanyi, M.; Shukla, N.
Article Title: Comprehensive molecular profiling of desmoplastic small round cell tumor
Abstract: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is characterized by the EWSR1–WT1 t(11;22) (p13:q12) translocation. Few additional putative drivers have been identified, and research has suffered from a lack of model systems. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data from 68 matched tumor-normal samples, whole-genome sequencing data from 10 samples, transcriptomic and affymetrix array data, and a bank of DSRCT patient-derived xenograft (PDX) are presented. EWSR1–WT1 fusions were noted to be simple, balanced events. Recurrent mutations were uncommon, but were noted in TERT (3%), ARID1A (6%), HRAS (5%), and TP53 (3%), and recurrent loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 11p, 11q, and 16q was identified in 18%, 22%, and 34% of samples, respectively. Comparison of tumor-normal matched versus unmatched analysis suggests overcalling of somatic mutations in prior publications of DSRCT NGS data. Alterations in fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) were identified in 5 of 68 (7%) of tumor samples, whereas differential overexpression of FGFR4 was confirmed orthogonally using 2 platforms. PDX models harbored the pathognomic EWSR1–WT1 fusion and were highly representative of corresponding tumors. Our analyses confirm DSRCT as a genomically quiet cancer defined by the balanced translocation, t(11;22)(p13:q12), characterized by a paucity of secondary mutations but a significant number of copy number alterations. Against this genomically quiet background, recurrent activating alterations of FGFR4 stood out, and suggest that this receptor tyrosine kinase, also noted to be highly expressed in DSRCT, should be further investigated. Future studies of DSRCT biology and preclinical therapeutic strategies should benefit from the PDX models characterized in this study. Implications: These data describe the general quiescence of the desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) genome, present the first available bank of DSRCT model systems, and nominate FGFR4 as a key receptor tyrosine kinase in DSRCT, based on high expression, recurrent amplification, and recurrent activating mutations. © 2021 American Association for Cancer Research.
Journal Title: Molecular Cancer Research
Volume: 19
Issue: 7
ISSN: 1541-7786
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Date Published: 2021-07-01
Start Page: 1146
End Page: 1155
Language: English
DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.Mcr-20-0722
PUBMED: 33753552
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC8293793
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 2 August 2021 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Shakeel Modak
    251 Modak
  2. Leonard H Wexler
    192 Wexler
  3. Marc Ladanyi
    1332 Ladanyi
  4. Mrinal M Gounder
    230 Gounder
  5. Ahmet Zehir
    345 Zehir
  6. Nancy Bouvier
    70 Bouvier
  7. Paul Meyers
    311 Meyers
  8. Neerav Shukla
    160 Shukla
  9. William Douglas Tap
    378 Tap
  10. Emily Kanaya Slotkin
    66 Slotkin
  11. Nestor S Rosales
    33 Rosales
  12. Daoqi You
    47 You
  13. Todd Erin Heaton
    44 Heaton
  14. Andrew L Kung
    97 Kung
  15. Gunes Gundem
    57 Gundem
  16. Anita S Bowman
    44 Bowman
  17. Max Levine
    35 Levine
  18. Justin Theodore Gerstle
    24 Gerstle