Investigator

Gunnar B. Kristensen

Oslo University Hospital

Research Interests

GBKGunnar B. Kristen…
Papers(5)
MRI Distinguishes Tum…Combining imaging- an…Molecular Results and…Prognostic value of t…Real-world outcomes i…
Collaborators(10)
Wanja KildalKristina LindemannKari Anne R. TobinIsabelle Ray-CoquardJalid SehouliJohn FarleyJosep M. del CampoKathleen N. MooreManohar PradhanMansoor Raza Mirza
Institutions(8)
Oslo University Hospi…Unknown InstitutionCentre Leon BErardCharité - Universität…Dignity Health ArizonaUniversitat De Barcel…Buffett Cancer Center…Rigshospitalet

Papers

MRI Distinguishes Tumor Hypoxia Levels of Different Prognostic and Biological Significance in Cervical Cancer

Abstract Tumor hypoxia levels range from mild to severe and have different biological and therapeutical consequences but are not easily assessable in patients. Here we present a method based on diagnostic dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI that reflects a continuous range of hypoxia levels in patients with tumors of cervical cancer. Hypoxia images were generated using an established approach based on pixel-wise combination of DCE-MRI parameters νe and Ktrans, representing oxygen consumption and supply, respectively. Using two tumor models, an algorithm to retrieve surrogate measures of hypoxia levels from the images was developed and validated by comparing the MRI-defined levels with hypoxia levels reflected in pimonidazole-stained histologic sections. An additional indicator of hypoxia levels in patient tumors was established on the basis of expression of nine hypoxia-responsive genes; a strong correlation was found between these indicator values and MRI-defined hypoxia levels in 63 patients. Chemoradiotherapy outcome of 74 patients was most strongly predicted by moderate hypoxia levels, whereas more severe or milder levels were less predictive. By combining gene expression profiles and MRI-defined hypoxia levels in cancer hallmark analysis, we identified a distribution of levels associated with each hallmark; oxidative phosphorylation and G2–M checkpoint were associated with moderate hypoxia, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and inflammatory responses with significantly more severe levels. At the mildest levels, IFN response hallmarks together with HIF1A protein expression by IHC appeared significant. Thus, our method visualizes the distribution of hypoxia levels within patient tumors and has potential to distinguish levels of different prognostic and biological significance. Significance: These findings present an approach to image a continuous range of hypoxia levels in tumors and demonstrate the combination of imaging with molecular data to better understand the biology behind these different levels.

Combining imaging- and gene-based hypoxia biomarkers in cervical cancer improves prediction of chemoradiotherapy failure independent of intratumour heterogeneity

Emerging biomarkers from medical imaging or molecular characterization of tumour biopsies open up for combining the two and exploiting their synergy in treatment planning of cancer patients. We generated a paired data set of imaging- and gene-based hypoxia biomarkers in cervical cancer, appraised the influence of intratumour heterogeneity in patient classification, and investigated the benefit of combining the methodologies in prediction of chemoradiotherapy failure. Hypoxic fraction from dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MR images and an expression signature of six hypoxia-responsive genes were assessed as imaging- and gene-based biomarker, respectively in 118 patients. Dichotomous biomarker cutoff to yield similar hypoxia status by imaging and genes was defined in 41 patients, and the association was validated in the remaining 77 patients. The two biomarkers classified 75% of 118 patients with the same hypoxia status, and inconsistent classification was not related to imaging-defined intratumour heterogeneity in hypoxia. Gene-based hypoxia was independent on tumour cell fraction in the biopsies and showed minor heterogeneity across multiple samples in 9 tumours. Combining imaging- and gene-based classification gave a significantly better prediction of PFS than one biomarker alone. A combined dichotomous biomarker optimized in 77 patients showed a large separation in PFS between more and less hypoxic tumours, and separated the remaining 41 patients with different PFS. The combined biomarker showed prognostic value together with tumour stage in multivariate analysis. Combining imaging- and gene-based biomarkers may enable more precise and informative assessment of hypoxia-related chemoradiotherapy resistance in cervical cancer. Norwegian Cancer Society, South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, and Norwegian Research Council.

Molecular Results and Potential Biomarkers Identified from the Phase 3 MILO/ENGOT-ov11 Study of Binimetinib versus Physician Choice of Chemotherapy in Recurrent Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Abstract Purpose: We present the results of a post hoc tumor tissue analysis from the phase 3 MILO/ENGOT-ov11 study (NCT01849874). Patients and Methods: Mutation/copy-number analysis was performed on tissue obtained pre-randomization. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate progression-free survival (PFS). Unbiased univariate analysis, Cox regression, and binary logistic regression were used to test associations between mutation status and outcomes, including PFS and binary response by local RECIST 1.1. Results: MILO/ENGOT-ov11 enrolled 341 patients, ranging in age from 22 to 79, from June, 2013 to April, 2016. Patients were randomized 2:1 to binimetinib or physician's choice of chemotherapy (PCC). The most commonly altered gene was KRAS (33%). In 135 patients treated with binimetinib with response rate (RR) data, other detected MAPK pathway alterations included: NRAS (n = 11, 8.1%), BRAF V600E (n = 8, 5.9%), RAF1 (n = 2, 1.5%), and NF1 (n = 7, 5.2%). In those with and without MAPK pathway alterations, the RRs with binimetinib were 41% and 13%, respectively. PFS was significantly longer in patients with, compared with those without, MAPK pathway alterations treated with binimetinib [HR, 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31–0.79]. There was a nonsignificant trend toward PFS improvement in PCC-treated patients with MAPK pathway alterations compared with those without (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.43–1.59). Conclusions: Although this hypothesis-generating analysis is limited by multiple testing, higher RRs and longer PFS were seen in patients with low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) treated with binimetinib, and to a lesser extent in those treated with PCC, who harbored MAPK pathway alterations. Somatic tumor testing should be routinely considered in patients with LGSOC and used as a future stratification factor.

Prognostic value of tertiary lymphoid structures in molecular subgroups of endometrial carcinoma

Tertiary lymphoid structures, lymphoid cell clusters formed in response to cancer or chronic disease, serve as a prognostic marker in multiple cancer types, including endometrial carcinoma. We assessed the prognostic significance of tertiary lymphoid structures, using the surrogate marker L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM), in 1208 endometrial carcinoma patients in all stages, histological subtypes, and risk groups. Immunohistochemical evaluation of L1CAM in 1 tissue section from each patient revealed tertiary lymphoid structure-positivity in 287 of 1208 (23.8%) cases. In univariable analyses, patients with tertiary lymphoid structure-positive tumors had significantly longer time to recurrence (HR 0.61, p < .001) and cancer-specific survival (HR 0.53, p < .001) compared to patients with tumors without tertiary lymphoid structures. In multivariable analyses with standard clinical and pathological markers as well as modern molecular classification, the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures was an independent prognostic marker for time to recurrence (HR 0.63, p < .001) and cancer-specific survival (HR 0.54, p < .001). The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures was more frequent in POLE-mutated (59.4%) and mismatch repair deficient (32.3%) compared to p53-abnormal (15.8%) and no specific molecular profile (14.7%) tumors. In patients with p53-abnormal tumors, the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures was significantly associated with better outcomes for both time to recurrence (HR 0.51, p = .014) and cancer-specific survival (HR 0.52, p = .021) in multivariable analyses. These findings suggest that the evaluation of tertiary lymphoid structures by L1CAM may enhance prognostic precision in endometrial carcinoma.

Real-world outcomes in molecular subgroups for patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

There is scarce real-world evidence on patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. We assessed the oncological outcome in groups by molecular classification. This retrospective cohort study included patients with advanced/recurrent endometrial cancer treated with platinum-based chemotherapy after hysterectomy at The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, between January 2006 and December 2017. Patients were molecularly classified as pathogenic POLE mutated, mismatch repair deficient, p53 abnormal, or no specific molecular profile. Time-to-recurrence and cancer-specific survival were calculated. We identified 264 advanced-stage patients (stage III/IV) and 96 patients with recurrent disease. The molecular classification was prognostic for time-to-recurrence (p < .0001) and cancer-specific survival (p < .0001) in patients with advanced disease, but the outcome did not differ significantly by molecular groups in recurrent patients. In all molecular groups, patients with stage III disease had longer time-to-recurrence and cancer-specific survival compared to patients with stage IV disease. The worst outcome was observed in patients with p53 abnormal tumors with an HR of 1.57 (95% CI 1.07 to 2.30) for time-to-recurrence and HR of 1.78 (95% CI 1.19 to 2.65) for cancer-specific survival in stage III/IV disease and an HR of 1.45 (95% CI 0.83 to 2.52) for time-to-recurrence and HR of 1.60 (95% CI 0.99 to 2.68) for cancer-specific survival in patients with recurrent disease. The few patients with POLE mutated tumors had favorable outcomes despite the advanced/recurrent disease status. Oncological outcomes differ by molecular groups, in particular among patients with advanced disease. Patients with p53 abnormal tumors have the worst outcome, while patients with POLE mutated tumors have favorable outcomes even with recurrent disease. Implementation of the addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy is expected to lead to substantial improvement of outcome, particularly in patients with mismatch repair deficient advanced/recurrent disease. There is still a high unmet need in advanced/recurrent patients with p53 abnormal and no specific molecular profile tumors.

4Works
5Papers
38Collaborators
1Trials
Biomarkers, TumorNeoplasm GradingOvarian NeoplasmsPrognosisCystadenocarcinoma, SerousNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalCarcinoma, Ovarian EpithelialPeritoneal Neoplasms
Country

NO