Identification and Construction of Combinatory Cancer Hallmark-Based Gene Signature Sets to Predict Recurrence and Chemotherapy Benefit in Stage II Colorectal Cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Decisions regarding adjuvant therapy in patients with stage II colorectal cancer (CRC) have been among the most challenging and controversial in oncology over the past 20 years.


OBJECTIVE
To develop robust combinatory cancer hallmark-based gene signature sets (CSS sets) that more accurately predict prognosis and identify a subset of patients with stage II CRC who could gain survival benefits from adjuvant chemotherapy.


METHODS
Thirteen retrospective studies of patients with stage II CRC who had clinical follow-up and adjuvant chemotherapy were analyzed. Respective totals of 162 and 843 patients from 2 and 11 independent cohorts were used as the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively. A total of 1005 patients with stage II CRC were included in the 13 cohorts. Among them, 84 of 416 patients in 3 independent cohorts received fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy.


METHODS
Identification of CSS sets to predict relapse-free survival and identify a subset of patients with stage II CRC who could gain substantial survival benefits from fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy.


RESULTS
Eight cancer hallmark-based gene signatures (30 genes each) were identified and used to construct CSS sets for determining prognosis. The CSS sets were validated in 11 independent cohorts of 767 patients with stage II CRC who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. The CSS sets accurately stratified patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Five-year relapse-free survival rates were 94%, 78%, and 45%, respectively, representing 60%, 28%, and 12% of patients with stage II disease. The 416 patients with CSS set-defined high-risk stage II CRC who received fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy showed a substantial gain in survival benefits from the treatment (ie, recurrence reduced by 30%-40% in 5 years).


CONCLUSIONS
The CSS sets substantially outperformed other prognostic predictors of stage 2 CRC. They are more accurate and robust for prognostic predictions and facilitate the identification of patients with stage II disease who could gain survival benefit from fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy.
Honghe University, Yunnan Province, China2National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Shanwu
S
Gao
National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Chabane
C
Tibiche
National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jinfeng
J
Zou
National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Naif
N
Zaman
Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada4Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Mark
M
Trifiro
National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Maureen
M
O'Connor-McCourt
National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada3Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada5McGill University Center for Bioinformatics, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Edwin
E
Wang
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018579:Patient Selection; D010641:Phenotype; D057285:Precision Medicine; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005472:Fluorouracil