Tumor burden monitoring using cell-free tumor DNA could be limited by tumor heterogeneity in advanced breast cancer and should be evaluated together with radiographic imaging.
Accurate measurement of tumor burden in breast cancer disease is essential to improve the clinical management of patients. In this study, we evaluate whether the fluctuations in the fraction of PIK3CA mutant allele correlates with tumor response according to RECIST criteria and tumor markers quantification.



Eighty six plasma samples were analyzed by digital PCR using Rare Mutation Assays for E542K, E545K and H1047R. Mutant cfDNA and tumor markers CA15-3 and CEA were compared with radiographic imaging.



The agreement between PIK3CA mutation status in FFPE samples and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was moderate (K = 0.591; 95% IC = 0.371-0.811). Restricting the analysis to the metastatic patients, we found a good agreement between PIK3CA mutation status assessed in liquid and solid biopsy (K = 0.798 95%; IC = 0.586-1). ctDNA showed serial changes with fluctuations correlating with tumor markers 15.3 and CEA in 7 out of 8 cases with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.99 to 0.46 and from 0.99 to 0.38 respectively. Similarly, fluctuations in the fraction of PIK3CA mutant allele always correlated with changes in lesion size seen on images, although in two cases it did not correlate with treatment responses as defined by RECIST criteria.



oncogenic mutation quantification in plasma samples can be useful to monitor treatment outcome. However, it might be limited by tumor heterogeneity in advanced disease and it should be evaluated together with radiographic imaging.
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
José Angel
JA
García-Saenz
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Patricia
P
Ayllón
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Marion
M
Laig
Medical Oncology Department, Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal HM hospitals, Madrid, Spain.
Daniel
D
Acosta-Eyzaguirre
Radiology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.|Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Marta
M
García-Esquinas
Radiology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Myriam
M
Montes
Pathology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Julián
J
Sanz
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Madrid, 28222, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
Miguel
M
Barquín
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Fernando
F
Moreno
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Vanesa
V
Garcia-Barberan
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Eduardo
E
Díaz-Rubio
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. trinidad.caldes@salud.madrid.org.
Trinidad
T
Caldes
Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain. atocha10@hotmail.com.|Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Madrid, 28222, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain. atocha10@hotmail.com.
Atocha
0000-0002-1634-7397
A
Romero
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D047368:Tumor Burden
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D058534:Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; C484760:PIK3CA protein, human
Breast cancer; PIK3CA; cfDNA; dPCR