Mucinous Histology Is Associated with Resistance to Anti-EGFR Therapy in Patients with Left-Sided RAS/BRAF Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND

Limited studies have suggested that mucinous histology is associated an attenuated response to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy.

METHODS

We conducted a single-institution, retrospective study to review the anti-EGFR response and the molecular profile of patients with left-sided microsatellite stable RAS/BRAF wild-type mucinous metastatic colorectal cancer.

RESULTS

In comparison to nonmucinous population (n = 98), mucinous histology (n = 20) was associated with a younger age (48 vs 54, P = .02), wild-type APC (80% vs 15.3%, P < .0001), and wild-type TP53 (40% vs 8.2%, P = .001). Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha stimulating (GNAS) mutations were exclusively found in mucinous tumors (20% vs 0, P < .0001). Genomic alterations associated with resistance to anti-EGFR therapy, such as ERBB2 amplification, PIK3CA mutation, MAP2K1 mutation, and KRAS amplification, were identified in patients with left-sided RAS/BRAF wild-type mucinous metastatic colorectal cancer. Mucinous histology was not associated with a worse outcome than non-mucinous histology (34.3 vs 42.2 months, P = .85). However, patients with left-sided RAS/BARF wild-type mucinous colorectal cancer treated with first-line anti-EGFR therapy had significantly worse progression-free survival (4 vs 6.5 months, hazard ratio [HR] = 5.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-21.7, P = .01) than patients treated with the first-line vascular endothelial growth factor A antibody, bevacizumab. Anti-EGFR therapy was associated with limited responses and a short PFS across all lines of therapy in 12 patients with left-sided RAS/BRAF wild-type mucinous colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Mucinous histology is associated with diminished benefits from anti-EGFR therapy in patients with left-sided RAS/BRAF wild-type colorectal cancer. These patients should be considered for bevacizumab-based therapy in the first- and second-line settings.