A case report of multiple primary prostate tumors with differential drug sensitivity

Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 13;11(1):837. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14657-7.

Abstract

Localized prostate cancers are genetically variable and frequently multifocal, comprising spatially distinct regions with multiple independently-evolving clones. To date there is no understanding of whether this variability can influence management decisions for patients with prostate tumors. Here, we present a single case from a clinical trial of neoadjuvant intense androgen deprivation therapy. A patient was diagnosed with a large semi-contiguous tumor by imaging, histologically composed of a large Gleason score 9 tumor with an adjacent Gleason score 7 nodule. DNA sequencing demonstrates these are two independent tumors, as only the Gleason 9 tumor harbors single-copy losses of PTEN and TP53. The PTEN/TP53-deficient tumor demonstrates treatment resistance, selecting for subclones with mutations to the remaining copies of PTEN and TP53, while the Gleason 7 PTEN-intact tumor is almost entirely ablated. These findings indicate that spatiogenetic variability is a major confounder for personalized treatment of patients with prostate cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Androgen Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Gene Deletion
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / pathology
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / deficiency
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / deficiency
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics

Substances

  • Androgen Antagonists
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human