Prevalence of RAS mutations and individual variation patterns among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: A pooled analysis of randomised controlled trials

Eur J Cancer. 2015 Sep;51(13):1704-13. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2015.05.017. Epub 2015 Jun 3.

Abstract

Background: The use of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients requires prior confirmation of tumour wild type (WT) RAS mutation status (exons 2/3/4 for KRAS or NRAS). This retrospective pooled analysis aims to robustly estimate RAS mutation prevalence and individual variation patterns in mCRC patients.

Method: Individual patient data from five randomised, controlled panitumumab studies (three phase III, one phase II and one phase Ib/II) were pooled for this analysis. The phase III studies included mCRC patients independent of RAS mutation status; the phase II and Ib/II studies included mCRC patients with confirmed WT KRAS exon 2 status. Four studies conducted RAS testing using Sanger sequencing; one study used a combination of next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. In order to assign overall RAS status, the mutation status of all exons 2/3/4 KRAS or NRAS was required to be known.

Results: Data from 3196 mCRC patients from 36 countries were included in the analysis. The overall unadjusted RAS mutation prevalence in mCRC patients was 55.9% (95% confidence interval (CI): [53.9-57.9%]), with the following distribution observed: KRAS exon 2 (prevalence 42.6% [40.7-44.5%]); KRAS exon 3 (3.8% [2.9-4.9%]); KRAS exon 4 (6.2% [5.0-7.6%]); NRAS exon 2 (2.9% [2.1-3.9%]); NRAS exon 3 (4.2% [3.2-5.4%]); NRAS exon 4 (0.3% [0.1-0.7%]). Differences in RAS mutation prevalence estimates were observed by study (p=0.001), gender (p=0.030), and by country (p=0.028).

Conclusions: This analysis provides robust estimates of overall RAS mutation prevalence and individual variation patterns in mCRC patients.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00113763 NCT00339183 NCT00364013 NCT00788957 NCT00819780.

Keywords: BRAF; KRAS; NRAS; Panitumumab; RAS prevalence; mCRC.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic
  • Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic
  • Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Exons
  • Female
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / genetics*
  • Gene Frequency
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Mutation*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Panitumumab
  • Patient Selection
  • Phenotype
  • Precision Medicine
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics*
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • KRAS protein, human
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Panitumumab
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • NRAS protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00113763
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00339183
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00364013
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00788957
  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00819780