Decoding the molecular landscape: HER2 and PD-L1 in advanced gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION

Epidermal growth factor receptor 2 () and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) are pivotal therapeutic targets for advanced gastric cancer (GC). Nevertheless, the correlation between them, along with the clinical and genomic characteristics and prognosis differences across distinct molecular subtypes, remains elusive.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 390 advanced GC patients provided both tumor tissue and paired blood samples for Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) of 639 tumor-related genes, along with PD-L1 immunohistochemical staining. amplification was further validated using FISH in 254 patients. We analyzed the clinical and molecular characteristics of the subgroups based on amplification and PD-L1 CPS scores.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The highest consistency with FISH for amplification was observed when the positive threshold for NGS detection was set to 2.5. mutation rate peaked at 59%, which was significantly higher in cases with amplification (P<0.01). Patients with both amplification and mutations exhibited notably shorter survival rates than cases with only mutations (P<0.05). Furthermore, amplification did not correlate with PD-L1 expression. A stratified analysis of PD-L1 expression revealed distinct clinical and molecular features. When the CPS threshold is set at 5, 10, and 20, PD-L1 positive patients have a significantly higher proportion of high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H) and high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) status compared to PD-L1 negative patients. Additionally, patients with PD-L1 CPS ≥5 demonstrate an enrichment of mutations in key signaling pathways, such as PI3K, TGFβ, and Wnt/β-catenin.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our study highlights the prognostic significance of amplification and TP53 mutations in patients with advanced GC. Stratified analysis of PD-L1 expression may help to identify candidates for targeted immunotherapy in this patient population.