On November 2, 2019 Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT) reported new data that advance understanding of the frequency, positive predictive value and co-occurrence of genomic alterations that are targeted by newly available and investigational precision medicine therapies for thyroid cancer (Press release, Veracyte, NOV 2, 2019, View Source [SID1234550197]). The findings were enabled by Afirma Xpression Atlas analyses, which uses RNA sequencing, of Veracyte’s extensive biorepository of thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples from patients undergoing evaluation for thyroid cancer. The data were presented this week during the 89th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA).
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In one study, researchers assessed the frequency of ALK, BRAF, NTRK and RET fusions in nearly 48,000 consecutive patients whose thyroid nodule FNA samples were deemed indeterminate, suspicious for malignancy or malignant (Bethesda III/IV, V and VI categories, respectively) by cytopathology. The researchers found that 425 (0.89 percent) of the FNA samples harbored one of the alterations, with NTRK fusions the most common at 0.38 percent, followed by RET (0.32 percent), BRAF (0.13 percent) and ALK (0.06 percent). Additionally, RNA whole transcriptome sequencing demonstrated differences in the prevalence of these four fusions across Bethesda categories, with Bethesda V being the highest.
"NTRK fusion inhibitors have received pan-cancer FDA approval and clinical trials have included selective inhibitors of ALK, BRAF, NTRK and RET, which makes their detection in patients with thyroid cancer of interest to physicians," said Mimi I. Hu, M.D., professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who presented the findings in a poster. "As our understanding of the role of genomics in thyroid cancer advances, this information offers the potential to optimize initial treatment, predict response to treatment and prioritize selective targeted therapy should systemic treatment be needed."
In another study, researchers evaluated the positive predictive value of the NTRK, RET, BRAF and ALK fusions in 58 patients with indeterminate thyroid nodules (Bethesda III/IV categories) from Veracyte’s biorepository for whom surgical pathology diagnoses were available. They found that NTRK and RET fusions were associated with malignancy in 28 of 30 nodules, while risk of malignancy was lower among nodules with ALK (67 percent) or BRAF (75 percent). In a third study, researchers found that when using RNA sequencing data on a large sample of nearly 48,000 thyroid nodule FNA samples (Bethesda categories III-VI), they identified 263 co-occurrences of gene fusions and variants that were previously considered "mutually exclusive."
"The findings from these three studies underscore the power of our extensive biorepository of thyroid nodule FNA samples and our optimized RNA sequencing platform to advance understanding of the genomic underpinnings of thyroid cancer and to better capture the biology of thyroid lesions," said Richard T. Kloos, M.D., senior medical director, endocrinology, at Veracyte. "As precision medicine therapies that target specific gene alterations emerge, understanding individual patients’ genomic profiles becomes increasingly important to physicians. Our Afirma Xpression Atlas provides this information at the same time as initial diagnosis with the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier, or GSC, to help inform treatment decisions."
Also during the ATA meeting, Veracyte unveiled its new Afirma patient report, which in addition to identifying patients with benign or suspicious-for-cancer nodules among those deemed indeterminate by cytopathology, based on Afirma GSC results, now provides individualized and actionable variant and fusion information on each patient. This information includes: risk of malignancy, associated neoplasm type, relative risk of lymph node metastasis and extrathyroidal extension; availability of FDA-approved therapy; and genetic counseling and germline testing considerations. This information is also provided for patients with cytopathology results that are suspicious for malignancy or malignant (Bethesda V and VI).
About Afirma
The Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) and Xpression Atlas provide physicians with a comprehensive solution for a complex landscape in thyroid nodule diagnosis. The Afirma GSC was developed with RNA whole-transcriptome sequencing and machine learning and helps identify patients with benign thyroid nodules among those with indeterminate cytopathology results in order to help patients avoid unnecessary diagnostic thyroid surgery. The Afirma Xpression Atlas provides physicians with genomic alteration content from the same fine needle aspiration samples that are used in Afirma GSC testing and may help physicians decide with greater confidence on the surgical or therapeutic pathway for their patients. The Afirma Xpression Atlas includes 761 DNA variants and 130 RNA fusion partners in over 500 genes that are associated with thyroid cancer.