Association of tumor TROP2 expression with prognosis varies among lung cancer subtypes

• DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15647
• Publication Date: 2017-02-24T00:52:11Z
• Authors: Kentaro Inamura; Yusuke Yokouchi; Maki Kobayashi; Hironori Ninomiya; Rie Sakakibara; Sophia Subat; Hiroko Nagano; Kimie Nomura; Sakae Okumura; Tomoko Shibutani; Yuichi Ishikawa
• Keywords: Male; Lung Neoplasms; Adenocarcinoma; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Immunohistochemistry; Survival Analysis; Up-Regulation; 3. Good health; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Neuroendocrine Tumors; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Antigens, Neoplasm; Cell Line, Tumor; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Humans; Female; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Research Paper

TROP2 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is overexpressed in various cancers. Emerging evidence suggests that TROP2-targeting therapies are efficacious and safe in patients with multiple prior treatments. TROP2 is a promising target for lung cancer treatment; however, little is known regarding the association of TROP2 expression with clinicopathological/molecular features, including prognosis, in lung cancer. We examined consecutive cases of adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC), and high-grade neuroendocrine tumor (HGNET) for the membranous expression of TROP2 using immunohistochemistry. High TROP2 expression was observed in 64% (172/270) of adenocarcinomas, 75% (150/201) of SqCCs, and 18% (21/115) of HGNETs. Intriguingly, the association of TROP2 expression with mortality was dependent on the lung cancer subtype. High TROP2 expression was associated with higher lung cancer-specific mortality in adenocarcinomas [univariable hazard ratio (HR) = 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-2.44, P = 0.022)], but not in SqCCs (univariable HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.35-1.94, P = 0.79). In HGNETs, high TROP2 expression was associated with lower lung cancer-specific mortality in both univariable and multivariable analyses (multivariable HR = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.020-0.44, P = 0.0003). Our results suggest a differential role for TROP2 in different lung cancer subtypes.