Afatinib is approved therapy for SCC of the lung after progression with standard of care chemotherapy. There is also evidence of improvement of progression free survival of patients with metastatic/recurrent SCC of the head and neck after failure of chemotherapy in patients treated with afatinib. Therefore, treatment of patients with these 2 conditions with afatinib is not experimental, and will follow conventional clinical management.
Clinical objectives: 1. To determine the efficacy of afatinib in patients with germline MET-N375S polymorphism. 2. To determine the tolerability of afatinib in chemo-relapsed patients with germline MET-N375S polymorphism. Research objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of MET and TP53 mutations, as well as HER2 and MET amplification, in various cancers, particularly head and neck cancers and lung cancers. 2. To establish tumour cell lines, spheroids of xenografts for drug screening. Endpoints of study: 1. To determine the response rate of SCC HN/lung with Met-N375S to afatinib. 2. The secondary endpoints include progression-free survival and toxicity. 3. Frequency of MET mutations and TP53 mutations in patients with cancer.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
Afatinib is approved therapy for SCC of the lung after progression with standard of care chemotherapy.
National University Hospital
Singapore, Singapore
p-HER2 and p-MET status
using immunohistochemistry.
Time frame: 3 years
MET-N375S mRNA copy number
using RNAscope staining.
Time frame: 3 years
Identification of MET and TP53 mutations using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and Sanger sequencing.
DNA from the tumour specimens will be harvested for sequencing to identify cases with somatic mutations of TP53 gene. Changes in codon sequences will be reported. Germline DNA from the patients will be harvested from whole blood, and the polymorphic MET variant will be determined using ddPCR. Customised probes detecting wildtype MET allele or MET-N375S allele are designed to for genotyping (homozygous/heterozygous).
Time frame: 3 years
Presence of MET and HER2 amplification using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
FFPE samples retrieved from patients genotyped with MET-N375S polymorphism will be subjected to MET and HER2 testing Abbott PathVysion DNA test kits. Data will be analysed with fluorescence microscopy. HER2 amplification will be defined as gene copies versus chromosome 17 polysomy. MET amplification will be defined as gene copies per nucleus.
Time frame: 3 years
Interaction of cMet and HER2 receptor tyrosine kinases using proximity ligation assay (PLA)
PLA will be performed using DUOLINK in situ hybridization. Validation MET and HER2 antibodies will be used for the assay, and signal will be detected with fluorescence microscopy. Detection and quantification of positive signals will determine the presence of MET-HER2 interaction in clinical specimens.
Time frame: 3 years
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