Serial mutational tracking in surgically resected locally advanced colorectal cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: We aim to investigate the utility of serial gene mutation tracking for locally advanced CRC in those who underwent curative resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS: We prospectively collected 10 locally advanced CRC cases for which curative resection was performed following preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tissues from the primary tumour, distant metastatic tumours, and blood plasma were obtained during serial treatment. Comprehensive mutation analysis of 47 cancer-associated genes was performed using a pre-designed gene panel and next-generation sequencing.

RESULTS: All cases showed a partial response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and pathological R0 resection was accomplished. In primary tumours, non-synonymous mutations were detected at between 1 and 14 sites before chemotherapy and at between 1 and 2 sites after. Founder mutations were precisely detected in blood plasma and metastatic tumours during longitudinal treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Serial mutational analysis indicated that subclonal selection occurs during chemotherapy and that plasma can substitute for tumourous tissue in mutational analysis for drug selection and treatment decisions.