Masumeh Hatami

Multicenter imaging outcomes study of The Cancer Genome Atlas glioblastoma patient cohort: imaging predictors of overall and progression-free survival

BACKGROUND Despite an aggressive therapeutic approach, the prognosis for most patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remains poor. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of preoperative MRI variables, both quantitative and qualitative, with regard to overall and progression-free survival in GBM. METHODS We retrospectively identified 94 untreated GBM patients from the Cancer Imaging Archive who had pretreatment MRI and corresponding patient outcomes and clinical information in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Qualitative imaging assessments were based on the Visually Accessible Rembrandt Images feature-set criteria. Volumetric parameters were obtained of the specific tumor components: contrast enhancement, necrosis, and edema/invasion. Cox regression was used to assess prognostic and survival significance of each image. RESULTS Univariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated 10 imaging features and 2 clinical variables to be significantly associated with overall survival. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that tumor-enhancing volume (P = .03) and eloquent brain involvement (P < .001) were independent prognostic indicators of overall survival. In the multivariable Cox analysis of the volumetric features, the edema/invasion volume of more than 85 000 mm(3) and the proportion of enhancing tumor were significantly correlated with higher mortality (Ps = .004 and .003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Preoperative MRI parameters have a significant prognostic role in predicting survival in patients with GBM, thus making them useful for patient stratification and endpoint biomarkers in clinical trials.

139 Clinically Applicable and Biologically Validated MRI Radiomic Test Method Predicts Glioblastoma Genomic Landscape and Survival.

INTRODUCTION Imaging is the modality of choice for noninvasive characterization of biological tissue and organ systems; imaging serves as early diagnostic tool for most disease processes and is rapidly evolving, thus transforming the way we diagnose and follow patients over time. A vast number of cancer imaging characteristics have been correlated to underlying genomics; however, none have established causality. Therefore, our objectives were to test if there is a causal relationship between imaging and genomic information; and to develop a clinically relevant radiomic pipeline for glioblastoma molecular characterization. METHODS Functional validation was performed using a prototypic in vivo RNA-interference-based orthotopic xenograft mouse model. The automated pipeline collects 4800 MRI-derived texture features per tumor. Using univariate feature selection and boosted tree predictive modeling, a patient-specific genomic probability map was derived and patient survival predicted (The Cancer Genome Atlas/MD Anderson data sets). RESULTS Data demonstrated a significant xenograft to human association (area under the curve [AUC] 84%, P < .001). Further, epidermal growth factor receptor amplification (AUC 86%, P < .0001), O-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase methylation/expression (AUC 92%, P = .001), glioblastoma molecular subgroups (AUC 88%, P = .001), and survival in 2 independent data sets (AUC 90%, P < .001) was predicted. CONCLUSION Our results for the first time illustrate a causal relationship between imaging features and genomic tumor composition. We present a directly clinically applicable analytical imaging method termed Radiome Sequencing to allow for automated image analysis, prediction of key genomic events, and survival. This method is scalable and applicable to any type of medical imaging. Further, it allows for human-mouse matched coclinical trials, in-depth end point analysis, and upfront noninvasive high-resolution radiomics-based diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarker development.

A dexamethasone-regulated gene signature is prognostic for poor survival in glioblastoma patients

Background: Dexamethasone is reported to induce both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting effects. The purpose of this study was to identify the genomic impact of dexamethasone in glioblastoma stem cell (GSC) lines and its prognostic value; furthermore, to identify drugs that can counter these side effects of dexamethasone exposure. Methods: We utilized 3 independent GSC lines with tumorigenic potential for this study. Whole-genome expression profiling and pathway analyses were done with dexamethasone-exposed and control cells. GSCs were also co-exposed to dexamethasone and temozolomide. Risk scores were calculated for most affected genes, and their associations with survival in The Cancer Genome Atlas and Repository of Molecular Brain Neoplasia Data databases. In silico Connectivity Map analysis identified camptothecin as antagonist to dexamethasone-induced negative effects. Results: Pathway analyses predicted an activation of dexamethasone network (z-score: 2.908). Top activated canonical pathways included “role of breast cancer 1 in DNA damage response” (P=1.07E–04). GSCs were protected against temozolomide-induced apoptosis when coincubated with dexamethasone. Altered cellular functions included cell movement, cell survival, and apoptosis with z-scores of 2.815, 5.137, and –3.122, respectively. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB) was activated in a dose dependent manner specifically in slow-dividing “stem-like” cells. CEBPB was activated in dexamethasone-treated orthotopic tumors. Patients with high risk scores had significantly shorter survival. Camptothecin was validated as potential partial neutralizer of dexamethasone-induced oncogenic effects. Conclusions: Dexamethasone exposure induces a genetic program and CEBPB expression in GSCs that adversely affects key cellular functions and response to therapeutics. High risk scores associated with these genes have negative prognostic value in patients. Our findings further suggest camptothecin as a potential neutralizer of adverse dexamethasone-mediated effects.

Radiographic patterns of progression with associated outcomes after bevacizumab therapy in glioblastoma patients

Treatment response and survival after bevacizumab failure remains poor in patients with glioblastoma. Several recent publications examining glioblastoma patients treated with bevacizumab have described specific radiographic patterns of disease progression as correlating with outcome. This study aims to scrutinize these previously reported radiographic prognostic models in an independent data set to inspect their reproducibility and potential for clinical utility. Sixty four patients treated at MD Anderson matched predetermined inclusion criteria. Patients were categorized based on previously published data by: (1) Nowosielski et al. into: T2-diffuse, cT1 Flare-up, non-responders and T2 circumscribed groups (2) Modified Pope et al. criteria into: local, diffuse and distant groups and (3) Bahr et al. into groups with or without new diffusion-restricted and/or pre-contrast T1-hyperintense lesions. When classified according to Nowosielski et al. criteria, the cT1 Flare-up group had the longest overall survival (OS) from bevacizumab initiation, with non-responders having the worst outcomes. The T2 diffuse group had the longest progression free survival (PFS) from start of bevacizumab. When classified by modified Pope at al. criteria, most patients did not experience a shift in tumor pattern from the pattern at baseline, while the PFS and OS in patients with local-to-local and local-to-diffuse/distant patterns of progression were similar. Patients developing restricted diffusion on bevacizumab had worse OS. Diffuse patterns of progression in patients treated with bevacizumab are rare and not associated with worse outcomes compared to other radiographic subgroups. Emergence of restricted diffusion during bevacizumab treatment was a radiographic marker of worse OS.

Abstract 4217: First pre-clinical validation of radiogenomics in glioblastoma

A plethora of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) features have been correlated to cancer genomics to date, however, none have established causality. Here, we present an in vivo xenograft RNA interference validated, potentially clinically applicable test method termed “Magnetic Resonance Radiomic Sequencing” (MRRS) for the noninvasive detection of cancer genomics in Glioblastoma. MRRS comprehensively assesses the entire tumor mass using imaging texture-based algorithms that generate thousands of variables (features) inherent to the tumor. Two independent glioblastoma stem cells (GSC1 and GSC3) harboring doxycycline inducible short hairpin RNA against Periostin (POSTN), a gene previously identified in our radiogenomic screen, were implanted at orthotopic location in nude mouse brain. In vivo knockdown of >90% and ∼40% POSTN gene was achieved in GSC3 and GSC1 respectively. The T2 and T1 post MRI texture features, in edema and contrast enhancement phenotype features were compared between doxycycline (POSTN knockdown) and sucrose (control) group of mice using T test statistics. The significant features were included in a Stepwise Forward Logistic Regression analysis to build the final predictive model. The accuracy of the model was tested using ROC cure analysis. Among 3600 features in GSC3 mice cohort, 117 features were significantly (p value Citation Format: Pascal Zinn, Sanjay Singh, Markus M. Luedi, Faramak Zandi, Aikaterini Kotrotsou, Masumeh Hatami, Ginu Thomas, Ahmed Elakkad, Joy Gumin, Erik P. Sulman, Frederick Lang, David Piwnica-Worms, Rivka R. Colen. First pre-clinical validation of radiogenomics in glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4217.