Co-amplification of MYC and CCNE1 in aggressive childhood osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary malignant tumour of bone, affects children and adults alike. No fundamental biological differences between paediatric and adult osteosarcoma are known. Here, we apply multi-region whole genome sequencing to an index case of a four-year old child whose aggressive tumour harboured high level, focal amplifications of MYC and CCNE1 connected by translocations. We re-analysed copy number readouts of 258 cases of high-grade osteosarcoma from three different cohorts and identified an additional three cases with MYC and CCNE1 co-amplification, confined to children and associated with aggressive disease. Examining the age distribution of MYC and CCNE1 amplicons across all cases revealed a significant enrichment of focal MYC amplification in children, whereas CCNE1 amplification is not strictly restricted to children. Our findings indicate that amplification of the MYC oncogene, known to be associated with a poor outcome, delineates a variant of osteosarcoma specific to childhood. When co-amplified with CCNE1, it may herald an aggressive disease course.

• 06/01/2021
• 8 samples
• DAC: EGAC00001000000
• Technology: HiSeq X Ten