Count Me In - The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project: A Patient-Driven Research Initiative to Accelerate Metastatic Breast Cancer Research The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project is a research study that directly engages patients with metastatic breast cancer via social media and advocacy groups and empowers them to accelerate cancer research by sharing their samples and clinical information. Our goal is to create a publicly available dataset of genomic, molecular, clinical, and patient-reported data to enable research. Patients in the US or Canada may register online. Registered patients are sent an online consent form that asks for permission to obtain and analyze their medical records, tumor tissue, saliva, and blood samples. Once enrolled, patients are sent a saliva kit and asked to mail back a saliva sample, which is used to extract germline DNA. Study staff contact participants' medical providers and obtain medical records and a portion of their stored tumor biopsies. Patients may be asked to mail in a blood sample, which is used to extract cell free DNA (cfDNA). Whole exome sequencing (WES) is performed on tumor DNA, germline DNA, and cfDNA; transcriptome sequencing is performed on tumor RNA. Clinically annotated genomic data are used to study specific patient cohorts (including outliers) and to identify mechanisms of response and resistance to therapies. All de-identified data, including genomic, clinical, and patient-reported data, are shared via public databases on a pre-publication and recurring basis as it is generated. The latest data release in cBioPortal is available here. Study updates are shared with participants regularly.
The study cohort comprises samples from patients whose tumors have been prospectively characterized as part of their care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This includes a variety of distinct tumor type and molecular subtypes.
This phase Ib/II single-arm study evaluated atezolizumab + bevacizumab for patients with treatment-refractory metastatic HPV+ anal cancer. The primary endpoint was best overall response, and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety/tolerability. Paired tissue biopsies were collected in patients before treatment and at the time of first restaging and analyzed for whole-exome sequencing, RNAseq (Bulk), and multiplex immunofluorescence. The overall response rate among 20 patients was 10%. WES and RNAseq data are provided here.
The goal of NCI's Pediatric In Vivo Testing Consortium (PIVOT) is to advance the development of effective treatments for pediatric cancers through preclinical in vivo testing of novel therapeutic agents. To design impactful experiments that can be rapidly translated to the clinic, PIVOT investigators require comprehensive genomic characterization of the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models used across the consortium. This robust experimental design enhances collaboration with industry partners by providing proof-of-concept data for drugs in development. As part of this effort, neuroblastoma PDX models are being molecularly characterized to identify promising therapeutic candidates. The molecular profiling includes whole exome sequencing (WES), RNA-seq, MethylEPIC array, CytoSNP array, and DNA fingerprinting for quality control. Additionally, demographic and clinical data (e.g., diagnosis, disease site, disease status) are shared. These characterized PDX models, matched with patient tumors, guide model selection for preclinical drug testing.
Objectives: The clinical trial assessed the safety and efficacy of three interventions. Specifically, it evaluated (1) the major health benefits and risks of estrogen plus progestin and estrogen alone, (2) the effects of a low-fat eating pattern on risk of colorectal cancer, and (3) the efficacy of calcium with vitamin D supplementation for preventing hip and other fractures. The objective of the memory study was to determine whether estrogen plus progestin therapy protects global cognitive function, and evaluate the therapy's effect on the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.The observational study is examining the relationship between lifestyle, socioeconomic, health, and other risk factors with cardiovascular, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and osteoporotic fracture outcomes. Secondary objectives include providing more reliable estimates of the extent to which known risk factors predict disease, more precise estimates of new occurrences of disease, and to provide a future resource for the identification of new or novel risk factors especially factors found in blood. Background: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study that has focused on strategies for preventing the major causes of death, disability, and frailty in postmenopausal women, specifically heart disease, cancer, and osteoporotic fractures. The WHI is primarily composed of an observational study (OS), as well a clinical trial (CT) with three components: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HT), Dietary Modification, (DM) and Calcium/Vitamin D supplementation (CaD).Prior to the WHI, observational studies suggested that postmenopausal hormone therapy was associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Potential cardioprotection was based on generally supportive data on lipid levels in intermediate outcome clinical trials, trials in nonhuman primates, and a large body of observational studies suggesting a 40% to 50% reduction in risk among users of either estrogen alone or, less frequently, combined estrogen and progestin. Observational studies primarily examining unopposed estrogen preparations have suggested a 30% to 50% reduction in coronary events, and an 8% to 30% increase in breast cancer with extended use. Other research findings indicated that hormone therapy was also associated with a decreased risk of osteoporosis and increased bone density. The WHI HT trials were designed to test the effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on risk for coronary heart disease and assess overall risks and benefits in predominantly healthy women. The Women's Health Initiative Memory Program (WHIMS) consists of a suite of studies which include cohorts of women who participated in the WHI HT trials. Postmenopausal women have a greater risk than men of developing Alzheimer's disease, but studies of the effects of estrogen therapy on Alzheimer's disease have been inconsistent. Additionally, observational studies have suggested that postmenopausal hormone treatment may improve cognitive function, but data from randomized clinical trials have been sparse and inconclusive. International comparisons and migration studies have suggested that countries with 50% lower fat intake than the US population had approximately one third the risk of colorectal cancer. Additionally, fairly consistent evidence existed for an effect of dietary fat, vegetables and fruits, and grains on colorectal cancer risk from within-country observational studies, although the protective effect of lower fat intake was no longer clear after adjusting for energy intake. The WHI DM trial was the first randomized trial to directly address the health effects of a low-fat eating pattern in predominantly healthy postmenopausal women from diverse racial/ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Osteoporosis is a major cause of injury, loss of independence, and death, and contributes to hip fractures. Observational evidence and data from previous randomized clinical trials suggest that calcium and/or vitamin D supplements may slow bone loss and reduce the risk of falls in postmenopausal and elderly women. However, evidence from trials, observational studies, and meta-analyses of calcium and vitamin D supplementation with respect to hip and other fractures was limited at the time the WHI was initiated. In two prior randomized trials, calcium plus vitamin D supplements did not reduce the risk of nonvertebral fractures among older women. When the WHI CaD trial was designed, guidelines recommended daily intakes of 800 to 1200 mg of calcium with 400 IU of vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporosis, which was not met by many American women. Therefore, the WHI CaD trial was designed to test the primary hypothesis that postmenopausal women randomly assigned to calcium plus vitamin D supplementation would have a lower risk of hip fracture and, secondarily, of all fractures than women assigned to placebo. Subjects: Postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 were eligible to participate. A woman was considered postmenopausal if she had experienced no vaginal bleeding for 6 months (12 months for women under 55 years of age), had had a hysterectomy, or had ever used postmenopausal hormones. Recruitment was carried out in 40 US clinical centers in 1993-1998. The clinical trial components had additional specific inclusion or exclusion criteria.A total of 68,132 women were randomized into at least one component of the clinical trial. 27,347 women were enrolled in the hormone therapy component with 16,608 in the estrogen plus progestin trial and 10,739 in the unopposed estrogen trial, 48,835 women were enrolled in the diet modification component, and 36,282 women were enrolled in the calcium/vitamin D component. 7,479 women 65 years of age and older at baseline and that participated in the HT trial component were enrolled in the ancillary memory study. Women who were either ineligible or unwilling to participate in the clinical trial component were enrolled in the observational study. For example, many potential participants to the clinical trial component of the study were already undertaking a low fat diet or were using hormone replacement therapy. The effect of the selection process was that women enrolled in the observational study tended to have healthier lifestyles compared to those enrolled in the clinical trial. In total, 93,676 subjects were enrolled in WHI OS, with over 16% being members of a racial/ethnic minority group. The first WHI Extension Study enrolled 115,407 consenting participants from all components of the original WHI study for an additional five years of follow-up, from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, 93,567 women consented to continued follow-up. Design: The clinical trial component of the WHI included three randomized comparisons: hormone therapy, dietary modification, and calcium/vitamin D supplementation. Women could have been randomized into one, two or all three trials.The hormone therapy trial enrolled women to one of two double-blinded trials: estrogen (0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogens daily) plus progestin (2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate daily) or estrogen alone. Women with a prior hysterectomy were eligible for the trial of unopposed estrogen. Women with an intact uterus at screening were initially also eligible for unopposed estrogen, but were reassigned to the trial of combined postmenopausal hormones beginning in 1995. Both trials randomized participants 1:1 to either hormone therapy or placebo. A 3-month washout period was required before baseline evaluation of women using postmenopausal hormones at initial screening. Study participants were contacted by telephone 6 weeks after randomization to assess symptoms and reinforce adherence. Follow-up contacts by telephone or clinic visit occurred every 6 months, with clinic visits required annually. The estrogen plus progestin trial was halted in July 2002 after a mean 5.2 years of follow-up because health risks, including increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, exceeded benefits. The estrogen alone trial was stopped early in March 2004, because an increased risk of stroke was found with no benefit for coronary heart disease. The primary outcome was coronary heart disease (CHD) (nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death), with invasive breast cancer as the primary adverse outcome. The dietary modification trial evaluated the effect of a low-fat, high fruit, vegetable, and grain diet on preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or a comparison group in the ratio of 2:3 for cost-efficiency. The intervention was an intensive behavioral modification program, using 18 group sessions in the first year and quarterly sessions thereafter, led by specially trained and certified nutritionists. The program was designed to promote dietary change with the goals of reducing total fat to 20% of energy intake, increasing vegetables and fruits to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings daily. The intervention did not include total energy reduction or weight loss goals. Comparison group participants received a copy of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other health-related materials but were not asked to make dietary changes. Dietary intake was monitored using the WHI food frequency questionnaire at 1 year and in a rotating one-third subsample every year thereafter. Women completed a medical update questionnaire every 6 months, and medical records were sought for all women reporting colorectal cancer. The primary outcome was invasive colorectal cancer incidence. Participants in the calcium/vitamin D trial were randomized 1:1 to either supplements or placebo. Active tablets contained 500 mg of elemental calcium (as calcium carbonate) and 200 IU of vitamin D3, to be taken twice daily with meals. The presence and severity of symptoms, safety concerns, and outcomes were ascertained at annual clinic visits and telephone or clinic visits at intervening six-month intervals. Risk factors for fracture were assessed by questionnaire, interview, and clinical examination. The primary outcome was incidence of hip fracture. Participants in the observational study attended a baseline examination and were re-examined three years later. Participants completed annual updates of exposures and clinical outcomes by mail. Final data were collected by mail during the close-out period in April 2004 to March 2005. The major clinical outcomes of interest were coronary heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporotic fractures, diabetes, and total mortality. Most outcomes were initially ascertained by self-report on an annual questionnaire and documented by hospital and related records. Charts with potential cardiovascular, cancer, and fracture outcomes were sent to the local physician adjudicator for evaluation and classification. Staff at the Clinical Coordinating Center coded and adjudicated all cancers of major interest in the study using standardized SEER guidelines. In 2005, WHI participants were invited to join the Extension Study for an additional five years of follow-up in order to collect long-term outcomes. Participants completed annual data collection forms primarily by mail, similar to the OS follow-up. Women reporting study outcomes were contacted by WHI field center staff to obtain additional details and medical records, which were evaluated by physician adjudicators. In 2010, the woman remaining were invited to join the next Extension Study. In the second extension, women were divided into two groups, one of which would have outcomes documented with medical records (the Medical Records Cohort, MRC), and the other would just be followed by self-report (the Self-Report Cohort, SRC). The MRC consists of women who were in the hormone therapy trials, and all African-American and Hispanic women. In 2012-2013, a subset of the MRC was identified for a potential in-home visit to collect blood and several objective measures of physical functioning. Conclusions: Overall health risks exceeded benefits from use of combined estrogen plus progestin after an average 5.2 year follow-up among healthy postmenopausal US women (Rossouw et al., 2002, PMID:12117397). Among postmenopausal women aged 65 years or older, estrogen plus progestin did not improve cognitive function when compared with placebo (Rapp et al., 2003, PMID: 12771113), increased the risk for probable dementia, and did not prevent mild cognitive impairment (Shumaker, et al., 2003, PMID: 12771112). The use of conjugated equine estrogen increased the risk of stroke, decreased the risk of hip fracture, and did not affect CHD incidence in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy after an average of 6.8 years of follow-up (Anderson et al., 2004, PMID: 15082697). Over approximately 8 years of follow-up, a low-fat dietary pattern did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (Beresford, et al., PMID: 16467233). Calcium with vitamin D supplementation resulted in a small but significant improvement in hip bone density; however, no significant difference was observed in hip fractures (Jackson, et al., 2006, PMID: 16481635). A recent review summarizes the conclusions from the WHI clinical trials with a focus on clinical practice (Manson, et al., 2024, PMID: 38691368).Description of ECG Imaging Data: Electric cardiograms (ECGs) were given to all clinical trial participants at baseline and in years 3, 6, and 9 of the original WHI study.EKG data consist of 12 lead 10 seconds ECGS sampled at 500Hz via GE ECG machines and process via GE MUSE system. The ECG waveform were directly exported from GE MUSE using MUSE export function in XML format, which include EKG waveform data as well as other ECG characteristics. Waveform data is in base64 encoded format, when it is decoded, it is a binary data that can be used to draw waveform graph. Many programming languages and data tools have built in functions to decode base64 strings. All the other necessary information is included in the LeadData section, total byte size, total sample size etc. (usually 1 sample is 2 bytes). See example below: encoded-data (base64 encoded string) JwAoAC0AKAAiACIAJAAkACQAIwAiACIAHgAcABwAGwAZABgAGAAYABcAEwAQABAAEAAL^/AAsADAAM... decoded-binary-data (1 sample is 2 bytes) 270028002D002800220022002400240024002300220022001E001C001C001B00 1900180018001800170013001000100010000B000B000C000C000D000D000D00 0A000A000A0009000600040004000700070005000500020... These binary values are integers (Y axis data of the graph), hence it is a straightforward process to draw the waveform graph. Acquisition dates have been redacted from this ECG data to comply with WHI policy. All acquisition dates within files and in file names have been set to January 1, 1900 (19000101) to comply with this policy.
Matched single-cell chromatin accessibility sequencing (scATAC-seq) and single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) were performed for 12 human breast tumor samples, 4 normal human mammary reduction samples, and 4 human breast cancer cell lines (HCC1143, SUM149PT, MCF7, and T47D). Both scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq assays resolved the underlying cellular heterogeneity in chromatin accessibility and transcriptional output for each patient sample. In this work, we quantitatively linked variation in chromatin accessibility to gene expression across malignant and non-malignant cell types from patient samples. We then showed that our findings were recapitulated in the breast cancer cell line samples. These data will serve as an important resource for the single-cell genomics and breast cancer research communities.
This study included genotype data from 420 study participants of East Asian descent, along with RNA-seq (n=300) and small RNA seq data (n=400) generated from their colorectal tissue samples. We used the transcriptome data and genotype data from these individuals to build a prediction model for each coding gene and long non-coding RNA, and perform a Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS) of colorectal cancer in East Asian populations.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are clinically disparate primary liver cancers with etiological and biological heterogeneity. We performed sequencing on multiple data levels of Thai CCA and HCC among the Thailand Initiative in Genomics and Expression Research for Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC) cohort using targeted OncoVar platform, whole exome, whole transcriptome, and whole genome metagenomic sequencing.
This randomized phase III trial studies paclitaxel and trastuzumab with or without lapatinib to see how well they work in treating patients with stage II or stage III breast cancer that can be removed by surgery. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Lapatinib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving paclitaxel with trastuzumab and/or lapatinib before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. It is not yet known which regimen is more effective in treating patients with breast cancer.
A main problem in the treatment of advanced cancers, including gastric cancers and glioblastoma, is the incertitude at which we predict how individual patients will respond to DNA-damaging agents, especially on the long run. Knowing the mechanism behind a patient's response, or the lack thereof, will help us depart from the oversimplified “more-is-better” and “one-size-fits-all” principles according to which DNA-damaging agents are administered. This will improve clinical outcome by allowing us to pinpoint those who would respond better and longer to lower doses than to higher doses of DNA-damaging agents. Under the assumption that the success of DNA-damaging therapy increases with the proliferation rate of a relatively homogeneous tumor population, there was little reason to assume anything other than monotonic dose-response relations. With the recent paradigm shift that most cancers are in fact DNA mosaic products of ongoing evolution, comes the urgency to reconsider these fundamental principles behind DNA-damaging therapy administration. As the developers of one of the first DNA deconvolution methods and with access to technologies to profile the transcriptomes of up to 10,000 cells simultaneously, we are equipped to embark on first personalized dose-finding strategies for DNA-damaging therapies. We will test the potential of the very long-term legacy that DNA-damage entails on a cell “genomic instability” as new biomarker of DNA-damage response. Our preliminary studies showed that, for most cancer types, DNA-damaging agents change a clone's genomic instability and that clones succumb to a limit in the amount of genomic instability they can tolerate. In particular, our results showed that patients with intermediate genomic instability have a very poor outcome and that this relation is only evident among treatment-naive patients, but not among patients treated with DNA-damaging agents. Further they show that we can measure genomic instability per clone and that clones with extreme genomic instability typically don't grow large. Our hypothesis that genomic instability, rather than proliferation rate, determines how sensitive a tumor is to DNA-damaging agents on the long-term, is founded on two unexpected findings. Patients with extremely high genomic instability per tumor clone have an exceptionally good outcome. Aim 1 will integrate exome- and single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data to characterize clones and to measure how much genomic instability they can tolerate. Low genomic instability is associated with reduced benefit from DNA-damaging agents. Aim 2 will use comet assays and treatment history to quantify DNA damage per clone, relating it to the clones' ability to tolerate DNA damage and to changes in the genomic instability of therapy-surviving clones.
