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Application of mTORC1 Inhibitors for Tissue-Agnostic Management of Standard-Therapy-Refractory Solid Tumors
Hossein Taghizadeh1,2,3, Agnieszka Maj-Hes1,2, Gerald W Prager1,2
1Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
In this analysis, we examined the efficacy, feasibility, and limitations of the application of mTOR inhibitors based on the individual molecular profiles of pretreated cancer patients after the failure of all standard treatments in the palliative setting. In this single-center, real-world analysis of our platform for precision medicine, we analyzed the molecular characteristics of 71 cancer patients. The tumor samples of the patients were analyzed using next-generation sequencing panels of mutation hotspots, microsatellite stability testing, and immunohistochemistry. All profiles were reviewed by a multidisciplinary team to provide a targeted treatment recommendation after a consensus discussion. Seventy-one cancer patients with activation of the mTOR pathway were offered an mTORC1-inhibitor-based targeted therapy, and twenty-three (32.4%) of them eventually received the targeted therapy. Only three patients (4.2%) achieved stable disease, of whom one experienced progressive disease again after 9.1 months. The median time to treatment failure was 2.8 months. In total, 110 mutations were detected in 60 patients (84.5%). The three most frequent mutations were found in TP53, PTEN, and KRAS, which accounted for over 50% (56.4%) of all mutations. In sum, in selected patients with heavily pretreated solid tumors with activation of the mTOR pathway, the antitumoral activity of mTORC1 inhibition was weak.
Insights
mTOR inhibitors showed limited efficacy in heavily pretreated cancer patients with mTOR pathway activation. This precision medicine approach revealed weak antitumoral activity, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Precision Medicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Standard cancer treatments often fail in advanced stages.
- The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is implicated in various cancers.
- Targeted therapies require detailed molecular profiling for efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and limitations of mTOR inhibitors in pretreated cancer patients.
- To assess the feasibility of precision medicine using molecular profiling for mTOR pathway activation.
- To identify common mutations associated with mTOR pathway activation.
Main Methods:
- Real-world analysis of 71 cancer patients with advanced solid tumors.
- Next-generation sequencing, microsatellite instability testing, and immunohistochemistry for molecular profiling.
- Multidisciplinary team review for targeted treatment recommendations.
Main Results:
- Only 32.4% of patients received mTORC1-inhibitor therapy; 4.2% achieved stable disease.
- Median time to treatment failure was 2.8 months.
- TP53, PTEN, and KRAS mutations were most frequent, found in 84.5% of patients.
Conclusions:
- mTORC1 inhibition demonstrated weak antitumoral activity in selected heavily pretreated patients.
- Molecular profiling identified common mutations but did not predict significant response to mTOR inhibitors.
- Further research is needed to improve targeted therapy efficacy in advanced cancers.
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