Clinical features and outcomes of advanced HER2+ esophageal/GEJ cancer with brain metastasis

Brain metastasis (BRM) is uncommon in gastroesophageal cancer. As such, clinicopathologic and molecular determinants of BRM and impact on clinical outcome remain incompletely understood.

We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathologic data from advanced esophageal/gastroesophageal junction (E/GEJ) patients at Johns Hopkins from 2003 to 2021. We investigated the association between several clinical and molecular features and the occurrence of BRM, with particular focus on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression. Survival outcomes and time to BRM onset were also evaluated.

We included 515 patients with advanced E/GEJ cancer. Tumors were 78.3% esophageal primary, 82.9% adenocarcinoma, 31.0% HER2 positive. Cumulative incidence of BRM in the overall cohort and within HER2+ subgroup was 13.8% and 24.3%, respectively. HER2 overexpression was associated with increased risk of BRM [odds ratio 2.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-5.46]. On initial presentation with BRM, 50.7% had a solitary brain lesion and 11.3% were asymptomatic. HER2+ status was associated with longer median time to onset of BRM (14.0 versus 6.3 months, P < 0.01), improved median progression free survival on first-line systemic therapy (hazard ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.16-0.80), and improved median overall survival (hazard ratio 0.20, 95% CI 0.08-0.54) in patients with BRM.

HER2 overexpression identifies a gastroesophageal cancer molecular subtype that is significantly associated with increased risk of BRM, though with later onset of BRM and improved survival likely reflecting the impact of central nervous system-penetrant HER2-directed therapy. The prevalence of asymptomatic and solitary brain lesions suggests that brain surveillance for HER2+ patients warrants prospective investigation.