Molecular alterations associated with improved outcome in patients with glioblastoma treated with Tumor-Treating Fields

BACKGROUND: The genomic and overall biologic landscape of glioblastoma (GB) has become clearer over the past 2 decades, as predictive and prognostic biomarkers of both de novo and transformed forms of GB have been identified. The oral chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ) has been integral to standard-of-care treatment for nearly 2 decades. More recently, the use of non-pharmacologic interventions, such as application of alternating electric fields, called Tumor-Treating Fields (TTFields), has emerged as a complementary treatment option that increases overall survival (OS) in patients with newly diagnosed GB. The genomic factors associated with improved or lack of response to TTFields are unknown. METHODS: We performed comprehensive genomic analysis of GB tumors resected from 55 patients who went on to receive treatment using TTFields, and compared results to 57 patients who received standard treatment without TTFields. RESULTS: We found that molecular driver alterations in NF1, and wild-type PIK3CA and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), were associated with increased benefit from TTFields as measured by progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. There were no differences when stratified by TP53 status. When NF1, PIK3CA, and EGFR status were combined as a Molecular Survival Score, the combination of the 3 factors significantly correlated with improved OS and PFS in TTFields-treated patients compared to patients not treated with TTFields. CONCLUSIONS: These results shed light on potential driver and passenger mutations in GB that can be validated as predictive biomarkers of response to TTFields treatment, and provide an objective and testable genomic-based approach to assessing response.