Genomic landscape of lung adenocarcinoma in East Asians

Nat Genet. 2020 Feb;52(2):177-186. doi: 10.1038/s41588-019-0569-6. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Abstract

Lung cancer is the world's leading cause of cancer death and shows strong ancestry disparities. By sequencing and assembling a large genomic and transcriptomic dataset of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) in individuals of East Asian ancestry (EAS; n = 305), we found that East Asian LUADs had more stable genomes characterized by fewer mutations and fewer copy number alterations than LUADs from individuals of European ancestry. This difference is much stronger in smokers as compared to nonsmokers. Transcriptomic clustering identified a new EAS-specific LUAD subgroup with a less complex genomic profile and upregulated immune-related genes, allowing the possibility of immunotherapy-based approaches. Integrative analysis across clinical and molecular features showed the importance of molecular phenotypes in patient prognostic stratification. EAS LUADs had better prediction accuracy than those of European ancestry, potentially due to their less complex genomic architecture. This study elucidated a comprehensive genomic landscape of EAS LUADs and highlighted important ancestry differences between the two cohorts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / etiology
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / mortality
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung / therapy
  • Aged
  • Asian People / genetics
  • Cohort Studies
  • DNA Copy Number Variations
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • Exome
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / etiology
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics
  • Singapore
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)