Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)–targeting α-radiation therapy (TAT) is an emerging treatment modality for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. There is a subgroup of patients with poor response despite sufficient expression of PSMA in their tumors. The aim of this work was to characterize PSMA-TAT–nonresponding lesions by targeted next-generation sequencing.
Methods
Of 60 patients treated with
225Ac-PSMA-617, we identified 10 patients who presented with a poor response despite sufficient tumor uptake in PSMA PET/CT. We were able to perform CT-guided biopsies with histologic validation of the nonresponding lesions in 7 of these nonresponding patients. Specimens were analyzed by targeted next-generation sequencing interrogating 37 DNA damage-repair–associated genes.
Results
In the 7 tumor samples analyzed, we found a total of 15 whole-gene deletions, deleterious or presumably deleterious mutations affecting
TP53 (
n = 3),
CHEK2 (
n = 2),
ATM (
n = 2), and
BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, MSH2, MSH6, NBN, FANCB, and
PMS1 (
n = 1 each). The average number of deleterious or presumably deleterious mutations was 2.2 (range, 0–6) per patient. In addition, several variants of unknown significance in
ATM, BRCA1, MSH2, SLX4, ERCC, and various
FANC genes were detected.
Conclusion
Patients with resistance to PSMA-TAT despite PSMA positivity frequently harbor mutations in DNA damage-repair and checkpoint genes. Although the causal role of these alterations in the patient outcome remains to be determined, our findings encourage future studies combining PSMA-TAT and DNA damage-repair–targeting agents such as poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors.