Impact of HER2-positivity on prognosis and targeted therapeutic outcomes in advanced biliary tract cancer.

Abstract

629 Background: HER2 overexpression and amplification have been identified as a promising druggable target in biliary tract cancer (BTC). This study aims to characterize the clinical and molecular outcomes associated with HER2 positivity in BTC and evaluate the prognostic implications of HER2-targeted therapies. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving patients with advanced BTC diagnosed at Yonsei Cancer Center (YCC) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) between 2009 and 2023. Patients were classified as HER2-positive either by immunohistochemistry (IHC 3+ or 2+/ISH+) or by next-generation sequencing (NGS, ERBB2 amplification). Overall survival (OS) and palliative first-line progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. Results: A total of 389 advanced BTC patients were initially screened (310 from YCC; 79 from MDACC). Among the 310 BTC patients from YCC with available HER2 IHC results, 78 (25.2%) were HER2-positive and 232 (74.8%) were HER2-negative. HER2 positivity was significantly more common in gallbladder cancer (55.1%) compared to its prevalence in intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (22.8%, p<0.001). Of the 201 patients with available NGS data, 186 (92.5%) were ERBB2 non-amplified; among these, 27 (14.9%) were HER2-positive by IHC. For survival analysis, 310 patients were eligible: 239 from YCC (both HER2-positive and negative) and 71 from MDACC (all HER2-positive). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated a trend towards shorter OS in HER2-positive patients compared to HER2-negative patients (median OS, 13.7 vs. 17.1 months, p=0.084, HR=1.246, 95% CI=0.97–1.60) regardless of exposure to HER2-targeted therapy, while first-line PFS on chemotherapy only was significantly shorter in the HER2-positive group (5.1 vs. 7.4 months, p<0.001, HR=1.906, 95% CI=1.46-2.48). Among HER2-positive patients, 56.8% received HER2-targeted therapy in the second line setting. HER2-positive patients who did not receive HER2-targeted therapy had a significantly poorer prognosis compared to HER2-negative patients (median OS 8.1 vs. 17.1 months, HR=2.46, 95% CI=1.73-3.48), whereas those receiving HER2-targeted therapy had comparable OS to HER2-negative patients (median OS 18.2 vs. 17.1 months, HR=0.95, 95% CI=0.71-1.27). Multivariable analysis identified a history of surgical treatment, radiation therapy, HER2 positivity, and HER2-targeted therapy as independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions: HER2 positivity is associated with a poorer prognosis in advanced BTC. However, HER2-targeted therapies improve outcomes, suggesting their potential inclusion in standard care for HER2-positive subgroups. Discrepancies between IHC and NGS in HER2 assessment emphasize the need for optimized testing guidelines in BTC.