16 MARCH 2017 | The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network*
This study provides a comprehensive molecular characterization of 228 primary cervical cancers, one of the largest such studies to date. Key findings include the identification of novel significantly mutated genes (SHKBPI, ERBB3, CASP8, HLA-A, TGFBRII) and amplifications in immune targets CD274 (PD-L1) and PDCD1LG2, as well as the long non-coding RNA BCAR4. Integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) data revealed that all HPV18-related samples and 76% of HPV16-related samples had integrated HPV DNA, associated with structural aberrations and increased target-gene expression. The study also identified a unique set of endometrial-like cervical cancers, predominantly HPV-negative with high frequencies of KRAS, ARID1A, and PTEN mutations. Integrative clustering of 178 samples identified three molecular subgroups: keratin-low squamous, keratin-high squamous, and adenocarcinoma-rich. These findings highlight new therapeutic targets and provide insights into the molecular subtypes of cervical cancers.This study provides a comprehensive molecular characterization of 228 primary cervical cancers, one of the largest such studies to date. Key findings include the identification of novel significantly mutated genes (SHKBPI, ERBB3, CASP8, HLA-A, TGFBRII) and amplifications in immune targets CD274 (PD-L1) and PDCD1LG2, as well as the long non-coding RNA BCAR4. Integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) data revealed that all HPV18-related samples and 76% of HPV16-related samples had integrated HPV DNA, associated with structural aberrations and increased target-gene expression. The study also identified a unique set of endometrial-like cervical cancers, predominantly HPV-negative with high frequencies of KRAS, ARID1A, and PTEN mutations. Integrative clustering of 178 samples identified three molecular subgroups: keratin-low squamous, keratin-high squamous, and adenocarcinoma-rich. These findings highlight new therapeutic targets and provide insights into the molecular subtypes of cervical cancers.