KEAP1 mutated renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Characterization of an emerging molecularly defined RCC subtype.

4547 Background: KEAP1 is a tumor suppressor and negative regulator of the NRF2 pathway, and inactivating KEAP1 mutations (mts) have been reported in patients (pts) with RCC with similar morphology to fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient RCC (FH-RCC). In FH-RCCs, the NRF2 pathway is activated through fumarate-led inactivation of KEAP1, and we hypothesized that KEAP1 mts are drivers in RCC, similar to FH mts in FH-RCC. We sought to characterize RCC with KEAP1 mts as a separate RCC subtype and compare to FH-RCC and clear cell (cc)RCC. Methods: Among consecutive pts with RCC consented to tumor-normal DNA sequencing via MSK-IMPACT (NCT01775072), we identified patients with germline or somatic mutations in KEAP1 or FH and no other known driver mts (ie VHL, MET, TFE3 alterations), and categorized these as “KEAP1-RCC” or “FH-RCC.” Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes were analyzed and compared to pts with FH-RCC and a previously annotated subset ccRCC (n=162). Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for NQO1, marker of NRF2 activation, was performed. Time on systemic treatment and overall survival (OS) from time of sequencing were assessed. Results: Among 928 pts with RCC, 13 (1.4%) and 26 (2.8%) had RCCs with KEAP1 and FH mts, respectively. KEAP1 and FH mts were mutually exclusive. Median age was younger in FH-RCC (47 vs 63) (Table). When compared to ccRCC, OS was significantly worse for FH-RCC (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-4.1; p=0.02) but not for KEAP1-RCC (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.29-3.0; p=0.89). All KEAP1-RCC and FH-RCC were histologically classified as non-cc except one KEAP1-RCC that had 3p loss and no VHL mt. All available KEAP1 and FH-RCC were NQO1+ on IHC; control ccRCC were all negative. In the KEAP1-RCC cohort, we identified a female with an unclassified RCC and a germline KEAP1 truncating variant; RCC tumor had a second KEAP1 somatic mutation and was NQO1+ on IHC. The germline variant cosegregated to a sister with lung cancer (IHC NQO1+) and anal cancer. Conclusions: RCC with KEAP1 mts and no other genomic drivers are primarily non-cc with papillary features, have functional evidence of NRF2 activation, and although high-grade may have better outcomes than FH-RCC. KEAP1-RCC appears to be an emerging molecularly defined RCC subtype with clinical behavior similar to FH-RCC, likely as a result of converging on NRF2 pathway activation. Clinical characteristics. KEAP1-RCC (n=13) FH-RCC (n=26) ccRCC (n=162) Age (range) 63 (26-71) 47 (20-74) 56 (24-78) Male 8 (62%) 17 (65%) 125 (77%) Tumor size (cm), median (IQR) 5.6 (5.1, 11.0) 8.0 (5.0, 14.0) 8.2 (6.0, 10.5) Histology FH-deficient 0 13 (50%) 0 Papillary features 8 (62%) 4 (15%) 0 Unclassified 1 (8%) 8 (31%) 0 ccRCC 1 (8%) 0 162 (100%) Other/Unknown 3 (23%) 1 (4%) 0 Tumor grade, high 13 (100%) 26 (100%) 134 (83%) Metastatic 9 (69%) 25 (96%) 150 (93%)

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Journal
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Published
2025-05-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.4547
Primary Topic
Glutathione Transferases and Polymorphisms
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article
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article

KEAP1 mutated renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Characterization of an emerging molecularly defined RCC subtype.

Ying‐Bei Chen, Darren R. Feldman, Ritesh R. Kotecha, Eduard Reznik et al.
2 links
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Glutathione Transferases and Polymorphisms
article

KEAP1 mutated renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Characterization of an emerging molecularly defined RCC subtype.

Ying‐Bei Chen, Darren R. Feldman, Ritesh R. Kotecha, Eduard Reznik, Ziad Bakouny, Andrea Knežević, Michael F. Berger, A. Ari Hakimi, Yelena M. Kemel, Miika M. Mehine, Neil J. Shah, Ying L. Liu, Robert John Motzer, Diana L. Mandelker, Zsofia Kinga Stadler, Alicia J. Latham, Martin Henner Voss, Marie Carlo, Kenneth Offit, Grace Zong
article en

Abstract

4547 Background: KEAP1 is a tumor suppressor and negative regulator of the NRF2 pathway, and inactivating KEAP1 mutations (mts) have been reported in patients (pts) with RCC with similar morphology to fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient RCC (FH-RCC). In FH-RCCs, the NRF2 pathway is activated through fumarate-led inactivation of KEAP1, and we hypothesized that KEAP1 mts are drivers in RCC, similar to FH mts in FH-RCC. We sought to characterize RCC with KEAP1 mts as a separate RCC subtype and compare to FH-RCC and clear cell (cc)RCC. Methods: Among consecutive pts with RCC consented to tumor-normal DNA sequencing via MSK-IMPACT (NCT01775072), we identified patients with germline or somatic mutations in KEAP1 or FH and no other known driver mts (ie VHL, MET, TFE3 alterations), and categorized these as “KEAP1-RCC” or “FH-RCC.” Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes were analyzed and compared to pts with FH-RCC and a previously annotated subset ccRCC (n=162). Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for NQO1, marker of NRF2 activation, was performed. Time on systemic treatment and overall survival (OS) from time of sequencing were assessed. Results: Among 928 pts with RCC, 13 (1.4%) and 26 (2.8%) had RCCs with KEAP1 and FH mts, respectively. KEAP1 and FH mts were mutually exclusive. Median age was younger in FH-RCC (47 vs 63) (Table). When compared to ccRCC, OS was significantly worse for FH-RCC (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-4.1; p=0.02) but not for KEAP1-RCC (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.29-3.0; p=0.89). All KEAP1-RCC and FH-RCC were histologically classified as non-cc except one KEAP1-RCC that had 3p loss and no VHL mt. All available KEAP1 and FH-RCC were NQO1+ on IHC; control ccRCC were all negative. In the KEAP1-RCC cohort, we identified a female with an unclassified RCC and a germline KEAP1 truncating variant; RCC tumor had a second KEAP1 somatic mutation and was NQO1+ on IHC. The germline variant cosegregated to a sister with lung cancer (IHC NQO1+) and anal cancer. Conclusions: RCC with KEAP1 mts and no other genomic drivers are primarily non-cc with papillary features, have functional evidence of NRF2 activation, and although high-grade may have better outcomes than FH-RCC. KEAP1-RCC appears to be an emerging molecularly defined RCC subtype with clinical behavior similar to FH-RCC, likely as a result of converging on NRF2 pathway activation. Clinical characteristics. KEAP1-RCC (n=13) FH-RCC (n=26) ccRCC (n=162) Age (range) 63 (26-71) 47 (20-74) 56 (24-78) Male 8 (62%) 17 (65%) 125 (77%) Tumor size (cm), median (IQR) 5.6 (5.1, 11.0) 8.0 (5.0, 14.0) 8.2 (6.0, 10.5) Histology FH-deficient 0 13 (50%) 0 Papillary features 8 (62%) 4 (15%) 0 Unclassified 1 (8%) 8 (31%) 0 ccRCC 1 (8%) 0 162 (100%) Other/Unknown 3 (23%) 1 (4%) 0 Tumor grade, high 13 (100%) 26 (100%) 134 (83%) Metastatic 9 (69%) 25 (96%) 150 (93%)

Journal of Clinical OncologyVol. 43(16_suppl)
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US), Cornell University (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 89%
Glutathione Transferases and Polymorphisms
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