The Clinical and Molecular Profile of Lung Cancer Patients Harboring the TP53 R337H Germline Variant in a Brazilian Cancer Center: The Possible Mechanism of Carcinogenesis

Abstract

In southern and southeastern Brazil, the TP53 founder variant c.1010G>A (R337H) has been previously documented with a prevalence of 0.3% within the general population and linked to a heightened incidence of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs). In the present investigation, we cover clinical and molecular characterizations of lung cancer patients from the Brazilian Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Study (BLISS) database. Among the 175 diagnosed malignant neoplasms, 28 (16%) were classified as LUADs, predominantly occurring in females (68%), aged above 50 years, and never-smokers (78.6%). Significantly, LUADs manifested as the initial clinical presentation of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome in 78.6% of cases. Molecular profiling was available for 20 patients, with 14 (70%) revealing EGFR family alterations. In total, 23 alterations in cancer driver genes were identified, comprising 7 actionable mutations and 4 linked to resistance against systemic treatments. In conclusion, the carriers of TP53 R337H demonstrate a predisposition to LUAD development. Furthermore, our results indicate that environmental pollution potentially impacts the carcinogenesis of lung tumors in the carriers of TP53 R337H.