H3K27M-mutant diffuse midline gliomas should be further molecularly stratified: an integrated analysis of 669 patients

Introduction H3 K27M-mutated diffuse midline gliomas (H3-DMGs) are aggressive tumors with a fatal outcome. This study integrating individual patient data (IPD) from published studies aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of different genetic alterations on survival of these patients. Methods We accessed PubMed and Web of Science to search for relevant articles. Studies were included if they have available data of follow-up and additional molecular investigation of H3-DMGs. For survival analysis, Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression models were utilized, and corresponding hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to analyze the impact of genetic events on overall survival (OS). Result We included 30 studies with 669 H3-DMGs. TP53 mutations were the most common second alteration among these neoplasms. In univariate Cox regression model, TP53 mutation was an indicator of shortened survival (HR 1.446; 95% CI 1.143–1.829) whereas ACVR1 (HR 0.712; 95% CI 0.518–0.976) and FGFR1 mutations (HR 0.408; 95% CI 0.208–0.799) conferred prolonged survival. In addition, ATRX loss was also associated with a better OS (HR 0.620; 95% CI 0.386–0.996). Adjusted for age, gender, and tumor location, the presence of TP53 mutations, the absence of ACVR1 or FGFR1 mutations remained significantly poor prognostic factors. Conclusions We outlined the prognostic importance of additional genetic alterations in H3-DMGs and recommended that these neoplasms should be further molecularly segregated. This may aid neuro-oncologists in appropriate risk stratification.