Distinct outcome of stage I lung adenocarcinoma with ACTN4 cell motility gene amplification

Background: Even if detected at an early stage, a substantial number of lung cancers relapse after curative surgery. However, no method for distinguishing such tumors has yet been established. Patients and methods: The copy number of the actinin-4 (ACTN4) gene was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays comprising 543 surgically resected adenocarcinomas of the lung. Results: Amplification (an increase in the copy number by =2.0 fold) of the ACTN4 gene was detected in two of seven lung adenocarcinoma cell lines and 79 (15%) of 543 cases of pathological stage I-IV lung adenocarcinoma. Multivariate analysis revealed that ACTN4 gene amplification was the most significant independent factor associated with an extremely high risk of death (hazard ratio, 6.78; P = 9.48 × 10-5, Cox regression analysis) among 290 patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma. The prognostic significance of ACTN gene amplification was further validated in three independent cohorts totaling 1033 patients. Conclusions: Amplification of the ACTN4 gene defines a small but substantial subset of patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma showing a distinct outcome. Such patients require intensive medical attention and might benefit from postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.