Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma of Urethra: Clinical and Pathologic Implications and Characterization of Molecular Aberrations

Abstract

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the molecular features of clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the urinary tract and investigate its pathogenic pathways and possible actionable targets.Materials and Methods We retrospectively collected the data of patients with CCA between January 1999 and December 2016; the data were independently reviewed by two pathologists. We selected five cases of urinary CCA, based on the clinicopathological features. We analyzed these five cases by whole exome sequencing (WES) and subsequent bioinformatics analyses to determine the mutational spectrum and possible pathogenic pathways.Results All patients were female with a median age of 62 years. All tumors were located in the urethra and showed aggressive behavior with disease progression. WES revealed several genetic alterations, including driver gene mutations (<i>AMER1, ARID1A, CHD4, KMT2D, KRAS, PBRM1</i>, and <i>PIK3R1</i>) and mutations in other important genes with tumor-suppressive and oncogenic roles (<i>CSMD3, KEAP1, SMARCA4</i>, and <i>CACNA1D</i>). We suggest putative pathogenic pathways (chromatin remodeling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway) as candidates for targeted therapies.Conclusion Our findings shed light on the molecular background of this extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis and can help improve treatment options.