Homologous recombination deficiency in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Aim: Pancreatic Neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms whose tumor biology is still little known. Thanks to next-generation sequencing, pathogenic mutations in base-excision-repair MUTYH gene and homologous recombination genes CHEK2 and BRCA2 seem to have a role in the development of pNETs. Research design & methods: We assumed that Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) could be a critical pathogenetic mechanism for pNETs. We evaluated the HR status in a case series of 33 patients diagnosed with pNET at the Modena Cancer Center using the AmoyDX HRD Focus assay. Results: The AmoyDx test did not identify any HRD-positive patients (median GSS equal to 1.1, positive score: >50), and no pathogenic BRCA variants were detected. However, thanks to the SNP analysis, a consistent number of partial or complete single-copy deletions or duplications in several chromosomes. Conclusion: The AmoyDX HRD focus assay performed well on pancreatic samples, despite being originally designed for ovarian cancer and used on samples stored for over a year. Larger studies are needed to further assess the role of HRD assays in pNETs research.