Whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of circulating tumor DNA in patients with castration resistant and neuroendocrine prostate cancer

A subset of castration resistant prostate cancers develop small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) as a mechanism of treatment resistance. Metastatic tissue biopsies to evaluate for NEPC transformation are invasive and challenging to perform serially. We performed whole exome and whole genome bisulfite sequencing of plasma cfDNA and matched tumor biopsy samples from 62 patients with metastatic prostate cancer along the disease spectrum to evaluate for NEPC associated genomic and epigenomic features. Multiple tissue biopsies and/or plasma time points were included for a subset of patients to characterize disease heterogeneity and dynamic changes. Computational analysis of clonality and allele specific quantification allowed for detailed comparison of matched tumor tissue and... (for more see dbGaP study page.)