A comparative genomic analysis of left- and right-sided colon cancer using real-world data from the AACR project GENIE BPC dataset.

Abstract

Left- and Right-sided colon cancers (LCC and RCC) are increasingly recognized as distinct clinicopathological and molecular subtypes with divergent prognoses and therapeutic responses. Leveraging a large, multi-institutional cohort from the AACR Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) Biopharma Collaborative (BPC) (n = 750; LCC: 363 vs. RCC: 387), we conducted a comprehensive analysis of mutational profiles, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and survival outcomes. Our findings revealed a markedly higher TMB in RCC compared to LCC (6.65 ± 11.3 vs. 3.17 ± 4.35; adjusted P = 3.12×10^-32), suggesting greater genomic instability in RCC. After applying functional annotation filters (PolyPhen > 0.85, SIFT < 0.05), RCC tumors were significantly enriched for mutations in BRAF (23.1% vs. 6.7%), KMT2D (8.6% vs. 3.2%), and SMAD4 (13.1% vs. 7.3%), while TP53 mutations predominated in LCC (40.6% vs. 31.8%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified RCC as an independent predictor of poorer overall survival (OS) relative to LCC (HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.02-1.66, P = 0.033). Notably, KRAS mutations were associated with significantly worse OS in LCC (HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.06-2.70, P = 0.027), while BRAF mutations predicted adverse outcomes in RCC (HR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.05-2.37, P = 0.028). These results underscore the prognostic value of tumor sidedness and specific genetic alterations in colon adenocarcinoma. Our study highlights the need for sidedness-specific molecular profiling to inform precision oncology strategies in colon cancer management.