Biomarkers in Tumor Tissue Samples From Young Patients With Very Low Risk Wilms Tumors

Validation of Prognostic Markers for Very Low Risk Wilms Tumors

RATIONALE: Studying samples of tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial studies biomarkers in tumor tissue samples from young patients with very low risk Wilms tumors.

OBJECTIVES:

• To validate the utility of CUGBP2, HMGA2, and MEIS2 mRNA expression and 11p15 methylation to define a population of pediatric patients with very low risk Wilms tumor (VLRWT) that have virtually no risk of relapse.
• To validate the utility of WT-1 mutation and 11p15 loss of heterozygosity analysis to determine a population of VLRWT that have a higher risk of relapse when not treated with chemotherapy.
• To validate the utility of NFYA, STRA6, TOB2, PDCD4, and SP3 mRNA expression to predict relapse in VLRWT.
• To investigate the feasibility of broadening the definition of VLRWT through analysis of stage I and II epithelial differentiated tumors registered on clinical trial COG-Q9401 (NWTS-5) for CUGBP2, HMGA2, MEIS2, and 11p15 methylation.

OUTLINE: Previously banked tumor tissue samples are analyzed for mRNA expression of CUGBP2, HMGA2, and MEIS2 via reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR and are classified as loss of heterozygosity (LOH), loss of imprinting, or neither via 11p15 analysis. Samples are also analyzed for WT-1 mutation via quantitative PCR and 11p LOH using 11p15 methylation analysis and expression of NFYA, STRA6, TOB2, PDCD4, and SP3 via quantitative RT-PCR

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Patient with very low risk Wilms tumor registered on clinical trial COG-AREN03B2
  • Patient with stage I or II epithelial tubular differentiated Wilms tumor registered on clinical trial COG-Q9401 (NWTS-5)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not Specified