Author Correction: Landscape of somatic mutations in 560 breast cancer whole-genome sequences.

In the Methods section of this Article, 'greater than' should have been 'less than' in the sentence 'Putative regions of clustered rearrangements were identified as having an average inter-rearrangement distance that was at least 10 times greater than the whole-genome average for the individual sample. '. The Article has not been corrected.

Early skeletal muscle deconditioning and reduced exercise capacity during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a hallmark of breast cancer and is associated with skeletal muscle deconditioning. If cancer-related fatigue occurs early during chemotherapy (CT), the development of skeletal muscle deconditioning and its effect on exercise capacity remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of skeletal muscle deconditioning and exercise capacity in patients with early-stage breast cancer during CT. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer had a visit before undergoing CT, at 8 weeks, and at the end of chemotherapy (post-CT). Body composition was determined through bioelectrical impedance analysis. Knee extensor, handgrip muscle force and fatigue was quantified by performing maximal voluntary isometric contractions and exercise capacity using the 6-min walking test. Questionnaires were also administered to evaluate quality of life, cancer-related fatigue, and physical activity level. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients, reductions were found in muscle mass (-2.3%, p = .002), exercise capacity (-6.7%, p < .001), and knee extensor force (-4.9%, p < .001) post-CT, which occurred within the first 8 weeks of treatment with no further decrease thereafter. If muscle fatigue did not change, handgrip muscle force decreased post-CT only (-2.5%, p = .001), and exercise capacity continued to decrease between 8 weeks and post-CT (-4.6%, p < .001). Quality of life and cancer-related fatigue were impaired after 8 weeks (p < .001) and remained stable thereafter, whereas the physical activity level remained stable during chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to cancer-related fatigue, skeletal muscle deconditioning and reduced exercise capacity occurred early during breast cancer CT. Thus, it appears essential to prevent these alterations through exercise training implemented during CT.

Overall Survival with Ribociclib plus Fulvestrant in Advanced Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In an earlier analysis of this phase 3 trial, ribociclib plus fulvestrant showed a greater benefit with regard to progression-free survival than fulvestrant alone in postmenopausal patients with hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer. Here we report the results of a protocol-specified second interim analysis of overall survival. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either ribociclib or placebo in addition to fulvestrant as first-line or second-line treatment. Survival was evaluated by means of a stratified log-rank test and summarized with the use of Kaplan-Meier methods. RESULTS: This analysis was based on 275 deaths: 167 among 484 patients (34.5%) receiving ribociclib and 108 among 242 (44.6%) receiving placebo. Ribociclib plus fulvestrant showed a significant overall survival benefit over placebo plus fulvestrant. The estimated overall survival at 42 months was 57.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.0 to 63.2) in the ribociclib group and 45.9% (95% CI, 36.9 to 54.5) in the placebo group, for a 28% difference in the relative risk of death (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.92; P = 0.00455). The benefit was consistent across most subgroups. In a descriptive update, median progression-free survival among patients receiving first-line treatment was 33.6 months (95% CI, 27.1 to 41.3) in the ribociclib group and 19.2 months (95% CI, 14.9 to 23.6) in the placebo group. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Ribociclib plus fulvestrant showed a significant overall survival benefit over placebo plus fulvestrant in patients with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. (Funded by Novartis; MONALEESA-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02422615.).

Clinically Translatable Transcrocetin Delivery Platform for Correction of Tumor Hypoxia and Enhancement of Radiation Therapy Effects.

Improving the tumor reoxygenation to sensitize the tumor to radiation therapy is a cornerstone in radiation oncology. Here, the pre-clinical development of a clinically transferable liposomal formulation encapsulating trans sodium crocetinate (NP TSC) is reported to improve oxygen diffusion through the tumor environment. Early pharmacokinetic analysis of the clinical trial of this molecule performed on 37 patients orient to define the optimal fixed dosage to use in a triple-negative breast cancer model to validate the therapeutic combination of radiation therapy and NP TSC. Notably, it is reported that this formulation is non-toxic in both humans and mice at the defined fixed concentration, provides a normalization of the tumor vasculature within 72 h window after systemic injection, leads to a transient increase (50% improvement) in the tumor oxygenation, and significantly improves the efficacy of both mono-fractionated and fractionated radiation therapy treatment. Together, these findings support the introduction of a first-in-class therapeutic construct capable of tumor-specific reoxygenation without associated toxicities.

Final analysis of the phase 3 randomized clinical trial comparing HD201 vs. referent trastuzumab in patients with ERBB2-positive breast cancer treated in the neoadjuvant setting.

BACKGROUND: The TROIKA trial established that HD201 and trastuzumab were equivalent in terms of primary endpoints (total pathological complete response) following neoadjuvant treatment. The objective of the present analysis was to compare survival outcomes and final safety. METHODS: In the TROIKA trial, patients with ERBB2-positive early breast cancer were randomized and treated with either HD201 or the referent trastuzumab. Eligible patients received 8 cycles of either HD201 or referent trastuzumab (loading dose, 8 mg/kg; maintenance dose, 6 mg/kg) every 3 weeks in combination with 8 cycles of chemotherapy (4 cycles of docetaxel, 75 mg/m2, followed by 4 cycles of epirubicin, 75 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide, 500 mg/m2) in the neoadjuvant setting. The patients then underwent surgery followed by 10 cycles of adjuvant HD201 or referent trastuzumab according to their initial randomization to complete one year of trastuzumab-directed therapy. Event-free and overall survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The hazard ratio for event-free survival was estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The final analysis was performed after all patients completed the study at a median follow-up of 37.7 months (Q1-Q3, 37.3-38.1 months). A total of 502 randomized patients received either HD201 or the referent trastuzumab, and 474 (94.2%) were eligible for inclusion in the per-protocol set. In this population, the 3-year event-free survival rates were 85.6% (95% CI: 80.28-89.52) and 84.9% (95% CI: 79.54-88.88) in the HD201 and referent trastuzumab groups, respectively (log rank p = 0.938) (HR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.63-1.63; p = 0.945). The 3-year overall survival rates were comparable between the HD201 (95.6%; 95% CI: 91.90-97.59) and referent trastuzumab treatment groups (96.0%, 95% CI: 92.45-97.90) (log rank p = 0.606). During the posttreatment follow-up period, adverse events were reported for 64 (27.4%) and 72 (29.8%) patients in the HD201 and the reference trastuzumab groups, respectively. Serious adverse events were rare and none of which were related to the study treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This final analysis of the TROIKA trial further confirms the comparable efficacy and safety of HD201 and trastuzumab. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03013504.

Exacerbated central fatigue and reduced exercise capacity in early-stage breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to characterize the etiology of exercise-induced neuromuscular fatigue and its consequences on the force-duration relationship to provide mechanistic insights into the reduced exercise capacity characterizing early-stage breast cancer patients. METHODS: Fifteen early-stage breast cancer patients and fifteen healthy women performed 60 maximal voluntary isometric quadriceps contractions (MVCs, 3 s of contraction, 2 s of relaxation). The critical force was determined as the mean force of the last six contractions, while W' was calculated as the force impulse generated above the critical force. Quadriceps muscle activation during exercise was estimated from vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and rectus femoris EMG. Central and peripheral fatigue were quantified via changes in pre- to postexercise quadriceps voluntary activation (ΔVA) and quadriceps twitch force (ΔQTw) evoked by supramaximal electrical stimulation, respectively. RESULTS: Early-stage breast cancer patients demonstrated lower MVC than controls preexercise (- 15%, P = 0.022), and this reduction persisted throughout the 60-MVC exercise (- 21%, P = 0.002). The absolute critical force was lower in patients than in controls (144 ± 29N vs. 201 ± 47N, respectively, P < 0.001), while W' was similar (P = 0.546), resulting in lower total work done (- 23%, P = 0.001). This was associated with lower muscle activation in the vastus lateralis (P < 0.001), vastus medialis (P = 0.003) and rectus femoris (P = 0.003) in patients. Immediately following exercise, ΔVA showed a greater reduction in patients compared to controls (- 21.6 ± 13.3% vs. - 12.6 ± 7.7%, P = 0.040), while ΔQTw was similar (- 60.2 ± 13.2% vs. - 52.8 ± 19.4%, P = 0.196). CONCLUSION: These findings support central fatigue as a primary cause of the reduction in exercise capacity characterizing early-stage breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: No. NCT04639609-November 20, 2020.

Development of skeletal muscle atrophy and intermuscular adipose tissue in patients with early breast cancer treated with chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy is a common therapy to treat patients with breast cancer but also leads to skeletal muscle deconditioning. Skeletal muscle deconditioning is multifactorial and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) accumulation is closely linked to muscle dysfunction. To date, there is no clinical study available investigating IMAT development through a longitudinal protocol and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Our study was dedicated to investigating IMAT content in patients with early breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy and exploring the subsequent cellular mechanisms involved in its development. We included 13 women undergoing chemotherapy. Muscle biopsies and ultrasonography assessment were performed before and after chemotherapy completion. Histological and Western blotting analyses were conducted. We found a substantial increase in protein levels of three mature adipocyte markers (perilipin, +901%; adiponectin, +135%; FABP4, +321%; P < 0.05). These results were supported by an increase in oil red O-positive staining (+358%; P < 0.05). A substantial increase in PDGFRα protein levels was observed (+476%; P < 0.05) highlighting an increase in fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) content. The cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis muscle fibers substantially decreased (-21%; P < 0.01), and muscle architecture was altered, as shown by a decrease in fascicle length (-15%; P < 0.05) and a decreasing trend in muscle thickness (-8%; P = 0.08). We demonstrated both IMAT development and muscle atrophy in patients with breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. FAPs, critical stem cells inducing both IMAT development and skeletal muscle atrophy, also increased, suggesting that FAPs likely play a critical role in the skeletal muscle deconditioning observed in patients with breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy.

Cytoreductive Surgery and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Advanced Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A 14-Year French Retrospective Single-Center Study of 124 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy appears to increase survival, and normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) could improve overall survival (OS). Furthermore, intraperitoneal epinephrine could decrease the toxicity of chemotherapy by decreasing the systemic absorption of chemotherapy. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of CRS and IPC with intraperitoneal epinephrine, as first-line therapy, on the survival of patients with serous epithelial OC (EOC) with peritoneal metastases. METHODS: A prospective monocentric database was retrospectively searched for all patients with advanced serous EOC treated by interval or consolidative CRS plus IPC with intraperitoneal epinephrine after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. OS and disease-free survival (DFS), postoperative complications, and prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: From January 2003 to December 2017, 124 patients with serous EOC were treated with interval (n = 58) or consolidative (n = 66) complete CRS plus IPC with intraperitoneal epinephrine. The median follow-up was 77.8 months, the median OS was 60.8 months, and the median DFS was 21.2 months. In our multivariate analysis, a higher Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) and positive lymph node status resulted in worse OS, while higher World Health Organization score, higher PCI score, and positive lymph node status were risk factors for worse DFS. Grade 3 or higher surgical morbidity occurred in 27.42% of cases; only 3.2% had grade 3 renal toxicity and mortality was 0.8%. CONCLUSION: CRS and IPC with intraperitoneal epinephrine in stage III EOC offer good OS and DFS with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates.

Landscape of somatic mutations in 560 breast cancer whole-genome sequences.

We analysed whole-genome sequences of 560 breast cancers to advance understanding of the driver mutations conferring clonal advantage and the mutational processes generating somatic mutations. We found that 93 protein-coding cancer genes carried probable driver mutations. Some non-coding regions exhibited high mutation frequencies, but most have distinctive structural features probably causing elevated mutation rates and do not contain driver mutations. Mutational signature analysis was extended to genome rearrangements and revealed twelve base substitution and six rearrangement signatures. Three rearrangement signatures, characterized by tandem duplications or deletions, appear associated with defective homologous-recombination-based DNA repair: one with deficient BRCA1 function, another with deficient BRCA1 or BRCA2 function, the cause of the third is unknown. This analysis of all classes of somatic mutation across exons, introns and intergenic regions highlights the repertoire of cancer genes and mutational processes operating, and progresses towards a comprehensive account of the somatic genetic basis of breast cancer.

Incidental axillary dose delivery to axillary lymph node levels I-III by different techniques of whole-breast irradiation: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In breast cancer treatment, radiotherapy is an essential component for locoregional management. Axillary recurrence in patients with invasive breast carcinoma remains an issue. The question of whether breast irradiation may unintentionally include levels I, II, and III, and may decrease the risk of axillary recurrence, remains a topic of discussion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed and the Cochrane Library to identify articles that have published data regarding dose-volume analysis of axillary levels in breast irradiation. The following MESH terms were used: "breast cancer/lymph nodes" AND "radiotherapy dosage." RESULTS: Thirteen articles were identified. The irradiation technique, initial dose prescribed to the breast, delineated volumes, and dose received at axillary levels were heterogeneous. The average dose delivered to axilla levels I, II, and III with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy using standard fields (ST) ranged between 22 and 43.5 Gy, 3 and 35.6 Gy, and 1.0 and 20.5 Gy, respectively. The average doses delivered to axilla levels I, II, and III with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy using "high tangential" fields (HT) ranged between 38 and 49.7 Gy, 11 and 47.1 Gy, and 5 and 44.7 Gy, respectively. Finally, the average doses delivered to axilla levels I, II, and III using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were between 14.5 and 42.6 Gy, 3.4 and 35 Gy, and 1.2 and 25.5 Gy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our literature review suggests that the incidental dose delivered to the axilla during whole-breast irradiation is heterogenous and dependent on the irradiation technique used. However, whether this observation can be translated into a therapeutic effect is still a matter of debate.

Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown regarding blood transfusion.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of a SARS-CoV-2 resulted in a massive afflux of patients in hospital and intensive care units with many challenges. Blood transfusion was one of them regarding both blood banks (safety, collection, and stocks) and consumption (usual care and unknown specific demand of COVID-19 patients). The risk of mismatch was sufficient to plan blood transfusion restrictions if stocks became limited. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Analyses of blood transfusion in a tertiary hospital and blood collection in the referring blood bank between February 24 and May 31, 2020. RESULTS: Withdrawal of elective surgery and non-urgent care and admission of 2291 COVID-19 patients reduced global activity by 33% but transfusion by 17% only. Only 237 (10.3) % of COVID-19 patients required blood transfusion, including 45 (2.0%) with acute bleeding. Lockdown and cancellation of mobile collection resulted in an 11% reduction in blood donation compared to 2019. The ratio of reduction in blood transfusion to blood donation remained positive and stocks were slightly enhanced. DISCUSSION: Reduction of admissions due to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic results only in a moderate decrease of blood transfusion. Incompressible blood transfusions concern urgent surgery, acute bleeding (including some patients with COVID-19, especially under high anticoagulation), or are supportive for chemotherapy-induced aplasia or chronic anemia. Lockdown results in a decrease of blood donation by cancellation of mobile donation but with little impact on a short period by mobilization of usual donors. No mismatch between demand and donation was evidenced and no planned restriction to blood transfusion was necessary.

Feasibility of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment for cancer patients using electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) in daily clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: Routine Electronic Monitoring of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) (REMOQOL) in clinical care with real-time feedback to physicians could help to enhance patient-centered care. We evaluated the feasibility of REMOQOL in the French context in the QOLIBRY study. The primary objective was to assess the patients' compliance with REMOQOL. METHODS: The QOLIBRY study was a single-center, prospective study conducted in the University Hospital of Besançon (France). Eligible patients were those treated with systemic therapies for breast, lung or colorectal cancer at any stage. Patients were invited to complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and cancer-site-specific modules before each visit on tablets and/or computers in the hospital or at home. During the consultation, physicians had real-time access to visual summaries of HRQoL scores. Compliance was assessed as adequate if at least 66% of HRQoL assessments were completed during the 4 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Between March 2016 and October 2018, 177 patients were included in the QOLIBRY study. Median age was 64 years (IQR 54-71). The proportion of patients with an adequate compliance rate was 95.5% (n = 63) in the breast cancer cohort, 98.2% (n = 55) in the colorectal cancer cohort, and 90.9% (n = 50) in the lung cancer cohort. The physicians checked the HRQoL results in 73.1% of visits and prescribed supportive care and adapted patient management in 8.3% and 5.2% of visits, respectively. CONCLUSION & PERSPECTIVES: The results of QOLIBRY study suggest that REMOQOL is feasible in the French context. However, information about HRQoL monitoring, training of the physicians in the use of the software, and recommendations for using HRQoL results to guide care are essential and must be improved.

6 months versus 12 months of adjuvant trastuzumab in early breast cancer (PHARE): final analysis of a multicentre, open-label, phase 3 randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the interim analysis of the Protocol for Herceptin as Adjuvant therapy with Reduced Exposure (PHARE) trial could not show that 6 months of adjuvant trastuzumab was non-inferior to 12 months. Here, we report the planned final analysis based on the prespecified number of occurring events. METHODS: PHARE is an open-label, phase 3, non-inferiority randomised trial of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer comparing 6 months versus 12 months of trastuzumab treatment concomitant with or following standard neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. The study was undertaken in 156 centres in France. Eligible patients were women aged 18 years or older with non-metastatic, operable, histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast and either positive axillary nodes or negative axillary nodes but a tumour of at least 10 mm. Participants must have received at least four cycles of a chemotherapy for this breast cancer and have started receiving adjuvant trastuzumab-treatment. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either 6 months or 12 months of trastuzumab therapy duration between the third and sixth months of adjuvant trastuzumab. The randomisation was stratified by concomitant or sequential treatment with chemotherapy, oestrogen receptor status, and centre. The primary objective was non-inferiority in the intention-to-treat population in the 6-month group in terms of disease-free survival with a prespecified hazard margin of 1·15. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00381901. FINDINGS: 3384 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either 12 months (n=1691) or 6 months (n=1693) of adjuvant trastuzumab. One patient in the 12-month group and three patients in the 6-month group were excluded, so 1690 patients in each group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At a median follow-up of 7·5 years (IQR 5·3-8·8), 704 events relevant to disease-free survival were observed (345 [20·4%] in the 12-month group and 359 [21·2%] in the 6-month group). The adjusted hazard ratio for disease-free survival in the 12-month group versus the 6-month group was 1·08 (95% CI 0·93-1·25; p=0·39). The non-inferiority margin was included in the 95% CI. No differences in effects pertaining to trastuzumab duration were found in any of the subgroups. After the completion of trastuzumab treatment, rare adverse events occurred over time and the safety analysis remained similar to the previously published report. In particular, we found no change in the cardiac safety comparison, and only three additional cases in which the left ventricular ejection fraction decreased to less than 50% have been reported in the 12-month group. INTERPRETATION: The PHARE study did not show the non-inferiority of 6 months versus 12 months of adjuvant trastuzumab. Hence, adjuvant trastuzumab standard duration should remain 12 months. FUNDING: The French National Cancer Institute.

Evaluating the clinical effectiveness and safety of various HER2-targeted regimens after prior taxane/trastuzumab in patients with previously treated, unresectable, or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: In the absence of head-to-head trial data, network meta-analysis (NMA) was used to compare trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) with other approved treatments for previously treated patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). METHODS: Systematic reviews were conducted of published controlled trials of treatments for unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive BC with early relapse (≤ 6 months) following adjuvant therapy or progression after trastuzumab (Tras) + taxane published from January 1998 to January 2018. Random-effects NMA was conducted for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR), and safety endpoints. RESULTS: The NMA included regimens from seven randomized controlled trials: T-DM1 and combinations of Tras, capecitabine (Cap), lapatinib (Lap), neratinib, or pertuzumab (Per; unapproved). OS results favored T-DM1 over approved comparators: hazard ratio (HR) (95% credible interval [95% CrI]) vs Cap 0.68 (0.39, 1.10), LapCap 0.76 (0.51, 1.07), TrasCap 0.78 (0.44, 1.19). PFS trends favored T-DM1 over all other treatments: HR (95% CrI) vs Cap 0.38 (0.19, 0.74), LapCap 0.65 (0.40, 1.10), TrasCap 0.62 (0.34, 1.18); ORR with T-DM1 was more favorable than with all approved treatments. In surface under cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) analysis T-DM1 ranked highest for all efficacy outcomes. Discontinuation due to adverse events was less likely with T-DM1 than with all comparators except neratinib. In general, gastrointestinal side effects were less likely and elevated liver transaminases and thrombocytopenia more likely with T-DM1 than with comparators. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy and tolerability profiles of T-DM1 are generally favorable compared with other treatments for unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive BC.

Fulvestrant and palbociclib combination in heavily pretreated hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: We report the results of a retrospective analysis of the fulvestrant and palbociclib combination within a temporary authorization of use (TAU) program in 77 heavily pretreated patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. METHODS: All patients who received the fulvestrant and palbociclib combination within this TAU program were included. Toxicities were graded using the CTCAE v5 scale. RESULTS: The majority of patients (62.3%) were previously treated with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus. The median number of previous treatments for their metastatic disease was 4. With a median follow-up of 14 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.6 months. The median PFS significantly (p < 0.0001) decreased with the number of previous treatment lines in the metastatic setting. The median PFS was 5.5 months in patients who had previously progressed on everolimus compared to 9.3 months in the everolimus non-pretreated subgroup. No significant difference in median PFS was detected in patients according to age. The median overall survival rate was not reached. The clinical benefit rate was 64%, including 4% of complete responses, 26% partial responses, and 34% stable diseases for the entire cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The fulvestrant and palbociclib combination exerts an appreciable effect on metastatic heavily pretreated patients with a tolerable toxicity profile.

Real-world patient-reported outcomes of women receiving initial endocrine-based therapy for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer in five European countries.

BACKGROUND: Endocrine therapy (ET)-based regimens are the mainstay of treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced breast cancer. With the introduction of new treatment classes, it is important to examine patient symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at the start of this changing therapeutic landscape. This real-world study describes the patient-reported outcomes (PROs) of women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer receiving ET-based regimens who were naïve to systemic treatment in the advanced setting across five European countries (EU5). METHODS: Data were collected between March and July 2017 from surveyed oncologists and their patients at a single time point using the multinational Adelphi Advanced Breast Cancer Disease Specific Programme™. Patients completed PRO questionnaires on HRQoL (EORTC QLQ-C30), pain severity and interference, and work and activity impairment. A multiple linear regression model explored factors associated with HRQoL. RESULTS: Across EU5, 226 physicians provided data on 781 women with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer taking their first ET-based regimen for advanced disease, of whom 252 provided PRO data. This subset had a mean age of 67.1 years, 94% were postmenopausal, 89% were diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at initial presentation, 79% had stage IV disease (66% of these patients had bone metastases and 38% had visceral metastases, including 18% with liver metastases) and 77% were on endocrine-only therapy as their initial treatment for advanced disease. The mean EORTC QLQ-C30 global health score (50.9) was worse than the reference value for patients with advanced breast cancer (60.2). Fatigue, pain, and insomnia were the most severe symptoms, and mean functioning scores were also worse than reference values. "Worst pain" and "pain interference" were moderate/severe for 42 and 80% of patients. Mean activity impairment was 44%, and greater activity impairment was associated with poorer HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: Despite receiving first-line ET-based regimens for advanced disease, these women had a poor HRQoL and high levels of symptoms, pain, pain interference and activity impairment. New treatments that maintain a stable disease state and reduce activity impairment may have a positive effect on the HRQoL of those living with advanced breast cancer.

Persistent taxane-induced neuropathy in elderly patients treated for localized breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Localized breast cancer treatments involve taxanes which are often responsible for acute peripheral neuropathy. The persistence of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN) is scarcely described among elderly women. A monocenter historical cohort study including all women over 65 years of age treated between 2001 and 2016 with a taxane-based chemotherapy for localized breast cancer was carried out at the Paul Strauss Regional Comprehensive Cancer Center. All cases included were followed up for at least 2 years, deaths from causes unrelated to TIPN were excluded. We report on the frequency and risk factors and establish a prognostic score of persistent Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 2 and 3 TIPN. Among the 302 included patients, 21% and 9% developed persistent TIPN of grade 2 and 3, respectively. Two patients died from complications of grade 3 TIPN. Risk factors of persistent grade 2 and higher neuropathy included age (P < .0001), body mass index (P < .0001), and diabetes (P = .0093). Persistent TIPN was more frequent with paclitaxel than docetaxel (OR = 5.43; P < .0001). Patients presenting all four major risk factors had a 97.2% probability of developing long-term symptoms against 1.2% for patients showing no risk factor. We therefore identified 3 prognostic groups. TIPN is a frequent and sometimes severe persistent side effect of breast cancer treatment among elderly women with a major impact on health-related quality of life. Chemotherapy regimens without taxane could therefore be a valid option in elderly patients with neurotoxicity risk factors.

Trastuzumab emtansine with or without pertuzumab versus trastuzumab with taxane for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive advanced breast cancer: Final results from MARIANNE.

BACKGROUND: In the phase 3 MARIANNE trial, trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) with or without pertuzumab showed noninferior progression-free survival and better tolerability than trastuzumab plus a taxane (HT) for the first-line treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer. This article reports the final descriptive overall survival (OS) analysis, updated safety data, and additional patient-reported outcomes and biomarker analyses. METHODS: OS was assessed in 1095 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and no prior therapy for advanced disease who had been randomized to HT, T-DM1 plus a placebo (hereafter T-DM1), or T-DM1 plus pertuzumab (T-DM1+pertuzumab). A post hoc exploratory landmark analysis of OS, baseline patient and disease characteristics, and tumor biomarkers in patients with and without an objective tumor response (OR) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors within 6.5 months of randomization was conducted. RESULTS: The median OS was similar across groups (50.9, 53.7, and 51.8 months for the HT, T-DM1, and T-DM1+pertuzumab groups, respectively). Among patients with an OR, the median OS was longer with T-DM1 (64.4 months) and T-DM1+pertuzumab (not reached) versus HT (56.3 months). No baseline characteristics or biomarkers were strongly associated with OR. The incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events was greater with HT (55.8%) than T-DM1 (47.1%) or T-DM1+pertuzumab (48.6%). The median time to clinically meaningful deterioration (a 3-point or greater change) in neurotoxicity symptoms was shorter with HT (2.1 months) and T-DM1+pertuzumab (4.2 months) than T-DM1 (6.2 months). Fewer patients reported alopecia and diarrhea and were bothered by treatment side effects in the T-DM1 arm. CONCLUSIONS: These results support T-DM1 as a first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who are deemed unsuitable for taxane-based therapy.

Iniparib administered weekly or twice-weekly in combination with gemcitabine/carboplatin in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: a phase II randomized open-label study with pharmacokinetics.

PURPOSE: Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a phenotypic breast cancer subgroup with a very poor prognosis, despite standard treatments. Combined twice-weekly iniparib and gemcitabine/carboplatin (GC+tw-iniparib) showed benefit over gemcitabine/carboplatin in a randomized phase II trial, and a phase III was initiated comparing these regimens. The present phase II study was initiated to compare GC+tw-iniparib with a more practical once-weekly schedule (GC+w-iniparib) in TNBC. METHODS: Metastatic TNBC patients were randomized to receive iniparib weekly (11.2 mg/kg on days 1 and 8) or twice-weekly (5.6 mg/kg on days 1, 4, 8, and 11) with gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under the curve 2 on days 1 and 8), every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR). Pharmacokinetics of iniparib and its two metabolites were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 163 patients were randomized, 82 GC+w-iniparib and 81 GC+tw-iniparib. Demographic and baseline characteristics were well balanced. ORR was 34.1% (95% CI 23.9-44.4%) vs. 29.6% (95% CI 19.7-39.6%) and median progression-free survival was 5.5 months (95% CI 4.2-5.7) vs. 4.3 months (95% CI 3.0-5.8) for GC+w-iniparib and GC+tw-iniparib, respectively. Safety was similar across treatment arms in terms of event severity and type. Iniparib plasma concentrations and exposure were two-fold higher with w-iniparib compared to tw-iniparib. Iniparib and its metabolites were cleared rapidly with a terminal half-life of < 1 h, without accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a doubled maximum concentration with weekly iniparib, no detectable differences in safety or efficacy were observed between the weekly and twice-weekly administration schedules in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier NCT01045304.