Interventional analytics in skilled nursing facilities associated with reduced readmissions.

OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in longitudinal profiles for 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rates in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) associated with Penn Medicine's Lancaster General Hospital (LGH) that implemented an interventional analytics (IA) platform vs other LGH facilities lacking IA vs other SNFs in Pennsylvania vs facilities in all other states. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal analysis of CMS readmissions data from 2017 through 2022, and cross-sectional analysis using CMS quality metrics data. METHODS: CMS SNF quality performance data were aggregated and compared with risk-adjusted readmissions by facility and time period. Each SNF was assigned to a cohort based on location, referral relationship with LGH, and whether it had implemented IA. Multivariable mixed effects modeling was used to compare readmissions by cohort, whereas quality measures from the fourth quarter of 2022 were compared descriptively. RESULTS: LGH profiles differed significantly from both state and national profiles, with LGH facilities leveraging IA demonstrating an even greater divergence. In the most recent 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2022, LGH SNFs with IA had estimated readmission rates that were 15.24, 12.30, and 13.06 percentage points lower than the LGH SNFs without IA, Pennsylvania, and national cohorts, respectively (all pairwise P < .0001). SNFs with IA also demonstrated superior CMS claims-based quality metric outcomes for the 12 months ending in the fourth quarter of 2022. CONCLUSIONS: SNFs implementing the studied IA platform demonstrated statistically and clinically significant superior risk-adjusted readmission rate profiles compared with peers nationally, statewide, and within the same SNF referral network (P < .0001). A more detailed study on the use of IA in this setting is warranted.

Risks and Safety of Advanced Therapies and Biologics in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review for Nurses.

Advanced therapies, including biologics, are a core component of managing inflammatory bowel disease, which is increasing in prevalence. These therapies may offer an improved safety and tolerability profile compared with conventional treatments. However, they can interact with a patient's immune system via different mechanisms. Healthcare providers need to be aware of the possible adverse effects, such as infection and immune-mediated reactions, as well as risk management methods, such as patient screening and vaccination. As central members of the multidisciplinary team, nurses have an important role in educating patients with inflammatory bowel disease on disease course, treatment options, monitoring patient adherence, and response to treatment. This narrative review summarizes key safety considerations for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease with advanced therapies, including risk of infection and malignancy; immunologic, metabolic, and hematologic complications; and what nurses can do to manage these risks. Special considerations for pediatric, elderly, and pregnant populations are also discussed.

Signature program: a platform of basket trials.

Investigating targeted therapies can be challenging due to diverse tumor mutations and slow patient accrual for clinical studies. The Signature Program is a series of 8 phase 2, agent-specific basket protocols using a rapid study start-up approach involving no predetermined study sites. Each protocol evaluated 1 agent (buparlisib, dovitinib, binimetinib, encorafenib, sonidegib, BGJ398, ceritinib, or ribociclib) in patients with solid or hematologic malignancies and an actionable mutation. The primary endpoint of each study was the clinical benefit rate (ie, complete or partial response, or stable disease) at 16 weeks. A total of 192 individual sites were opened in the United States, with a median start-up time of 3.6 weeks. The most common tumor types among the 595 treated patients were colorectal (9.2%), non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma (9.1%), and ovarian (8.4%). Frequent genetic alterations were in PIK3CA, RAS, p16, and PTEN. Overall, 30 partial or complete responses were observed with 6 compounds in 16 tumor types. The Signature Program presents a unique and successful approach for rapid signal finding across multiple tumors and allowed various agents to be evaluated in patients with rare alterations. Incorporating these program features in conventional studies could lead to improved trial efficiencies and patient outcomes.

Modernizing Eligibility Criteria for Molecularly Driven Trials.

As more clinical trials of molecularly targeted agents evolve, the number of eligibility criteria seems to be increasing. The importance and utility of eligibility criteria must be considered in the context of the fundamental goal of a clinical trial: to understand the risks and benefits of a treatment in the intended-use patient population. Although eligibility criteria are necessary to define the population under study and conduct trials safely, excessive requirements may severely restrict the population available for study, and often, this population is not reflective of the general population for which the drug would be prescribed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Research Committee, which comprises academic faculty, industry representatives, and patient advocates, evaluated this issue. Evaluation results were mixed. Most physicians agreed that excessive eligibility criterias slow study enrollment rates and prolong the duration of enrollment; however, this hypothesis was difficult to validate with the data examined. We propose the organization of a public workshop, with input from regulatory bodies and key stakeholders, with the goal of developing an algorithmic approach to determining eligibility criteria for individual study protocols, which may help guide future investigators and companies in streamlining eligibility criteria in the era of molecularly driven therapy.

An open-label safety study of lapatinib plus trastuzumab plus paclitaxel in first-line HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent data support the hypothesis that combining lapatinib and trastuzumab with taxane chemotherapy may offer added clinical benefit to patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study examined the safety of the triplet combination in first-line HER2-positive MBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were enrolled into three sequential cohorts; the last two cohorts were added by protocol amendment following review of safety data from cohort 1. Patients in cohort 1 received lapatinib (1000 mg/day) plus paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2) per week, 3 of every 4 weeks); cohort 2 received lapatinib (1000 mg/day) plus paclitaxel (70 mg/m(2) per week, 3 of every 4 weeks); and cohort 3 received lapatinib (750 mg/day) plus paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2) per week, 3 of every 4 weeks). All received standard trastuzumab dosing. The primary objective was assessment of dose-limiting toxicities, safety, and tolerability of this combination. RESULTS: The most frequent adverse events (AEs) for all cohorts were diarrhea (89%), rash (79%), fatigue (73%), alopecia (63%), nausea (63%), and vomiting (40%). In cohorts 1 and 2, the incidence of grade 3 diarrhea was 62% and 50%, respectively; in cohort 3, the incidence was 25% (with prophylactic loperamide). Dehydration was the most frequent serious AE (10%). Across cohorts, overall response rate was 75%. CONCLUSIONS: The dose-limiting toxicity of paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and lapatinib in first-line HER2-positive MBC was diarrhea. Of the triplet combinations tested, the cohort receiving 750 mg/day dose of lapatinib had the lowest incidence of diarrhea; therefore, this dose should be used in further studies on the treatment of MBC.

4(1H)-Quinolones with liver stage activity against Plasmodium berghei.

With the exception of primaquine, tafenoquine, and atovaquone, there are very few antimalarials that target liver stage parasites. In this study, a transgenic Plasmodium berghei parasite (1052Cl1; PbGFP-Luc(con)) that expresses luciferase was used to assess the anti-liver stage parasite activity of ICI 56,780, a 7-(2-phenoxyethoxy)-4(1H)-quinolone (PEQ), as well as two 3-phenyl-4(1H)-quinolones (P4Q), P4Q-146 and P4Q-158, by using bioluminescent imaging (BLI). Results showed that all of the compounds were active against liver stage parasites; however, ICI 56,780 and P4Q-158 were the most active, with low nanomolar activity in vitro and causal prophylactic activity in vivo. This potent activity makes these compounds ideal candidates for advancement as novel antimalarials.

HLA-DQA1*02:01 is a major risk factor for lapatinib-induced hepatotoxicity in women with advanced breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Hepatobiliary adverse events (AEs) have been observed in a small proportion of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with lapatinib. This study sought to identify gene variants associated with lapatinib-induced ALT elevation and hepatobiliary AEs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A two-stage pharmacogenetic investigation of ALT elevation was conducted in lapatinib-treated patients with MBC. Exploratory marker identification evaluated classical HLA alleles, candidate genes, and genome-wide screening in 37 cases with ALT greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) and 286 controls with ALT ≤ 1× ULN, selected from 901 lapatinib-treated patients in 12 trials. Markers achieving prespecified association thresholds were progressed to an independent confirmatory data set of 24 ALT cases and 155 controls selected from a subsequent trial of 374 lapatinib-treated patients. RESULTS: Of 58 variants associated with ALT elevation in the exploratory data set, four exceeded the prespecified significance threshold in the confirmatory analysis. These variants reside in the same MHC genomic locus and include HLA-DQA1*02:01. In the confirmatory study, DQA1*02:01 allele carriage was present in 71% of ALT cases and in 21% of controls (P < .001; odds ratio, 9.0; 95% CI, 3.2 to 27.4). As a predictor of liver safety risk in ALT cases versus noncases, DQA1*02:01 had negative and positive predictive values of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95 to 0.99) and 0.17 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.26), respectively. CONCLUSION: These results support a role for immune mechanisms in lapatinib-induced hepatotoxicity. Further work is required to determine whether testing for DQA1*02:01 allele carriage is clinically useful in managing liver safety risk during lapatinib treatment.

Lapatinib combined with letrozole versus letrozole and placebo as first-line therapy for postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Cross-talk between human epidermal growth factor receptors and hormone receptor pathways may cause endocrine resistance in breast cancer. This trial evaluated the effect of adding lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor blocking epidermal growth factor receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), to the aromatase inhibitor letrozole as first-line treatment of hormone receptor (HR) -positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal women with HR-positive MBC were randomly assigned to daily letrozole (2.5 mg orally) plus lapatinib (1,500 mg orally) or letrozole and placebo. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) in the HER2-positive population. Results In HR-positive, HER2-positive patients (n = 219), addition of lapatinib to letrozole significantly reduced the risk of disease progression versus letrozole-placebo (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.96; P = .019); median PFS was 8.2 v 3.0 months, respectively. Clinical benefit (responsive or stable disease >or= 6 months) was significantly greater for lapatinib-letrozole versus letrozole-placebo (48% v 29%, respectively; odds ratio [OR] = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.8; P = .003). Patients with centrally confirmed HR-positive, HER2-negative tumors (n = 952) had no improvement in PFS. A preplanned Cox regression analysis identified prior antiestrogen therapy as a significant factor in the HER2-negative population; a nonsignificant trend toward prolonged PFS for lapatinib-letrozole was seen in patients who experienced relapse less than 6 months since prior tamoxifen discontinuation (HR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.07; P = .117). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were more common in the lapatinib-letrozole arm versus letrozole-placebo arm (diarrhea, 10% v 1%; rash, 1% v 0%, respectively), but they were manageable. CONCLUSION: This trial demonstrated that a combined targeted strategy with letrozole and lapatinib significantly enhances PFS and clinical benefit rates in patients with MBC that coexpresses HR and HER2.

Lapatinib plus capecitabine versus capecitabine alone for HER2+ (ErbB2+) metastatic breast cancer: quality-of-life assessment.

The randomized phase III trial EGF100151 demonstrated that the combination of lapatinib plus capecitabine (L + C) significantly improved time to progression (TTP) compared with capecitabine alone (C) in heavily pretreated patients with HER2+ (ErbB2+) advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This analysis assessed the effects of study treatments on quality of life (QOL) among patients in EGF100151. Quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) and EuroQoL (EQ-5D) questionnaires. Patients completed questionnaires during efficacy and safety assessment visits (i.e., at screening visit, every 6 weeks for the first 24 weeks, every 12 weeks thereafter, and at discontinuation of study treatment). Primary analyses compared the treatment groups based on change from baseline QOL. Exploratory analyses compared proportion of patients achieving minimum important differences (MID) in QOL scores and the relationship between QOL and tumor status. Quality of life for patients in both treatment groups was maintained during 24 weeks of follow-up. Adjusted mean changes from baseline in all QOL scores for the L + C arm were comparable to those for the C arm. The between-group differences ranged from 0.7 to 2.2 (FACT-B total) and 0.3 to 1.8 (EQ-5D visual analog scale) and were consistently in favor of the L + C arm, although not statistically significant. Patients with an objective tumor response or stable disease showed clinically meaningful differences in QOL scores compared to patients with progressive disease. A greater proportion of patients receiving L + C versus C achieved the MID for all five QOL scores, although differences were not statistically significant. The addition of lapatinib to capecitabine significantly increases TTP without any evidence of a deleterious effect on patients' QOL, confirming its clinical benefit in this heavily pretreated patient population with advanced HER2+ breast cancer that has progressed on trastuzumab therapy.

HER-2 gene amplification, HER-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA and protein expression, and lapatinib efficacy in women with metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Biomarkers from two randomized phase III trials were analyzed to optimize selection of patients for lapatinib therapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In available breast cancer tissue from EGF30001 (paclitaxel +/- lapatinib in HER-2-negative/unknown metastatic breast cancer, n = 579) and EGF100151 (capecitabine +/- lapatinib in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer, n = 399), HER-2 gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), HER-2 mRNA by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), HER-2 protein expression by HercepTest immunohistochemistry (IHC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA level by RT-PCR, and EGFR protein by IHC were analyzed and compared with clinical outcome. HER-2 was determined by FISH in an academic reference/research laboratory and in a large, high-volume commercial reference laboratory. RESULTS: The HER-2 gene was amplified in 47% (344 of 733) and IHC was 3+ in 35% (279 of 798), with significant correlation (P < 0.01) between FISH and IHC. Positive EGFR immunostaining (IHC 1+, 2+, or 3+) in 28% (213 of 761) correlated with EGFR mRNA levels by RT-PCR (r = 0.59; P < 0.01). HER-2 gene amplification/overexpression was associated with improved clinical outcomes (progression-free survival; P < 0.001) in both trials. A significant improvement in outcome was seen in FISH-positive and IHC 0, 1+, or 2+ patients. HER-2 mRNA expression correlated with HER-2 FISH (r = 0.83) and IHC status (r = 0.72; n = 138). No correlation was found between EGFR expression (IHC or mRNA) and responsiveness to lapatinib regardless of HER-2 status. Although a significant correlation with lapatinib responsiveness was observed among "HER-2-negative" breast cancer patients in the large, high-volume commercial reference laboratory, this was not confirmed in the academic reference/research laboratory. CONCLUSIONS: Women with HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer benefit from lapatinib, whereas women with HER-2-negative metastatic breast cancer derive no incremental benefit from lapatinib.

Phase III, double-blind, randomized study comparing lapatinib plus paclitaxel with placebo plus paclitaxel as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Lapatinib, a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB1) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2/ErbB2), is effective against HER-2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This phase III trial evaluated the efficacy of lapatinib in HER-2-negative and HER-2-uncharacterized MBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with MBC were randomly assigned to first-line therapy with paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks plus lapatinib 1,500 mg/d or placebo. A preplanned retrospective evaluation of HER-2 status was performed using fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The primary end point was time to progression (TTP); secondary end points were objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In the intent-to-treat population (n = 579), there were no significant differences in TTP, EFS, or OS between treatment arms, although differences in ORR and CBR were noted. In 86 HER-2-positive patients (15%), treatment with paclitaxel-lapatinib resulted in statistically significant improvements in TTP, EFS, ORR, and CBR compared with paclitaxel-placebo. No differences between treatment groups were observed for any end point in HER-2-negative patients. The most common adverse events were alopecia, rash, and diarrhea. The incidence of diarrhea and rash was significantly higher in the paclitaxel-lapatinib arm. The rate of cardiac events was low, and no difference was observed between treatment arms. CONCLUSION: Patients with HER-2-negative or HER-2-untested MBC did not benefit from the addition of lapatinib to paclitaxel. However, first-line therapy with paclitaxel-lapatinib significantly improved clinical outcomes in HER-2-positive patients. Prospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this combination is ongoing in early and metastatic HER-2-positive breast cancer patients.

Drug Insight: intracellular inhibitors of HER2--clinical development of lapatinib in breast cancer.

Targeting the human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) in breast cancer patients whose tumors overexpress HER2 has been clearly demonstrated to be effective in clinical trials with the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab. Not all patients, however, respond to trastuzumab therapy. Lapatinib is an oral receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets HER2 and the EGFR. Preclinical data reveal that lapatinib has activity in trastuzumab-resistant cell lines as well as synergistic activity with trastuzumab. In a pivotal phase III trial, a combination of lapatinib and capecitabine significantly decreased the risk of disease progression relative to capecitabine alone in women with HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracyclines, taxanes, and trastuzumab. Other trials are evaluating lapatinib in inflammatory breast cancer--for which encouraging data have been reported--in combination with hormone therapy, in combination with trastuzumab, and as an adjunct to adjuvant therapy for early-stage disease. Notably, lapatinib has not been associated with serious or symptomatic cardiotoxicity in clinical trials. It can cross the blood-brain barrier and might therefore have a role in preventing central-nervous-system progression. These features make lapatinib an ideal agent to evaluate more fully in HER2-positive metastatic and early-stage breast cancer.

Efficacy and safety of lapatinib as first-line therapy for ErbB2-amplified locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

PURPOSE: This study (EGF20009) assessed the efficacy and tolerability of two lapatinib administration schedules as first-line monotherapy in women with ErbB2-amplified locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with ErbB2-amplified, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously untreated in the metastatic setting were randomly assigned to one of two lapatinib dose cohorts and received either 1,500 mg once daily or 500 mg twice daily. Clinical response was assessed at weeks 8 and 12 and every 12 weeks thereafter. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were treated with lapatinib for a median of 17.6 weeks. The overall response rate (complete response [CR] plus partial response [PR]) was 24% in the intent-to-treat population, and 31% of patients derived clinical benefit (CR, PR, or stable disease for >or= 24 weeks). The median time to response was 7.9 weeks, and the progression-free survival rates at 4 and 6 months were 63% and 43%, respectively. The most common lapatinib-related adverse events (AEs) were diarrhea, rash, pruritus, and nausea, and these events were primarily grade 1 or 2. There were no significant differences in clinical activity or the AE profile between the dosing schedules. CONCLUSION: Lapatinib demonstrated clinical activity and was well tolerated as first-line therapy in ErbB2-amplified locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This study supports further evaluation of lapatinib in first-line and early-stage ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer.

A phase III randomized comparison of lapatinib plus capecitabine versus capecitabine alone in women with advanced breast cancer that has progressed on trastuzumab: updated efficacy and biomarker analyses.

PURPOSE: Lapatinib is a small molecule, dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2). Initial results of a phase III trial demonstrated that lapatinib plus capecitabine is superior to capecitabine alone in women with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer that progressed following prior therapy including trastuzumab. Updated efficacy and initial biomarker results from this trial are reported. METHODS: Women with HER2-positive, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracycline-, taxane-, and trastuzumab-containing regimens were randomized to lapatinib 1,250 mg/day continuously plus capecitabine 2,000 mg/m(2) days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle or capecitabine 2,500 mg/m(2) on the same schedule. The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP) as determined by an independent review panel. Relationship between progression-free survival (PFS) and tumor HER2 expression and serum levels of HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) were assessed. RESULTS: 399 women were randomized. The addition of lapatinib prolonged TTP with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.43-0.77; P < 0.001) and provided a trend toward improved overall survival (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.55-1.12, P = 0.177), and fewer cases with CNS involvement at first progression (4 vs. 13, P = 0.045). Baseline serum HER2 ECD did not predict for benefit from lapatinib. CONCLUSION: The addition of lapatinib to capecitabine provides superior efficacy for women with HER2-positive, advanced breast cancer progressing after treatment with anthracycline-, taxane-, and trastuzumab-based therapy. Biomarker studies could not identify a subgroup of patients who failed to benefit from the addition of lapatinib to capecitabine.

Lapatinib in combination with capecitabine in the management of ErbB2-positive (HER2-positive) advanced breast cancer.

Lapatinib is an oral, reversible, dual inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor ErbB1 (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 ErbB2 (HER2). Results of a phase III study comparing lapatinib plus capecitabine with capecitabine alone in women with ErbB2-overexpressing advanced breast cancer previously treated with an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab were reported early based on superiority of the combination in prolonging time to tumor progression (TTP). An updated analysis in 399 women supports the earlier findings. In this updated analysis, TTP (hazard ratio [HR] 0.57) favored lapatinib plus capecitabine. Survival trended in favor of the combination. The incidence of cardiac events was numerically higher in the combination arm (5 cases in the combination arm, 2 cases in the monotherapy arm).

Neutrophil elastase mutations and risk of leukaemia in severe congenital neutropenia.

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a heterogeneous bone marrow failure syndrome predisposing to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukaemia (MDS/AML). We studied 82 North American and Australian SCN patients enrolled in the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry who were on long-term treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and for whom the neutrophil elastase (ELA2) gene was sequenced. There was no significant difference in the risk of MDS/AML in patients with mutant versus wild-type ELA2: the respective cumulative incidences at 15 years were 36% and 25% (P = 0.96). Patients with either mutant or wild-type ELA2 should be followed closely for leukaemic transformation.

Lapatinib antitumor activity is not dependent upon phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancers.

Trastuzumab antitumor activity in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancers seems to be dependent upon the presence of phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a phosphatase that dampens phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt signaling. Consequently, PTEN deficiency, which occurs in 50% of breast cancers, predicts for resistance to trastuzumab monotherapy. Here, we show that lapatinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of ErbB1 and ErbB2 tyrosine kinases, exerts its antitumor activity in a PTEN-independent manner. Steady-state phosphorylated ErbB2 (p-ErbB2) and p-Akt (S473) protein levels were inhibited within 30 min following lapatinib but not in response to trastuzumab in BT474 and Au565 cells (two ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cell lines that are sensitive to the proapoptotic effects of lapatinib). Whereas trastuzumab reportedly inhibits SRC phosphorylation (Y416), which in turn reduced SRC-ErbB2 protein interactions, lapatinib had no effect on either variable. To assess the potential functional role that PTEN might play in lapatinib antitumor activity, we selectively knocked down PTEN in BT474 and Au565 cells using small interfering RNA transfection. Loss of PTEN did not affect induction of tumor cell apoptosis by lapatinib in either cell line. In addition, lapatinib inhibited Akt phosphorylation in MDA-MB-468 cells, an ErbB1-expressing/ErbB2 non-overexpressing breast cancer line, despite their PTEN-null status. Moreover, patients with ErbB2-overexpressing inflammatory breast cancers responded to lapatinib monotherapy regardless of PTEN status. Thus, lapatinib seems to exert its antitumor activity in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancers in a PTEN-independent manner. These data emphasize the importance of assessing PTEN status in tumors when selecting ErbB2-targeted therapies in patients with breast cancer.

Lapatinib plus capecitabine for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2, also referred to as HER2/neu) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is active in combination with capecitabine in women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after trastuzumab-based therapy. In this trial, we compared lapatinib plus capecitabine with capecitabine alone in such patients. METHODS: Women with HER2-positive, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with regimens that included an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab were randomly assigned to receive either combination therapy (lapatinib at a dose of 1250 mg per day continuously plus capecitabine at a dose of 2000 mg per square meter of body-surface area on days 1 through 14 of a 21-day cycle) or monotherapy (capecitabine alone at a dose of 2500 mg per square meter on days 1 through 14 of a 21-day cycle). The primary end point was time to progression, based on an evaluation by independent reviewers under blinded conditions. RESULTS: The interim analysis of time to progression met specified criteria for early reporting on the basis of superiority in the combination-therapy group. The hazard ratio for the independently assessed time to progression was 0.49 (95% confidence interval, 0.34 to 0.71; P<0.001), with 49 events in the combination-therapy group and 72 events in the monotherapy group. The median time to progression was 8.4 months in the combination-therapy group as compared with 4.4 months in the monotherapy group. This improvement was achieved without an increase in serious toxic effects or symptomatic cardiac events. CONCLUSIONS: Lapatinib plus capecitabine is superior to capecitabine alone in women with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer that has progressed after treatment with regimens that included an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00078572 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Strong evidence for autosomal dominant inheritance of severe congenital neutropenia associated with ELA2 mutations.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cases of severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) to ascertain SCN inheritance after determining that the same sperm donor was used by 4 different families to impregnate mothers. STUDY DESIGN: Because the donor sperm was not available, alternative methods were used to determine whether the sperm donor transmitted SCN. DNA isolated from leukocytes was used to sequence the ELA2 gene in the affected children and their mothers. ELA2 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the product was sequenced. PCR was also performed with genomic DNA from the mothers and affected children using a set of 22 microsatellite PCR primers on chromosomes 14 and 19 to establish linkage to the paternal allele. RESULTS: None of the mothers had a mutation in ELA2, but all 5 affected children had the same mutation affecting the fourth exon at site S97L. Linkage mapping analysis confirmed that all affected children had the same paternal allele on chromosome 19, which contains ELA2. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that the father provided consistent haplotypes leading to the expression of SCN in all affected children, supporting an autosomal dominant inheritance in which ELA2 mutations occur.