Exploring the Efficacy of Pembrolizumab in Combination with Carboplatin and Weekly Paclitaxel for Frail Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Key Investigative Study.

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint blockers have revolutionized the first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, is a standard therapy either alone or in combination with chemotherapy (chemo-IO). The current study explores the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab with carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel in a cohort of frail patients. METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study was conducted between 22 September 2020 and 19 January 2023 regarding patients with stage IV NSCLC treated with chemo-IO combination: carboplatin (AUC 5 mg/mL/min; Q4W), weekly paclitaxel (90 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15), and pembrolizumab (200 mg Q4W). The primary objective was real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS). Secondary objectives were overall survival (OS), toxicity profile, and outcomes based on histological subtype. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients (20 squamous and 14 non-squamous NSCLC) benefited from the chemo-IO regimen for frail patients; 41.9% had an ECOG-PS = 2. The median age was 75.5 years. We observed an overall response rate (ORR) of 55.9%. Notably, squamous NSCLC exhibited a significantly higher ORR (80%) than non-squamous NSCLC (21.4%); p = 0.001. The median rw-PFS was 10.6 months (95% CI [6.0, NA]), with 6- and 12-month rw-PFS rates of 69% and 45.8%, respectively. The median OS was not reached, with 12- and 18-month OS rates of 75.6% and 61.4%, respectively. The median number of maintenance cycles of pembrolizumab was 5 (0; 27). Nine patients (26.5%) experienced a toxicity related to chemotherapy leading to a reduction of the dose administered and, in five patients (14.7%), to the permanent discontinuation of chemotherapy. Six patients (17.6%) had an immune-related adverse event leading to the discontinuation of immunotherapy. DISCUSSION: Pembrolizumab plus carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel demonstrates promising efficacy and safety in frail patients with metastatic NSCLC, especially for ORR in sq-NSCLC. Prospective studies focusing on frail populations are warranted in order to validate these findings and optimize therapeutic strategies in the first-line setting.

Circulating tumour cells and PD-L1-positive small extracellular vesicles: the liquid biopsy combination for prognostic information in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are minimally invasive liquid biopsy biomarkers. This study investigated whether they predict prognosis, alone or in combination, in heterogenous unbiased non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: Plasma samples of 54 advanced NSCLC patients from a prospective clinical trial. CtDNA mutations were identified using the UltraSEEK™ Lung Panel (MassARRAY® technology). PD-L1 expression was assessed in small EVs (sEVs) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: At least one ctDNA mutation was detected in 37% of patients. Mutations were not correlated with overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.55; 1.83, P = 0.980) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.57-1.76, P = 0.991). High PD-L1+ sEV concentration was correlated with OS (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03-1.26, P = 0.016), but not with PFS (HR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.99-1.18, P = 0.095). The interaction analysis suggested that PD-L1+ sEV correlation with PFS changed in function of CTC presence/absence (P interaction = 0.036). The combination analysis highlighted worse prognosis for patients with CTCs and high PD-L1+ sEV concentration (HR = 7.65, 95% CI = 3.11-18.83, P < 0.001). The mutational statuses of ctDNA and tumour tissue were significantly correlated (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: CTCs and high PD-L1+ sEV concentration correlated with PFS and OS, but not ctDNA mutations. Their combined analysis may help to identify patients with worse OS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02866149, Registered 01 June 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02866149 .

Radiological response of leptomeningeal metastases according to revised RANO criteria is associated with overall survival in breast cancer patients.

Assessment of treatment response in patients (pts) with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) represents a significant challenge and standardized criteria are needed. In 2017, the RANO LM Working Group proposed a standardized scorecard to evaluate MRI findings (further simplified in 2019). Here, we aim to validate the prognostic impact of response to treatment assessed using this tool in a multicentric cohort of breast cancer (BC) pts. Pts with BC-related LM diagnosed at two institutions between 2005 and 2018 were identified. Baseline and follow-up MRI scans were centrally reviewed and response assessment was evaluated using 2019 revised RANO LM criteria. A total of 142 pts with BC-related LM and available baseline brain MRI imaging were identified; 60 of them had at least one follow-up MRI. In this subgroup, median overall survival (OS) was 15.2 months (95%CI 9.5-21.0). At first re-evaluation, radiological response by RANO criteria was: complete response (CR) in 2 pts (3%), partial response (PR) in 12 (20%), stable disease (SD) in 33 (55%) and progression of disease (PD) in 13 (22%). Median OS was 31.1 months (HR 0.10, 95%CI 0.01-0.78) in pts with CR, 16.1 months (HR 0.41, 95%CI 0.17-0.97) in pts with PR, 17.9 months (HR 0.45, 95%CI 0.22-0.91) in pts with SD and 9.5 months in pts with PD (P = .029). A second blinded evaluation showed a moderate interobserver agreement (K = 0.562). Radiological response according to 2019 RANO criteria is significantly associated with OS in pts with BC-related LM, thus supporting the use of this evaluation tool both in trials and clinical practice.

Hypnosis on patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Acceptability and tolerance of chemotherapy on patients treated for breast cancer remain challenging. Complementary approaches such as hypnosis may have a favorable impact both at the time of announcing and during chemotherapy, due to the notorious anxiety, distress, and self-perceived dysfunction. The objective of the study was that the patients complied with at least four self-hypnosis sessions out of the six cycles of chemotherapy. METHODS: This open, prospective longitudinal study assessed feasibility of compliance to self-hypnosis during chemotherapy in an outpatients setting. Training sessions were given by a hypnotherapist. Throughout each cycle of chemotherapy, the patient had to use self-hypnosis to better control her anxiety or any difficulties. Nurses could offer help to the patient. Chemotherapy-associated side effects were evaluated through the NCI-Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events v 4.03; moreover, side effects as pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and anxiety were also evaluated during chemotherapy using a visual analogic scale. Health-related quality of life, emotional distress (anxiety and depression), and cancer-related fatigue were assessed (at inclusion, end of chemotherapy and 3 months later) using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23, HADS and MFI-20 questionnaires, respectively. The number of patients screened and actually included in the study was reported, as the reasons for refusal. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included with a median age of 55 years (35-78). All patients received a hypnosis training session. The overall compliance with self-hypnosis was 68.6% (95% CI: 50.7%-83.2%), meaning that more than two thirds of patients performed at least four sessions of self-hypnosis. According to NCI-CTCAE, Grade 2 nausea and vomiting was observed in 45.7% and 22.9%, respectively, Grade 2 fatigue in 62.9%. Based on the HADS questionnaire, anxiety increased at the end of the chemotherapy and returned to the initial value 3 months later (p = .97) whereas depression significantly decrease 3 months after the end of chemotherapy with respect to the inclusion (p = .003). Role, emotional, and cognitive functioning were slightly affected throughout the treatment, in contrast to dyspnea or physical functioning. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that self-hypnosis was feasible on patients newly diagnosed for breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Suspected Breast Cancer Leptomeningeal Metastases: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of breast cancer (BC)-related leptomeningeal metastases (LM) relies on the detection of tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using conventional cytology (gold standard). However, the sensitivity of this technique is low. Our goal was to evaluate whether circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection in CSF using the CellSearch® system could be used for LM diagnosis. METHODS: This prospective, monocentric study included adult patients with suspected BC-related LM. The clinical sensitivity and specificity of CTC detection in CSF for LM diagnosis were calculated relative to conventional CSF cytology. RESULTS: Forty-nine eligible patients were included and 40 were evaluable (CTC detection technical failure: n = 8, eligibility criteria failure: n = 1). Cytology was positive in 18/40 patients. CTCs were detected in these 18 patients (median: 5824 CTC, range: 93 to 45052) and in 5/22 patients with negative cytology (median: 2 CTC, range: 1 to 44). The detection of ≥1 CSF CTC was associated with a clinical sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 82.4-100) and a specificity of 77.3% (95% CI, 64.3-90.3) for LM diagnosis. HER2+ CTCs were detected in the CSF of 40.6% of patients with HER2- BC (median: 500 CTC, range: 13 to 28 320). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical sensitivity of CTC detection in CSF with the CellSearch® system for LM diagnosis is higher than that of CSF cytology. CTC detection in patients with negative cytology, however, must be further investigated. The finding of HER2+ CTCs in patients with HER2- BC suggests that the HER2 status of LM should be evaluated to increase the treatment opportunities for these patients.

Leptomeningeal metastases in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive breast cancer: Real-world data from a multicentric European cohort.

In patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer, leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are a rare but often a fatal clinical scenario. In this multicentric study, clinical and pathologic characteristics of patients with HER2+ breast cancer developing LM were described, as well as survival outcomes. Data were gathered retrospectively from medical records of 82 patients with advanced HER2+ breast cancer and LM treated between August 2005 and July 2020. Following LM diagnosis, 79 (96.3%) patients received at least one line of anti-HER2 therapy, 25 (30.5%) patients received intrathecal therapy and 58 (70.7%) patients received radiotherapy. Overall survival (OS) was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.7-11), 1-year OS was 42%, and 2-year OS was 21%. At univariate analysis, patients who were treated after 2010, had better Karnofsky performance status, were free of neurological symptoms, had better prognostic, received chemotherapy (OS difference 9.4 months, P = .024), or monoclonal antibodies (trastuzumab ± pertuzumab; OS difference 6.1 months; P = .013) after LM diagnosis, had a statistically significantly longer OS. Presence of neurological symptoms (hazard ratio 3.32, 95% CI 1.26-8.73; P = .015) and not having received radiotherapy (hazard ratio 2.02, 95% CI 1.09-3.72; P = .024) were all associated with poorer OS at multivariate analysis. To summarize, not having neurological symptoms and receiving RT at LM diagnosis were associated with prolonged OS in our cohort. Survival seemed to be prolonged with multimodality treatment, which included targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and RT to the LM sites.

Pharmacokinetic Variability Drives Palbociclib-Induced Neutropenia in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients: Drug-Drug Interactions Are the Usual Suspects.

Palbociclib is a good candidate for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) due to its narrow therapeutic range and frequency of toxicities, particularly high-grade neutropenia. In this prospective, bicentric clinical trial, we evaluated the palbociclib exposure−toxicity relationship and determined the relevant sources of palbociclib pharmacokinetic variability, including drug−drug interactions (DDI). We followed 58 patients (mean age: 62.9 years) for 1 year. The geometric median of palbociclib plasma trough concentration (Ctrough) was 74.1 ng/mL. Neutropenia occurred in 70.7% of patients (high grade in 67.2% of patients). High-grade neutropenia occurrence during the first two palbociclib cycles was higher in patients with lower neutrophil count at initiation (p = 0.002). Palbociclib plasma Ctrough was correlated with high-grade neutropenia occurrence during the first two cycles (p = 0.024, OR 5.51). Co-treatment with agents that may interfere with palbociclib PK significantly influenced palbociclib Ctrough (p < 0.05). CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibitors increased by 25% palbociclib Ctrough (p = 0.035), while antacids reduced it by 20% (p = 0.036). However, DDI did not have any significant effect on high-grade neutropenia occurrence (p > 0.05). This study confirms the major role of TDM to manage palbociclib safe use from the first week of treatment, particularly the significant incidence of hematological toxicity. Moreover, this first dedicated prospective study confirmed the importance of characterizing co-treatments to limit the DDI risk with oral-targeted therapies.

A Phase II Multicenter Trial on High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation for the Correction of Vitamin D Insufficiency in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Breast cancer (BC) treatments induce vitamin D (VD) insufficiency and bone metabolism changes, resulting in osteoporosis and skeletal morbidity risk. We report the results of a bicentric phase II trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04091178) on the safety and efficacy of high-dose oral VD supplementation for VD deficiency correction in 44 patients with early BC treated with adjuvant chemotherapies. Patients received one dose of 100,000 IU 25-OH VD every 3 weeks from day 1 of cycle 1 to day 1 of cycle 5. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving serum 25-OH VD concentration normalization on day 1 of cycle 6 (D1C6). Secondary endpoints were safety, VD and calcium parameters at baseline and during chemotherapy, and identification of predictive biomarkers of VD normalization on D1C6. On D1C6, 21 patients (47.7%, 95% CI: 33.0-62.8) achieved VD normalization. No VD-related clinical toxicity was reported. However, 13 patients (29.5%) presented asymptomatic grade 1 hypercalciuria, leading to interruption of the high-dose oral VD supplementation in 10, followed by a rapid reduction in serum VD concentration. No baseline clinical factor was predictive of VD normalization on D1C6. This high-dose VD supplementation appears safe and efficient in patients with early BC receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.

Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1-Expressing Circulating Tumor Cells: A New Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), analysis of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a potential alternative to overcome the problems linked to the tumor biopsy spatiotemporal heterogeneity. However, the prognostic significance of PD-L1-positive [PD-L1(+)] CTCs remains controversial. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the correlation with clinicopathological variables and prognostic value of PD-L1(+) CTCs, detected with the FDA-cleared CellSearch® system, in 54 patients with advanced NSCLC. RESULTS: We detected CTCs and PD-L1(+) CTCs in 43.4% and 9.4% of patients with NSCLC. PD-L1 expression concordance between tumor tissue and CTCs was low (54%). The presence of PD-L1(+) CTC correlated with the absence of gene alterations in tumor tissue and with poor prognosis-related biological variables (anemia, hyponatremia, increased lactate dehydrogenase). In univariate analysis, absence of gene alterations, number of metastatic sites, prior systemic therapies, and presence of CTCs and PD-L1(+) CTCs were associated with worse overall survival, whereas PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue was not. In multivariate analysis, squamous cell carcinoma histology, number of prior systemic treatments, and the presence of CTC were significantly associated with overall survival. Survival was worse in patients with PD-L1(+) CTCs than in patients with PD-L1-negative CTC or without any CTC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the presence of PD-L1(+) CTCs is associated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced NSCLC. Studies with larger samples are needed to confirm our results and to determine how PD-L1(+) CTC detection could help to predict the response or resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies.Clinical trial registration NCT02866149.

Changes in vitamin D and calcium metabolism markers in patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Changes in calcium metabolism and calcium urinary excretion during chemotherapy have not been thoroughly assessed in patients with early breast cancer (EBC), a population who frequently present vitamin D insufficiency. As hypercalciuria is a classical contra-indication to vitamin D (VD) supplementation, this study evaluated changes in VD and calcium metabolism parameters in patients with EBC undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy (CT). METHODS: In patients with EBC who received six cycles of adjuvant CT, VD and calcium parameters were monitored at inclusion, and then every 3 weeks, at each CT cycle initiation. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients showing hypercalciuria during adjuvant CT (between Day 1, Cycle 1 [D1C1] and Day 1, Cycle 6 [D1C6]). RESULTS: The primary endpoint could be evaluated in 82 patients. Most patients (n = 66, 80.5%) had VD insufficiency (< 30 ng/mL) at baseline. Hypercalciuria was detected in 29 patients (35.4%; 95% CI: 25.6-46.5) between D1C1 and D1C6, but was not clinically significant in any of the affected patients. The percentage of hypercalciuria events was not different between patients with sufficient and insufficient baseline VD levels (34.8% vs. 37.5%), and between patients who received or not VD supplementation (37.5% vs. 34.5%,). CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive study on VD and calcium parameter changes in patients with EBC during adjuvant chemotherapy shows that hypercalciuria is a frequent abnormality in this setting, although asymptomatic. Therefore, it should not be considered as a limitation for high dose VD supplementation in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: EudraCT:2014-A01454-43 . Registered 29 august 2016.

Impact of pharmacist consultation at clinical trial inclusion: an effective way to reduce drug-drug interactions with oral targeted therapy.

PURPOSE: Pharmacist consultation is unfrequently performed in oncology clinical trials that include patients who often have many co-treatments increasing the risk of drug-drug interactions (DDI). The aim of this study was to determine whether best possible medication history (BPMH) by hospital pharmacist at inclusion and therapeutic drug monitoring could be used for DDI risk evaluation and for current oral targeted therapy management. METHODS: A prospective clinical trial (ALCINA 2, NCT04025541) was carried out in metastatic breast cancer cohort treated by palbociclib to conduct pharmacokinetics-toxicity correlation study. BPMH was prospectively performed by the hospital pharmacist at each trial inclusion, followed by a contact to the patient's community pharmacy to complete the collected data. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed on blood samples collected at day 15 of cycle 1 of palbociclib treatment. RESULTS: Pharmacist interventions indicated that at inclusion, current medications were incomplete for 63% of the enrolled patients (32/51). It allowed the real-time management of high-risk DDI detected in third of patients. The palbociclib Ctrough geometric median (min-max) was significantly higher in cohort with potential DDI [106 ng/mL (66.7-113)], than cohort without potential DDI [70.1 ng/mL (54.1-89.7)], p = 0.0284. CONCLUSION: This is the first prospective study evaluating the relevance of proactive BPMH by pharmacist with contact to the community pharmacy during the inclusion step of a clinical trial to ensure the efficacy and safety of the investigated drug. This investigation was thus able to highlight the statistically significant impact of these DDI on palbociclib plasma concentration variation during the clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04025541.

Clinical Correlations of Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Status in Liquid and Standard Biopsies in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the prognostic value of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are lacking. However, CTCs could represent an alternative approach to serial biopsies, allowing real-time monitoring of cancer phenotype. METHODS: We evaluated, in a dedicated prospective clinical trial, the clinicopathological correlations and prognostic value of PD-L1(+)-CTCs in 72 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). RESULTS: Eighteen of 56 patients with available archival tissue presented at least one positive (≥1%) PD-L1 tumor sample. Baseline CTCs and PD-L1(+)-CTCs were detected in 57 (79.2%) and 26 (36.1%) patients. No significant correlation was found between PD-L1 tumors and CTC expression. In univariate analysis, triple negative (TN) phenotype, number of metastatic treatments, >2 metastatic sites, ≥5 CTCs and PD-L1(+)-CTCs were significantly associated with progression-free survival, while tissue PD-L1 expression was not. In multivariate analysis, TN phenotype, number of metastatic treatments and of metastatic sites were the only 3 variables independently associated with progression-free survival. Progesterone receptor negativity, TN phenotype, >2 metastatic sites and ≥5 CTCs were significantly associated with overall survival in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, TN phenotype and >2 metastatic sites were the only 2 independent variables. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike PD-L1(+)-tumor, PD-L1(+)-CTCs correlate to survival in MBC. Reappraisal of the role of PD-L1 expression by tumor tissue and by CTCs under anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment is necessary to evaluate its predictive value and potential role as a stratifying factor in strategies and trials for MBC patients with MBC. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02866149.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric assay for the quantification of CDK4/6 inhibitors in human plasma in a clinical context of drug-drug interaction.

The CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib and ribociclib are kinase inhibitors used in association with hormonal therapy for the management of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Like most kinase inhibitors, therapeutic drug monitoring may be used for personalize their dosage. To this aim, we developed and validated a sensitive and specific HPLC-MS/MS method for palbociclib and ribociclib quantification in blood samples. We then quantified exposure to palbociclib (plasma trough concentration; Ctrough) in a real-life cohort of patients with locally invasive or metastatic breast cancer (n = 18) at day 15 of the first cycle of palbociclib treatment to characterize palbociclib concentration at steady state (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04025541, IdRCB n° 2018-A00064-51, 03/07/2018). The geometric mean (± standard deviation [min-max]) of palbociclib plasma Ctrough was 88.58 ng/mL (± 26.4 [46.5 ng/mL - 133 ng/mL]) at day 15. Some covariates, such as drug-drug interactions, could explain the concentration variations observed in our Caucasian cohort. These first results in real-life settings obtained with our HPLC-MS/MS method give important information on palbociclib monitoring and pharmacokinetic variability.

PIK3CA mutations early persistence in cell-free tumor DNA as a negative prognostic factor in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with hormonal therapy.

PURPOSE: The identification of biomarkers of hormonal therapy (HT) failure would allow tailored monitoring in metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients. PIK3CA gene mutation is one of the most frequent events in mBC and is associated with HT resistance. We evaluated the early prognostic value of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) PIK3CA detection in first-line HT-treated mBC patients. METHODS: Between June 2012 and January 2014, 39 patients were prospectively included in a dedicated clinical trial (NCT01612871). Blood sampling was performed before (M0) and 4 weeks (M1), 3 months (M3) and 6 months (M6) after HT initiation, and at tumor progression. Patients were followed until progression or until the end of the study (2 years). Mutation detection was performed using droplet-based digital PCR (ddPCR). Progression-free survival (PFS) was used as primary endpoint. RESULTS: Median age at inclusion was 63 years (range 40-86). Most patients (34/39) received an aromatase inhibitor and presented a non-measurable disease (71.8%). PIK3CA mutations were reported in 10 (27.8%) and 5 (14.3%) cases at M0 and M1, respectively. The persistence of a detectable circulating mutation at M1 was highly correlated with a worse progression-free survival (PFS), rate at 1 year: 40% versus 76.7%; p = 0.0053). CONCLUSIONS: Four-week persistence of cfDNA PIK3CA mutation appears highly correlated with PFS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01612871, registered on June 6th, 2012; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01612871 .

Clinicopathological and Treatment-Associated Prognostic Factors in Patients with Breast Cancer Leptomeningeal Metastases in Relation to Tumor Biology.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the solid tumors most commonly associated with leptomeningeal disease (LMD). LMD carries a devastating prognosis; however, disease presentation and prognostic factors are uncertain. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: In order to describe patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and factors associated with survival in a contemporary multicentric cohort, 153 consecutive BC patients diagnosed with LMD at two European institutions (2002-2017) were included. Time to LMD and overall survival (OS) after LMD diagnosis were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Median age at LMD diagnosis was 58 years (25-84). Tumor phenotype distribution was as follows: hormone receptor (HR) positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) negative 51.0%, triple-negative 15.0%, HR+/HER2 positive (HER2+) 13.1% and HR negative/HER2+ 7.2%. Most patients received active anticancer treatments (radiation therapy [RT] n = 42, systemic therapy n = 110, intrathecal treatment n = 103).Median OS was 3.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.4-5.5). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) >2, high white blood cells count, low glucose, and high protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were poor prognostic factors. Having received RT or systemic treatment was associated with better prognosis. In multivariate analysis, ECOG PS (hazard ratio 2.22, 95% CI 1.25-3.94), CSF glucose levels (hazard ratio 1.74, 95% CI 1.05-2.88), and having received systemic treatment (hazard ratio 0.17, 95% CI 0.09-0.32) were confirmed as independent prognostic factors. In HER2+ BC patients, having received systemic HER2-targeted therapy was the only factor maintaining independent prognostication (hazard ratio 0.12, 95% CI 0.02-0.67) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Despite being limited by their retrospective nature, these results highlight the need for clinical trials in BC LMD, stratified on tumor biology. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is a devastating complication of breast cancer (BC), and its optimal therapy is still not defined. Here, patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and prognostic factors from a contemporary cohort of 153 BC-related LMD patients are reported. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels, and having received systemic treatment were confirmed as independent prognostic factors in the overall population, whereas in human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) positive BC patients, having received systemic HER2-targeted therapy was the only factor maintaining independent prognostication in multivariate analysis. These results highlight the need to consider stratification on tumor biology in the treatment of BC LMD.

Serum Vitamin D Levels Affect Pathologic Complete Response in Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy for Operable Breast Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: There has been increasing interest in the potential benefit of vitamin D in improving breast cancer outcome. Preclinical studies suggest that vitamin D enhances chemotherapy-induced cell death. We investigated the impact of serum vitamin D levels during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on the rates of achieving pathologic complete response (pCR) after breast cancer NAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients from 1 of 2 Iowa registries who had serum vitamin D level measured before or during NAC were included. French patients enrolled onto a previous study of the impact of NAC on vitamin D and bone metabolism were also eligible for this study. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as < 20 ng/mL. pCR was defined as no residual invasive disease in breast and lymph nodes. A Firth penalized logistic regression multivariable model was used. RESULTS: The study included 144 women. There was no difference between the French and Iowan cohorts with regard to age at diagnosis (P = .20), clinical stage (P = .22), receptor status (P = .32), and pCR rate (P = .34). French women had lower body mass index (mean 24.8 vs. 28.8, P < .01) and lower vitamin D levels (mean 21.5 vs. 27.5, P < .01) compared to Iowan patients. In multivariable analysis, after adjusting for the effects of cohort, clinical stage, and receptor status, vitamin D deficiency increased the odds of not attaining pCR by 2.68 times (95% confidence interval, 1.12-6.41, P = .03). CONCLUSION: Low serum vitamin D levels were associated with not attaining a pCR. Prospective trials could elucidate if maintaining vitamin D levels during NAC, a highly modifiable variable, may be utilized to improve cancer outcomes.

Tumour biology, metastatic sites and taxanes sensitivity as determinants of eribulin mesylate efficacy in breast cancer: results from the ERIBEX retrospective, international, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Our retrospective, international study aimed at evaluating the activity and safety of eribulin mesylate (EM) in pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in a routine clinical setting. METHODS: Patients treated with EM for a locally advanced or MBC between March 2011 and January 2014 were included in the study. Clinical and biological assessment of toxicity was performed at each visit. Tumour response was assessed every 3 cycles of treatment. A database was created to collect clinical, pathological and treatment data. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-eight patients were included in the study. Median age was 59 years old. Tumours were Hormone Receptor (HR)-positive (73.3 %) HER2-positive (10.2 %), and triple negative (TN, 22.5 %). 86.4 % of the patients presented with visceral metastases, mainly in the liver (67.4 %). Median previous metastatic chemotherapies number was 4 [1-9]. Previous treatments included anthracyclines and/or taxanes (100 %) and capecitabine (90.7 %). Median number of EM cycles was 5 [1-19]. The relative dose intensity was 0.917. At the time of analysis (median follow-up of 13.9 months), 42.3 % of the patients were still alive. The objective response rate was 25.2 % (95 %CI: 20-31) with a 36.1 % clinical benefit rate (CBR). Median time to progression (TTP) and overall survival were 3.97 (95 %CI: 3.25-4.3) and 11.2 (95 %CI: 9.3-12.1) months, respectively. One- and 2-year survival rates were 45.5 and 8.5 %, respectively. In multivariate analysis, HER2 positivity (HR = 0.29), the presence of lung metastases (HR = 2.49) and primary taxanes resistance (HR = 2.36) were the only three independent CBR predictive factors, while HR positivity (HR = 0.67), the presence of lung metastases (HR = 1.52) and primary taxanes resistance (HR = 1.50) were the only three TTP independent prognostic factors. Treatment was globally well tolerated. Most common grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia (20.9 %), peripheral neuropathy (3.9 %), anaemia (1.6 %), liver dysfunction (0.8 %) and thrombocytopenia (0.4 %). Thirteen patients (5 %) developed febrile neutropenia. CONCLUSION: EM is an effective new option in heavily pretreated MBC, with a favourable efficacy/safety ratio in a clinical practice setting. Our results comfort the use of this new molecule and pledge for the evaluation of EM-trastuzumab combination in this setting. Tumour biology, primary taxanes sensitivity and metastatic sites could represent useful predictive and prognostic factors.

Prognostic impact of the inclusion of uPA/PAI-1 tumor levels in the current adjuvant treatment decision-making for early breast cancer.

AIMS: Following the introduction of new adjuvant therapies we wanted to reappraise the prognostic and predictive value of uPA/PAI-1 in early breast cancer. PATIENTS & METHODS: This monocentric retrospective study included 652 patients who had curative surgery between 2006 and 2011 and adjuvant treatment decision-making, taking into account uPA/PAI-1 tumor levels. RESULTS: uPA and PAI-1 levels were associated with classical clinicopathological parameters and adjuvant chemotherapy decision, but not with peritumoral vascular invasion (PVI; also known as peritumoral vascular emboli). HER2 overexpression, PVI and uPA/PAI-1 levels were not significantly associated with relapse-free survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, T stage, N stage and progesterone receptors were the only independent relapse-free survival predictive factors. CONCLUSION: The absence of an association between uPA/PAI-1 and PVI allows their concomitant consideration in adjuvant treatment discussion. The overall good prognosis of patients with high uPA/PAI-1 levels might be linked to the uPA/PAI-1 predictive value and the inclusion of these parameters in adjuvant guidelines.

Anemia and iron biomarkers in patients with early breast cancer. Diagnostic value of hepcidin and soluble transferrin receptor quantification.

BACKGROUND: Anemia, a frequent and deleterious condition in patients with cancer, is mainly caused by chemotherapy toxicity, iron deficiency, or inflammation. We evaluated the baseline iron metabolism biomarkers and their association with anemia occurrence during chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer (EBC). METHODS: In this monocentric retrospective study, classical iron metabolism markers and new biomarkers as well as sTfR and hepcidin were assessed at baseline in 347 patients with EBC who received a sequential taxane and anthracycline-based regimen between April 2007 and October 2009. Hemoglobin level was measured every 21 days. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients had baseline iron deficiency and 13 inflammatory iron sequestration. In multivariate analysis, only high sTfR (OR=27.6, p<0.001, 95% CI 8.74-87) and pre-menopausal status (OR=7.3, 95% CI 0.04-0.43, p=0.001) remained statistically associated with iron deficiency. High hepcidin values and inflammatory iron sequestration were significantly associated (p=0.032). In total 6.1% patients had baseline anemia and 86.2% patients developed anemia during chemotherapy (41 had grade ≥2 anemia). Baseline hemoglobin below 13 g/dL and low hepcidin levels were the two independent predictive factors of severe anemia. CONCLUSIONS: In early breast cancer treated by chemotherapy, only baseline hemoglobin and hepcidin levels are independent predictive factors of anemic syndrome occurrence.

[Iron metabolism in breast cancer: knowledge and future]. / Métabolisme du fer et cancer du sein: connaissances et perspectives.

Iron plays a fundamental role in biology and its concentration in living organisms is regulated very precisely. Many molecules of storage and transportation are used to maintain the intracellular homeostasis. Cancer cells have alterations in this balance. Recent studies have shown that breast cancer cells present abnormal expression of several proteins such as hepcidin and ferroportin. A prognostic impact of these alterations has been reported in patients with breast cancer. Regulatory molecules of iron metabolism could become therapeutic targets. This is an innovative approach that has emerged for treating a cancer which, despite advances in treatment and the emergence of targeted therapies, remains the leading cause of cancer death in women.