Quantitative ultrasound radiomics guided adaptive neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: early results from a randomized feasibility study.

Background: In patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), quantitative ultrasound (QUS) radiomics can predict final responses early within 4 of 16-18 weeks of treatment. The current study was planned to study the feasibility of a QUS-radiomics model-guided adaptive chemotherapy. Methods: The phase 2 open-label randomized controlled trial included patients with LABC planned for NAC. Patients were randomly allocated in 1:1 ratio to a standard arm or experimental arm stratified by hormonal receptor status. All patients were planned for standard anthracycline and taxane-based NAC as decided by their medical oncologist. Patients underwent QUS imaging using a clinical ultrasound device before the initiation of NAC and after the 1st and 4th weeks of treatment. A support vector machine-based radiomics model developed from an earlier cohort of patients was used to predict treatment response at the 4th week of NAC. In the standard arm, patients continued to receive planned chemotherapy with the treating oncologists blinded to results. In the experimental arm, the QUS-based prediction was conveyed to the responsible oncologist, and any changes to the planned chemotherapy for predicted non-responders were made by the responsible oncologist. All patients underwent surgery following NAC, and the final response was evaluated based on histopathological examination. Results: Between June 2018 and July 2021, 60 patients were accrued in the study arm, with 28 patients in each arm available for final analysis. In patients without a change in chemotherapy regimen (53 of 56 patients total), the QUS-radiomics model at week 4 of NAC that was used demonstrated an accuracy of 97%, respectively, in predicting the final treatment response. Seven patients were predicted to be non-responders (observational arm (n=2), experimental arm (n=5)). Three of 5 non-responders in the experimental arm had chemotherapy regimens adapted with an early initiation of taxane therapy or chemotherapy intensification, or early surgery and ended up as responders on final evaluation. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the feasibility of QUS-radiomics adapted guided NAC for patients with breast cancer. The ability of a QUS-based model in the early prediction of treatment response was prospectively validated in the current study. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT04050228.

Apriori prediction of chemotherapy response in locally advanced breast cancer patients using CT imaging and deep learning: transformer versus transfer learning.

Objective: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a key element of treatment for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Predicting the response to NAC for patients with Locally Advanced Breast Cancer (LABC) before treatment initiation could be beneficial to optimize therapy, ensuring the administration of effective treatments. The objective of the work here was to develop a predictive model to predict tumor response to NAC for LABC using deep learning networks and computed tomography (CT). Materials and methods: Several deep learning approaches were investigated including ViT transformer and VGG16, VGG19, ResNet-50, Res-Net-101, Res-Net-152, InceptionV3 and Xception transfer learning networks. These deep learning networks were applied on CT images to assess the response to NAC. Performance was evaluated based on balanced_accuracy, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity classification metrics. A ViT transformer was applied to utilize the attention mechanism in order to increase the weight of important part image which leads to better discrimination between classes. Results: Amongst the 117 LABC patients studied, 82 (70%) had clinical-pathological response and 35 (30%) had no response to NAC. The ViT transformer obtained the best performance range (accuracy = 71 ± 3% to accuracy = 77 ± 4%, specificity = 86 ± 6% to specificity = 76 ± 3%, sensitivity = 56 ± 4% to sensitivity = 52 ± 4%, and balanced_accuracy=69 ± 3% to balanced_accuracy=69 ± 3%) depending on the split ratio of train-data and test-data. Xception network obtained the second best results (accuracy = 72 ± 4% to accuracy = 65 ± 4, specificity = 81 ± 6% to specificity = 73 ± 3%, sensitivity = 55 ± 4% to sensitivity = 52 ± 5%, and balanced_accuracy = 66 ± 5% to balanced_accuracy = 60 ± 4%). The worst results were obtained using VGG-16 transfer learning network. Conclusion: Deep learning networks in conjunction with CT imaging are able to predict the tumor response to NAC for patients with LABC prior to start. A ViT transformer could obtain the best performance, which demonstrated the importance of attention mechanism.

Radiation enhancement using focussed ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles for breast cancer: A Phase 1 clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have demonstrated that tumour cell death can be enhanced 10- to 40-fold when radiotherapy is combined with focussed ultrasound-stimulated microbubble (FUS-MB) treatment. The acoustic exposure of microbubbles (intravascular gas microspheres) within the target volume causes bubble cavitation, which induces perturbation of tumour vasculature and activates endothelial cell apoptotic pathways responsible for the ablative effect of stereotactic body radiotherapy. Subsequent irradiation of a microbubble-sensitised tumour causes rapid increased tumour death. The study here presents the mature safety and efficacy outcomes of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided FUS-MB (MRgFUS-MB) treatment, a radioenhancement therapy for breast cancer. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This prospective, single-center, single-arm Phase 1 clinical trial included patients with stages I-IV breast cancer with in situ tumours for whom breast or chest wall radiotherapy was deemed adequate by a multidisciplinary team (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04431674). Patients were excluded if they had contraindications for contrast-enhanced MR or microbubble administration. Patients underwent 2 to 3 MRgFUS-MB treatments throughout radiotherapy. An MR-coupled focussed ultrasound device operating at 800 kHz and 570 kPa peak negative pressure was used to sonicate intravenously administrated microbubbles within the MR-guided target volume. The primary outcome was acute toxicity per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0. Secondary outcomes were tumour response at 3 months and local control (LC). A total of 21 female patients presenting with 23 primary breast tumours were enrolled and allocated to intervention between August/2020 and November/2022. Three patients subsequently withdrew consent and, therefore, 18 patients with 20 tumours were included in the safety and LC analyses. Two patients died due to progressive metastatic disease before 3 months following treatment completion and were excluded from the tumour response analysis. The prescribed radiation doses were 20 Gy/5 fractions (40%, n = 8/20), 30 to 35 Gy/5 fractions (35%, n = 7/20), 30 to 40 Gy/10 fractions (15%, n = 3/20), and 66 Gy/33 fractions (10%, n = 2/20). The median follow-up was 9 months (range, 0.3 to 29). Radiation dermatitis was the most common acute toxicity (Grade 1 in 16/20, Grade 2 in 1/20, and Grade 3 in 2/20). One patient developed grade 1 allergic reaction possibly related to microbubbles administration. At 3 months, 18 tumours were evaluated for response: 9 exhibited complete response (50%, n = 9/18), 6 partial response (33%, n = 6/18), 2 stable disease (11%, n = 2/18), and 1 progressive disease (6%, n = 1/18). Further follow-up of responses indicated that the 6-, 12-, and 24-month LC rates were 94% (95% confidence interval [CI] [84%, 100%]), 88% (95% CI [75%, 100%]), and 76% (95% CI [54%, 100%]), respectively. The study's limitations include variable tumour sizes and dose fractionation regimens and the anticipated small sample size typical for a Phase 1 clinical trial. CONCLUSIONS: MRgFUS-MB is an innovative radioenhancement therapy associated with a safe profile, potentially promising responses, and durable LC. These results warrant validation in Phase 2 clinical trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04431674.

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to Prioritize Real-World Evidence Studies for Health Technology Management: Outcomes and Lessons Learned by the Canadian Real-World Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) Collaboration.

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a value assessment tool designed to help support complex decision-making by incorporating multiple factors and perspectives in a transparent, structured approach. We developed an MCDA rating tool, consisting of seven criteria evaluating the importance and feasibility of conducting potential real-world evidence (RWE) studies aimed at addressing uncertainties stemming from initial cancer drug funding recommendations. In collaboration with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health's Provincial Advisory Group, a validation exercise was conducted to further evaluate the application of the rating tool using RWE proposals varying in complexity. Through this exercise, we aimed to gain insight into consensus building and deliberation processes and to identify efficiencies in the application of the rating tool. An experienced facilitator led a multidisciplinary committee, consisting of 11 Canadian experts, through consensus building, deliberation, and prioritization. A total of nine RWE proposals were evaluated and prioritized as low (n = 4), medium (n = 3), or high (n = 2) priority. Through an iterative process, efficiencies and recommendations to improve the rating tool and associated procedures were identified. The refined MCDA rating tool can help decision-makers prioritize important and feasible RWE studies for research and can enable the use of RWE for the life-cycle evaluation of cancer drugs.

Low RNA disruption during neoadjuvant chemotherapy predicts pathologic complete response absence in patients with breast cancer.

In previously reported retrospective studies, high tumor RNA disruption during neoadjuvant chemotherapy predicted for post-treatment pathologic complete response (pCR) and improved disease-free survival at definitive surgery for primary early breast cancer. The BREVITY (Breast Cancer Response Evaluation for Individualized Therapy) prospective clinical trial (NCT03524430) seeks to validate these prior findings. Here we report training set (Phase I) findings, including determination of RNA disruption index (RDI) cut points for outcome prediction in the subsequent validation set (Phase II; 454 patients). In 80 patients of the training set, maximum tumor RDI values for biopsies obtained during neoadjuvant chemotherapy were significantly higher in pCR responders than in patients without pCR post-treatment (P = .008). Moreover, maximum tumor RDI values ≤3.7 during treatment predicted for a lack of pCR at surgery (negative predictive value = 93.3%). These findings support the prospect that on-treatment tumor RNA disruption assessments may effectively predict post-surgery outcome, possibly permitting treatment optimization.

Novel MRI-guided focussed ultrasound stimulated microbubble radiation enhancement treatment for breast cancer.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated focused ultrasound (FUS) stimulated microbubble (MB) rupture leads to the activation of acid sphingomyelinase-ceramide pathway in the endothelial cells. When radiotherapy (RT) is delivered concurrently with FUS-MB, apoptotic pathway leads to increased cell death resulting in potent radiosensitization. Here we report the first human trial of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided FUS-MB treatment in the treatment of breast malignancies. In the phase 1 prospective interventional study, patients with breast cancer were treated with fractionated RT (5 or 10 fractions) to the disease involving breast or chest wall. FUS-MB treatment was delivered before 1st and 5th fractions of RT (within 1 h). Eight patients with 9 tumours were treated. All 7 evaluable patients with at least 3 months follow-up treated for 8 tumours had a complete response in the treated site. The maximum acute toxicity observed was grade 2 dermatitis in 1 site, and grade 1 in 8 treated sites, at one month post RT, which recovered at 3 months. No RT-related late effect or FUS-MB related toxicity was noted. This study demonstrated safety of combined FUS-MB and RT treatment. Promising response rates suggest potential strong radiosensitization effects of the investigational modality.Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04431674.

The CADTH pCODR Expert Review Committee Process Explained. Comment on Rayson et al. Access to Neoadjuvant Pertuzumab for HER2 Positive Breast Cancer in Canada: A Dilemma Increasingly Difficult to Explain. Curr. Oncol. 2022, 29, 9891-9895.

CADTH read with interest the commentary published on 16 December 2022, entitled "Access to Neoadjuvant Pertuzumab for HER2 Positive Breast Cancer in Canada: A Dilemma Increasingly Difficult to Explain" [...].

Early mortality in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in routine practice.

BACKGROUND: We sought to estimate the proportion of patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) who die soon after starting ICI in the real world and examine factors associated with early mortality (EM). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked health administrative data from Ontario, Canada. EM was defined as death from any cause within 60 days of ICI initiation. Patients with melanoma, lung, bladder, head and neck, or kidney cancer treated with ICI between 2012 and 2020 were included. RESULTS: A total of 7126 patients treated with ICI were evaluated. Fifteen percent (1075 of 7126) died within 60 days of initiating ICI. The highest mortality was observed in patients with bladder and head and neck tumors (approximately 21% each). In multivariable analysis, previous hospital admission or emergency department visit, prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy, stage 4 disease at diagnosis, lower hemoglobin, higher white blood cell count, and higher symptom burden were associated with higher risk of EM. Conversely, patients with lung and kidney cancer (compared with melanoma), lower neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio, and with higher body mass index were less likely to die within 60 days post ICI initiation. In a sensitivity analysis, 30-day and 90-day mortality were 7% (519 of 7126) and 22% (1582 of 7126), respectively, with comparable clinical factors associated with EM identified. CONCLUSIONS: EM is common among patients treated with ICI in the real-world setting and is associated with several patient and tumor characteristics. Development of a validated tool to predict EM may facilitate better patient selection for treatment with ICI in routine practice.

Development of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Rating Tool to Prioritize Real-World Evidence Questions for the Canadian Real-World Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) Collaboration.

The Canadian Real-world Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) collaboration developed an MCDA rating tool to assess and prioritize potential post-market real-world evidence (RWE) questions/uncertainties emerging from public drug funding decisions in Canada. In collaboration with a group of multidisciplinary stakeholders from across Canada, the rating tool was developed following a three-step process: (1) selection of criteria to assess the importance and feasibility of an RWE question; (2) development of rating scales, application of weights and calculating aggregate scores; and (3) validation testing. An initial MCDA rating tool was developed, composed of seven criteria, divided into two groups. Group A criteria assess the importance of an RWE question by examining the (1) drug's perceived clinical benefit, (2) magnitude of uncertainty identified, and (3) relevance of the uncertainty to decision-makers. Group B criteria assess the feasibility of conducting an RWE analysis including the (1) feasibility of identifying a comparator, (2) ability to identify cases, (3) availability of comprehensive data, and (4) availability of necessary expertise and methodology. Future directions include partnering with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health's Provincial Advisory Group for further tool refinement and to gain insight into incorporating the tool into drug funding deliberations.

Final findings from the CONTROL trial: Strategies to reduce the incidence and severity of neratinib-associated diarrhea in patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Neratinib is an irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for HER2-positive early-stage and metastatic breast cancer. Diarrhea is the most frequent side effect and the most common reason for early discontinuation. The phase II CONTROL trial investigated antidiarrheal prophylaxis or neratinib dose escalation (DE) for prevention of diarrhea. We present complete study results including final data for two DE strategies. METHODS: Patients who completed trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy received neratinib 240 mg/day for 1 year. Early cohorts investigated mandatory prophylaxis with loperamide, then additional budesonide or colestipol. Final cohorts assessed neratinib DE over the first 2 (DE1) or 4 weeks (DE2). The primary endpoint was incidence of grade ≥3 diarrhea. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using FACT-B and EQ-5D-5L. RESULTS: 563 patients were enrolled into six cohorts. All strategies reduced grade ≥3 diarrhea with the lowest incidence in DE1 (DE1 13%; colestipol + loperamide [CL] 21%, DE2 27%; budesonide + loperamide [BL] 28%; loperamide [L] 31%; colestipol + loperamide as needed [CL-PRN] 33%). Diarrhea-related discontinuations occurred early and were lowest in DE1 (DE1 3%; CL 4%; DE2 6%; CL-PRN 8%; BL 11%; L 20%). More patients stayed on neratinib for the prescribed period versus historical controls. Prior pertuzumab use did not affect rates of grade ≥3 diarrhea, diarrhea-related discontinuations, or treatment duration. Early transient reductions in HRQoL scores were observed. CONCLUSIONS: These complete results from CONTROL show improved neratinib tolerability with proactive management at the start of therapy. Two-week neratinib DE with loperamide as needed was particularly effective. GOV REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02400476.

Developing the Breast Utility Instrument to Measure Health-Related Quality-of-Life Preferences in Patients with Breast Cancer: Selecting the Item for Each Dimension.

Introduction. Generic preference-based instruments inadequately measure breast cancer (BrC) health-related quality-of-life preferences given advances in therapy. Our overall purpose is to develop the Breast Utility Instrument (BUI), a BrC-specific preference-based instrument. This study describes the selection of the BUI items. Methods. A total of 408 patients from diverse BrC health states completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR45 (breast module). For each of 10 dimensions previously assessed with confirmatory factor analysis, we evaluated data fit to the Rasch model based on global model and item fit, including threshold ordering, item residuals, infit and outfit, differential item functioning (age), and unidimensionality. Misfitting items were removed iteratively, and the model fit was reassessed. From items fitting the Rasch model, we selected 1 item per dimension based on high patient- and clinician-rated item importance, breadth of item thresholds, and clinical relevance. Results. Global model fit was good in 7 and borderline in 3 dimensions. Separation index was acceptable in 4 dimensions. Item selection criteria were maximized for the following items: 1) physical functioning (trouble taking a long walk), 2) emotional functioning (worry), 3) social functioning (interfering with social activities), 4) pain (having pain), 5) fatigue (tired), 6) body image (dissatisfied with your body), 7) systemic therapy side effects (hair loss), 8) sexual functioning (interest in sex), 9) breast symptoms (oversensitive breast), and 10) endocrine therapy symptoms (problems with your joints). Conclusions. We propose 10 items for the BUI. Our next steps include assessing the measurement properties prior to eliciting preference weights of the BUI. Highlights: A previous confirmatory factor analysis established 10 dimensions of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and its breast module (BR45).In this study, we selected 1 item per dimension based on fit to the Rasch model, patient- and clinician-rated item importance, breadth of item thresholds, and clinical relevance.These items form the core of the future Breast Utility Instrument (BUI).The future BUI will be a novel breast cancer-specific preference-based instrument that potentially will better reflect women's preferences in clinical decision making and cost utility analyses.

Impact of body mass index on survival in women receiving chemotherapy for early breast cancer.

PURPOSE: The impact of elevated body mass index (BMI) on overall survival (OS) in patients receiving modern anthracycline-taxane chemotherapy for early breast cancer (EBC) has not yet been well established. The purpose of our study was to examine overall survival (OS) by BMI category in women with EBC receiving either doxorubicin (A), cyclophosphamide (C) + paclitaxel (P) or fluorouracil (F), epirubicin (E), cyclophosphamide (C) + docetaxel (D). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study in patients ≥ 18 years with resected stage I-III BC diagnosed between 2007 and 2017 in Ontario, identified through linkage of administrative databases. Patients were classified according to baseline BMI into underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2), normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25-29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥ 30 kg/m2) World Health Organization (WHO) categories. The primary outcome was OS. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to examine the association between clinico-pathologic characteristics and OS among BMI categories. RESULTS: Our cohort included 11,601 women, of whom 3890 (33.5%) were normal weight, 3696 (31.9%) overweight, and 3847 (33.1%) obese. Median OS was 7.9 years. There were no statistically significant differences in OS according to BMI (p = 0.66) in the overall study cohort or among the BMI categories after adjusting for age, nodal status, stage, grade, ER and HER2 status for either AC-P or FEC-D- treated patients (p = 0.45 and p = 0.97, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our large population-based retrospective cohort analysis of EBC patients receiving adjuvant anthracycline-taxane chemotherapy found no significant impact of BMI on OS. Further investigation is warranted to confirm these findings in prospective patient cohorts.

Comparison of Use of Neoadjuvant Systemic Treatment for Breast Cancer and Short-term Outcomes Before vs During the COVID-19 Era in Ontario, Canada.

Importance: In response to an increase in COVID-19 infection rates in Ontario, several systemic treatment (ST) regimens delivered in the adjuvant setting for breast cancer were temporarily permitted for neoadjuvant-intent to defer nonurgent breast cancer surgical procedures. Objective: To examine the use and compare short-term outcomes of neoadjuvant-intent vs adjuvant ST in the COVID-19 era compared with the pre-COVID-19 era. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada. Patients with cancer starting selected ST regimens in the COVID-19 era (March 11, 2020, to September 30, 2020) were compared to those in the pre-COVID-19 era (March 11, 2019, to March 10, 2020). Patients were diagnosed with breast cancer within 6 months of starting systemic therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: Estimates were calculated for the use of neoadjuvant vs adjuvant ST, the likelihood of receiving a surgical procedure, the rate of emergency department visits, hospital admissions, COVID-19 infections, and all-cause mortality between treatment groups over time. Results: Among a total of 10 920 patients included, 7990 (73.2%) started treatment in the pre-COVID-19 era and 7344 (67.3%) received adjuvant ST; the mean (SD) age was 61.6 (13.1) years. Neoadjuvant-intent ST was more common in the COVID-19 era (1404 of 2930 patients [47.9%]) than the pre-COVID-19 era (2172 of 7990 patients [27.2%]), with an odds ratio of 2.46 (95% CI, 2.26-2.69; P < .001). This trend was consistent across a range of ST regimens, but differed according to patient age and geography. The likelihood of receiving surgery following neoadjuvant-intent chemotherapy was similar in the COVID-19 era compared with the pre-COVID-19 era (log-rank P = .06). However, patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant-intent hormonal therapy were significantly more likely to receive surgery in the COVID-19 era (log-rank P < .001). After adjustment, there were no significant changes in the rate of emergency department visits over time between patients receiving neoadjuvant ST, adjuvant ST, or ST only during the ST treatment period or postoperative period. Hospital admissions decreased in the COVID-19 era for patients who received neoadjuvant ST compared with adjuvant ST or ST alone (P for interaction = .01 for both) in either setting. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, patients were more likely to start neoadjuvant ST in the COVID-19 era, which varied across the province and by indication. There was limited evidence to suggest any substantial impact on short-term outcomes.

Appraising Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Hormone Receptor Positive HER2-Negative Breast Cancer-A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 75% of breast cancer (BC) is associated with luminal differentiation expressing endocrine receptors (ER). For ER+ HER2- tumors, adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) is the cornerstone treatment. Although relapse events steadily continue, the ET benefits translate to dramatically lengthen life expectancy with bearable side-effects. This review of ER+ HER2- female BC outlines suitable adjuvant treatment strategies to help guide clinical decision making around appropriate therapy. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Libraries, using ER+ HER-, ET BC keywords. RESULTS: In low-risk patients: five years of ET is the standard option. While Tamoxifen remains the preferred selection for premenopausal women, AI is the choice for postmenopausal patients. In the high-risk category: ET plus/minus OFS with two years of Abemaciclib is recommended. Although extended ET for a total of ten years is an alternative, the optimal AI duration is undetermined; nevertheless an additional two to three years beyond the initial five years may be sufficient. In this postmenopausal group, bisphosphonate is endorsed. CONCLUSIONS: Classifying the risk category assists in deciding the treatment route and its optimal duration. Tailoring the breadth of ET hinges on a wide array of factors to be appraised for each individualized case, including weighing its benefits and harms.

Utilization of Immunotherapy in Patients with Cancer Treated in Routine Care Settings: A Population-Based Study Using Health Administrative Data.

INTRODUCTION: The introduction of immunotherapy (IO) in the treatment of patients with cancer has significantly improved clinical outcomes. Population level information on actual IO utilization is limited. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using provincial health administrative data from Ontario, Canada to: (1) assess the extent of IO use from 2011 (pre-IO funding) to 2019; and (2) identify factors associated with IO use in patients with advanced cancers for which IO is reimbursed including melanoma, bladder, lung, head and neck, and kidney tumors. The datasets were linked using a unique encoded identifier. A Fine and Gray regression model with death as a competing risk was used to identify factors associated with IO use. RESULTS: Among 59 510 patients assessed, 8771 (14.7%) received IO between 2011 and 2019. Use of IO increased annually from 2011 (3.3%) to 2019 (39.2%) and was highest in melanoma (52%) and lowest in head and neck cancer (6.6%). In adjusted analysis, factors associated with lower IO use included older age (hazard ratio (HR) 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93)), female sex (HR 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89)), lower-income quintile, hospital admission (HR 0.78 (95% CI, 0.75-0.82)), high Charlson score and de novo stage 4 cancer. IO use was heterogeneous across cancer centers and regions. CONCLUSION: IO utilization for advanced cancers rose substantially since initial approval albeit use is associated with patient characteristics and system-level factors even in a universal healthcare setting. To optimize IO utilization in routine practice, survival estimates and potential inequity in access should be further investigated and addressed.

Early Changes in Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging Parameters during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy to Predict Recurrence in Patients with Locally Advanced Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to explore the use of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in predicting recurrence for patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) early during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: Eighty-three patients with LABC were scanned with 7 MHz ultrasound before starting NAC (week 0) and during treatment (week 4). Spectral parametric maps were generated corresponding to tumor volume. Twenty-four textural features (QUS-Tex1) were determined from parametric maps acquired using grey-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCM) for each patient, which were further processed to generate 64 texture derivatives (QUS-Tex1-Tex2), leading to a total of 95 features from each time point. Analysis was carried out on week 4 data and compared to baseline (week 0) data. ∆Week 4 data was obtained from the difference in QUS parameters, texture features (QUS-Tex1), and texture derivatives (QUS-Tex1-Tex2) of week 4 data and week 0 data. Patients were divided into two groups: recurrence and non-recurrence. Machine learning algorithms using k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) and support vector machines (SVMs) were used to generate radiomic models. Internal validation was undertaken using leave-one patient out cross-validation method. RESULTS: With a median follow up of 69 months (range 7-118 months), 28 patients had disease recurrence. The k-NN classifier was the best performing algorithm at week 4 with sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under curve (AUC) of 87%, 75%, 81%, and 0.83, respectively. The inclusion of texture derivatives (QUS-Tex1-Tex2) in week 4 QUS data analysis led to the improvement of the classifier performances. The AUC increased from 0.70 (0.59 to 0.79, 95% confidence interval) without texture derivatives to 0.83 (0.73 to 0.92) with texture derivatives. The most relevant features separating the two groups were higher-order texture derivatives obtained from scatterer diameter and acoustic concentration-related parametric images. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study highlighting the utility of QUS radiomics in the prediction of recurrence during the treatment of LABC. It reflects that the ongoing treatment-related changes can predict clinical outcomes with higher accuracy as compared to pretreatment features alone.

Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab Plus Chemotherapy vs Trastuzumab Plus Chemotherapy for Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer.

IMPORTANCE: To date, limited studies have examined the comparative outcomes of pertuzumab treatment in the real-world setting. End-of-study analyses of the CLEOPATRA trial found median overall survival (OS) of 57.1 months in patients receiving pertuzumab compared with 40.8 months in control patients, a benefit of 16.3 months. However, studies examining the real-world use of pertuzumab have found conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To assess the real-world comparative effectiveness and safety of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer in Ontario, Canada. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A population-based retrospective comparative effectiveness research study was conducted. Patients receiving first-line treatments for metastatic breast cancer from January 1, 2008, to March 31, 2018, in Ontario were identified. Data analysis was performed from November 13, 2019, to August 1, 2021. Thirteen patients had received treatment before diagnosis or were not Ontario residents and were excluded from the analysis. Of the remaining 1823 patients identified, 912 received pertuzumab and 911 were control patients. Using propensity-score methods, 579 pairs of patients receiving pertuzumab were matched to those in the control group, resulting in a total of 1158 patients in the final cohort. EXPOSURES: Patients in the case group received pertuzumab with trastuzumab and chemotherapy and those in the control group received trastuzumab and chemotherapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Overall survival (the primary outcome) and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression methods. Secondary outcomes included cumulative incidence of safety end points including resource use and adverse events. Follow-up duration was up to 5 years from the start of therapy, with maximum follow-up to March 31, 2019. RESULTS: Of the 1158 matched patients (579 pairs) receiving pertuzumab and controls, 1151 (99%) were women (mean [SD] age, 58.2 [12.97] years). The median OS was higher in patients receiving pertuzumab (40.2; 95% CI, 35.6-47.8 months) than in the control patients (25.3; 95% CI, 22.8-27.6 months), a median OS improvement of 14.9 months. Pertuzumab was associated with reduced mortality (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.57-0.79). The cumulative incidence of direct hospitalization at 1 year was lower among patients receiving pertuzumab (11.7%) compared with the control patients (19.0%) (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Although the median OS in both the pertuzumab and control groups were shorter in this study than those observed in the CLEOPATRA trial, there appears to be a similar significant OS benefit with pertuzumab in the real-world setting.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Pertuzumab With Trastuzumab in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

IMPORTANCE: The initial assessment of pertuzumab use for treatment of metastatic breast cancer by health technology assessment agencies suggested that pertuzumab was not cost-effective. In Ontario, Canada, pertuzumab became funded in November 2013 based on the substantial clinical benefit. To date, there is a paucity of analysis of pertuzumab using real-world data for cost-effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost-effectiveness of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy vs trastuzumab and chemotherapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A population-based retrospective economic evaluation was conducted in Ontario, Canada. Patients who received first-line treatments for metastatic breast cancer from January 1, 2008, to March 31, 2018, were identified. Patients were followed up from the start of treatment up to 5 years, with maximum follow-up to March 31, 2019. Patients were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and linked to the New Drug Funding Program database to identify receipt of first-line treatment (N = 1158). INTERVENTIONS: Treatment with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy after public funding (November 25, 2013) compared with treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy before funding. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cost-effectiveness, from a public payer perspective, was estimated from administrative data with a 5-year time horizon, adjusted for censoring, and discounted (1.5%). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for life-years gained and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) with bootstrapped 95% CIs were calculated. Sensitivity analysis with price reduction of pertuzumab alone or in combination with trastuzumab was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 579 pairs of matched patients receiving pertuzumab and controls were included. The mean (SD) age of the matched study cohort was 58 (12.97) years; 1151 were women (99.4%). Pertuzumab resulted in 0.61 life-years gained and 0.44 QALYs gained at an incremental cost of $192 139 (all costs measured in Canadian dollar values, CAD) with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $316 203 per life-year gained and $436 679 per QALY. The main factors associated with cost included the cost of pertuzumab (60%), outpatient cancer treatment delivery (24%), and trastuzumab (15%). With 100% price reduction of pertuzumab, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $174 027 per QALY. When the price of pertuzumab and trastuzumab were both reduced by more than 71%, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio decreased below $100 000 per QALY. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this population-based study suggest that pertuzumab may increase survival for patients with metastatic breast cancer but would not be considered cost-effective, even after 100% price reduction, under conventional thresholds.

Retrospective analysis of VES-13 questionnaires in the Senior Women's Breast Cancer Clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

PURPOSE: Vulnerable Elder Survey (VES-13) is a screening tool used in assessing older vulnerable patients at risk of functional decline. We sought to evaluate how VES-13 tool would impact oncologist referral pattern to geriatricians as our primary outcome. We also sought to better understand how VES-13 scores impacted referral to additional services (allied healthcare), and modification to oncological treatment. METHODS: A retrospective review of VES-13 questionnaires completed by older women (age 70 or older) with breast cancer referred to the Senior Women's Breast Cancer Clinic (SWBCC) was undertaken. Patients with a VES-13 score of three or greater, who were at significantly higher risk of functional decline, had further retrospective chart review for risk factors that would contribute to functional decline such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, social supports, and current living situation. The primary and secondary endpoints described above were analyzed through bivariate comparisons and multivariable logistical regression to determine if there was any statistical significance (p < 0.05). RESULTS: 701 patients completed VES-13 form, of which 235 (33.5%) had a VES-13 score of three or greater. Less than 5% of oncologists documented VES-13 scores in their notes, with less than 5% of patients being referred for geriatric services. Neither VES-13 (p= 0.900) nor ECOG (p= 0.424) were associated with referral for geriatrics assessment. Referral to allied healthcare services was significantly associated with (ECOG) score (OR 2.24 [1.49-3.37], p < 0.0001), while not significantly associated with VES-13 score (OR 0.89 [0.78-1.02], p= 0.102). VES-13 (OR 1.23 [1.04-1.45], p=0.014) and ECOG (OR 2.37 [1.29-4.37), p=0.005) were both associated with modification in oncology treatment (chemotherapy or radiation). CONCLUSION: Approximately one third of our population was at risk of functional decline. VES-13 scores were infrequently mentioned in oncologists notes from their clinical assessments, with very few patients being referred for geriatric assessment. By not collecting and analyzing VES-13 scores, and relying on performance status alone, there is a missed opportunity in assessing for functional decline and reducing potential complications from treatment for our patients.

Developing the Breast Utility Instrument, a preference-based instrument to measure health-related quality of life in women with breast cancer: Confirmatory factor analysis of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR45 to establish dimensions.

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer (BrC) and its treatments impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Utility is a measure of HRQoL that includes preferences for health outcomes, used in treatment decision-making. Generic preference-based instruments lack BrC-specific concerns, indicating the need for a BrC-specific preference-based instrument. Our objective was to determine dimensions of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general cancer (QLQ-C30) and breast module (BR45) instruments, the first step in our development of the novel Breast Utility Instrument (BUI). METHODS: Patients (n = 408) attending outpatient BrC clinics at an urban cancer centre, and representing a spectrum of BrC health states, completed the QLQ-C30 and BR45. We performed confirmatory factor analysis of the combined QLQ-C30 and BR45 using mean-and variance-adjusted unweighted least squares estimation. The hypothesized factor model was based on clinical relevance, item distributions, missing data, item-importance, and internal reliability of dimensions. Models were evaluated based on global and item fit, local areas of strain, and likelihood ratio tests of nested models. RESULTS: Our final model had 10 dimensions: physical and role functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, body image, pain, fatigue, systemic therapy side effects, sexual functioning and enjoyment, arm and breast symptoms, and endocrine therapy symptoms. Good overall model fit was achieved: χ2/df: 1.45, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.946, comparative fit index: 0.951, standardized root-mean-square residual: 0.069, root-mean-square error of approximation: 0.033 (0.030-0.037). All items had salient factor loadings (λ>0.4, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We identified important BrC HRQoL dimensions to develop the BUI, a BrC-specific preference-based instrument.