Perceptions of patients with early stage breast cancer toward research biopsies.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to describe the perspective of patients with early breast cancer toward research biopsies. The authors hypothesized that more patients at academic sites than at community-based sites would be willing to consider these procedures. METHODS: In total, 198 patients with early stage breast cancer were recruited from 3 academic centers (n = 102) and from 1 community oncology practice (n = 96). The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients willing to consider donating excess tissue biospecimens from surgery, from a clinically indicated breast biopsy, or from a research purposes-only biopsy (RPOB) between practice types. RESULTS: Most patients (93% at academic sites, 94% at the community oncology site) said they would consider donating excess tissue from surgery for research. One-half of patients from academic or community sites would consider donating tissue from a clinically indicated breast biopsy. On univariate analysis, significantly fewer patients from academic sites would consider an RPOB (22% at academic sites, 42% at the community site; P = .003); however, this difference was no longer significant on multivariate analysis (P = .96). Longer transportation times and unfavorable prior experiences were associated with less willingness to consider an RPOB on multivariate analysis. Significantly fewer patients from academic sites (14%) than from the community site (35%) would consider a research biopsy in a clinical trial (P = .04). Contributing to scientific knowledge, return of results, and a personal request by their physician were the strongest factors influencing patients' willingness to undergo research biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: The current results rejected the hypothesis that more patients with early breast cancer at academic sites would be willing to donate tissue biospecimens for research compared with those at community oncology sites. These findings identify modifiable factors to consider in biobanking studies and clinical trials.

Anxiety and Depression in Young Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Young adults with cancer experience disruptions in their normal developmental trajectories and commonly experience psychologic distress related to their diagnoses. Young women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are at particular risk of adverse mental health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with anxiety and depression symptoms in young women with newly diagnosed de novo MBC. METHODS: A total of 54 women with newly diagnosed de novo MBC were identified from an ongoing, prospective, multicenter cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer at age <40. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Items assessing socio-demographics, physical symptom burden, social support, and disease and treatment history, with complementary medical record review, were used to assess variables potentially associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. RESULTS: Mean HADS Depression score was 4.4 (standard deviation = 3.7) and mean HADS Anxiety score was 7.9 (standard deviation = 5.0). Eleven (20%) women scored ≥8 on the HADS Depression subscale, the suggested threshold for depression/anxiety screening, and 24 (44%) women scored ≥8 on the HADS Anxiety subscale. In a multivariable model of anxiety, higher physical symptom scores (odds ratio = 4.41, p = 0.005) was significantly associated with higher anxiety scores. None of the other variables improved the model fit. CONCLUSION: In this study, a considerable proportion of young women with newly diagnosed MBC experienced anxiety symptoms, although depression was less common. Future strategies focused on distress reduction in young MBC patients should focus on physical symptom management as well as anxiety identification and management.

TBCRC009: A Multicenter Phase II Clinical Trial of Platinum Monotherapy With Biomarker Assessment in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: The identification of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) who are expected to benefit from platinum-based chemotherapy is of interest. We conducted a single-arm phase II clinical trial of single-agent platinum for mTNBC with biomarker correlates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with mTNBC received first- or second-line cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) or carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve 6) by physician's choice once every 3 weeks. Coprimary end points were objective response rate (RR) and response prediction by p63/p73 gene expression. Secondary and exploratory end points included toxicity assessment, RR in cisplatin versus carboplatin, and RR in molecularly defined subgroups, including BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. RESULTS: Patients (N = 86; 69 as first-line therapy) received cisplatin (n = 43) or carboplatin (n = 43). RR was 25.6% (95% CI, 16.8% to 36%) and was numerically higher with cisplatin (32.6%) than with carboplatin (18.7%). RR was 54.5% in patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations (n = 11). In patients without BRCA1/2 mutations (n = 66), exploratory analyses showed that a BRCA-like genomic instability signature (n = 32) discriminated responding and nonresponding tumors (mean homologous recombination deficiency-loss of heterozygosity/homologous recombination deficiency-large-scale state transitions [HRD-LOH/HRD-LST] scores were 12.68 and 5.11, respectively), whereas predefined analysis by p63/p73 expression status (n = 61), p53 and PIK3CA mutation status (n = 53), or PAM50 gene expression subtype (n = 55) did not. Five of the six long-term responders alive at a median of 4.5 years lacked germline BRCA1/2 mutations, and two of them had increased tumor HRD-LOH/HRD-LST scores. CONCLUSION: Platinum agents are active in mTNBC, especially in patients with germline BRCA1/2 mutations. A measure of tumor DNA repair function may identify patients without mutations who could benefit from platinum therapy agents. Prospective controlled confirmatory trials are warranted.