Oncogenic lncRNA downregulates cancer cell antigen presentation and intrinsic tumor suppression.

How tumor cells genetically lose antigenicity and evade immune checkpoints remains largely elusive. We report that tissue-specific expression of the human long noncoding RNA LINK-A in mouse mammary glands initiates metastatic mammary gland tumors, which phenotypically resemble human triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). LINK-A expression facilitated crosstalk between phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate and inhibitory G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways, attenuating protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM71. Consequently, LINK-A expression enhanced K48-polyubiquitination-mediated degradation of the antigen peptide-loading complex (PLC) and intrinsic tumor suppressors Rb and p53. Treatment with LINK-A locked nucleic acids or GPCR antagonists stabilized the PLC components, Rb and p53, and sensitized mammary gland tumors to immune checkpoint blockers. Patients with programmed ccll death protein-1(PD-1) blockade-resistant TNBC exhibited elevated LINK-A levels and downregulated PLC components. Hence we demonstrate lncRNA-dependent downregulation of antigenicity and intrinsic tumor suppression, which provides the basis for developing combinational immunotherapy treatment regimens and early TNBC prevention.

Ribociclib plus Endocrine Therapy in Early Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ribociclib has been shown to have a significant overall survival benefit in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer. Whether this benefit in advanced breast cancer extends to early breast cancer is unclear. METHODS: In this international, open-label, randomized, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancer in a 1:1 ratio to receive ribociclib (at a dose of 400 mg per day for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week off, for 3 years) plus a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI; letrozole at a dose of 2.5 mg per day or anastrozole at a dose of 1 mg per day for ≥5 years) or an NSAI alone. Premenopausal women and men also received goserelin every 28 days. Eligible patients had anatomical stage II or III breast cancer. Here we report the results of a prespecified interim analysis of invasive disease-free survival, the primary end point; other efficacy and safety results are also reported. Invasive disease-free survival was evaluated with the use of the Kaplan-Meier method. The statistical comparison was made with the use of a stratified log-rank test, with a protocol-specified stopping boundary of a one-sided P-value threshold of 0.0128 for superior efficacy. RESULTS: As of the data-cutoff date for this prespecified interim analysis (January 11, 2023), a total of 426 patients had had invasive disease, recurrence, or death. A significant invasive disease-free survival benefit was seen with ribociclib plus an NSAI as compared with an NSAI alone. At 3 years, invasive disease-free survival was 90.4% with ribociclib plus an NSAI and 87.1% with an NSAI alone (hazard ratio for invasive disease, recurrence, or death, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.62 to 0.91; P = 0.003). Secondary end points - distant disease-free survival and recurrence-free survival - also favored ribociclib plus an NSAI. The 3-year regimen of ribociclib at a 400-mg starting dose plus an NSAI was not associated with any new safety signals. CONCLUSIONS: Ribociclib plus an NSAI significantly improved invasive disease-free survival among patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative stage II or III early breast cancer. (Funded by Novartis; NATALEE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03701334.).

Overall Survival with Ribociclib plus Letrozole in Advanced Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In a previous analysis of this phase 3 trial, first-line ribociclib plus letrozole resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival than letrozole alone among postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer. Whether overall survival would also be longer with ribociclib was not known. METHODS: Here we report the results of the protocol-specified final analysis of overall survival, a key secondary end point. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either ribociclib or placebo in combination with letrozole. Overall survival was assessed with the use of a stratified log-rank test and summarized with the use of Kaplan-Meier methods after 400 deaths had occurred. A hierarchical testing strategy was used for the analysis of progression-free survival and overall survival to ensure the validity of the findings. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 181 deaths had occurred among 334 patients (54.2%) in the ribociclib group and 219 among 334 (65.6%) in the placebo group. Ribociclib plus letrozole showed a significant overall survival benefit as compared with placebo plus letrozole. Median overall survival was 63.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.4 to 71.0) with ribociclib plus letrozole and 51.4 months (95% CI, 47.2 to 59.7) with placebo plus letrozole (hazard ratio for death, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.93; two-sided P = 0.008). No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSIONS: First-line therapy with ribociclib plus letrozole showed a significant overall survival benefit as compared with placebo plus letrozole in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. Median overall survival was more than 12 months longer with ribociclib than with placebo. (Funded by Novartis; MONALEESA-2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01958021.).

21-Gene Assay to Inform Chemotherapy Benefit in Node-Positive Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The recurrence score based on the 21-gene breast-cancer assay has been clinically useful in predicting a chemotherapy benefit in hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, axillary lymph-node-negative breast cancer. In women with positive lymph-node disease, the role of the recurrence score with respect to predicting a benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy is unclear. METHODS: In a prospective trial, we randomly assigned women with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, one to three positive axillary lymph nodes, and a recurrence score of 25 or lower (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a worse prognosis) to endocrine therapy only or to chemotherapy plus endocrine (chemoendocrine) therapy. The primary objective was to determine the effect of chemotherapy on invasive disease-free survival and whether the effect was influenced by the recurrence score. Secondary end points included distant relapse-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 5083 women (33.2% premenopausal and 66.8% postmenopausal) underwent randomization, and 5018 participated in the trial. At the prespecified third interim analysis, the chemotherapy benefit with respect to increasing invasive disease-free survival differed according to menopausal status (P = 0.008 for the comparison of chemotherapy benefit in premenopausal and postmenopausal participants), and separate prespecified analyses were conducted. Among postmenopausal women, invasive disease-free survival at 5 years was 91.9% in the endocrine-only group and 91.3% in the chemoendocrine group, with no chemotherapy benefit (hazard ratio for invasive disease recurrence, new primary cancer [breast cancer or another type], or death, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.26; P = 0.89). Among premenopausal women, invasive disease-free survival at 5 years was 89.0% with endocrine-only therapy and 93.9% with chemoendocrine therapy (hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.83; P = 0.002), with a similar increase in distant relapse-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.87; P = 0.009). The relative chemotherapy benefit did not increase as the recurrence score increased. CONCLUSIONS: Among premenopausal women with one to three positive lymph nodes and a recurrence score of 25 or lower, those who received chemoendocrine therapy had longer invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival than those who received endocrine-only therapy, whereas postmenopausal women with similar characteristics did not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; RxPONDER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01272037.).

Breast Cancer-Major changes in the American Joint Committee on Cancer eighth edition cancer staging manual.

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE The revision of the eighth edition of the primary tumor, lymph node, and metastasis (TNM) classification of the American Joint Commission of Cancer (AJCC) for breast cancer was determined by a multidisciplinary team of breast cancer experts. The panel recognized the need to incorporate biologic factors, such as tumor grade, proliferation rate, estrogen and progesterone receptor expression, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) expression, and gene expression prognostic panels into the staging system. AJCC levels of evidence and guidelines for all tumor types were followed as much as possible. The panel felt that, to maintain worldwide value, the tumor staging system should remain based on TNM anatomic factors. However, the recognition of the prognostic influence of grade, hormone receptor expression, and HER2 amplification mandated their inclusion into the staging system. The value of commercially available, gene-based assays was acknowledged and prognostic input added. Tumor biomarkers and low Oncotype DX recurrence scores can alter prognosis and stage. These updates are expected to provide additional precision and flexibility to the staging system and were based on the extent of published information and analysis of large, as yet unpublished databases. The eighth edition of the AJCC TNM staging system, thus, provides a flexible platform for prognostic classification based on traditional anatomic factors, which can be modified and enhanced using patient biomarkers and multifactorial prognostic panel data. The eighth edition remains the worldwide basis for breast cancer staging and will incorporate future online updates to remain timely and relevant. CA Cancer J Clin 2017;67:290-303. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Cisplatin with veliparib or placebo in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and BRCA mutation-associated breast cancer (S1416): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are effective in germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation-associated metastatic breast cancer. However, studies evaluating PARP inhibitors plus platinum-based chemotherapy in germline BRCA1/2-wildtype triple-negative breast cancer are scarce. A large proportion of germline BRCA1/2-wildtype triple-negative breast cancer shows homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), resulting in a BRCA-like phenotype that might render sensitivity to PARP inhibitors. The S1416 trial assessed the efficacy of cisplatin combined with the PARP inhibitor veliparib in three predefined groups of metastatic breast cancer: germline BRCA1/2-mutated, BRCA-like, and non-BRCA-like. METHODS: S1416 was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial conducted at 154 community and academic clinical sites across the USA. Eligible patients aged 18 years or older had metastatic or recurrent triple-negative breast cancer or germline BRCA1/2-associated metastatic or recurrent breast cancer, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, and had received up to one line of chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via the National Clinical Trials Network open interactive system with dynamic balancing on number of previous cytotoxic regimens for metastatic disease to receive intravenous cisplatin (75 mg/m2, day 1) combined with either veliparib or matching placebo (300 mg orally twice a day, days 1-14) on a 21-day cycle. Investigators, patients, and the sponsors were masked to treatment assignment; the study statisticians were unmasked. Central testing after ran domisation classified patients as having mutated or wildtype germline BRCA1/2. A biomarker panel established a priori was used to classify patients with wildtype germline BRCA1/2 into BRCA-like and non-BRCA-like phenotype groups, with BRCA-like status based on at least one of the biomarkers: genomic instability score (≥42), somatic BRCA1/2 mutations, BRCA1 promoter methylation, or non-BRCA1/2 homologous recombination repair germline mutations. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival, analysed separately for the three predefined biomarker groups with a prespecified α value for each analysis. Efficacy analyses were done by intention to treat and included all eligible patients. Safety analyses of toxicities attributed to treatment included all patients who received at least one dose of veliparib or placebo. The study is ongoing and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02595905. FINDINGS: Between July 7, 2016, and June 15, 2019, 335 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned. 320 patients (n=162 to cisplatin plus veliparib, all women; and n=158 to cisplatin plus placebo, 157 women and one man) were eligible for efficacy evaluation. 247 patients were classified into the three biomarker groups: germline BRCA1/2-mutated (n=37), BRCA-like (n=101), and non-BRCA-like (n=109). 73 patients could not be classified due to missing biomarker information. Median follow-up was 11·1 months (IQR 5·6-20·8). In the germline BRCA1/2-mutated group, median progression-free survival was 6·2 months (95% CI 2·3-9·2) in the cisplatin plus veliparib group and 6·4 months (4·3-8·2) in the cisplatin plus placebo group (HR 0·79 [95% CI 0·38-1·67]; log-rank p=0·54). In the BRCA-like group, median progression-free survival was 5·9 months (95% CI 4·3-7·8) in the cisplatin plus veliparib group versus 4·2 months (2·3-5·0) in the cisplatin plus placebo group (HR 0·57 [95% CI 0·37-0·88]; p=0·010). In the non-BRCA-like group, median progression-free survival was 4·0 months (95% CI 2·5-4·7) in the cisplatin plus veliparib group versus 3·0 months (2·2-4·4) in the cisplatin plus placebo group (HR 0·89 [95% CI 0·60-1·33]; p=0·57). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events attributed to treatment were neutropenia (71 [46%] of 155 patients in the cisplatin plus veliparib group vs 29 [20%] of 147 in the cisplatin plus placebo group), leukopenia (42 [27%] vs 11 [7%]), anaemia (35 [23%] vs 12 [8%]), and thrombocytopenia (29 [19%] vs four [3%]). Serious adverse events attributed to treatment occurred in 48 (31%) patients in the cisplatin plus veliparib group and 53 (36%) patients in the cisplatin plus placebo group. Treatment-related adverse events led to death in one patient in the cisplatin plus veliparib group (sepsis) and one patient in the cisplatin plus placebo group (acute kidney injury due to cisplatin plus heart failure from previous doxorubicin exposure). INTERPRETATION: The addition of veliparib to cisplatin significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with BRCA-like metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, but not in patients with non-BRCA-like metastatic breast cancer. PARP inhibitors combined with platinum-based chemotherapy should be explored further in BRCA-like triple-negative breast cancer. FUNDING: National Cancer Institute and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (US National Institutes of Health); AbbVie; Myriad Genetics; the Biomarker, Imaging, and Quality of Life Studies Funding Program (awarded by the National Cancer Institute); and The University of Kansas Cancer Center.

Ephrin receptor A10 monoclonal antibodies and the derived chimeric antigen receptor T cells exert an antitumor response in mouse models of triple-negative breast cancer.

Expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase ephrin receptor A10 (EphA10), which is undetectable in most normal tissues except for the male testis, has been shown to correlate with tumor progression and poor prognosis in several malignancies, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Therefore, EphA10 could be a potential therapeutic target, likely with minimal adverse effects. However, no effective clinical drugs against EphA10 are currently available. Here, we report high expression levels of EphA10 in tumor regions of breast, lung, and ovarian cancers as well as in immunosuppressive myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we developed anti-EphA10 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically recognize cell surface EphA10, but not other EphA family isoforms, and target tumor regions precisely in vivo with no apparent accumulation in other organs. In syngeneic TNBC mouse models, we found that anti-EphA10 mAb clone #4 enhanced tumor regression, therapeutic response rate, and T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Notably, the chimeric antigen receptor T cells derived from clone #4 significantly inhibited TNBC cell viability in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Together, our findings suggest that targeting EphA10 via EphA10 mAbs and EphA10-specific chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy may represent a promising strategy for patients with EphA10-positive tumors.

Tucatinib, Trastuzumab, and Capecitabine for HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer who have disease progression after therapy with multiple HER2-targeted agents have limited treatment options. Tucatinib is an investigational, oral, highly selective inhibitor of the HER2 tyrosine kinase. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and trastuzumab emtansine, who had or did not have brain metastases, to receive either tucatinib or placebo, in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine. The primary end point was progression-free survival among the first 480 patients who underwent randomization. Secondary end points, assessed in the total population (612 patients), included overall survival, progression-free survival among patients with brain metastases, confirmed objective response rate, and safety. RESULTS: Progression-free survival at 1 year was 33.1% in the tucatinib-combination group and 12.3% in the placebo-combination group (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42 to 0.71; P<0.001), and the median duration of progression-free survival was 7.8 months and 5.6 months, respectively. Overall survival at 2 years was 44.9% in the tucatinib-combination group and 26.6% in the placebo-combination group (hazard ratio for death, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.88; P = 0.005), and the median overall survival was 21.9 months and 17.4 months, respectively. Among the patients with brain metastases, progression-free survival at 1 year was 24.9% in the tucatinib-combination group and 0% in the placebo-combination group (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.69; P<0.001), and the median progression-free survival was 7.6 months and 5.4 months, respectively. Common adverse events in the tucatinib group included diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, nausea, fatigue, and vomiting. Diarrhea and elevated aminotransferase levels of grade 3 or higher were more common in the tucatinib-combination group than in the placebo-combination group. CONCLUSIONS: In heavily pretreated patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, including those with brain metastases, adding tucatinib to trastuzumab and capecitabine resulted in better progression-free survival and overall survival outcomes than adding placebo; the risks of diarrhea and elevated aminotransferase levels were higher with tucatinib. (Funded by Seattle Genetics; HER2CLIMB ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02614794.).

Vitamin D Insufficiency as a Risk Factor for Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in SWOG S0221.

BACKGROUND: Prior work suggests that patients with vitamin D insufficiency may have a higher risk of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) from paclitaxel. The objective of this study was to validate vitamin D insufficiency as a CIPN risk factor. METHODS: We used data and samples from the prospective phase III SWOG S0221 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00070564) trial that compared paclitaxel-containing chemotherapy regimens for early-stage breast cancer. We quantified pretreatment 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in banked serum samples using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry targeted assay. We tested the association between vitamin D insufficiency (≤20 ng/mL) and grade ≥3 sensory CIPN via multiple logistic regression and then adjusted for self-reported race, age, body mass index, and paclitaxel schedule (randomization to weekly or every-2-week dosing). We also tested the direct effect of vitamin D deficiency on mechanical hypersensitivity in mice randomized to a regular or vitamin D-deficient diet. RESULTS: Of the 1,191 female patients in the analysis, 397 (33.3%) had pretreatment vitamin D insufficiency, and 195 (16.4%) developed grade ≥3 CIPN. Patients with vitamin D insufficiency had a higher incidence of grade ≥3 CIPN than those who had sufficient vitamin D (20.7% vs 14.2%; odds ratio [OR], 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14-2.15; P=.005). The association retained significance after adjusting for age and paclitaxel schedule (adjusted OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.18-2.30; P=.003) but not race (adjusted OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.98-1.97; P=.066). In the mouse experiments, the vitamin D-deficient diet caused mechanical hypersensitivity and sensitized mice to paclitaxel (both P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment vitamin D insufficiency is the first validated potentially modifiable predictive biomarker of CIPN from paclitaxel. Prospective trials are needed to determine whether vitamin D supplementation prevents CIPN and improves treatment outcomes in patients with breast and other cancer types.

Thymidine kinase activity levels in serum can identify HR+ metastatic breast cancer patients with a low risk of early progression (SWOG S0226).

BACKGROUND: Some patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) stay on endocrine therapy (ET) for years and others progress quickly. Serum thymidine kinase activity (TKa), an indicator of cell-proliferation, is a potential biomarker for monitoring ET and predicting MBC outcome. We have previously reported TKa as being prognostic in MBC in SWOG S0226. Here, new data on progression within 30/60 days post sampling, with a new, FDA approved version of DiviTum®TKa highlighting differences vs. a Research Use Only version is reported. METHODS: 1,546 serum samples from 454 patients were assessed, collected at baseline and at 4 subsequent timepoints during treatment. A new predefined cut-off tested the ability to predict disease progression. A new measuring unit, DuA (DiviTum® unit of Activity) is adopted. RESULTS: A DiviTum®TKa score <250 DuA provides a much lower risk of progression within 30/60 days after blood draw, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 96.7% and 93.5%, respectively. Patients <250 DuA experienced significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival, demonstrated at baseline and for all time intervals. CONCLUSIONS: DiviTum®TKa provides clinically meaningful information for patients with HR+ MBC. Low TKa levels provide such a high NPV for rapid progression that such patients might forego additional therapy added to single agent ET.Trial registration: NCT00075764.

Overall Survival with Fulvestrant plus Anastrozole in Metastatic Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported prolonged progression-free survival and marginally prolonged overall survival among postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer who had been randomly assigned to receive the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole plus the selective estrogen-receptor down-regulator fulvestrant, as compared with anastrozole alone, as first-line therapy. We now report final survival outcomes. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients to receive either anastrozole or fulvestrant plus anastrozole. Randomization was stratified according to adjuvant tamoxifen use. Analysis of survival was performed by means of two-sided stratified log-rank tests and Cox regression. Efficacy and safety were compared between the two groups, both overall and in subgroups. RESULTS: Of 707 patients who had undergone randomization, 694 had data available for analysis. The combination-therapy group had 247 deaths among 349 women (71%) and a median overall survival of 49.8 months, as compared with 261 deaths among 345 women (76%) and a median overall survival of 42.0 months in the anastrozole-alone group, a significant difference (hazard ratio for death, 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 0.98; P = 0.03 by the log-rank test). In a subgroup analysis of the two strata, overall survival among women who had not received tamoxifen previously was longer with the combination therapy than with anastrozole alone (median, 52.2 months and 40.3 months, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.92); among women who had received tamoxifen previously, overall survival was similar in the two groups (median, 48.2 months and 43.5 months, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.27) (P = 0.09 for interaction). The incidence of long-term toxic effects of grade 3 to 5 was similar in the two groups. Approximately 45% of the patients in the anastrozole-alone group crossed over to receive fulvestrant. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of fulvestrant to anastrozole was associated with increased long-term survival as compared with anastrozole alone, despite substantial crossover to fulvestrant after progression during therapy with anastrozole alone. The results suggest that the benefit was particularly notable in patients without previous exposure to adjuvant endocrine therapy. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and AstraZeneca; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00075764.).

Invasive lobular carcinoma: an understudied emergent subtype of breast cancer.

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common histologic subtype of breast cancer after invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), accounting for 10-15% of all breast cancer cases. Although most ILCs are of the luminal A intrinsic subtype, with favorable prognostic features, conflicting literature data are available on their outcomes compared to IDC with reports suggesting a higher risk of distant recurrence after 10 years. Historically, studies have combined ILC and IDC, with outcomes largely driven by the behavior of IDC given that it represents 90% of breast cancers. However, over the past 5 years, reports of several studies aimed at understanding ILC at the clinical, cellular, and molecular levels have been published, showing that IDC and ILC are distinct entities. In this review, we highlight the unique characteristics of ILC and describe the need for dedicated ILC clinical trials.

Expanding the Staging Criteria for T1-2N0 Hormone-Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Patients Enrolled in TAILORx.

BACKGROUND: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition pathologic prognostic staging (PPS) incorporates anatomic and biologic factors. The OncotypeDX Breast Recurrence Score (RS) was included based on the initial report of the TAILORx trial, with T1-2N0 hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer patients who had a RS < 11 staged as PPS 1A. This study examined whether the RS criteria for PPS 1A can be further expanded using patients enrolled in the TAILORx trial. METHODS: The TAILORx trial enrolled 10,273 HR+HER2- T1-2N0 patients. Those with incomplete HR-status/grade and T3 disease were excluded for analysis. The recurrence-free interval (RFI) was compared between the patients who did and those who did not fall into the current PPS 1A category using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The study enrolled 9535 patients for analysis. The RS was < 11 in 16.1%, 11-17 in 35.9%, 18-25 in 32.4%, and > 25 in 15.6% of the patients. The majority (91.2%) of the patients (including all the T1N0 patients regardless of RS) were PPS 1A, and 8.8% were not-PPS 1A. The median follow-up time was 95 months. The PPS 1A patients had an 8-year RFI of 94.2%, which was similar to that of the patients with a RS of 11-17 who were not-PPS 1A (91.7%; p = 0.07) and better than that of the patients with a RS ≥ 18 who were not-PPS 1A (85.4% for a RS of 18-25, 76.0% for a RS > 25; both p < 0.01). Similar RFI trends were seen in patients who received endocrine therapy or chemotherapy followed by endocrine therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with T1-2N0 HR+HER2- breast cancer and a RS < 18 have an RFI similar to that of patients staged as PPS 1A by the current AJCC staging system, regardless of treatment, suggesting that the criteria for PPS 1A can be expanded to include a RS < 18.

Inflammatory breast cancer: early recognition and diagnosis is critical.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive malignancy that is often initially misdiagnosed because of its similar presentation to more benign breast pathologies such as mastitis, resulting in treatment delays. Presenting symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include erythema, skin changes such as peau d' orange or nipple inversion, edema, and warmth of the affected breast. The average age at diagnosis is younger than in noninflammatory breast cancer cases. Known risk factors include African American race and obesity. Diagnostic criteria include erythema occupying at least one-third of the breast, edema, peau d' orange, and/or warmth, with or without an underlying mass; a rapid onset of <3 months; and pathologic confirmation of invasive carcinoma. Treatment of inflammatory breast cancer includes trimodal therapy with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. An aggressive surgical approach that includes a modified radical mastectomy enhances survival outcomes. Although the outcomes for patients with inflammatory breast cancer are poor compared with those of patients with noninflammatory breast cancer, patients with inflammatory breast cancer who complete trimodal therapy have a favorable locoregional control rate, underscoring the importance of a prompt diagnosis of this serious but treatable disease. Obstetrician-gynecologists and other primary care providers must recognize the signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer to make a timely diagnosis and referral for specialized care.

Risk factors for bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw in the prospective randomized trial of adjuvant bisphosphonates for early-stage breast cancer (SWOG 0307).

PURPOSE: Bisphosphonates reduce bone metastases in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer but carry the risk of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). We describe risk factors for BRONJ and compare BRONJ provoked by infection or trauma with spontaneous lesions, which carry a better prognosis. METHODS: SWOG 0307 randomized women with stage I-III breast cancer to receive zoledronic acid (ZA), clodronate (CL), or ibandronate (IB) for 3 years, implemented BRONJ prevention guidelines, and collected information about dental health and development of BRONJ. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Of 6018 women, 48 developed BRONJ. Infection was present in 21 (43.8%). Median time to BRONJ was 2.1 years for ZA, 2.0 years for IB, and 3.4 years for clodronate (p = 0.04). BRONJ was associated with bisphosphonate type (28/2231 (1.26%) for ZA, 8/2235 (0.36%) for CL, 12/1552 (0.77%) for IB), dental calculus (OR 2.03), gingivitis (OR 2.11), moderate/severe periodontal disease (OR 2.87), and periodontitis > 4 mm (OR 2.20) (p < 0.05). Of 57 lesions, BRONJ occurred spontaneously in 20 (35.1%) and was provoked by dental extraction in 20 (35.1%), periodontal disease in 14 (24.6%), denture trauma in 6 (10.5%), and dental surgery in 2 (3.5%). Spontaneous BRONJ occurred more frequently at the mylohyoid ridge. There were no differences in dental disease, infection, or bisphosphonate type between spontaneous and provoked BRONJ. CONCLUSION: ZA and worse dental health were associated with increased incidence of BRONJ, with a trend toward additive risk when combined. BRONJ incidence was lower than in similar studies, with prevention strategies likely linked to this. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT00127205 REGISTRATION DATE: July 2005.

Impact of Delayed Neoadjuvant Systemic Chemotherapy on Overall Survival Among Patients with Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Delays in the initiation of therapy among patients with early stage breast cancer (BC) can negatively affect outcomes. Patients treated with neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NSC) usually display tumors with high-risk features. Considering these high-risk characteristics and the evidence supporting adverse outcomes associated with delays in adjuvant chemotherapy initiation, we sought to determine whether a delay in NSC initiation is associated with overall survival (OS). METHODS: We identified patients diagnosed between January 1995 and December 2015 with invasive primary BC (stage I-III) who received NSC at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Patients were categorized according to their time from BC diagnosis to NSC (in days) into three subgroups: 0-30, 31-60, and ≥61 days. Primary endpoint was OS. Descriptive statistics and Cox's proportional hazard models were used. RESULTS: A total of 5,137 patients were included. Median follow-up was 6.5 years. The 5-year OS estimates according to time to NSC were 87%, 85%, and 83% in patients who received NSC within 0-30, 31-60, and ≥61 days after diagnosis, respectively (p = .006). In multivariable analysis, compared with time to NSC of 0-30 days, delayed NSC ≥61 days was associated with an increased risk of death (31-60 days: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-1.19]; ≥61 days, HR = 1.28 [95% CI 1.06-1.54]). In stratified analyses, the association between delay in NSC initiation and increased risk of death was statistically significant for patients with stage I and II BC (31-60 days: HR = 1.22 [95% CI 1.02-1.47]; ≥61 days, HR = 1.41 [95% CI 1.07-1.86]) and among patients with HER2-positive tumors ( ≥61 days, HR = 1.86 [95% CI 1.21-2.86]). CONCLUSION: A delay in NSC initiation of more than 61 days after BC diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of death. Early initiation of NSC should be a priority; multidisciplinary teams must focus on coordination of care and patient-centered, timely treatment planning and delivery. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of this study showed that a delay in neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy initiation of more than 61 days after breast cancer diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of death; therefore, efforts must focus on early initiation of therapy, which should be a priority. Multidisciplinary teams must enhance coordination of care and patient-centered, timely treatment planning and delivery.

Phase II trial of AKT inhibitor MK-2206 in patients with advanced breast cancer who have tumors with PIK3CA or AKT mutations, and/or PTEN loss/PTEN mutation.

BACKGROUND: The PI3K/AKT pathway is activated through PIK3CA or AKT1 mutations and PTEN loss in breast cancer. We conducted a phase II trial with an allosteric AKT inhibitor MK-2206 in patients with advanced breast cancer who had tumors with PIK3CA/AKT1 mutations and/or PTEN loss/mutation. METHODS: The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints were 6-month progression-free survival (6 m PFS), predictive and pharmacodynamic markers, safety, and tolerability. Patients had pre-treatment and on-treatment biopsies as well as collection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Next-generation sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and reverse phase protein arrays (RPPA) were performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients received MK-2206. Eighteen patients were enrolled into the PIK3CA/AKT1 mutation arm (cohort A): 13 had PIK3CA mutations, four had AKT1 mutations, and one had a PIK3CA mutation as well as PTEN loss. ORR and 6 m PFS were both 5.6% (1/18), with one patient with HR+ breast cancer and a PIK3CA E542K mutation experiencing a partial response (on treatment for 36 weeks). Nine patients were enrolled on the PTEN loss/mutation arm (cohort B). ORR was 0% and 6 m PFS was 11% (1/9), observed in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer and PTEN loss. The study was stopped early due to futility. The most common adverse events were fatigue (48%) and rash (44%). On pre-treatment biopsy, PIK3CA and AKT1 mutation status was concordant with archival tissue testing. However, two patients with PTEN loss based on archival testing had PTEN expression on the pre-treatment biopsy. MK-2206 treatment was associated with a significant decline in pAKT S473 and pAKT T308 and PI3K activation score in PBMC and PRPs, but not in tumor biopsies. By IHC, there was no significant decrease in median pAKT S473 or Ki-67 staining, but a drop was observed in both responders. CONCLUSIONS: MK-2206 monotherapy had limited clinical activity in advanced breast cancer patients selected for PIK3CA/AKT1 or PTEN mutations or PTEN loss. This may, in part, be due to inadequate target inhibition at tolerable doses in heavily pre-treated patients with pathway activation, as well as tumor heterogeneity and evolution in markers such as PTEN conferring challenges in patient selection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01277757 . Registered 13 January 2011.

Indirect Evaluation of Bone Saturation with Zoledronic Acid After Long-Term Dosing.

BACKGROUND: Zoledronic acid (ZA), a potent bisphosphonate used for treatment of bone metastasis, has high bone affinity. This post hoc analysis evaluated the effects of long-term treatment and reduction in dosing frequency of ZA on bone saturation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pharmacokinetic data from three independent studies, OPTIMIZE-2 (patients receiving ≥9 doses of bisphosphonates) and two phase I studies, CZOL4460503 and CZOL4460506 (patients who were bisphosphonate naïve/bisphosphonate free for ≥1 year after previous dosing), were pooled. Serial urine and plasma samples were used as surrogate markers to determine ZA plasma area under the curve (AUC) over 6 hours (AUC0-6h) and dose excreted in urine over 6 hours (urine0-6h). Potential relationships between the number of years for which patients had been treated previously at time of study entry and AUC0-6h or urine0-6h were analyzed graphically. RESULTS: Creatinine clearances for patients were similar across the three studies and at all time points analyzed. The levels of AUC0-6h ZA in plasma at week 0 in every (q) 4 and q12 weekly arms of OPTIMIZE-2 were 0.366 h × mg/L and 0.397 h × mg/L compared with 0.345 h × mg/L and 0.356 h × mg/L in CZOL4460503 and CZOL4460506, respectively. In OPTIMIZE-2, the AUC0-6h ZA plasma levels were the same (0.428 h × mg/L) at week 36 in both q4 and q12 arms. The levels of ZA urine0-6h at week 36 in OPTIMIZE-2 (q4 and q12 week arms), CZOL4460503, and CZOL4460506 were 36.6%, 30.8%, 26.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Long-term ZA treatment may not impact bone saturation, and ZA dosing frequency does not seem to influence drug retention rates. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Zoledronic acid (ZA), used along with standard antineoplastic therapy to treat bone metastases associated with solid tumors and multiple myeloma, requires frequent (every 3-4 or every 12 weeks) long-term administration. This may result in bone saturation and subsequently lead to a higher risk of adverse events such as osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical fractures. This post hoc analysis used surrogate markers to demonstrate that prolonged ZA administration does not cause bone saturation. Furthermore, reduction in ZA dosing frequency does not affect its retention level in bones over time. These findings will help in addressing clinicians' concerns regarding prolonged ZA administration.

Everolimus plus Exemestane for Hormone Receptor-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer: A PAM50 Intrinsic Subtype Analysis of BOLERO-2.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic and predictive value of the two nonluminal (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]-enriched and basal-like) subtypes within advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer is currently unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 261 tumors (80.7% primary; 19.3% metastatic) from the BOLERO-2 study; BOLERO-2 randomized 724 patients with advanced HR+/HER2-negative breast cancer to everolimus plus exemestane or placebo plus exemestane. Tumors were classified using a PAM50 subtype predictor. Multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the independent prognostic significance of PAM50, and associations between PAM50 subtypes and treatment upon progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated. RESULTS: Subtype distribution was 46.7% luminal A (n = 122), 21.5% HER2-enriched (n = 56), 15.7% luminal B (n = 41), 14.2% normal-like (n = 37), and 1.9% basal-like (n = 5); HER2-enriched subtypes were more common in metastatic versus primary tumors (32.0% vs. 18.7%; p = .038). Median PFS differences between luminal and nonluminal (6.7 vs. 5.2 months; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.94; p = .020) and HER2-enriched and non-HER2-enriched subtypes (5.2 vs. 6.2 months; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.07-2.19; p = .019) were significant. Everolimus plus exemestane significantly improved median PFS versus placebo plus exemestane among patients with HER2-enriched tumors (5.8 vs. 4.1 months; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26-0.90; p = .034); however, the association between HER2-enriched tumors and everolimus benefit was nonsignificant (p = .433). CONCLUSION: The HER2-enriched subtype was identified in a substantial proportion of advanced HR+/HER2-negative breast tumors, and was a consistent biomarker of poor prognosis. Tailored therapies are therefore needed for HER2-enriched tumors in the advanced HR+/HER2-negative breast cancer setting. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Using 261 tumor samples from the BOLERO-2 phase III clinical trial, this study shows that a substantial proportion (20%-30%) of hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancers do not have a luminal A or B gene expression profile. This group of patients with nonluminal disease has a poor survival outcome regardless of the addition of everolimus to exemestane. This is the second study that confirms the prognostic value of this biomarker. Overall, these findings indicate a necessity to design novel clinical trials targeting nonluminal disease within HR+/HER2-negative breast cancer.