Exposure-Response Analyses of Olaparib in Real-Life Patients with Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Olaparib is given in a fixed dose of twice-daily 300 mg in patients who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or pancreas cancer and has a high interpatient variability in pharmacokinetic exposure. The objective of this study was to investigate whether pharmacokinetic exposure of olaparib is related to efficacy and safety in a real-life patient' cohort. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in patients who received olaparib for metastatic ovarian cancer of whom pharmacokinetic samples were collected. A Kaplan-Meier analyses was used to explore the relationship between olaparib exposure, measured as (calculated) minimum plasma concentrations (Cmin), and efficacy, Univariate and multivariate cox-regression analyses were performed. Also, the Cmin of patients who experienced toxicity was compared with patients who did not experience any toxicity. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were included in the exposure-efficacy analyses, with a median olaparib Cmin of 1514 ng/mL. There was no statistical significant difference in PFS of patients below and above the median Cmin concentration of olaparib, with a hazard ratio of 1.06 (95% confidence interval: 0.46-2.45, p = 0.9)). For seven patients pharmacokinetic samples were available before toxicity occurred, these patients had a higher Cmin of olaparib in comparison with patients who had not experienced any toxicity (n = 33), but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.069). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that exposure of olaparib is not related to PFS. This suggests that the approved dose of olaparib yields sufficient target inhibition in the majority of patients.

Cortisol as Biomarker for CYP17-Inhibition is Associated with Therapy Outcome of Abiraterone Acetate.

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone acetate is an irreversible 17α-hydroxylase/C17, 20-lyase (CYP17) inhibitor approved for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. Inhibition of this enzyme leads to low testosterone and cortisol levels in blood. There is growing evidence that clinical efficacy of abiraterone is related to the rate of suppression of serum testosterone. However, quantification of very low levels of circulating testosterone is challenging. We therefore aimed to investigate whether circulating cortisol levels could be used as a surrogate biomarker for CYP17 inhibition in patients with mCRPC treated with abiraterone acetate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone acetate were included. Abiraterone and cortisol levels were measured with a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). On treatment cortisol and abiraterone concentrations were related to treatment response and progression free survival. RESULTS: In total 117 patients were included with a median cortisol concentration of 1.13 ng/ml (range: 0.03 - 82.2) and median abiraterone trough concentration (Cmin) of 10.2 ng/ml (range: 0.58 - 92.1). In the survival analyses, abiraterone Cmin ≥ 8.4 ng/mL and cortisol < 2.24 ng/mL were associated with a longer prostate-specific antigen (PSA) independent progression-free survival than patients with an abiraterone concentration ≥ 8.4 ng/mL and a cortisol concentration ≥ 2.24 ng/mL (13.8 months vs. 3.7 months). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that cortisol is not an independent predictor of abiraterone response in patients with mCRPC, but it is of added value in combination with abiraterone levels, to predict a response on abiraterone.

Breast-Conserving Therapy in Patients with cT3 Breast Cancer with Good Response to Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy Results in Excellent Local Control: A Comprehensive Cancer Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Many cT3 breast cancer patients are treated with mastectomy, regardless of response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). We evaluated local control of cT3 patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy (BCT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation post-NST. In addition, we analyzed predictive characteristics for positive margins after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: All cT3 breast cancer patients who underwent BCS after NST between 2002 and 2015 at the Netherlands Cancer Institute were included. Local recurrence-free interval (LRFI) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and predictors for positive margins were analyzed using univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 114 patients undergoing BCS post-NST, 75 had negative margins, 16 had focally positive margins, and 23 had positive margins. Of those with (focally) positive margins, 12 underwent radiotherapy, 6 underwent re-excision, and 21 underwent mastectomy. Finally, 93/114 patients were treated with BCT (82%), with an LRFI of 95.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.5-100%) after a median follow-up of 7 years. Predictors for positive margins in univariable analysis were hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) subtype, lobular carcinoma, and non-mass enhancement (NME) on pre-NST MRI. MRI response was not correlated to positive margins. In multivariable regression, the odds of positive margins were decreased in patients with HER2-positive (HER2+; odds ratio [OR] 0.27, 95% CI 0.10-0.73; p = 0.01) and TN tumors (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03-0.82; p = 0.028). A trend toward positive margins was observed in patients with NME (OR 2.38, 95% CI 0.98-5.77; p = 0.055). CONCLUSION: BCT could be performed in 82% of cT3 patients in whom BCT appeared feasible on post-NST MRI. Local control in these patients was excellent. In those patients with HR+/HER2- tumors, NME on MRI, or invasive lobular carcinoma, the risk of positive margins should be considered preoperatively.

Prognostic Value of Novel Liquid Biomarkers in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated with Enzalutamide: A Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Several treatment options were recently added for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, response to therapy is variable, and biomarkers that can guide treatment selection and response evaluation are lacking. Circulating RNAs are a promising source of biomarkers. We explored messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as potential biomarkers in liquid biopsies of patients with mCRPC treated with enzalutamide. METHODS: Forty patients were included in this prospective multicenter observational study. Whole blood was drawn at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after start of therapy. Four mRNAs, 6 miRNAs, and 5 lncRNAs were analyzed by quantitative PCR. RNA levels in 30 healthy individuals were used as controls. RNA expression data were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, and the primary end point was progression-free survival. Clinical factors were included in the multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Levels of 2 miRNAs, miR-375 and miR-3687, and 1 lncRNA, N-acetylated alpha-linked acidic dipeptidase like 2 antisense RNA 2 (NAALADL2-AS2), were more than 2-fold higher in patients with mCRPC compared with healthy volunteers. Patients with higher levels of miR-375 or miR-3687 showed a shorter time to progression. Patients with higher levels of NAALADL2-AS2 showed a longer time to progression. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, higher miR-375, miR-3687 and serum prostate-specific antigen concentrations were shown to be independent predictors for shorter time to progression. CONCLUSIONS: We identified miR-3687 as a novel prognostic marker for response in patients with CRPC treated with enzalutamide, and we confirmed the prognostic value of miR-375.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without anthracyclines in the presence of dual HER2 blockade for HER2-positive breast cancer (TRAIN-2): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal chemotherapy backbone for dual HER2 blockade in the neoadjuvant setting for early breast cancer is unknown. We investigated whether the addition of anthracyclines would improve pathological complete response compared with a carboplatin-taxane regimen, when given in combination with the HER2-targeted agents trastuzumab and pertuzumab. METHODS: The TRAIN-2 study is an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial being done in 37 hospitals in the Netherlands. We recruited patients aged 18 years or older with previously untreated, histologically confirmed stage II-III HER2-positive breast cancer. Patients were randomly allocated using central randomisation software (1:1 ratio) with minimisation without a random component, stratified by tumour stage, nodal stage, oestrogen receptor status, and age, to receive 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2), epirubicin (90 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) every 3 weeks for three cycles followed by paclitaxel (80 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve [AUC] 6 mg/mL per min on day 1 or optionally, as per hospital preference, AUC 3 mg/mL per min on days 1 and 8) every 3 weeks for six cycles, or to receive nine cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin at the same dose and schedule as in the anthracycline group. Patients in both study groups received trastuzumab (6 mg/kg, loading dose 8 mg/kg) and pertuzumab (420 mg, loading dose 840 mg) concurrently with all chemotherapy cycles. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved a pathological complete response in breast and axilla (ypT0/is ypN0) in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was analysed in patients who received at least one treatment cycle according to actual treatment received. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01996267, and follow-up for long-term outcome is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Dec 9, 2013, and Jan 14, 2016, 438 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the two treatment groups (219 patients to each group), of whom 418 were evaluable for the primary endpoint (212 in the anthracycline group and 206 in the non-anthracycline group). The median follow-up for all patients was 19 months (IQR 16-23 months). A pathological complete response was recorded in 141 (67%, 95% CI 60-73) of 212 patients in the anthracycline group and in 140 (68%, 61-74) of 206 in the non-anthracycline group (p=0·95). One patient randomly allocated to the non-anthracycline group did receive anthracyclines and was thus included in the anthracycline group for safety analyses; therefore, for the safety analyses there were 220 patients in the anthracycline group and 218 in the non-anthracycline group. Serious adverse events were reported in 61 (28%) of 220 patients in the anthracycline group and in 49 (22%) of 218 in the non-anthracycline group. The most common adverse events of any cause were grade 3 or worse neutropenia (in 131 [60%] of 220 patients in the anthracycline group vs 118 [54%] of 218 in the non-anthracycline group), grade 3 or worse diarrhoea (26 [12%] vs 37 [18%]), and grade 2 or worse peripheral neuropathy (66 [30%] vs 68 [31%]), with no substantial differences between the groups. Grade 3 or worse febrile neutropenia was more common in the anthracycline group than in the non-anthracycline group (23 [10%] vs three [1%], p<0·0001). Symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction was rare in both groups (two [1%] of 220 vs 0 of 218). One patient in the anthracycline group died because of a pulmonary embolism, which was possibly treatment related. INTERPRETATION: In view of the high proportion of pathological complete responses recorded in both groups and the fact that febrile neutropenia was more frequent in the anthracycline group, omitting anthracyclines from neoadjuvant treatment regimens might be a preferred approach in the presence of dual HER2 blockade in patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer. Long-term follow-up is required to confirm these results. FUNDING: Roche Netherlands.

DPYD genotype-guided dose individualisation of fluoropyrimidine therapy in patients with cancer: a prospective safety analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fluoropyrimidine treatment can result in severe toxicity in up to 30% of patients and is often the result of reduced activity of the key metabolic enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), mostly caused by genetic variants in the gene encoding DPD (DPYD). We assessed the effect of prospective screening for the four most relevant DPYD variants (DPYD*2A [rs3918290, c.1905+1G>A, IVS14+1G>A], c.2846A>T [rs67376798, D949V], c.1679T>G [rs55886062, DPYD*13, I560S], and c.1236G>A [rs56038477, E412E, in haplotype B3]) on patient safety and subsequent DPYD genotype-guided dose individualisation in daily clinical care. METHODS: In this prospective, multicentre, safety analysis in 17 hospitals in the Netherlands, the study population consisted of adult patients (≥18 years) with cancer who were intended to start on a fluoropyrimidine-based anticancer therapy (capecitabine or fluorouracil as single agent or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents or radiotherapy). Patients with all tumour types for which fluoropyrimidine-based therapy was considered in their best interest were eligible. We did prospective genotyping for DPYD*2A, c.2846A>T, c.1679T>G, and c.1236G>A. Heterozygous DPYD variant allele carriers received an initial dose reduction of 25% (c.2846A>T and c.1236G>A) or 50% (DPYD*2A and c.1679T>G), and DPYD wild-type patients were treated according to the current standard of care. The primary endpoint of the study was the frequency of severe (National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03 grade ≥3) overall fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity across the entire treatment duration. We compared toxicity incidence between DPYD variant allele carriers and DPYD wild-type patients on an intention-to-treat basis, and relative risks (RRs) for severe toxicity were compared between the current study and a historical cohort of DPYD variant allele carriers treated with full dose fluoropyrimidine-based therapy (derived from a previously published meta-analysis). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02324452, and is complete. FINDINGS: Between April 30, 2015, and Dec 21, 2017, we enrolled 1181 patients. 78 patients were considered non-evaluable, because they were retrospectively identified as not meeting inclusion criteria, did not start fluoropyrimidine-based treatment, or were homozygous or compound heterozygous DPYD variant allele carriers. Of 1103 evaluable patients, 85 (8%) were heterozygous DPYD variant allele carriers, and 1018 (92%) were DPYD wild-type patients. Overall, fluoropyrimidine-related severe toxicity was higher in DPYD variant carriers (33 [39%] of 85 patients) than in wild-type patients (231 [23%] of 1018 patients; p=0·0013). The RR for severe fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity was 1·31 (95% CI 0·63-2·73) for genotype-guided dosing compared with 2·87 (2·14-3·86) in the historical cohort for DPYD*2A carriers, no toxicity compared with 4·30 (2·10-8·80) in c.1679T>G carriers, 2·00 (1·19-3·34) compared with 3·11 (2·25-4·28) for c.2846A>T carriers, and 1·69 (1·18-2·42) compared with 1·72 (1·22-2·42) for c.1236G>A carriers. INTERPRETATION: Prospective DPYD genotyping was feasible in routine clinical practice, and DPYD genotype-based dose reductions improved patient safety of fluoropyrimidine treatment. For DPYD*2A and c.1679T>G carriers, a 50% initial dose reduction was adequate. For c.1236G>A and c.2846A>T carriers, a larger dose reduction of 50% (instead of 25%) requires investigation. Since fluoropyrimidines are among the most commonly used anticancer agents, these findings suggest that implementation of DPYD genotype-guided individualised dosing should be a new standard of care. FUNDING: Dutch Cancer Society.

Severe fluoropyrimidine toxicity due to novel and rare DPYD missense mutations, deletion and genomic amplification affecting DPD activity and mRNA splicing.

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Genetic variations in DPD have emerged as predictive risk factors for severe fluoropyrimidine toxicity. Here, we report novel and rare genetic variants underlying DPD deficiency in 9 cancer patients presenting with severe fluoropyrimidine-associated toxicity. All patients possessed a strongly reduced DPD activity, ranging from 9 to 53% of controls. Analysis of the DPD gene (DPYD) showed the presence of 21 variable sites including 4 novel and 4 very rare aberrations: 3 missense mutations, 2 splice-site mutations, 1 intronic mutation, a deletion of 21 nucleotides and a genomic amplification of exons 9-12. Two novel/rare variants (c.2843T>C, c.321+1G>A) were present in multiple, unrelated patients. Functional analysis of recombinantly-expressed DPD mutants carrying the p.I948T and p.G284V mutation showed residual DPD activities of 30% and 0.5%, respectively. Analysis of a DPD homology model indicated that the p.I948T and p.G284V mutations may affect electron transfer and the binding of FAD, respectively. cDNA analysis showed that the c.321+1G>A mutation in DPYD leads to skipping of exon 4 immediately upstream of the mutated splice-donor site in the process of DPD pre-mRNA splicing. A lethal toxicity in two DPD patients suggests that fluoropyrimidines combined with other therapies such as radiotherapy might be particularly toxic for DPD deficient patients. Our study advocates a more comprehensive genotyping approach combined with phenotyping strategies for upfront screening for DPD deficiency to ensure the safe administration of fluoropyrimidines.

The Effect of Tamoxifen Dose Increment in Patients With Impaired CYP2D6 Activity.

BACKGROUND: The effect of tamoxifen dose elevation on endoxifen serum concentration was investigated in patients with reduced CYP2D6 activity resulting from genetic variation and/or CYP2D6 inhibitor use. Additionally, baseline differences in endoxifen concentrations between the different CYP2D6 phenotypes were studied. METHODS: Patients, treated with tamoxifen 20 mg once daily (QD) for at least 4 weeks, were classified as phenotypic extensive (EM), intermediate (IM), or poor (PM) metabolizer based on their genotype and comedication. In patients with an IM or PM phenotype, the tamoxifen dose was increased to 40 mg QD for 4 weeks. Tamoxifen, 4-OH-tamoxifen, N-desmethyltamoxifen, and endoxifen serum concentrations were measured at baseline and 4 weeks after the dose increment. Side effects of tamoxifen were assessed using the validated Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Endocrine Symptom subscale (FACT-ESS-19). RESULTS: The median baseline endoxifen concentration differed between EMs (11.4 mcg/L: n = 19), IMs (8.3 mcg/L: n = 16), and PMs (4.0 mcg/L: n = 7), P = 0.040. Tamoxifen dose elevation significantly increased the median endoxifen concentrations in 12 IMs from 9.5 to 17.4 mcg/L (P < 0.001) and in 4 PMs from 3.8 to 7.8 mcg/L (P = 0.001), without influencing median FACT-ESS-19 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Raising the tamoxifen dose to 40 mg QD significantly increased endoxifen concentrations in IMs and PMs without increasing side effects. The tamoxifen dose increment in PMs was insufficient to reach endoxifen concentrations equal to those observed in EMs. Future studies will clarify the direct effect of endoxifen exposure on tamoxifen efficacy and may reveal a threshold endoxifen concentration that is critical for its efficacy.

CYP2D6 genotype in relation to hot flashes as tamoxifen side effect in a Dutch cohort of the tamoxifen exemestane adjuvant multinational (TEAM) trial.

In tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients the occurrence of hot flashes may be associated with effective estrogen receptor antagonism dependent on genetic variations of metabolic enzymes and the estrogen receptor. Early breast cancer patients who were randomized to receive tamoxifen, followed by exemestane within the tamoxifen exemestane adjuvant multinational trial were genotyped for five CYP2D6 alleles. CYP2D6 genotypes and phenotypes were related to the occurrence of hot flashes as adverse event during the first year of tamoxifen use (primary aim) and the time to the occurrence of hot flashes as AE during the complete time on tamoxifen (secondary aim). In addition, exploratory analyses on 22 genetic variants of other metabolic enzymes and two common polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor-1 were performed. No association was found between the CYP2D6 genotype/phenotype or any other genetic variant and hot flashes during the first year. Only higher age was related to a lower incidence of hot flashes in the first year (adjusted odds ratio 0.94, 95 % CI 0.92-0.96; p < 0.001). The ESR1 PvuII XbaI CG haplotype was associated with the time to the occurrence of hot flashes during the complete time on tamoxifen (CG/CG vs. CG/other + other/other: adjusted hazard ratio 0.49, 95 % CI 0.25-0.97; p = 0.04). In conclusion, the CYP2D6 genotypes and phenotypes were not associated with the occurrence of hot flashes. Common polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor-1 might predict hot flashes as common tamoxifen side effect, although this finding needs replication.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Endoxifen Serum Concentrations and Adjuvant Tamoxifen Efficacy in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients.

Tamoxifen is part of the standard of care of endocrine therapy for adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. However, survival outcomes with tamoxifen are highly variable. The concentration of endoxifen, the 30-100 times more potent metabolite of tamoxifen and bioactivated by the CYP2D6 enzyme, has been described as the most relevant metabolite of tamoxifen metabolism. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed with the objective to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with endoxifen serum concentration levels and clinical outcome in early-stage breast cancer patients receiving tamoxifen. A GWAS was conducted in 608 women of the CYPTAM study (NTR1509/PMID: 30120701). Germline DNA and clinical and survival characteristics were readily available. Genotyping was performed on Infinium Global Screening Array (686,082 markers) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) imputation by using 1000 Genomes. Relapse-free survival during tamoxifen (RFSt) was defined the primary clinical outcome. Endoxifen serum concentration was analyzed as a continuous variable. Several genetic variants reached genome-wide significance (P value: ≤5 × 10-8). Endoxifen concentrations analysis identified 430 variants, located in TCF20 and WBP2NL genes (chromosome 22), which are in strong linkage disequilibrium with CYP2D6 variants. In the RFSt analysis, several SNP were identified (LPP gene: rs77693286, HR 18.3, 95% CI: 15.2-21.1; rs6790761, OR 18.2, 95% CI: 15.5-21.1). Endoxifen concentrations have a strong association with the chromosome 22, which contains the CYP2D6 gene.

Model-Informed Development of a Cost-Saving Dosing Regimen for Sacituzumab Govitecan.

BACKGROUND: The antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan is approved for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and has shown promising results in various other types of cancer. Its costs may limit patient access to this novel effective treatment modality. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based rational dosing regimen that results in targeted drug exposure within the therapeutic range while minimizing financial toxicity, to improve treatment access. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Exposure equivalent dosing strategies were developed based on pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation by using the published pharmacokinetic model developed by the license holder. The alternative dose was based on the principle of using complete vials to prevent spillage and on the established non-linear relationship between body weight and systemic exposure. Equivalent exposure compared to the approved dosing regimen of 10 mg/kg was aimed for. Equivalent exposure was conservatively defined as calculated geometric mean ratios within the 0.9-1.11 boundaries for area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), trough concentration (Ctrough) and maximum concentration (Cmax) of the alternative dosing regimen compared to the approved dosing regimen. Since different vial sizes are available for the European Union (EU) and United States (US) market, because body weight distributions differ between these populations, we performed our analysis for both scenarios. RESULTS: Dosing regimens of sacituzumab govitecan for the EU (< 50 kg: 400 mg, 50-80 kg: 600 mg, and > 80 kg: 800 mg) and US population (< 40 kg: 360 mg, 40-65 kg: 540 mg, 65-90 kg: 720 mg, and > 90 kg: 900 mg) were developed, based on weight bands. The geometric mean ratios for all pharmacokinetic outcomes were within the predefined equivalence boundaries, while the quantity of drug used was 21.5% and 19.0% lower for the EU and US scenarios, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: With the alternative dosing proposal, an approximately 20% reduction in drug expenses for sacituzumab govitecan can be realized while maintaining an equivalent and more evenly distributed exposure throughout the body weight range, without notable increases in pharmacokinetic variability.

Serum testosterone measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is an independent predictor of response to castration in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although testosterone levels have been associated with progression-free survival (PFS) in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) patients, this has primarily been investigated using inaccurate immunoassays (IA). Here, we investigated whether castrate testosterone levels determined by a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay is an independent risk factor for treatment response in mHSPC. METHODS: In total, 106 mHSPC patients treated with luteinizing-hormone releasing-hormone (LHRH) agonists were retrospectively analyzed between March 2018 and August 2021. Testosterone levels in serum samples were quantitated using an LC-MS/MS assay. In a subset of patients, IA (Roche Cobas Pro) values were compared with LC-MS/MS results. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Median PFS was shorter for high testosterone levels (>0.231 nmol/L, 18.4 v. 42.6 months, HR 1.7, p = 0.018). Low testosterone levels and a PSA response below 4 ng/mL was associated with longer median PFS (46.2 months) than the remaining combinations (13.8-19.3 months, 3.4-5.8, overall p < 0.01). In 67 patients, testosterone levels below the median remained associated with longer PFS, whereas IA measurements did not show a similar difference. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that high castration testosterone levels measured by LC-MS/MS is an independent response predictor for mHSPC patients.

Predictive value of low testosterone concentrations during and prior to enzalutamide treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Enzalutamide is an effective treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. However, variances in responses are observed and there is a need for biomarkers predicting treatment outcome and selection. In this study, we aimed to explore the predictive value of testosterone for first-line enzalutamide treatment of mCRPC. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 72 mCRPC patients with no prior abiraterone or docetaxel treatment was performed. Serum testosterone was measured using a liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry method. Association of pre- and during-enzalutimide treatment testosterone levels with progression-free survival (PFS) and failure-free survival (FFS) was investigated using univariate and multivariate Cox models. Testosterone levels were dichotomized into a low (Q1) and high (interquartile range-Q4) group. RESULTS: Median PFS (7.4 v. 20.8 months, P<0.0001) and FFS (6.6 v. 17.7 months, P<0.0001) were shorter for patients with low testosterone levels (<0.217 nmol/L) during enzalutamide treatment. Furthermore, univariate Cox proportional hazards models revealed that low testosterone levels were associated with shorter PFS (HR 3.5, 95%CI 1.9-6.3; P<0.001) and FFS (HR 3.1, 95%CI 1.7-5.5; P<0.001). Pre-treatment testosterone levels were lower than during-treatment levels (P<0.0001) and low pre-treatment testosterone levels (<0.143 nmol/L) were associated with shorter median PFS (12.6 v. 20.5 months, P<0.01) and FFS (12.6 v. 22.5 months, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that low serum testosterone levels during and prior to enzalutamide treatment can predict progression in mCRPC patients and identifies tumors resistant to next-in-line enzalutamide treatment. Validation in a prospective cohort is warranted.

Phase 1 Study to Evaluate the Safety of Reducing the Prophylactic Dose of Dexamethasone around Docetaxel Infusion in Patients with Prostate and Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence that supports the registered high dose of dexamethasone used around docetaxel. However, this high dose is associated with considerable side effects. This study evaluates the feasibility of reducing the prophylactic oral dosage of dexamethasone around docetaxel infusion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate or breast cancer and had received at least three cycles of docetaxel as monotherapy or combination therapy. Prophylactic dexamethasone around docetaxel infusion was administered in a de-escalating order per cohort of patients. Primary endpoint was the occurrence of grade III/IV fluid retention and hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). RESULTS: Of the 46 enrolled patients, 39 were evaluable (prostate cancer (n = 25), breast cancer (n = 14). In patients with prostate cancer, the dosage of dexamethasone was reduced to a single dose of 4 mg; in patients with breast cancer, the dosage was reduced to a 3-day schedule of 4 mg-8 mg-4 mg once daily, after which no further reduction has been tested. None of the 39 patients developed grade III/IV fluid retention or HSR. One patient (2.6%) had a grade 1 HSR, and there were six patients (15.4%) with grade I or II edema. There were no differences in quality of life (QoL) between cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that the prophylactic dose of dexamethasone around docetaxel infusion can be safely reduced with respect to the occurrence of grade III/IV HSRs or the fluid retention syndrome.

Real-world data of HER2-low metastatic breast cancer: A population based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: With the introduction of investigational human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeting treatments, thorough understanding of breast cancer with different HER2 expression levels is critical. The aim of this study was to compare clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer according to the level of HER2 expression. METHODS: Women with distant metastatic breast cancer during 2008-2016 were selected from PALGA, the Dutch Pathology Registry, and linked to the PHARMO Database Network. Breast cancer samples were categorised as HER2 immunohistochemistry score 0 (IHC0), HER2-low or HER2+. RESULTS: Among women with hormone receptor (HR) positive metastatic breast cancer (n = 989), 373 (38%) cancers were HER2 IHC0, 472 (48%) were HER2-low and 144 (15%) were HER2+. Among HR negative patients (n = 272), the proportion of HER2 IHC0, HER2-low and HER2+ was 110 (40%), 104 (38%) and 58 (21%) respectively. Within the HR + cohort, patients with HER2 IHC0 or HER2-low cancer were significantly older compared to HER2+ patients. This age difference was not seen in the HR-cohort. The localisation of distant metastases differed significantly between HER2 IHC0 or HER2-low versus HER2+ cases. Survival rates did not differ markedly by subtypes. CONCLUSION: Substantial proportion of patients had a HER2-low breast cancer. No clear differences in survival were found when comparing HER2 and HR status. Getting more granular insights in the level of HER2 expression and addressing HER2-low as a separate category could help to assess the impact of emerging treatment strategies. Therefore, more detailed information on HER2 expression should be routinely reported.

Integrated analysis of pain, health-related quality of life, and analgesic use in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with Radium-223.

BACKGROUND: Radium-223 (Ra-223), an alpha-emitting radiopharmaceutical, established an improved overall survival and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. However, effects on pain were not specifically evaluated. Here we assess integrated HRQoL, pain, and opioid use in a contemporary, more extensively pretreated, symptomatic and asymptomatic mCRPC population. METHODS: mCRPC patients scheduled for Ra-223 treatment were included and analyzed for HRQoL, pain, and opioid use, using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) and Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF) questionnaires and recording of opioid use and dosage, respectively. Primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients experiencing a complete pain response (score of 0 on the BPI-SF Worst pain item and no increase in daily use of analgesics). A complete or partial pain response (better BPI-SF score and decrease in opioid use) and a better or no change in HRQoL was evaluated as an integrated overall clinical response (IOCR). Secondary endpoints included the time to pain progression (TPP) and Total FACT-P deterioration (TTFD), defined as time from first Ra-223 treatment to clinical meaningful increase in BPI-SF Worst pain item score and Total FACT-P score, respectively. RESULTS: This registry included 300 patients, of whom 105 (35%) were evaluable for FACT-P and BPI-SF during Ra-223 treatment. Forty-five (43%) patients had pain at baseline (PAB) (BPI-SF Worst pain score 5-10 points) and 60 (57%) had no pain at baseline (no-PAB) (BPI-SF Worst pain score 0-4 points). Complete pain response was achieved in 31.4% of the patients, while 58% had an IOCR. The median TTP and TTFD were 5.6 and 5.7 months, respectively, while the difference between PAB and no-PAB patients was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In contemporary, extensively pretreated mCRPC patients, Ra-223 treatment induced complete pain responses while integrated analysis of HRQoL, pain response, and opioid use demonstrated that the majority of patients derive clinical benefit.

Daily Oral Ibandronate With Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Postmenopausal Women With Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer (BOOG 2006-04): Randomized Phase III TEAM-IIB Trial.

PURPOSE: For postmenopausal patients with breast cancer, previous subgroup analyses have shown a modest benefit from adjuvant bisphosphonate treatment. However, the efficacy of oral nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates such as ibandronate is unclear in this setting. TEAM-IIB investigates adjuvant ibandronate in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. METHODS: TEAM-IIB is a randomized, open-label, multicenter phase III study. Postmenopausal women with stage I-III ER+ breast cancer and an indication for adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) were randomly assigned 1:1 to 5 years of ET with or without oral ibandronate 50 mg once daily for 3 years. Major ineligibility criteria were bilateral breast cancer, active gastroesophageal problems, and health conditions that might interfere with study treatment. Primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS), analyzed in the intention-to-treat population. RESULTS: Between February 1, 2007, and May 27, 2014, 1,116 patients were enrolled, 565 to ET with ibandronate (ibandronate arm) and 551 to ET alone (control arm). Median follow-up was 8.5 years. DFS was not significantly different between the ibandronate and control arms (HR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.24; log-rank P = .811). Three years after random assignment, DFS was 94% in the ibandronate arm and 91% in the control arm. Five years after random assignment, this was 89% and 86%, respectively. In the ibandronate arm, 97/565 (17%) of patients stopped ibandronate early because of adverse events. Significantly more patients experienced GI issues, mainly dyspepsia, in the ibandronate arm than in the control arm (89 [16%] and 54 [10%], respectively; P < .003). Eleven patients in the ibandronate arm developed osteonecrosis of the jaw. CONCLUSION: In postmenopausal women with ER+ breast cancer, adjuvant ibandronate 50 mg once daily does not improve DFS and should not be recommended as part of standard treatment regimens.

Simultaneous analysis of E1 and E2 by LC-MS/MS in healthy volunteers: estimation of reference intervals and comparison with a conventional E2 immunoassay.

Monitoring estrogen levels, especially estradiol (E2), is amongst others important for determining menopausal status and guidance of breast cancer treatment. We validated a serum E2 and estrone (E1) liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry assay (LC-MS/MS) suitable for quantitation in human subjects. In addition, we compared our method with an E2 immunoassay (IA) and established preliminary reference values. Validation parameters were within the predetermined acceptance criteria. Assay linearity ranges were 4-1500 pmol/L for E1 and 4-2500 pmol/L for E2. Imprecision ranged from 7.4 to 9.6%. The lower limit of quantitation for E2 (8.0 pmol/L) was 11.4 times lower than the IA. The method comparison revealed differences in E2 quantitation up to 155% between both methods. The method allowed quantitation of E1 in all healthy volunteers, while E2 could not be detected in 95% versus 40% of the post-menopausal women using IA and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Male, pre-, peri- and postmenopausal female reference values were estimated. An LC-MS/MS based method combining E1 and E2 analysis was validated with superior E2 analytical sensitivity when compared to the IA.

RNA Biomarkers as a Response Measure for Survival in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Treatment evaluation in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer is challenging. There is an urgent need for biomarkers to discriminate short-term survivors from long-term survivors, shortly after treatment initiation. Thereto, the added value of early RNA biomarkers on predicting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were explored. The RNA biomarkers: KLK3 mRNA, miR-375, miR-3687, and NAALADL2-AS2 were measured in 93 patients with mCRPC, before and 1 month after start of first-line abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide treatment, in two prospective clinical trials. The added value of the biomarkers to standard clinical parameters in predicting PFS and OS was tested by Harell's C-index. To test whether the biomarkers were independent markers of PFS and OS, multivariate Cox regression was used. The best prediction model for PFS and OS was formed by adding miR-375 and KLK3 (at baseline and 1 month) to standard clinical parameters. Baseline miR-375 and detectable KLK3 after 1 month of therapy were independently related to shorter PFS, which was not observed for OS. In conclusion, the addition of KLK3 and miR-375 (at baseline and 1 month) to standard clinical parameters resulted in the best prediction model for survival assessment.

Clinical implications of CYP2D6 genotyping in tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer.

In October 2006 the Food and Drug Administration recommended an update in the tamoxifen label to reflect the increased risk of recurrence in breast cancer patients who are cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) poor metabolizers. This recommendation was based on only a few studies at that time. More clinical studies addressing the relation between the CYP2D6 genotype and tamoxifen efficacy have been published since, mostly describing Caucasian populations in the adjuvant treatment setting. An updated analysis of the literature is presented. Furthermore, the possibility to implement CYP2D6 genotyping in clinical practice is evaluated by analyzing the results of six studies on mainly Caucasian patients using adjuvant tamoxifen. Three studies were consistent with the FDA advice, but the three other studies showed contradictory results. Although some of the published criticism on the negative studies is justified, this does not imply that these results should be discarded. The reviewed literature is put in perspective acknowledging the limiting effect of Mendelian randomization on confounding and the limitations of the various study designs. The current accumulation of data showing worse clinical outcome in patients with decreased CYP2D6 metabolism in other types of populations still indicates that the CYP2D6 genotype may well become a clinically relevant predictive marker. The CYP2D6 genotype might be one of the first predictors of therapeutic response in cancer care based on germline DNA creating the possibility to analyze blood instead of tumor.