Risk factors for the development of triple-negative breast cancer versus non-triple-negative breast cancer: a case-control study.

The risk factors for breast cancer have been defined in several studies but there is deficient data for specific subtypes. We report here the pathological characteristics of a breast cancer cohort and risk factors for patients with triple-negative disease. In this case-control study, a prospective breast cancer cohort was evaluated for demographic, reproductive, obesity-related and other risk factors using a validated questionnaire. Tumors were characterized for routine pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical markers of basal-like breast cancer. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) constituted cases and those with non-TNBC were controls. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for each risk factor and independent associations were tested in an unconditional logistic regression analysis. Between 2011 and 2014, 1146 patients were recruited, of whom 912 [TNBC 266 (29.1%), non-TNBC 646 (70.9%)] with sufficient pathology material were analysed. Reproductive factors of parity, breastfeeding, age-at-menarche, age at first full-term pregnancy and oral contraceptive use were not significantly associated with TNBC. Higher body mass index (BMI > 24.9 vs ≤ 24.9, OR 0.89, 95%CI 0.63-1.24, p = 0.49) was not significantly associated while lesser waist circumference (> 80 cm vs ≤ 80 cm, OR 0.64, 95%CI 0.45-0.9, p = 0.012) and lower waist-to-hip ratio were significantly associated (> 0.85 vs ≤ 0.85, OR 0.72, 95%CI 0.51-1.0, p = 0.056), with TNBC. History of tobacco use was not significantly associated while lower socio-economic status was borderline associated with TNBC (socio-economic category > 5 versus ≤ 5, OR 0.73, 95%CI 0.50-1.06, p = 0.106). No factor was significant after adjustment for covariates. Central obesity seems to be preferentially associated with non-TNBC, and lower socio-economic status with TNBC in India, while most other conventional risk factors of breast cancer show no significant association with TNBC versus non-TNBC.

Survival outcomes with 12 weeks of adjuvant or neoadjuvant trastuzumab in breast cancer.

Background: There is limited access to 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab in resource-constrained settings. Most randomized studies have failed to prove non-inferiority of shorter durations of adjuvant trastuzumab compared to 1 year However, shorter durations are often used when 1 year is not financially viable. We report the outcomes with 12 weeks of trastuzumab administered as part of curative-intent treatment. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients treated at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, a tertiary care cancer center in India. Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-positive early or locally advanced breast cancer who received 12 weeks of adjuvant or neoadjuvant trastuzumab with paclitaxel and four cycles of an anthracycline-based regimen in either sequence, through a patient assistance program between January 2011 and December 2012, were analyzed for disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity. Results: A total of 102 patients were analyzed with a data cutoff in September 2019. The median follow-up was 72 months (range 6-90 months), the median age was 46 (24-65) years, 51 (50%) were postmenopausal, 37 (36%) were hormone receptor-positive, and 61 (60%) had stage-III disease. There were 37 DFS events and 26 had OS events. The 5-year DFS was 66% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 56-75%) and the OS was 76% (95% CI 67-85%), respectively. Cardiac dysfunction developed in 11 (10.7%) patients. Conclusion: The use of neoadjuvant or adjuvant 12-week trastuzumab-paclitaxel in sequence with four anthracycline-based regimens resulted in acceptable long-term outcomes in a group of patients, most of whom had advanced-stage nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Efficacy and safety of palbociclib and ribociclib in patients with estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive, HER2 receptor negative metastatic breast cancer in routine clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: There is scant data from India on efficacy and safety of palbociclib and ribociclib in routine clinical practice. METHODS: This retrospective, observational, single institution study included patients with estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative metastatic breast cancers, who received palbociclib or ribociclib with any partner endocrine therapy in any line of treatment between January 2016 and June 2019. Data were analyzed for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. RESULTS: The study included 101 female patients with median age of 57 (IQR 48-62) years, of whom 80 (79.2%) were postmenopausal, 79 (78.2%) received palbociclib or ribociclib in second- or later-line treatment, 59 (58.4%) received fulvestrant and 41 (40.6%) received an aromatase inhibitor. In first-line treatment, at a median follow-up of 21.7 (0.5-41.9) months, median PFS and OS were 21.1 (95%CI 16.36-not estimable) months and not reached, respectively. In second- or later-line setting, at a median follow-up of 17.2 (0.5-43.7) months, median PFS and OS were 5.98 (95%CI 4.96-7.89) months and 20.2 (95%CI 14.1-not estimable) months, respectively. Grade 3-4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were seen in 45 (45.0%) and 9 (9.0%) patients, respectively while dose reduction was required in 32 (31.7%) patients. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, first-line setting (HR 0.49, 95%CI 0.25-0.97, p = 0.043) and ECOG performance status 1 (HR 0.43, 95%CI 0.20-0.91, p = 0.028) were significantly associated with PFS while only ECOG PS 1 was significantly associated (HR 0.04, 95%CI 0.008-0.206, p = 0.000) with OS. CONCLUSION: Palbociclib and ribociclib, when used in routine clinical practice in first or subsequent lines of treatment, resulted in efficacy and toxicity outcomes in concordance with those expected from pivotal trials.

A Multicentre Observational Study on Risk Factors for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Indian women. There is scant data from Indian hospital-based populations on the prevalence of risk factors of this disease. We performed this study to quantify and analyze various epidemiological risk factors in Indian breast cancer patients. METHODS: This was a multicenter collaborative study wherein breast cancer patients older than 18 years were served a structured questionnaire after informed consent. Patients or their relatives were required to fill out the questionnaire and those who were unable to read and write were excluded. Data were abstracted from case record forms and variables were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: Between January 2015 and February 2016, 800 patients were screened, of whom 736 patients with a mean age of 50.13 years were enrolled in the study. The mean number of pregnancies was 2.75 (0-11), the number (percentage) of women who had breastfed for more than 6 months was 628 (85.3) and 406 (55.1%) patients were post-menopausal at the time of breast cancer diagnosis. Of the enrolled patients, 91 (12.8%) had history of exposure to passive smoke, 13 (1.8%) had partners who were heavy smokers, 27 (3.7%) had history of oral contraceptive use, 4 (0.5%) had history of hormone replacement therapy, and 103 (14%) had undergone hysterectomy with oophorectomy. CONCLUSION: Our study contributes to the descriptive prevalence of some known risk factors in Indian breast cancer patients.