Efficacy of Anti-HER2 Agents in Combination With Adjuvant or Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Early and Locally Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several (neo)adjuvant treatments for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have been compared in different randomized clinical trials. Since it is not feasible to conduct adequate pairwise comparative trials of all these therapeutic options, network meta-analysis offers an opportunity for more detailed inference for evidence-based therapy. METHODS: Phase II/III randomized clinical trials comparing two or more different (neo)adjuvant treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer patients were included. Relative treatment effects were pooled in two separate network meta-analyses for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: 17 clinical trials met our eligibility criteria. Two different networks of trials were created based on the availability of the outcomes: OS network (15 trials: 37,837 patients); and DFS network (17 trials: 40,992 patients). Two studies-the ExteNET and the NeoSphere trials-were included only in this DFS network because OS data have not yet been reported. The concept of the dual anti-HER2 blockade proved to be the best option in terms of OS and DFS. Chemotherapy (CT) plus trastuzumab (T) and lapatinib (L) and CT + T + Pertuzumab (P) are probably the best treatment options in terms of OS, with 62.47% and 22.06%, respectively. In the DFS network, CT + T + Neratinib (N) was the best treatment option with 50.55%, followed by CT + T + P (26.59%) and CT + T + L (20.62%). CONCLUSION: This network meta-analysis suggests that dual anti-HER2 blockade with trastuzumab plus either lapatinib or pertuzumab are probably the best treatment options in the (neo)adjuvant setting for HER2-positive breast cancer patients in terms of OS gain. Mature OS results are still expected for the Aphinity trial and for the sequential use of trastuzumab followed by neratinib, the treatment that showed the best performance in terms of DFS in our analysis.

Access to care issues adversely affect breast cancer patients in Mexico: oncologists' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Despite recently implemented access to care programs, Mexican breast cancer (BC) mortality rates remain substantially above those in the US. We conducted a survey among Mexican Oncologists to determine whether practice patterns may be responsible for these differences. METHODS: A web-based survey was sent to 851 oncologists across Mexico using the Vanderbilt University REDCap database. Analyses of outcomes are reported using exact and binomial confidence bounds and tests. RESULTS: 138 participants (18.6% of those surveyed) from the National capital and 26 Mexican states, responded. Respondents reported that 58% of newly diagnosed BC patients present with stage III-IV disease; 63% undergo mastectomy, 52% axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and 48% sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Chemotherapy is recommended for tumors > 1 cm (89%), positive nodes (86.5%), triple-negative (TN) (80%) and HER2 positive tumors (58%). Trastuzumab is prescribed in 54.3% and 77.5% for HER2 < 1 cm and > 1 cm tumors, respectively. Tamoxifen is indicated for premenopausal hormone receptor (HR) positive tumors in 86.5% of cases and aromatase inhibitors (AI's) for postmenopausal in 86%. 24% of physicians reported treatment limitations, due to delayed or incomplete pathology reports and delayed or limited access to medications. CONCLUSIONS: Even though access to care programs have been recently applied nationwide, women commonly present with advanced BC, leading to increased rates of mastectomy and ALND. Mexican physicians are dissatisfied with access to appropriate medical care. Our survey detects specific barriers that may impact BC outcomes in Mexico and warrant further investigation.

Outcomes of breast cancer in Brazil related to health care coverage: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in Brazil. Differences between patients with public versus private healthcare coverage about general characteristics, disease presentation, treatment of primary tumors, and clinical outcomes have not been fully investigated. METHODS: A national, retrospective cohort of 3,142 patients drawn from a representative sample of Brazilian medical centers was selected. Clinical and demographic data and type of healthcare coverage were retrieved by chart review. Groups were compared using the χ(2) test. The log-rank test was used for comparison of disease-free survival (DFS), postrelapse, and overall survival (OS). Multivariate Cox regression modeling with adjustment for patient characteristics and stage at diagnosis was performed. All P values are two sided. RESULTS: Patients with public health coverage presented with more advanced disease at diagnosis (P < 0.001). DFS and OS for patients presenting with stage 0-II disease did not differ according to the type of healthcare coverage, whereas a significant difference in outcomes was seen for stage III-IV patients (P = 0.002 and P = 0.008, respectively). In a Cox multivariate analysis, no association was found for the type of health coverage with either DFS or OS, but there was an association for postrelapse survival (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In Brazil, patients with breast cancer with public health coverage present with more advanced disease, and this possibly explains worse DFS and OS when compared with those with private coverage. IMPACT: Earlier diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer could improve outcomes of women with public health coverage in Brazil.

Breast cancer in Mexico: a growing challenge to health and the health system.

Breast cancer is a major public health issue in low-income and middle-income countries. In Mexico, incidence and mortality of breast cancer have risen in the past few decades. Changes in health-care policies in Mexico have incorporated programmes for access to early diagnosis and treatment of this disease. This Review outlines the status of breast cancer in Mexico, regarding demographics, access to care, and strategies to improve clinical outcomes. We identify factors that contribute to the existing disease burden, such as low mammography coverage, poor quality control, limited access to diagnosis and treatment, and insufficient physical and human resources for clinical care.

Breast cancer in Brazil: present status and future goals.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and 70% of breast cancer deaths occur in women from low-income and middle-income countries. Latin America has about 115,000 new cases of disease every year, with about 50,000 arising in Brazil. We examined the present status of breast cancer in Brazil as an example of the health effects of geographical, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversities on delivery of care. Our goal was to identify deficiencies that could be responsible for disparities in survival from breast cancer. We searched the English and Portuguese published work and reviewed national databases and Brazilian publications. Although the availability of publications specific to Brazil is low in general, we identified several factors that could account for disparities: delays in diagnosis due to low cancer awareness and implementation of mammography screening, unknown quality of surgery, and restricted access to radiotherapy and modern systemic therapies.