Circulating tumor DNA association with residual cancer burden after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer in TBCRC 030.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and its association with residual cancer burden (RCB) using an ultrasensitive assay in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified responders (RCB 0/1) and matched non-responders (RCB 2/3) from the phase II TBCRC 030 prospective study of neoadjuvant paclitaxel versus cisplatin in TNBC. We collected plasma samples at baseline, 3 weeks and 12 weeks (end of therapy). We created personalized ctDNA assays utilizing MAESTRO mutation enrichment sequencing. We explored associations between ctDNA and RCB status and disease recurrence. RESULTS: Of 139 patients, 68 had complete samples and no additional neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-two were responders and 19 of those had sufficient tissue for whole-genome sequencing. We identified an additional 19 non-responders for a matched case-control analysis of 38 patients using a MAESTRO ctDNA assay tracking 319-1000 variants (median 1000 variants) to 114 plasma samples from 3 timepoints. Overall, ctDNA positivity was 100% at baseline, 79% at week 3 and 55% at week 12. Median tumor fraction (TFx) was 3.7 × 10-4 (range 7.9 × 10-7-4.9 × 10-1). TFx decreased 285-fold from baseline to week 3 in responders and 24-fold in non-responders. Week 12 ctDNA clearance correlated with RCB: clearance was observed in 10 of 11 patients with RCB 0, 3 of 8 with RCB 1, 4 of 15 with RCB 2 and 0 of 4 with RCB 3. Among six patients with known recurrence, five had persistent ctDNA at week 12. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for TNBC reduced ctDNA TFx by 285-fold in responders and 24-fold in non-responders. In 58% (22/38) of patients, ctDNA TFx dropped below the detection level of a commercially available test, emphasizing the need for sensitive tests. Additional studies will determine whether ctDNA-guided approaches can improve outcomes.

TBCRC 030: a phase II study of preoperative cisplatin versus paclitaxel in triple-negative breast cancer: evaluating the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) biomarker.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin and paclitaxel are active in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Despite different mechanisms of action, effective predictive biomarkers to preferentially inform drug selection have not been identified. The homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) assay (Myriad Genetics, Inc.) detects impaired double-strand DNA break repair and may identify patients with BRCA1/2-proficient tumors that are sensitive to DNA-targeting therapy. The primary objective of TBCRC 030 was to detect an association of HRD with pathologic response [residual cancer burden (RCB)-0/1] to single-agent cisplatin or paclitaxel. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective phase II study enrolled patients with germline BRCA1/2 wild-type/unknown stage I-III TNBC in a 12-week randomized study of preoperative cisplatin or paclitaxel. The HRD assay was carried out on baseline tissue; positive HRD was defined as a score ≥33. Crossover to an alternative chemotherapy was offered if there was inadequate response. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine patients were evaluable for response, including 88 (63.3%) who had surgery at 12 weeks and 51 (36.7%) who crossed over to an alternative provider-selected preoperative chemotherapy regimen due to inadequate clinical response. HRD results were available for 104 tumors (74.8%) and 74 (71.1%) were HRD positive. The RCB-0/1 rate was 26.4% with cisplatin and 22.3% with paclitaxel. No significant association was observed between HRD score and RCB response to either cisplatin [odds ratio (OR) for RCB-0/1 if HRD positive 2.22 (95% CI: 0.39-23.68)] or paclitaxel [OR for RCB-0/1 if HRD positive 0.90 (95% CI: 0.19-4.95)]. There was no evidence of an interaction between HRD and pathologic response to chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective preoperative trial in TNBC, HRD was not predictive of pathologic response. Tumors were similarly responsive to preoperative paclitaxel or cisplatin chemotherapy.

A combinatorial biomarker predicts pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant lapatinib and trastuzumab without chemotherapy in patients with HER2+ breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: HER2-positive (+) breast cancers, defined by HER2 overexpression and/or amplification, are often addicted to HER2 to maintain their malignant phenotype. Yet, some HER2+ tumors do not benefit from anti-HER2 therapy. We hypothesize that HER2 amplification levels and PI3K pathway activation are key determinants of response to HER2-targeted treatments without chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Baseline HER2+ tumors from patients treated with neoadjuvant lapatinib plus trastuzumab [with endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor (ER)+ tumors] in TBCRC006 (NCT00548184) were evaluated in a central laboratory for HER2 amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) (n = 56). HER2 copy number (CN) and FISH ratios, and PI3K pathway status, defined by PIK3CA mutations or PTEN levels by immunohistochemistry were available for 41 tumors. Results were correlated with pathologic complete response (pCR; no residual invasive tumor in breast). RESULTS: Thirteen of the 56 patients (23%) achieved pCR. None of the 11 patients with HER2 ratio <4 and/or CN <10 achieved pCR, whereas 13/45 patients (29%) with HER2 ratio ≥4 and/or CN ≥10 attained pCR (P = 0.0513). Of the 18 patients with tumors expressing high PTEN or wild-type (WT) PIK3CA (intact PI3K pathway), 7 (39%) achieved pCR, compared with 1/23 (4%) with PI3K pathway alterations (P = 0.0133). Seven of the 16 patients (44%) with HER2 ratio ≥4 and intact PI3K pathway achieved pCR, whereas only 1/25 (4%) patients not meeting these criteria achieved pCR (P = 0.0031). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that there is a clinical subtype in breast cancer with high HER2 amplification and intact PI3K pathway that is especially sensitive to HER2-targeted therapies without chemotherapy. A combination of HER2 FISH ratio and PI3K pathway status warrants validation to identify patients who may be treated with HER2-targeted therapy without chemotherapy.

Effects of a green tea extract, Polyphenon E, on systemic biomarkers of growth factor signalling in women with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Observational and experimental data support a potential breast cancer chemopreventive effect of green tea. METHODS: We conducted an ancillary study using archived blood/urine from a phase IB randomised, placebo-controlled dose escalation trial of an oral green tea extract, Polyphenon E (Poly E), in breast cancer patients. Using an adaptive trial design, women with stage I-III breast cancer who completed adjuvant treatment were randomised to Poly E 400 mg (n = 16), 600 mg (n = 11) and 800 mg (n = 3) twice daily or matching placebo (n = 10) for 6 months. Blood and urine collection occurred at baseline, and at 2, 4 and 6 months. Biological endpoints included growth factor [serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)], lipid (serum cholesterol, triglycerides), oxidative damage and inflammatory biomarkers. RESULTS: From July 2007-August 2009, 40 women were enrolled and 34 (26 Poly E, eight placebo) were evaluable for biomarker endpoints. At 2 months, the Poly E group (all dose levels combined) compared to placebo had a significant decrease in mean serum HGF levels (-12.7% versus +6.3%, P = 0.04). This trend persisted at 4 and 6 months but was no longer statistically significant. For the Poly E group, serum VEGF decreased by 11.5% at 2 months (P = 0.02) and 13.9% at 4 months (P = 0.05) but did not differ compared to placebo. At 2 months, there was a trend toward a decrease in serum cholesterol with Poly E (P = 0.08). No significant differences were observed for other biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest potential mechanistic actions of tea polyphenols in growth factor signalling, angiogenesis and lipid metabolism.

Clinical and biologic features of triple-negative breast cancers in a large cohort of patients with long-term follow-up.

Studies on well characterized, large populations of estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PgR)/HER2-negative [triple-negative (TN)] breast cancer (BC) patients with long-term follow-up are lacking. In this study, we analyze clinical outcomes of TN BC and implications of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. Clinical and biologic features, time to first recurrence (TTFR), and overall survival (OS) were compared in 253 TN versus 1,036 ER positive, PgR positive, HER2-negative [estrogen-driven (ED)] BC. Compared to ED, TN tumors were larger (p = 0.02), more proliferative (high S-phase 54 vs. 17 %, p < 0.0001), more aneuploid (64 vs. 43 %, p < 0.0001) and more likely EGFR positive (≥10 fmol/mg by radioligand-binding assay, 49 vs. 7 %, p < 0.0001). Among TN, EGFR-positive BC were larger (p = 0.0018), more proliferative (p < 0.0001), and more aneuploid, (p < 0.0001) than EGFR-negative BC. Adjuvant-treated TN patients had shorter TTFR (p = 0.0003), and OS (p = 0.0017), than ED patients. However, in untreated patients, no differences in TTFR and OS were observed at 8 years median follow-up. Among TN patients, EGFR expression was not associated with worse outcome. TN tumors have a worse outcome in systemically treated patients but not in untreated patients. EGFR expression, does not predict for worse long-term survival.

DNA repair signature is associated with anthracycline response in triple negative breast cancer patients.

We hypothesized that a subset of sporadic triple negative (TN) breast cancer patients whose tumors have defective DNA repair similar to BRCA1-associated tumors are more likely to exhibit up-regulation of DNA repair-related genes, anthracycline-sensitivity, and taxane-resistance. We derived a defective DNA repair gene expression signature of 334 genes by applying a previously published BRCA1-associated expression pattern to three datasets of sporadic TN breast cancers. We confirmed a subset of 69 of the most differentially expressed genes by quantitative RT-PCR, using a low density custom array (LDA). Next, we tested the association of this DNA repair microarray signature expression with pathologic response in neoadjuvant anthracycline trials of FEC (n = 50) and AC (n = 16), or taxane-based TET chemotherapy (n = 39). Finally, we collected paraffin-fixed, formalin-embedded biopsies from TN patients who had received neoadjuvant AC (n = 28), and tested the utility of the LDA to discriminate response. Correlation between RNA expression measured by the microarrays and 69-gene LDA was ascertained. This defective DNA repair microarray gene expression pattern was significantly associated with anthracycline response and taxane resistance, with the area under the ordinary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.61 (95% CI = 0.45-0.77), and 0.65 (95% CI = 0.46-0.85), respectively. From the FFPE samples, the 69-gene LDA could discriminate AC responders, with AUC of 0.79 (95% CI = 0.59-0.98). In conclusion, a promising defective DNA repair gene expression signature appears to differentiate TN breast cancers that are sensitive to anthracyclines and resistant to taxane-based chemotherapy, and should be tested in clinical trials with other DNA-damaging agents and PARP-1 inhibitors.

Transrectal ultrasound versus magnetic resonance imaging in the estimation of prostatic volume.

OBJECTIVE: To establish which method of determining prostatic volume (transrectal ultrasound [TRUS] or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and which calculation formula give the most exact and least variable results; to determine the size and the source of the variability: and to establish which method is the more sensitive to drug-induced changes in prostate volume. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prostatic size was estimated by TRUS and MRI in 21 patients treated medically (either active treatment or placebo) for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Each patient was examined at baseline, and after 3 months and 6 months of treatment. Prostatic volume was calculated at every visit using different formulae proposed in the literature. RESULTS: With some of these formulae, including the classical ellipsoid formula, there was a strong correlation (r > 0.8) between TRUS and MRI volume estimates. For others the correlation was much weaker, suggesting unreliability. MRI gave a significantly larger volume than TRUS because of larger values for the cephalocaudal and anteroposterior diameters. For patients on placebo the visit-to-visit variability of the prostate volume was 10-12% of the mean volume, whether calculated by TRUS or MRI. Part of this variability was apparently due to natural variation of prostate size. CONCLUSION: The classical ellipsoid formula is adequate for determining prostate volume. MRI and TRUS give different volumes. Visit-to-visit variability is similar for both methods and is partly due to real, natural variation. MRI is better able than TRUS to detect drug-induced changes in prostate volume.

Retention of urine in females: causes and management.

Retention of urine in the female results from various medical, surgical and gynaecological causes, but is often thought to be due to psychological disturbances. In order to find out the causes of urinary retention in females in our own population and the results of its management, we conducted a retrospective study on 30 female patients with retention of urine, seen at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, over a five year period. Only six (20%) patients were found to have psychological disturbances. Out of the 30 patients, 27 were available for follow-up. In those patients followed up, a success rate of over 85% was achieved through using clean intermittent catheterization with or without pharmacological treatment, either in regaining complete bladder function or in overcoming this clinical problem.

Blind ending branch of duplicate ureter associated with urolithiasis of contra-lateral kidney: case report and review of literature.

We report a case of a blind-ending branch of a duplicated ureter associated with obstruction and urolithiasis of the contra-lateral kidney. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such association. Review of the literature indicated that the former part of the association has been reported previously, although infrequently.