Results of an international survey on the current organization of care for pregnant women with cancer.

The global incidence of cancer is increasing, including its incidence in women of reproductive age. Still, physicians encounter this situation rarely, which could lead to substandard care. This research sought to explore opportunities to improve future care for pregnant women with cancer, by describing the outcomes of a survey distributed to physicians all over the world focusing on clinical experience with pregnant women with cancer, the organization of care and current gaps in knowledge. We included 249 responses from physicians working across 36 countries. Responses demonstrate a wide variation in the organization of care - generally lacking centralization, and the physicians' acknowledgement of insufficient knowledge on the management of pregnant women with cancer. There is a need for improvement through national centralization and/or establishing advisory boards for cancer in pregnancy. Seeing the paucity of cancer in pregnancy experience, the importance of global multidisciplinary collaboration is emphasized.

The prognostic impact of BMI in patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer: a study of the SONABRE registry.

PURPOSE: This study determines the prognostic impact of body mass index (BMI) in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced (i.e., metastatic) breast cancer (ABC). METHODS: All patients with HR+/HER2- ABC who received endocrine therapy +-a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor as first-given systemic therapy in 2007-2020 in the Netherlands were identified from the Southeast Netherlands Advanced Breast Cancer (SONABRE) registry (NCT03577197). Patients were categorised as underweight (BMI: < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), or obese (≥ 30.0 kg/m2). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between BMI classes using multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: This study included 1456 patients, of whom 35 (2%) were underweight, 580 (40%) normal weight, 479 (33%) overweight, and 362 (25%) obese. No differences in OS were observed between normal weight patients and respectively overweight (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.85-1.16; p = 0.93) and obese patients (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.88-1.24; p = 0.62). However, the OS of underweight patients (HR 1.45; 95% CI 0.97-2.15; p = 0.07) tended to be worse than the OS of normal weight patients. When compared with normal weight patients, the PFS was similar in underweight (HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.73-1.51; p = 0.81), overweight (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.79-1.03; p = 0.14), and obese patients (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.76-1.02; p = 0.10). CONCLUSION: In this study among 1456 patients with HR+/HER2- ABC, overweight and obesity were prevalent, whereas underweight was uncommon. When compared with normal weight, overweight and obesity were not associated with either OS or PFS. However, underweight seemed to be an adverse prognostic factor for OS.

Considerations of breast cancer survivors to return for embryo transfer after fertility preservation: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into the considerations of breast cancer survivors to return or not for embryo transfer after the use of fertility preservation. STUDY DESIGN: This is a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews. The interviews were planned until saturation of themes had been achieved. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Sixteen out of 35 approached women took part in this study. Interviews were conducted with women who had oocytes or embryos cryopreserved prior to breast cancer treatment at the Maastricht University Medical Center between 2008 and 2016. All women who had cryopreservation more than two years ago were invited for the interviews. Women who had recurrence of disease were excluded. In the interviews we hypothesized the situation 'suppose the menses would have been recovered completely' for women who still had chemotherapy-induced menopause or used an GnRH (Gonadotropin-releasing hormone) analogue. RESULTS: Most women had a strong intrinsic motivation to pursue natural conception over the use of earlier cryopreserved oocytes or embryos. Time pressure was the most mentioned consideration to use cryopreserved oocytes or embryos. The wish to use pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) in the presence of a germline BRCA1/2 mutation was another consideration to opt for embryo transfer. Furthermore, the physician's advice was an important motivation to choose for either natural conception or the use of cryopreserved oocytes or embryos. CONCLUSION: Multiple considerations influence women's decision making on the mode of conception after breast cancer. Although it concerned a single-center study in a highly-selected population, insight into these considerations can help physicians to address these important topics in counseling these women.

The prognostic and predictive effect of body mass index in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been associated with an adverse prognosis and reduced efficacy of endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC). This study determines the prognostic and predictive effect of body mass index (BMI) on the disease-free survival (DFS) of postmenopausal HR+ BC patients. METHODS: Patients were identified from the DATA study (NCT00301457), a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of 6 vs 3 years of anastrozole after 2 to 3 years of adjuvant tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with HR+ BC. Patients were classified as normal weight (BMI: 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2), or obese (≥30.0 kg/m2). The primary endpoint was DFS, evaluated from randomization (prognostic analyses) or 3 years after randomization onwards (predictive analyses; aDFS) using multivariable Cox regression analyses. P-values were 2-sided. RESULTS: This study included 678 normal weight, 712 overweight, and 391 obese patients. After a median follow-up of 13.1 years, overweight and obesity were identified as negative prognostic factors for DFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.97 to 1.38 and HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.54, respectively). The adverse prognostic effect of BMI was observed in women aged younger than 60 years, but not in women aged 60 years or older (P-interaction = .009). The effect of extended anastrozole on aDFS was similar in normal weight (HR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.74 to 1.35), overweight (HR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.98), and obese patients (HR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.69 to 1.36) (P-interaction = .24). CONCLUSION: In this study among 1781 HR+ BC patients, overweight and obesity were adverse prognostic factors for DFS. BMI did not impact the efficacy of extended anastrozole.

Extended adjuvant aromatase inhibition after sequential endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: follow-up analysis of the randomised phase 3 DATA trial.

Background: The DATA study evaluated the use of two different durations of anastrozole in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who were disease-free after 2-3 years of tamoxifen. We hereby present the follow-up analysis, which was performed after all patients reached a minimum follow-up of 10 years beyond treatment divergence. Methods: The open-label, randomised, phase 3 DATA study was performed in 79 hospitals in the Netherlands (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00301457). Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who were disease-free after 2-3 years of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment were assigned to either 3 or 6 years of anastrozole (1 mg orally once a day). Randomisation (1:1) was stratified by hormone receptor status, nodal status, HER2 status, and prior tamoxifen duration. The primary outcome was adapted disease-free survival, defined as disease-free survival from 3 years after randomisation onwards. Adapted overall survival was assessed as a secondary outcome. Analyses were performed according to the intention-to-treat design. Findings: Between June 28, 2006, and August 10, 2009, 1912 patients were randomly assigned to 3 years (n = 955) or 6 years (n = 957) of anastrozole. Of these, 1660 patients were eligible and disease-free at 3 years after randomisation. The 10-year adapted disease-free survival was 69.2% (95% CI 55.8-72.3) in the 6-year group (n = 827) and 66.0% (95% CI 62.5-69.2) in the 3-year group (n = 833) (hazard ratio (HR) 0.86; 95% CI 0.72-1.01; p = 0.073). The 10-year adapted overall survival was 80.9% (95% CI 77.9-83.5) in the 6-year group and 79.2% (95% CI 76.2-81.9) in the 3-year group (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.75-1.16; p = 0.53). Interpretation: Extended aromatase inhibition beyond 5 years of sequential endocrine therapy did not improve the adapted disease-free survival and adapted overall survival of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Funding: AstraZeneca.

Outcomes for the first four lines of therapy in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: results from the SONABRE registry.

PURPOSE: We assessed the systemic treatment choices and outcomes in patients diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive (HER2 +) advanced breast cancer (ABC), for the first four lines of systemic therapy and by hormone receptor (HR) status. METHODS: We identified 330 patients diagnosed with HER2 + ABC in 2013-2018 in the Southeast of The Netherlands, of whom 64% with HR + /HER2 + and 36% with HR-/HER2 + disease. Overall survival (OS) from start of therapy was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In real world, 95% of patients with HR + /HER2 + and 74% of patients with HR-/HER2 + disease received systemic therapy. In HR + /HER2 + disease, use of endocrine, chemo- and HER2-targeted therapy was , respectively, 64%, 46% and 60% in first line, and 39%, 64% and 75% in fourth line. In HR-/HER2 + disease, 91-96% of patients received chemotherapy and 77-91% HER2-targeted therapy, irrespective of line of therapy. In patients with HR + /HER2 + disease, median OS was 34.9 months (95%CI:25.8-44.0) for the first line and 12.8 months (95%CI:10.7-14.9) for the fourth line. In HR-/HER2 + disease, median OS was 39.9 months (95%CI:23.9-55.8) for the first line and 15.2 months (95%CI:10.9-19.5) for the fourth line. For patients treated with first-line pertuzumab, trastuzumab plus chemotherapy, median OS was not reached at 56.0 months in HR + /HER2 + disease and 48.4 months (95%CI:32.6-64.3) in HR-/HER2 + disease. CONCLUSION: Survival times for later lines of therapy are surprisingly long and justify the use of multiple lines of systemic therapy in well-selected patients with HER2 + ABC. Our real-world evidence adds valuable observations to the accumulating evidence that within HER2 + ABC, the HR status defines two distinct disease subtypes.

The initial hormone receptor/HER2 subtype is the main determinator of subtype discordance in advanced breast cancer: a study of the SONABRE registry.

PURPOSE: The hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are the main parameters in guiding systemic treatment choices in breast cancer, but can change during the disease course. This study aims to evaluate the biopsy rate and receptor subtype discordance rate in patients diagnosed with advanced breast cancer (ABC). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with ABC in seven hospitals in 2007-2018 were selected from the SOutheast Netherlands Advanced BREast cancer (SONABRE) registry. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors influencing biopsy and discordance rates. RESULTS: Overall, 60% of 2854 patients had a biopsy of a metastatic site at diagnosis. One of the factors associated with a reduced biopsy rate was the HR + /HER2 + primary tumor subtype (versus HR + /HER2- subtype: OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51-0.90). Among the 748 patients with a biopsy of the primary tumor and a metastatic site, the overall receptor discordance rate was 18%. This was the highest for the HR + /HER2 + primary tumor subtype, with 55%. In 624 patients with metachronous metastases, the HR + /HER2 + subtype remained the only predictor significantly related to a higher discordance rate, irrespective of prior (neo-)adjuvant therapies (OR = 7.49; 95% CI: 3.69-15.20). CONCLUSION: The HR + /HER2 + subtype has the highest discordance rate, but the lowest biopsy rate of all four receptor subtypes. Prior systemic therapy was not independently related to subtype discordance. This study highlights the importance of obtaining a biopsy of metastatic disease, especially in the HR + /HER2 + subtype to determine the most optimal treatment strategy.

Survival before and after the introduction of pertuzumab and T-DM1 in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, a study of the SONABRE Registry.

PURPOSE: Immediate and proper implementation of a new and more potent therapy is important to ensure that the patient achieves the best possible outcome. This study aimed to examine whether the real-world overall survival (OS) has improved in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2 +) advanced breast cancer (ABC) since the market release of pertuzumab and T-DM1. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the implementation and survival rates per hormone receptor (HR) subtype. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 493 systemically treated patients consecutively diagnosed with HER2 + ABC in 2008-2017 from the SOutheast Netherlands Advanced BREast cancer (SONABRE) Registry. Median OS was obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences between periods (2008-2012 versus 2013-2017) were tested using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. The 3-year implementation rates were estimated for any HER2-targeted therapy, pertuzumab, and T-DM1 by using the competing risk method and calculated from the date of diagnosis of ABC to start of HER2-targeted therapy of interest. RESULTS: The median OS in 2008-2012 versus 2013-2017 was 28.3 versus 39.7 months in all patients (adjusted hazard ratio (adjHR) 0.85, 95%CI 0.66-1.08), 29.9 versus 36.3 months in patients with HR + /HER2 + disease (adjHR 0.97, 95%CI 0.72-1.32), and 22.7 versus 40.9 months in patients with HR-/HER2 + disease (adjHR 0.59, 95%CI 0.38-0.92). Any HER2-targeted therapy was used in 79% of patients in 2008-2012 and in 84% in 2013-2017. The use of pertuzumab and T-DM1 in 2013-2017 was 48% and 29%, respectively. For patients diagnosed with HR + /HER2 + and HR-/HER2 + disease, implementation rates in 2013-2017 were , respectively, 77% and 99% for any HER2-targeted therapy, 38% and 69% for pertuzumab, and 24% and 40% for T-DM1. CONCLUSION: The survival of patients with HER2 + ABC improved since the introduction of pertuzumab and T-DM1. There is room for improvement in implementation of these HER2-targeted therapies, especially in patients with HR + /HER2 + disease.

Unraveling the Heterogeneity of Sarcoma Survivors' Health-Related Quality of Life Regarding Primary Sarcoma Location: Results from the SURVSARC Study.

Sarcoma patients experience physical and psychological symptoms, depending on age of onset, subtype, treatment, stage, and location of the sarcoma, which can adversely affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to unravel the heterogeneity of sarcoma survivors' HRQoL regarding primary sarcoma location. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Dutch sarcoma survivors (N = 1099) aged ≥18, diagnosed 2-10 years ago. Primary sarcoma locations were head and neck, chest, abdominal including retroperitoneal, pelvis including urogenital organs, axial skeleton, extremities (upper and lower), breast, skin and other locations. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-C30 was used to measure HRQoL accompanied by treatment-specific HRQoL questions. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Axial skeleton sarcomas had the lowest functioning levels and highest symptoms compared to other locations. Skin sarcomas had the highest functioning levels and lowest symptoms on most scales. Bone sarcomas scored worse on several HRQoL domains compared to soft tissue sarcomas. High prevalence of treatment-specific HRQoL issues were found per location. In conclusion, sarcomas can present everywhere, which is reflected by different HRQoL outcomes according to primary sarcoma location. The currently used HRQoL measure lacks treatment-specific questions and is too generic to capture all sarcoma-related issues, emphasizing the necessity for a comprehensive sarcoma-specific HRQoL measurement strategy.

Patient and diagnostic intervals of survivors of sarcoma: Results from the SURVSARC study.

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed with sarcoma are hypothesized to experience a prolonged route to a cancer diagnosis. This route, the total interval, can be divided into a patient interval (the time from the appearance of symptoms to physician consultation) and diagnostic interval (time from the first consultation to diagnosis). In the current study, the authors investigated these intervals among survivors of sarcoma and identified factors associated with prolonged intervals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with sarcoma 2 to 10 years after diagnosis. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their total interval, which was linked to clinical data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Descriptive statistics were used to describe intervals. Based on Dutch clinical guidelines, a diagnostic interval ≥1 month was considered to be prolonged and an interval ≥3 months was considered as very long. Multivariable regression analyses investigated associations between patient and tumor characteristics and interval length. RESULTS: A total of 1099 participants were included (response rate, 58%); approximately 60% reported a patient interval ≥1 month and 36% reported a patient interval ≥3 months. Risk factors for a very long patient interval were sarcoma of the skin or pelvis, liposarcoma, or rhabdomyosarcoma. Stage III disease was associated with a shorter patient interval. The diagnostic interval length was ≥1 month in 55% of patients and ≥3 months in 28% of patients. Risk factors for a very long diagnostic interval were female sex, age <70 years, or having a synovial sarcoma or chordoma. CONCLUSIONS: The patient and diagnostic interval lengths were prolonged in a substantial percentage of this sarcoma survivorship population. Factors found to be associated with the length of the patient interval or the diagnostic interval differed. Creating awareness among (especially young) patients to consult a physician and awareness among physicians to consider a sarcoma diagnosis will contribute to optimization of the total interval.

The Perceived Impact of Length of the Diagnostic Pathway Is Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life of Sarcoma Survivors: Results from the Dutch Nationwide SURVSARC Study.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoma patients often experience a long time to diagnosis, known as the total interval. This interval can be divided into the patient (time from symptoms to doctor consultation) and diagnostic intervals (time from first consultation to diagnosis). In other cancers, a long total interval has been associated with worse outcomes, but its effect on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has never been investigated among sarcoma patients. This study investigates the association between (1) the actual time to diagnosis and HRQoL; (2) the perceived impact of the diagnostic interval length and HRQoL; (3) the actual length and perceived impact of the length and the HRQoL of sarcoma survivors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among sarcoma patients aged ≥18, diagnosed 2-10 years ago in the Netherlands. The participants completed a questionnaire on HRQoL, the time to diagnosis, the perceived impact of the diagnostic interval on HRQoL, and coping. RESULTS: 1099 participants were included (response rate, 58%). The mean time since diagnosis was 67.4 months. More than half reported a patient (60%) or diagnostic interval (55%) ≥1 month. A third (31%) perceived a negative impact of the diagnostic interval length on HRQoL. Patient or diagnostic interval length was not associated with HRQoL. By contrast, participants perceiving a negative impact (32%) had lower HRQoL scores than those perceiving a positive (11%) or no impact (58%) (p = 0.000). This association remained significant in a multivariable model, in which maladaptive coping strategies and tumour characteristics were also found to be associated with HRQoL. Participants perceiving a negative impact of the length of the diagnostic interval related this to high psychological distress levels, more physical disabilities, and worse prognosis. CONCLUSION: The perceived impact of the diagnostic interval length was associated with the HRQoL of sarcoma survivors, whereas the actual length was not associated with HRQoL. Maladaptive coping strategies were independently associated with HRQoL. This offers opportunities for early intervention to improve HRQoL.

Preserving fertility in young women undergoing chemotherapy for early breast cancer; the Maastricht experience.

PURPOSE: We assessed the uptake of fertility preservation (FP), recovery of ovarian function (OFR) after chemotherapy, live birth after breast cancer, and breast cancer outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer. METHODS: Women aged below 41 years and referred to our center for FP counseling between 2008 and 2015 were included. Data on patient and tumor characteristics, ovarian function, cryopreservation (embryo/oocyte) and transfer, live birth, and disease-free survival were collected. Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed for time-to-event analyses including competing risk analyses, and patients with versus without FP were compared using the logrank test. RESULTS: Of 118 counseled women with a median age of 31 years (range 19-40), 34 (29%) chose FP. Women who chose FP had less often children, more often a male partner and more often favorable tumor characteristics. The 5-year OFR rate was 92% for the total group of counseled patients. In total, 26 women gave birth. The 5-year live birth rate was 27% for the total group of counseled patients. Only three women applied for transfer of their cryopreserved embryo(s), in two combined with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) because of BRCA1-mutation carrier ship. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 91% versus 88%, for patients with versus without FP (P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Remarkably, most women achieved OFR, probably related to the young age at diagnosis. Most pregnancies occurred spontaneously, two of three women applied for embryo transfer because of the opportunity to apply for PGD.

Efficacy of anastrozole after tamoxifen in early breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure.

The DATA study (NCT00301457) compared 6 and 3 years of anastrozole in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer after 2-3 years of tamoxifen. Patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure (CIOFF) were also eligible, but could be at risk of ovarian function recovery (OFR). The current analysis compared the survival of women with CIOFF with definitely postmenopausal women and examined the influence of OFR on survival. Therefore, we selected patients from the DATA study aged 45-57 years at randomization who had received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. They were classified by reversibility of postmenopausal status: possibly reversible in case of CIOFF (n = 395) versus definitely postmenopausal (n = 261). The former were monitored by E2 measurements for OFR. The occurrence of OFR was incorporated as a time-dependent covariate in a Cox-regression model for calculating the hazard ratio (HR). We used the landmark method to calculate residual 5-year survival rates. When comparing CIOFF women with definitely postmenopausal women, the survival was not different. Among CIOFF women with available E2 follow-up values (n = 329), experiencing OFR (n = 39) had an unfavorable impact on distant recurrence-free survival (HR 2.27 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98-5.25; p = 0.05] and overall survival (HR 2.61 [95% CI 1.11-6.13; p = 0.03]). After adjusting for tumor features, the HRs became 2.11 (95% CI 0.89-5.02; p = 0.09) and 2.24 (95% CI 0.92-5.45; p = 0.07), respectively. The residual 5-year rate for distant recurrence-free survival was 76.9% for women with OFR and 92.1% for women without OFR, and for 5-year overall survival 80.8% and 94.4%, respectively. Women with CIOFF receiving anastrozole may be at increased risk of disease recurrence if experiencing OFR.

Breast magnetic resonance imaging use in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with less mastectomies in large ductal cancers but not in lobular cancers.

BACKGROUND: To assess the impact of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use on surgical outcome per histological breast cancer subtype in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients aged 18-70 years who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage I-III invasive breast cancer in the Netherlands in the years 2011-2013 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients with cT4 tumours were excluded from the analysis. Use of breast MRI and impact on surgical treatment, resection margins and detection of contralateral breast cancer were analysed by multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Breast MRI was performed in 2879 (83.9%) out of 3433 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Younger age (odds ratio [OR] 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.71 for 18-50 years compared with 50-70 years), larger tumour stage (OR 1.46 [95% CI 1.15-1.86] for cT3, compared to cT1-2 tumours) and multifocality (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.04-1.61, versus unifocality) were associated with increased breast MRI use. In ductal breast cancer, after stratification for cT-status, breast MRI use is associated with a significant lower OR for mastectomy as final surgery in cT3 tumours (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21-0.99). Resection margin involvement and detection of contralateral breast cancer were not associated with breast MRI use. CONCLUSION: In patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the use of breast MRI was associated with a reduced mastectomy rate, particularly in patients with large invasive ductal breast tumours but not in patients with lobular breast cancer.

The correlation of age with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure in breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the incidence of chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure (COFF) based on estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) monitoring in premenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer treated with second and third generation (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: We identified 115 eligible women. Two years after start of chemotherapy, COFF was significantly more often present in women ≥ 40 years (85.6%) as compared to women < 40 years (8.7%). Only age was significantly associated with COFF two years after start of chemotherapy (HR 12.26; 95% CI 5.21-28.86). In 50% of the patients, premenopausal hormone levels were the first or only evidence of ovarian function recovery (OFR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included all premenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, with or without taxanes, in our university hospital in the Netherlands in the years 2005-2013. Patients were 3-monthly monitored for ovarian function. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the predictive impact of various parameters on the occurrence of COFF. CONCLUSIONS: After second- or third generation (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy, COFF was still present in 8.7% of patients < 40 years after two years. FSH and estradiol monitoring may be relevant for those in whom ovarian function suppression is considered an additional effective endocrine treatment.

Breast MRI increases the number of mastectomies for ductal cancers, but decreases them for lobular cancers.

PURPOSE: In this retrospective population-based cohort study, we analyzed breast MRI use and its impact on type of surgery, surgical margin involvement, and the diagnosis of contralateral breast cancer. METHODS: All Dutch patients with cT1-4N0-3M0 breast cancer diagnosed in 2011-2013 and treated with primary surgery were eligible for inclusion. Using multivariable analyses, we analyzed in different categories whether MRI use was related to surgery type, margin involvement, and diagnosis of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). RESULTS: MRI was performed in 10,740 out of 36,050 patients (29.8%). Patients with invasive ductal cancer undergoing MRI were more likely to undergo primary mastectomy than those without MRI (OR 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-1.39, p < 0.0001). Patients with invasive lobular cancer undergoing MRI were less likely to undergo primary mastectomy than those without MRI (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76-0.99, p = 0.0303). A significantly lower risk of positive surgical margins after breast-conserving surgery was only seen in patients with lobular cancer who had undergone MRI as compared to those without MRI (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.79, p = 0.0003) and, consequently, a lower risk of secondary mastectomy (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42-0.88, p = 0.0088). Patients who underwent MRI were almost four times more likely to be diagnosed with CBC (OR 3.55, 95% CI 3.01-4.17, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Breast MRI use was associated with a reduced number of mastectomies and less positive surgical margins in invasive lobular cancer, but with an increased number of mastectomies in ductal cancers. Breast MRI use was associated with a fourfold higher incidence of CBC.

Ovarian Function Recovery During Anastrozole in Breast Cancer Patients With Chemotherapy-Induced Ovarian Function Failure.

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are given as adjuvant therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women, also to those with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure. The current analysis reports on endocrine data of patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure who were included in the phase III DATA study assessing different durations of adjuvant anastrozole after tamoxifen. Methods: We identified all patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure. Women who underwent a bilateral ovariectomy or used luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists before random assignment were excluded. Plasma estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were monitored until 30 months after random assignment at local laboratories. We aimed to determine the ovarian function recovery (OFR) rate during AI use by the cumulative incidence competing risk method and analyzed the trend of estradiol levels during AI use by a nested case-control approach in which a subset of control subjects were compared with the OFR patients excluding the value at OFR diagnosis. Results: The 329 eligible patients had a median age of 50.0 years (range = 45-57 years) at random assignment. Thirty-nine patients developed OFR, corresponding with a 30-month recovery rate of 12.4%. Of these, 11 (28.2%) were age 50 years or older at AI initiation. The estradiol level decreased statistically significantly by 37.8% (95% CI = 27.4% to 46.7%) over the initial 30 months of AI treatment in both groups. However, the estradiol levels in the women who experienced OFR remained statistically significantly higher (difference = 20.6%, 95% CI = 2.0% to 42.7%) prior to OFR diagnosis compared with those who did not experience OFR. Conclusions: The risk of OFR during AI treatment in breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure is relevant, even beyond 45 years. Furthermore, women experiencing OFR had statistically significant higher estradiol levels during AI treatment (before OFR) than those without, with potential consequences regarding efficacy.