Real-world progression-free survival and overall survival of palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (ET) in Japanese patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer in the first-line or second-line setting: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: A recent large real-world study conducted in the United States reported the effectiveness of palbociclib plus aromatase inhibitor in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC). However, local clinical practice and available medical treatment can vary between Japan and Western countries. Thus, it is important to investigate Japanese real-world data. This observational, multicenter study (NCT05399329) reports the interim analysis of effectiveness of palbociclib plus ET as first-line or second-line treatment for HR+/HER2- ABC by estimating real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (OS) in Japanese routine clinical practice. METHODS: Real-world clinical outcomes and treatment patterns of palbociclib plus ET were captured using a medical record review of patients diagnosed with HR+/HER2- ABC who had received palbociclib plus ET in the first-line or second-line treatment across 20 sites in Japan. The primary endpoint was rwPFS; secondary endpoints were OS, real-world overall response rate, real-world clinical benefit rate, and chemotherapy-free survival. RESULTS: Of the 677 eligible patients, 420 and 257 patients, respectively, had received palbociclib with ET as first-line and second-line treatments. Median rwPFS (95% confidence interval) was 24.5 months (19.9-29.4) for first-line and 14.5 months (10.2-19.0) for second-line treatment groups. Median OS was not reached in the first-line group and was 46.7 months (38.8-not estimated) for the second-line group. The 36-month OS rates for de novo metastasis, treatment-free interval (TFI) ≥ 12 months, and TFI < 12 months were 80.2% (69.1-87.7), 82.0% (70.7-89.3), and 66.0% (57.9-72.9), respectively. CONCLUSION: The addition of palbociclib to ET was effective for treating HR+/HER2- ABC in Japanese routine clinical practice.

Treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases and/or leptomeningeal disease (ROSET-BM).

Therapeutic options for breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BM)/leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC) are limited. Here, we report on the effectiveness and safety of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer patients with BM. Data were analyzed for 104 patients administered T-DXd. Overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), intracranial (IC)-ORR, and IC-PFS were evaluated. ORR by investigator assessment was 55.7% (total population). Median PFS was 16.1 months; 12-month OS rate was 74.9% (total population). Median time-to-treatment failure was 9.7 months. In 51 patients with BM imaging, IC-ORR and median IC-PFS by independent central review were 62.7% and 16.1 months, respectively. In 19 LMC patients, 12-month PFS and OS rates were 60.7% and 87.1%, respectively. T-DXd showed effectiveness regarding IC-ORR, IC-PFS, PFS, and OS in breast cancer patients with BM/active BM, and sustained systemic and central nervous system disease control in LMC patients.Trial Registration: UMIN000044995.

Dual inhibition of KIF11 and BCL2L1 induces apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) mostly depends on EGFR for survival and consequently responds well to EGFR inhibitors. However, resistance to the drugs develops almost universally during treatment. We previously demonstrated that EGFR-mutant LUAD cell lines, HCC827 and H1975, have subpopulations of cells, which we termed HCC827 GR2 and H1975 WR7 cells, that can thrive independently of EGFR signaling. These EGFR-independent EGFR-mutant cancer cells are difficult to treat because they lack sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors. Therefore, the development of novel strategies to target EGFR-independent EGFR-mutant LUAD is particularly important. We found that high expression of kinesin family member 11 (KIF11) correlated with poor survival in patients with LUAD. We also observed that KIF11 silencing caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M in HCC827 GR2 and H1975 WR7 cells. Furthermore, dual silencing of KIF11 plus BCL2L1, an anti-apoptotic BCL2 family member, in these two EGFR-independent sublines resulted in marked apoptosis levels. Dual inhibition of KIF11 plus BCL2L1 also induced apoptosis in HCC827 and H1975 parental cells and a KRAS-mutant LUAD cell line, H441. These findings collectively suggest that dual inhibition of KIF11 plus BCL2L1 may be a new approach for the treatment of LUAD.

Fulvestrant with or without anti-HER2 therapy in patients in a postmenopausal hormonal state and with ER-positive HER2-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer: A subgroup analysis of data from the Safari study (JBCRG-C06).

BACKGROUND: The role of endocrine therapy in the treatment of patients in a postmenopausal hormonal state and with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer (AMBC) is unclear. METHODS: We analyzed the data from 94 patients with ER-positive HER2-positive AMBC enrolled in the Safari study (UMIN000015168), a retrospective cohort study of 1072 ER-positive AMBC patients in a postmenopausal hormonal state who received fulvestrant 500 mg (F500): (1) to compare time to treatment failure (TTF) and overall survival (OS) by treatment group, and TTF by treatment line; (2) in patients who received endocrine therapy (including F500) or anti-HER2 therapy as initial systemic therapy before chemotherapy, to investigate relations between TTF for the first-line therapy or time to chemotherapy (TTC) and OS; (3) to investigate factors associated with OS. RESULTS: The TTF was longer in the patients treated with F500 as first- or second-line therapy (n = 20) than in those who received later-line F500 therapy (n = 74) (6.6 vs. 3.7 months; HR, 1.98; p = 0.014). In the 59 patients who received endocrine therapy or anti-HER2 therapy as initial systemic therapy before chemotherapy, those with TTC ≥3 years had longer median OS than those with TTC <3 years (10.5 vs. 5.9 years; HR, 0.32; p = 0.001). Longer TTC was associated with prolonged OS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ER-positive HER2-positive AMBC enrolled in the Safari study, TTF was longer in patients who received F500 as first- or second-line therapy. In patients who received chemotherapy-free initial systemic therapy, the prolonged OS in those with TTC ≥3 years suggests that this value may be a helpful cut-off for indicating clinical outcomes.

Junctional adhesion molecule 3 is a potential therapeutic target for small cell lung carcinoma.

There are few effective therapies for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC); thus, we need to develop novel and efficacious treatments. We hypothesized that an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) could be a promising option for SCLC. Several publicly available databases were used to demonstrate the extent to which junctional adhesion molecule 3 (JAM3) mRNA was expressed in SCLC and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines and tissues. Three SCLC cell lines, Lu-135, SBC-5, and Lu-134 A, were selected and examined for JAM3 protein expression by flow cytometry. Finally, we examined the response of the three SCLC cell lines to a conjugate between an anti-JAM3 monoclonal antibody HSL156 (developed in-house) and the recombinant protein DT3C, which consists of diphtheria toxin lacking the receptor-binding domain but containing the C1, C2, and C3 domains of streptococcal protein G. In silico analyses revealed that JAM3 mRNA was expressed higher in SCLC cell lines and tissues than in those of lung adenocarcinoma. As expected, all the three SCLC cell lines examined were positive for JAM3 at the mRNA and protein levels. Consequently, control SCLC cells, but not JAM3-silenced ones, were highly sensitive to HSL156-DT3C conjugates, resulting in dose- and time-dependent decreased viability. Finally, silencing JAM3 alone suppressed the growth of all SCLC cell lines examined. Taken together, these findings suggest that an ADC targeting JAM3 could represent a new approach to treating SCLC patients.

Histopathology of non-mass-like breast lesions on ultrasound.

There have been several investigations of non-mass-like (NML) lesions on ultrasound (US) since Uematsu first described this approach, and it is a relatively new concept for breast examination. However, the results have varied, and there have been only a few studies related to the detailed histopathology of NML lesions on US. Here, we review the histopathology of NML lesions. NML lesions are pathologically benign, atypical, or malignant. There are two major findings of NML lesions on US: architectural distortion and calcifications. Architectural distortion pathologically indicates a fibrous change with ductal proliferation, invasive breast carcinoma, and carcinoma in situ. Histopathologically, microcalcifications are seen in both benign and malignant lesions, and it is important to distinguish between these lesions among NML lesions, particularly fibrocystic changes including adenosis and hyperplasia in the case of benign lesions and carcinoma in situ (ductal and lobular) in the case of malignant lesions. The differential major points may be whether NML lesions are associated with abundant hyperechoic foci, which indicate comedo necrosis on histology. They are usually high-grade carcinoma in situ that may be positive for HER2 or triple negativity. A recent report indicated that low-grade carcinoma in situ showed better survival than higher-grade carcinoma in situ, which is often accompanied by comedo necrosis on histology, reflecting visible microcalcification on US. NML lesions are considered to include a certain rate of low-grade carcinoma in situ. Therefore, more caution may be needed when detecting and managing NML lesions to avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment as a result of this recent "low-risk ductal carcinoma in situ" concept.

Retrospective study on the effectiveness of medroxyprogesterone acetate in the treatment of ER-positive/HER2-negative post-menopausal advanced breast cancer: an additional analysis of the JBCRG-C06 Safari study.

BACKGROUND: Only old evidence exists to back up the use of medroxyprogesterone acetate. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the factors that influence the time to treatment failure of medroxyprogesterone acetate in real-world settings as late-line treatment. METHODS: This was a cohort study that used the database of the Safari study on oestrogen receptor-positive post-menopausal advanced breast cancer (UMIN000015168). We created Kaplan-Meier curves for time to treatment failure with medroxyprogesterone acetate. Further, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox hazard model of the clinicopathological factors involved in the time to treatment failure of medroxyprogesterone acetate. RESULTS: From the 1031 patients in the Safari study, 279 patients were selected as the population for the analysis of effectiveness of medroxyprogesterone acetate monotherapy. In the analysis of medroxyprogesterone acetate by treatment line, the median time to treatment failure was 3.0 months for third-line treatment and 4.1 months for fourth and subsequent treatment lines. In cases where medroxyprogesterone acetate was used as a third-line or later endocrine treatment, multivariate analysis showed that the length of the disease-free interval was correlated with the length of time to treatment failure of medroxyprogesterone acetate (P = 0.004). With medroxyprogesterone acetate monotherapy as the fourth-line or later treatment, 20% of the patients achieved a time to treatment failure of 12 months or longer. CONCLUSION: In actual clinical practice, patients treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate alone as the fourth or subsequent treatment lines showed a time to treatment failure of 4 months, suggesting that there is merit in using medroxyprogesterone acetate even in late treatment lines, especially in patients with long disease-free interval and those who are difficult to treat using other antineoplastic agents.

Adjuvant trastuzumab without chemotherapy for treating early HER2-positive breast cancer in older patients: A propensity score-adjusted analysis of a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To gauge the effects of treatment practices on prognosis for older patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, particularly to determine whether adjuvant trastuzumab alone can offer benefit over no adjuvant therapy. This is a prospective cohort study which accompanies the RESPECT that is a randomized-controlled trial (RCT). METHODS: Patients who declined the RCT were treated based on the physician's discretion. We studied the 1) trastuzumab-plus-chemotherapy group, 2) trastuzumab-monotherapy group, and 3) non-trastuzumab group (no therapy or anticancer therapy without trastuzumab). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), which was compared using the propensity-score method. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed. RESULTS: We enrolled 123 patients aged over 70 years (median: 74.5). Treatment categories were: trastuzumab-plus-chemotherapy group (n = 36, 30%), trastuzumab-monotherapy group (n = 52, 43%), and non-trastuzumab group (n = 32, 27%). The 3-year DFS was 96.7% in trastuzumab-plus-chemotherapy group, 89.2% in trastuzumab-monotherapy group, and 82.5% in non-trastuzumab group. DFS in non-trastuzumab group was lower than in trastuzumab-plus-chemotherapy and trastuzumab-monotherapy groups (propensity-adjusted hazard ratio; HR: 3.29; 95% CI: 1.15-9.39; P = 0.026). The RFS in non-trastuzumab group was lower than in trastuzumab-plus-chemotherapy and trastuzumab-monotherapy groups (propensity-adjusted HR = 7.80; 95% CI: 2.32-26.2, P < 0.0001). There were no significant intergroup differences in the proportions of patients showing HRQoL deterioration at 36 months (P = 0.717). CONCLUSION: Trastuzumab-treated patients had better prognoses than patients not treated with trastuzumab without deterioration of HRQoL. Trastuzumab monotherapy could be considered for older patients who reject chemotherapy.

Dual inhibition of BCL2L1 and MCL1 is highly effective against RET fusion-positive or MET exon 14 skipping mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), especially lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs), harbor several driver mutations against which highly effective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are available. Although TKIs are generally effective against certain NSCLCs, primary or acquired resistance almost always develops. Driver mutations include RET fusion (∼1-2% of NSCLC cases) and MET exon 14 skipping mutation (METΔex14; ∼3-4%). Surprisingly, the LUAD cell line LC-2/ad with CCDC6-RET fusion thrived independently of RET signaling, and Hs-746T cells harboring METΔex14 plus amplification survived MET silencing. However, these two cell lines were highly sensitive to dual silencing of the representative anti-apoptotic BCL2 family members BCL2L1 and MCL1, undergoing extensive apoptosis in monolayer or 3D on-top culture systems. Moreover, we found that most LUAD cell lines and tissues expressed high levels of BCL2L1 and MCL1 mRNA but extremely low levels of BCL2. Together, these findings suggest that inhibiting BCL2L1 plus MCL1 may represent a new approach to treating LUAD cells irrespective of their driver mutations.

Development of an intraoperative breast cancer margin assessment method using quantitative fluorescence measurements.

Breast-conserving surgery has become the preferred treatment method for breast cancer. Surgical margin assessment is performed during surgery, as it can reduce local recurrence in the preserved breast. Development of reliable and lower-cost ex vivo cancer detection methods would offer several benefits for patient care. Here, a practical and quantitative evaluation method for the ex vivo fluorescent diagnosis of breast lesions was developed and confirmed through a three-step clinical study. Gamma-glutamyl-hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (gGlu-HMRG) has been reported to generate fluorescence in breast lesions. Using this probe, we constructed a reliable and reproducible procedure for the quantitative evaluation of fluorescence levels. We evaluated the reliability of the method by considering reproducibility, temperature sensitivity, and the effects of other clinicopathological factors. The results suggest that the fluorescence increase of gGlu-HMRG is a good indicator of the malignancy of breast lesions. However, the distributions overlapped. A 5 min reaction with this probe could be used to distinguish at least part of the normal breast tissue. This method did not affect the final pathological examination. In summary, our results indicate that the methods developed in this study may serve as a feasible intraoperative negative-margin assessment tool during breast-conserving surgery.

Factors associated with overall survival after recurrence in patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative postmenopausal breast cancer: an ad hoc analysis of the JBCRG-C06 Safari study.

BACKGROUND: The Safari study (UMIN000015168) was a retrospective, multicenter study in which 1072 consecutive cases of estrogen receptor-positive advanced breast cancer treated using 500 mg fulvestrant were registered. We previously reported the relationship between the patient factors and overall survival after the diagnosis using the same cases and the same factors for the analysis of time to treatment failure in patients with estrogen receptor-positive advanced breast cancer. The current study is an ad hoc analysis that focused on the relationship between the patient factors and overall survival after recurrence by adding factors generally associated with overall survival after recurrence. METHODS: The overall survival after recurrence in patients with estrogen receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative recurrent breast cancer was analyzed via univariate and multivariate analyses with a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A total of 598 cases were used for the analysis of overall survival after recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that favorable overall survival (median, 6.4 years) was significantly correlated with long time from recurrence to fulvestrant use (≥3 years), low nuclear or histological grade (G3 vs. G1), long time to treatment failure of initial palliative endocrine therapy (≥12 months) and long time to initial palliative chemotherapy (≥2 years). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that sequential endocrine monotherapy may be a useful treatment option for patients with estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative recurrent breast cancer who have been successfully treated with initial long-term palliative endocrine therapy.

Anthrax toxin receptor 2 is a potential therapeutic target for non-small cell lung carcinoma with MET exon 14 skipping mutations.

Although MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are generally effective against non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 skipping mutations (METΔex14), resistance to MET TKIs can occur, indicating the need to develop other therapeutic options. We found that Hs-746 T cells, which harbor METΔex14 plus amplification, were able to survive and grow in the absence of MET signaling, exhibiting primary resistance to MET TKIs. We also found a moderately positive correlation between MET and anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2) mRNA expression in NSCLC cell lines using data from the Cancer Dependency Map database. As expected, Hs-746 T cells were positive for ANTXR2 expression. We used an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) analog in the form of an anti-ANTXR2 monoclonal antibody, H8R23, conjugated to DT3C recombinant protein which consists of diphtheria toxin (DT) lacking the receptor-binding domain but containing the C1, C2, and C3 domains of streptococcal protein G (3C). H8R23-DT3C conjugates, which function in vitro like an ADC, induced Hs-746 T cells to undergo apoptosis, resulting in decreased viability. These findings collectively suggest that an ADC targeting ANTXR2 could be effective for the treatment of METΔex14-positive NSCLC.

Capecitabine in Combination with Endocrine Therapy as Maintenance Therapy after Bevacizumab Plus Paclitaxel Induction Therapy for Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer: KBCSG-TR1214.

Optimal treatment strategies for hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer (AMBC) remain uncertain. We investigated the clinical usefulness of adding capecitabine to maintenance endocrine therapy after induction chemotherapy and the efficacy of reinduction chemotherapy. Patients who had received bevacizumab-paclitaxel induction therapy and did not have progressive disease (PD) were randomized to maintenance therapy with endocrine therapy alone (group E) or endocrine plus capecitabine (1657 mg/m2/day on days 1-21, q4w) (group EC). In case of PD after maintenance therapy, patients received bevacizumab-paclitaxel reinduction therapy. Ninety patients were randomized. The median progression-free survival (PFS) under maintenance therapy (primary endpoint) was significantly longer in group EC (11.1 {95% CI, 8.0-11.8} months) than in group E (4.3 {3.6-6.0} months) (hazard ratio, 0.53; p < 0.01). At 24 months from the induction therapy start, the overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in group EC than in group E (hazard ratio, 0.41; p = 0.046). No difference was found in the time to failure of strategy (13.9 and 16.6 months in groups E and EC, respectively). Increased capecitabine-associated toxicities in group EC were tolerable. Addition of capecitabine to maintenance endocrine therapy may be a beneficial option after induction chemotherapy for HR-positive, HER2-negative AMBC patients.

MCL1 inhibition enhances the efficacy of docetaxel against airway-derived squamous cell carcinoma cells.

MCL1 is an anti-apoptotic BCL2 family member that is often overexpressed in various malignant tumors. However, few reports have described the role of MCL1 in squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) derived from airways including the lung. In this study, we examined whether MCL1 could be a novel druggable target for airway-derived SqCC, for which effective molecular targeted drugs are unavailable. We searched the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database and found that high MCL1 mRNA expression was significantly associated with shorter survival in patients with lower airway (lung) or upper airway (head and neck) derived SqCC. We also explored the Expression Atlas database and learned that authentic lung SqCC cell lines expressing both TP63 and KRT5 mRNA were extremely sparse among the publicly available "lung SqCC cell lines", with an exception being HARA cells. HARA cells were highly dependent on MCL1 for survival, and MCL1-depleted cells were not able to grow, and even declined in number, upon docetaxel (DTX) exposure in vitro and in vivo. Similar in vitro experimental findings, including those in a 3D culture model, were also obtained using Detroit 562 pharyngeal SqCC cells. These findings suggested that combined treatment with MCL1 silencing plus DTX appears highly effective against airway-derived SqCC.

Datopotamab Deruxtecan, a Novel TROP2-directed Antibody-drug Conjugate, Demonstrates Potent Antitumor Activity by Efficient Drug Delivery to Tumor Cells.

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) is highly expressed on various epithelial tumors and correlates with poor prognosis. We developed the novel TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd, DS-1062a), with a potent DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor (DXd), and evaluated its antitumor activity and safety profiles in preclinical models.The pharmacologic activity and mechanism of action of Dato-DXd were investigated in several human cancer cell lines and xenograft mouse models including patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Safety profiles were also assessed in rats and cynomolgus monkeys.Dato-DXd bound specifically to TROP2 and was internalized into tumor cells followed by intracellular trafficking to lysosome and DXd release, which induced DNA damage and apoptosis in TROP2-expressing tumor cells in vitro. Dato-DXd exhibited in vivo antitumor activity with DNA damage induced by the accumulated DXd in TROP2-expressing xenograft tumors, but neither isotype control IgG-ADC nor anti-TROP2 antibody had this effect. Dato-DXd also showed potent antitumor activity with tumor regression in several TROP2-expressing xenograft tumors including NSCLC PDX models. Safety profiles of Dato-DXd in rats and cynomolgus monkeys were acceptable.Dato-DXd demonstrated potent antitumor activity against TROP2-expressing tumors by efficient payload delivery into tumors and acceptable safety profiles in preclinical models. These results suggest Dato-DXd could be a valuable treatment option for patients with TROP2-expressing tumors in the clinical setting.

Relationship between salt intake and sleep disordered breathing in dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of sleep disordered breathing is high in patients with end-stage renal disease. Salt intake is related to the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with resistant hypertension and hyperaldosteronism. We investigated the relationship between salt intake and sleep disordered breathing in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 128 dialysis outpatients (mean age 63 ± 11 years) who were followed at Kokura Daiichi Hospital. We estimated each patient's salt intake using an InBody S10 body composition analyzer and measured the 3% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) during sleep using a Pulsewatch: PMP-200 GplusX. RESULTS: The average estimated salt intake was 8.0 ± 2.6 g/day, and the median value of that was 7.5 g/day. Blood pressure (BP) before and after dialysis were 140 ± 18/78 ± 11 and 127 ± 13/72 ± 8 mmHg, respectively. The geometric average number of 3% ODI was 7.1, and sleep disordered breathing was detected in 30% of all subjects. The patients with ≥ 7.5 g/day salt intake were younger and more frequently male and had higher body mass index (BMI) and BP before dialysis compared to those with salt intakes < 7.5 g/day. Patients with ≥ 7.5 g/day salt intake had a significantly higher geometric average number of 3% ODI; however, this relationship became weaker after adjusting for BMI. The same relationship was obtained for the prevalence of sleep disordered breathing. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in patients on maintenance hemodialysis was high, and the sleep disordered breathing was associated with salt intake and BMI.

Health-Related Quality of Life With Trastuzumab Monotherapy Versus Trastuzumab Plus Standard Chemotherapy as Adjuvant Therapy in Older Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: We report findings on quality of life (QoL) in the RESPECT trial, which compared adjuvant trastuzumab monotherapy with trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in older patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients age 70-80 years with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive surgically treated breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive trastuzumab (T) or trastuzumab plus chemotherapy (T + C). QoL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire, and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence at baseline and after 2, 12, and 36 months. Comparisons were based on individual changes from baseline and were performed by Fisher's test or mixed-model repeated-measures. RESULTS: Among 275 patients in the parent study, 231 (84%) (average age: 74 years) were included in the analysis. At 2, 12, and 36 months, 198, 177, and 178 patients completed surveys, and the mean FACT-G scores at each survey point were 78.9, 80.4, 82.7, and 79.1 in group T and 79.5, 74.5, 78.4, and 78.5 in group T + C. Compared with group T + C, the proportion of patients showing QoL deterioration (≥ 5 points decrease from baseline in FACT-G) was significantly lower at 2 months (31% v 48%; P = .016) and 12 months (19% v 38%; P = .009). In group T, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score (P = .003) and the proportion of severe sensory peripheral neuropathy (P = .001) were significantly lower at 2 months, and Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence scores were significantly higher (P = .024, .042) at 12 months. At 36 months, there were no significant differences in any QoL items. CONCLUSION: Detrimental effects of adjuvant chemotherapy on global QoL, morale, and activity capacity lasted for at least 12 months but were not observed at 36 months.

Antibody Screening System Using a Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)-Based Probe To Identify a Novel Target for Receptor-Retargeted Oncolytic HSVs.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a promising tool for developing oncolytic virotherapy. We recently reported a platform for receptor-retargeted oncolytic HSVs that incorporates single-chain antibodies (scFvs) into envelope glycoprotein D (gD) to mediate virus entry via tumor-associated antigens. Therefore, it would be useful to develop an efficient system that can screen antibodies that might mediate HSV entry when they are incorporated as scFvs into gD. We created an HSV-based screening probe by the genetic fusion of a gD mutant with ablated binding capability to the authentic HSV entry receptors and the antibody-binding C domain of streptococcal protein G. This engineered virus failed to enter cells through authentic receptors. In contrast, when this virus was conjugated with an antibody specific to an antigen on the cell membrane, it specifically entered cells expressing the cognate antigen. This virus was used as a probe to identify antibodies that mediate virus entry via recognition of certain molecules on the cell membrane other than authentic receptors. Using this method, we identified an antibody specific to epiregulin (EREG), which has been investigated mainly as a secreted growth factor and not necessarily for its precursor that is expressed in a transmembrane form. We constructed an scFv from the anti-EREG antibody for insertion into the retargeted HSV platform and found that the recombinant virus entered cells specifically through EREG expressed by the cells. This novel antibody-screening system may contribute to the discovery of unique and unexpected molecules that might be used for the entry of receptor-retargeted oncolytic HSVs.IMPORTANCE The tropism of the cellular entry of HSV is dependent on the binding of the envelope gD to one of its authentic receptors. This can be fully retargeted to other receptors by inserting scFvs into gD with appropriate modifications. In theory, upon binding to the engineered gD, receptors other than authentic receptors should induce a conformational change in the gD, which activates downstream mechanisms required for viral entry. However, prerequisite factors for receptors to be used as targets of a retargeted virus remain poorly understood, and it is difficult to predict which molecules might be suitable for our retargeted HSV construct. Our HSV-based probe will allow unbiased screening of antibody-antigen pairs that mediate virus entry and might be a useful tool to identify suitable pairs for our construct and to enhance our understanding of virus-cell interactions during infection by HSV and possibly other viruses.

ER staining levels affect HER2 staining and heterogeneity.

PURPOSE: This study explored the relationship of ER expression levels with HER2 staining properties and heterogeneity and discussed the differences in HER2 assessment caused by the 2018 ASCO/CAP guideline updates from that of the 2013 version. METHODS: HER2-positive breast cancer was divided into three groups of the high hormone receptor expression (LH-high) group, low expression (LH-low) group, or negative (NLH) group to (1) compare differences in the percentage of the HER2 IHC test score of 2 + based on the 2013 ASCO/CAP guideline and in the intratumor heterogeneity of HER2 expression for breast cancer with an IHC score of 3 + among these groups, (2) compare the HER2/CEP17 ratio and the average HER2 copy number, and classified ISH groupings according to the 2018 ASCO/CAP guideline algorithm. RESULTS: (1) Of 244 HER2-positive breast cancers, the cases with a HER2 IHC score of 2 + (n = 54, 22.1%) were significantly more common in the LH-high group (n = 45, P < 0.001). The frequency of heterogeneity was low (n = 25, 10.2%) for the HER2 score of 3 + (n = 190, 77.9%), and significantly higher in the LH-high group (n = 19, 76%, P = 0.002). (2) In a HER2 IHC score of 2 + , Group 2 which is deemed HER2 negative according to the revised 2018 ASCO/CAP guideline was observed in 17 (39.5%) out of 43 cases, of which 16 cases (94.1%) were in the LH-high group. CONCLUSIONS: The LH-high group is a heterogeneous group largely consisting of heterogeneous cases with HER2 IHC scores of 2 + or 3 + . NLH, in contrast, is a homogenous group.

The efficacy and safety of pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and docetaxel as a first-line therapy in Japanese patients with inoperable or recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer: the COMACHI study.

PURPOSE: In the CLEOPATRA study of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, the Japanese patient subgroup did not demonstrate the improved progression-free survival (PFS) of pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and docetaxel vs. placebo that was seen in the overall population. Therefore, COMACHI was conducted to confirm the efficacy and safety of this treatment regimen in this patient subgroup. METHODS: This was a phase IV study of pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and docetaxel in Japanese patients with histologically/cytologically confirmed inoperable or recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer. All patients received pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel intravenously every 3 weeks until disease progression/unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed PFS. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), investigator-assessed objective response rate, and duration of response (DoR). Safety was also assessed. RESULTS: At final analysis, median investigator-assessed PFS was 22.8 months (95% CI 16.9-37.5). From first dose, OS rate at 1 year was 97.7%; and at 2 and 3 years were 88.5% and 79.1%, respectively. Of the 118 patients with measurable disease at baseline, response rate was 83.9% (95% CI 77.3-90.5) and median investigator-assessed DoR was 26.3 months (95% CI 17.1-not evaluable). Treatment was well tolerated, with no new safety signals detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest similar efficacy and safety for pertuzumab plus trastuzumab and docetaxel in Japanese patients compared with the overall population of CLEOPATRA, providing further support for this combination therapy as standard of care for Japanese patients with inoperable or recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer.