The REMAR (Rhein-Main-Registry) real-world study: prospective evaluation of the 21-gene breast recurrence score® assay in addition to Ki-67 for adjuvant treatment decisions in early-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Ki-67 is recommended by international/national guidelines for risk stratification in early breast cancer (EBC), particularly for defining "intermediate risk," despite inter-laboratory/inter-observer variability and cutoff uncertainty. We investigated Ki-67 (> 10%- < 40%, determined locally) as a prognostic marker for intermediate/high risk in EBC, pN0-1 patients. METHODS: This prospective, non-interventional, real-world study included females ≥ 18 years, with pN0/pN1mi/pN1, HR+ , HER2-negative EBC, and locally determined Ki-67 ranging 10%-40%. The primary outcome was changes in treatment recommendations after disclosing the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score®(RS) assay result. RESULTS: The analysis included 567 patients (median age, 57 [range, 29-83] years; 70%/1%/29%/ with pN0/pN1mi/pN1 disease; 81% and 19% with RS results 0-25 and 26-100, respectively). The correlations between local and central Ki-67, local Ki-67, and the RS, and central Ki-67 and the RS results were weak (r = 0.35, r = 0.3, and r = 0.46, respectively), and discrepancies were noted in both directions (e.g., local Ki-67 was lower or higher than central Ki-67). After disclosing the RS, treatment recommendations changed for 190 patients (34%). Changes were observed in pN0 and pN1mi/pN1 patients and in patients with centrally determined Ki-67 ≤ 10% and > 10%. Treatment changes were aligned with RS results (adding chemotherapy for patients with higher RS results, omitting it for lower RS results), and their net result was 8% reduction in adjuvant chemotherapy use (from 32% pre-RS results to 24% post-RS results). CONCLUSION: The Oncotype DX® assay is a tool for individualizing treatments that adds to classic treatment decision factors. The RS result and Ki-67 are not interchangeable, and Ki-67, as well as nodal status, should not be used as gatekeepers for testing eligibility, to avoid under and overtreatment.

mdm2 gene amplification is associated with luminal breast cancer progression in humanized PDX mice and a worse outcome of estrogen receptor positive disease.

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is a highly prevalent but heterogeneous disease among women. Advanced molecular stratification is required to enable individually most efficient treatments based on relevant prognostic and predictive biomarkers. First objective of our study was the hypothesis-driven discovery of biomarkers involved in tumor progression upon xenotransplantation of Luminal breast cancer into humanized mice. The second objective was the marker validation and correlation with the clinical outcome of Luminal breast cancer disease within the GeparTrio trial. An elevated mdm2 gene copy number was associated with enhanced tumor growth and lung metastasis in humanized tumor mice. The viability, proliferation and migration capacity of inherently mdm2 positive breast cancer cells in vitro were significantly reduced upon mdm2 knockdown or anti-mdm2 targeting. An mdm2 gain significantly correlated with a worse DFS and OS of Luminal breast cancer patients, albeit it was also associated with an enhanced preoperative pathological response rate. We provide evidence for an enhanced Luminal breast cancer stratification based on mdm2. Moreover, mdm2 can potentially be utilized as a therapeutic target in the Luminal subtype.

TGFB-induced factor homeobox 1 (TGIF) expression in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent female cancer and preferentially metastasizes to bone. The transcription factor TGFB-induced factor homeobox 1 (TGIF) is involved in bone metabolism. However, it is not yet known whether TGIF is associated with BC bone metastasis or patient outcome and thus of potential interest. METHODS: TGIF expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 1197 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from BC patients treated in the GAIN (German Adjuvant Intergroup Node-Positive) study with two adjuvant dose-dense schedules of chemotherapy with or without bisphosphonate ibandronate. TGIF expression was categorized into negative/low and moderate/strong staining. Endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and time to primary bone metastasis as first site of relapse (TTPBM). RESULTS: We found associations of higher TGIF protein expression with smaller tumor size (p = 0.015), well differentiated phenotype (p < 0.001) and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BC (p < 0.001). Patients with higher TGIF expression levels showed a significantly longer disease-free (DFS: HR 0.75 [95%CI 0.59-0.95], log-rank p = 0.019) and overall survival (OS: HR 0.69 [95%CI 0.50-0.94], log-rank p = 0.019), but no association with TTPBM (HR 0.77 [95%CI 0.51-1.16]; p = 0.213). Univariate analysis in molecular subgroups emphasized that elevated TGIF expression was prognostic for both DFS and OS in ER-positive BC patients (DFS: HR 0.68 [95%CI 0.51-0.91]; log-rank p = 0.009, interaction p = 0.130; OS: HR 0.60 [95%CI 0.41-0.88], log-rank p = 0.008, interaction p = 0.107) and in the HER2-negative subgroup (DFS:HR 0.67 [95%CI 0.50-0.88], log-rank p = 0.004, interaction p = 0.034; OS: HR 0.57 [95%CI 0.40-0.81], log-rank p = 0.002, interaction p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that moderate to high TGIF expression is a common feature of breast cancer cells and that this is not associated with bone metastases as first site of relapse. However, a reduced expression is linked to tumor progression, especially in HER2-negative breast cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ; registration number: NCT00196872 .

Long-term (up to 16 months) health-related quality of life after adjuvant tailored dose-dense chemotherapy vs. standard three-weekly chemotherapy in women with high-risk early breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare HRQoL effects of two modern adjuvant chemotherapy breast cancer treatment regimens at six time-points up to 16 months after random assignment. METHODS: The open-label, randomized, Phase 3 "Panther trial" was conducted between February 2007 and September 2011. 760 women, aged 65 years and younger, after surgery for non-metastatic node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer were randomized 1:1 to the experimental group (four cycles of tailored and dose-dense adjuvant epirubicin and cyclophosphamide/2 weeks followed by four cycles of tailored dose-dense docetaxel/2 weeks) or standard group (three cycles of fluorouracil and epirubicin-cyclophosphamide/3 weeks followed by three cycles of docetaxel/3 weeks). HRQoL was assessed at all Swedish centres using EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23 at six points during 16 months before randomization. RESULTS: Response rates to questionnaires were highest at baseline 728/780 (93%) and lowest 16 months after randomization, 557/750 (74%). HRQoL declined during treatment in both groups. At the end of treatment, the experimental group reported statistically significantly lower HRQoL (P < 0.001) than the standard group on global health status, physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, fatigue, sexual functioning, and systemic therapy effects. No differences were found for emotional functioning, body image, and arm and breast symptoms. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups at the first follow-up and at subsequent assessments. HRQoL levels at the 16-month follow-up were similar to baseline values. CONCLUSIONS: Negative HRQoL impact of the dose-dense and tailored strategy appears to be prominent during treatment, but HRQoL recover once treatment ends. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00798070; isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN39017665.

Does VEGF facilitate local tumor growth and spread into the abdominal cavity by suppressing endothelial cell adhesion, thus increasing vascular peritoneal permeability followed by ascites production in ovarian cancer?

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is mostly associated with pathologically regulated permeability of peritoneal vessels, leading to ascites. Here, we investigated the molecular regulation of endothelial permeability by the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and both tight and adherens junction proteins (VE-cadherin and claudin 5) with regards to the tumor biology of different ovarian cancer types. METHODS: Serum and ascites samples before and after surgery, as well as peritoneal biopsies of 68 ovarian cancer patients and 20 healthy controls were collected. In serum and ascites VEGF protein was measured by ELISA. In peritoneal biopsies co-localization of VE-cadherin and claudin 5 was investigated using immunohistochemical dual staining. In addition, the gene expression of VE-cadherin and claudin 5 was quantified by Real-time PCR. Differences in VEGF levels, VE-cadherin and claudin 5 gene expression were analyzed in relation to various tumor characteristics (tumor stage, grading, histological subtypes, resection status after surgery) and then compared to controls. Furthermore, human primary ovarian cancer cells were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and changes in VE-cadherin and claudin 5 were investigated after VEGF inhibition. RESULTS: VEGF was significantly increased in tumor patients in comparison to controls and accumulates in ascites. The highest VEGF levels were found in patients diagnosed with advanced tumor stages, with tumors of poor differentiation, or in the group of solid / cystic-solid tumors. Patients with residual tumor after operation showed significantly higher levels of VEGF both before and after surgery as compared to tumor-free resected patients. Results of an immunohistochemical double-staining experiment indicated co-localization of VE-cadherin and claudin 5 in the peritoneal vasculature. Compared to controls, expression of VE-cadherin and claudin 5 was significantly suppressed in peritoneal vessels of tumor patients, but there were no significant differences regarding VE-cadherin and claudin 5 expression in relation to different tumor characteristics. A significant positive correlation was found between VE-cadherin and claudin 5 expression. VEGF inhibition in vitro was associated with significant increase in VE-cadherin and claudin 5. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that increased peritoneal permeability in ovarian cancer is due to down-regulation of adhesion proteins via tumor derived VEGF. Advanced ovarian cancer with aggressive tumor biology may be associated with early dysregulation of vascular permeability leading to ascites. These patients may benefit from therapeutic VEGF inhibition.

Effect of Tailored Dose-Dense Chemotherapy vs Standard 3-Weekly Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Recurrence-Free Survival Among Women With High-Risk Early Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Standard dosing of chemotherapy based on body surface area results in marked interpatient variation in pharmacokinetics, toxic effects, and efficacy. Whether tailored dosing can improve outcomes is unknown, as is the role of dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy. Objective: To determine whether tailored dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy improves the outcomes of early breast cancer compared with a standard 3-weekly chemotherapy schedule. Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial of women aged 65 years and younger who had surgery for nonmetastatic node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer at 86 sites in Sweden, Germany, and Austria between February 20, 2007, and September 14, 2011. Interventions: Patients were randomized 1:1 either to 4 cycles of leukocyte nadir-based tailored and dose-dense adjuvant epirubicin and cyclophosphamide every 2 weeks followed by 4 cycles of tailored dose-dense docetaxel every 2 weeks, or to standard-interval chemotherapy with 3 cycles of fluorouracil and epirubicin-cyclophosphamide every 3 weeks followed by 3 cycles of docetaxel every 3 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was breast cancer recurrence-free survival (BCRFS). Secondary end points included 5-year event-free survival (EFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), overall survival (OS), and rates of grade 3 or 4 toxic effects. Results: Among 2017 randomized patients (1006 in the tailored dose-dense group and 1011 in the control group; median [IQR] age, 51 [45-58] years; 80% with hormone receptor-positive tumors; 97% with node-positive disease), 2000 received study treatment (≥1 cycle of chemotherapy; 1001 in the tailored dose-dense group and 999 in the control group). After a median follow-up of 5.3 years (IQR, 4.5-6.1 years), 269 BCRFS events were reported, 118 in the tailored dose-dense group and 151 in the control group (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-1.01; log-rank P = .06; 5-year BCRFS, 88.7% vs 85.0%). The tailored dose-dense group had significantly better EFS than the control group (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.99; P = .04; 5-year EFS, 86.7% vs 82.1%). The groups did not differ in OS (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.57-1.05; P = .09; 5-year OS, 92.1% vs 90.2%) or DDFS (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.64-1.08; P = .17; 5-year DDFS, 89.4% vs 86.7%). Grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxic effects occurred in 527 (52.6%) in the tailored dose-dense group and 366 (36.6%) in the control group. Conclusions and Relevance: Among women with high-risk early breast cancer, the use of tailored dose-dense chemotherapy compared with standard adjuvant chemotherapy did not result in a statistically significant improvement in breast cancer recurrence-free survival. Nonhematologic toxic effects were more frequent in the tailored dose-dense group. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00798070; isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN39017665.

Radiological Patterns of Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients: A Subproject of the German Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer (BMBC) Registry.

Evidence about distribution patterns of brain metastases with regard to breast cancer subtypes and its influence on the prognosis of patients is insufficient. Clinical data, cranial computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 300 breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BMs) were collected retrospectively in four centers participating in the Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry (BMBC) in Germany. Patients with positive estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) statuses, had a significantly lower number of BMs at diagnosis. Concerning the treatment mode, HER2-positive patients treated with trastuzumab before the diagnosis of BMs showed a lower number of intracranial metastases (p < 0.001). Patients with a HER2-positive tumor-subtype developed cerebellar metastases more often compared with HER2-negative patients (59.8% vs. 44.5%, p = 0.021), whereas patients with triple-negative primary tumors had leptomeningeal disease more often (31.4% vs. 18.3%, p = 0.038). The localization of Brain metastases (BMs) was associated with prognosis: patients with leptomeningeal disease had shorter survival compared with patients without signs of leptomeningeal disease (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.025). A shorter survival could also be observed in the patients with metastases in the occipital lobe (median survival 3 vs. 5 months, p = 0.012). Our findings suggest a different tumor cell homing to different brain regions depending on subtype and treatment.

A randomized phase 2 study comparing EC or CMF versus nab-paclitaxel plus capecitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy for nonfrail elderly patients with moderate to high-risk early breast cancer (ICE II-GBG 52).

BACKGROUND: Although greater than 40% of breast cancers occur in patients aged ≥65 years, these individuals are frequently undertreated. Taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy is considered the treatment of choice but to the authors' knowledge has only limited evidence in elderly patients. METHODS: Patients aged ≥65 years with a Charlson comorbidity index ≤2 and pT1/2 pN0/1 disease and either human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, hormone receptor-negative, grade 3 (according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 3.0]), high uPA/PAI-1 or any stage pT3/4 pN2/3 breast cancer were randomized to receive 4 cycles of adjuvant epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) (epirubicin at a dose of 90 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide at a dose of 600 mg/m(2) intravenously [iv] on day 1 every 3 22 days) or 6 cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) (cyclophosphamide at a dose of 500 mg/m(2), methotrexate at a dose of 40 mg/m(2), and 5-fluorouracil at a dose of 600 mg/m(2) iv on days 1 plus 8 every 29 days) versus 6 cycles of nab-paclitaxel and capecitabine (nPX) (nab-paclitaxel at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) iv on days 1, 8, and 15 every 21 days with 1 week of rest every 6 weeks plus capecitabine at a dose of 2000 mg/m(2) orally on days 1-14 every 21 days). Primary endpoints were treatment discontinuations and overall frequency of adverse events. RESULTS: Thirteen of 198 patients (6.6%) discontinued EC/CMF and 69 of 193 patients (35.8%) discontinued nPX (P<.001) with 1 and 5 deaths observed during treatment, respectively. Grade 3 to 5 adverse events were more frequent among patients treated with EC/CMF (90.9%) than among those treated with nPX (64.8%) (P<.001), with hematological toxicities being more frequent with EC/CMF (88.4% vs 22.3%; P<.001), but nonhematological toxicities (hand-foot syndrome, diarrhea, mucositis, fatigue, sensory neuropathy, thromboembolisms, and metabolic disorders) being more frequent with nPX (58.5% vs 18.7%; P<.001). None of the geriatric scores (Charlson comorbidity index, Vulnerable Elders Survey [VES-13], Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [IADL], and G8) independently predicted grade 3 to 5 toxic events or treatment discontinuations. No differences in survival between the treatment groups were observed after 22.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with EC/CMF, treatment with nPX led to more treatment discontinuations and nonhematological toxicities in elderly patients with moderate or high-risk breast cancer.

Predictive role of HER2/neu, topoisomerase-II-alpha, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) for response to adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy in patients with intermediate-risk breast cancer: results from the WSG-AGO EC-Doc trial.

Taxane-anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy is standard of care in patients with node-positive breast cancer (BC) but is also associated with severe side effects and significant costs. It is yet unclear, which biomarkers would predict benefit from taxanes and/or general chemoresistance. In this study, we investigate a large cohort of patients with intermediate-risk BC treated within the WSG EC-DOC Trial for the predictive impact of topoisomerase-II-alpha, HER2/neu, and TIMP-1. Tumor tissue was available in a representative cohort of 772 cases of the WSG EC-DOC Trial collective which compared 4xEC-4xDoc versus 6xCEF/CMF. In addition to hormone receptor status and Ki-67, HER2/neu+ and topoisomerase-II-alpha status using fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and immunohistochemistry, TIMP-1 using immunohistochemistry, and aneuploidy of chromosome 17 using FISH were evaluated and correlated with outcome and taxane benefit. There was significant superiority of EC-Doc over CEF regarding 5-year DFS (90 vs. 80 %, respectively, p = 0.006) particularly in patient subgroups defined by HR+, HER2/neu+, high proliferation (i.e., Ki-67 ≥ 20 %), patient age >50 years old and normal chromosome 17 status, high TIMP-1 and low topoisomerase-II-alpha protein expression. Significant prognostic factors in multivariate analysis were EC-Doc therapy (HR = 0.61; 95 %CI 0.38-0.986), age <50 years old (HR = 1.682; 95 %CI 1.025-2.579), centrally assessed grade 3 (HR = 4.657; 95 %CI 1.809-11.989), and high Ki-67 (HR = 2.232; 95 %CI 1.209-4.121). Interestingly, we observed a significant interaction between treatment arm (EC-Doc vs. CEF) and high topoisomerase-II-alpha protein expression (HR = 0.427; 95 %CI 0.203-0.900) in multivariate interaction analysis. Despite of univariate predictive effect of HER2/neu status among other factors only topoisomerase-II-alpha protein expression was associated with significant benefit from EC-Doc compared to CEF by multivariate interaction analysis.

Clinical Axillary Staging in Breast Cancer Patients Using Ultrasound Imaging.

Introduction: The presence of axillary lymph node involvement is an important prognostic factor and has a major impact on treatment decisions in early breast cancer patients. This study aimed to determine the role of cortical thickness in axillary ultrasound (AUS) as an indicator of lymph node metastasis. Methods: 766 patients with primary breast cancer who received AUS during clinical work-up were selected for this retrospective study. Lymph nodes were defined as suspicious if they showed a cortical thickness of >3.0 mm at 11-15 MHz harmonic imaging ultrasound. Lymph node involvement was assessed by core needle biopsy (n = 150), sentinel node dissection or axillary dissection. Extensive axillary spread (EAS) was diagnosed if more than two lymph nodes showed metastatic disease in histology. Results: AUS for detecting all lymph node metastases had a sensitivity of 62.27%, a specificity of 93.15% and a negative predictive value of 81.74%. However, the resulting negative predictive value for transcapsular growth was 93.97%, and for EAS 97.52%. Conclusion: EAS - in contrast to non-palpable involvement of 1 or 2 lymph nodes - contributes relevantly to the individualization of breast cancer treatment. In combination with SNB, AUS using cortical thickness as the main distinctive parameter seems to be an easily available, robust tool of diagnosing extensive axillary metastases. If AUS proves negative, it helps to reduce the number of classic axillary dissections.

Tailored Dose-Dense Versus Standard Adjuvant Chemotherapy for High-Risk Early Breast Cancer: End-of-Study Results of the Randomized PANTHER Trial.

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.Although dose-dense adjuvant chemotherapy administered once every 2 weeks leads to superior outcomes compared with standard regimens once every 3 weeks, the observed improvement is largely limited to studies using the suboptimal paclitaxel schedule once every 3 weeks as control. PANTHER is an international phase III trial which compared sequential epirubicin/cyclophosphamide and docetaxel administered either once every 2 or once every 3 weeks, with tailored dosing at the dose-dense schedule according to hematologic toxicity. In this end-of-study analysis, the median follow-up was 10.3 years. Compared with standard adjuvant chemotherapy, dose-dense treatment improved breast cancer recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.65 to 0.98]; P = .030), event-free survival (HR, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.65 to 0.94]; P = .009), and distant disease-free survival (HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.64 to 0.98]; P = .030) while the improvement in overall survival was not statistically significant (HR, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.65 to 1.04]; P = .109). To our knowledge, this is the first trial that confirms the benefit of a dose-dense regimen over a control regimen containing docetaxel once every 3 weeks.

Effects of capecitabine as part of neo-/adjuvant chemotherapy - A meta-analysis of individual breast cancer patient data from 13 randomised trials including 15,993 patients.

BACKGROUND: Despite the large number of patients with early breast cancer (EBC) who have been treated with capecitabine in randomised trials, no individual patient data meta-analysis has been conducted. The primary objective was to examine the effect of capecitabine on disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary objectives were to analyse distant DFS (DDFS), overall survival (OS), pathological complete response (for neoadjuvant studies) and the interaction between capecitabine-related toxicity and treatment effect. METHODS: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov and www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov were searched using the following criteria: use of capecitabine for EBC as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy; multicentre randomised trial with >100 patients; recruitment completed, and outcomes available. Required data were available for 13 trials. RESULTS: Individual data from 15,993 patients were collected. Cox regression analyses of all included patients revealed that the addition of capecitabine did not alter DFS significantly compared with treatment without capecitabine (hazard ratio [HR] 0.952; 95% CI 0.895-1.012; P value = 0.115). There was also no effect on DFS in the subset of studies where capecitabine was given instead of another drug (HR 1.035; 95% CI 0.945-1.134; P = 0.455). However, capecitabine administered in addition to the standard systemic treatment improved DFS (HR 0.888; 95% CI 0.817-0.965; P = 0.005). An OS improvement was observed in the entire cohort (HR 0.892; 95% CI 0.824-0.965, P = 0.005) and in the subset of capecitabine addition (HR 0.837; 95% CI 0.751, 0.933, P = 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients benefitted from treatment with capecitabine overall and in addition to other systemic treatments in terms of DFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Capecitabine was able to improve DFS and OS in patients with TNBC and in all patients with EBC when administered in addition to systemic treatment.

Pathological Response in the Breast and Axillary Lymph Nodes after Neoadjuvant Systemic Treatment in Patients with Initially Node-Positive Breast Cancer Correlates with Disease Free Survival: An Exploratory Analysis of the GeparOcto Trial.

BACKGROUND: The conversion of initially histologically confirmed axillary lymph node-positive (pN+) to ypN0 after neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NAST) is an important prognostic factor in breast cancer (BC) patients and may influence surgical de-escalation strategies. We aimed to determine pCR rates in lymph nodes (pCR-LN), the breast (pCR-B), and both (tpCR) in women who present with pN+ BC, to assess predictors for response and the impact of pCR-LN, pCR-B, and tpCR on invasive disease-free survival (iDFS). METHODS: Retrospective, exploratory analysis of 242 patients with pN+ at diagnosis from the multicentric, randomized GeparOcto trial. RESULTS: Of 242 patients with initially pN+ disease, 134 (55.4%) had a pCR-LN, and 109 (45.0%) a pCR-B. Of the 109 pCR-B patients, 9 (8.3%) patients had involved LN, and 100 (41.3%) patients had tpCR. Those with involved LN still had a bad prognosis. As expected, pCR-B and intrinsic subtypes (TNBC and HER2+) were identified as independent predictors of pCR-LN. pCR-LN (ypN0; hazard ratio 0.42; 95%, CI 0.23-0.75; p = 0.0028 for iDFS) was the strongest independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: In initially pN+ patients undergoing NAST, the conversion to ypN0 is of high prognostic value. Surgical axillary staging after NAST is still essential in these patients to offer tailored treatment.

Subcutaneous injection of trastuzumab into the thigh versus abdominal wall in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer: Pharmacokinetic, safety and patients' preference - Substudy of the randomised phase III GAIN-2 study.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab given intravenously in combination with chemotherapy is standard of care for patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Different randomised studies have shown equivalent efficacy of a subcutaneous injection into the thigh compared to the intravenous formulation. Other body regions for injection have not been investigated but might be more convenient for patients. METHODS: After surgery, patients were randomised to receive either subcutaneous trastuzumab into the thigh or into the abdominal wall (AW). Patient preferences were evaluated using validated questionnaires (PINT). Primary objectives of this multicentre, non-blinded, randomised substudy of the GAIN-2 study were to investigate pharmacokinetics of the injection into the thigh versus AW and to determine patients' preferences of either administration site versus the previously received intravenous application. RESULTS: 226 patients were randomised and 219 patients (thigh: N = 110; AW: N = 109) formed the modified intent-to-treat (mITT). Overall, 83.5% (out of N = 182 with information about patients' preference) preferred subcutaneous over previous intravenous application or had no preference. Preference was similar between both administration sites (thigh: 80.6%; AW: 86.5; p = 0.322). Pharmacokinetic analysis included 30 patients. Geometric means of Cmax and AUC0-21d were higher in thigh than in AW group (geometric mean ratio with body weight adjustment: Cmax: 1.291, 90%-CI 1.052-1.584; AUC0-21d: 1.291, 90%-CI 1.026-1.626). Safety profile was in line with previous reports of subcutaneous trastuzumab. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous trastuzumab into the thigh showed an approximately 30% higher bioavailability. Injections were well tolerated and preferred over intravenous administration. The subcutaneous injection into the thigh should remain the standard of care.

Survival analysis of the randomised phase III GeparOcto trial comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy of intense dose-dense epirubicin, paclitaxel, cyclophosphamide versus weekly paclitaxel, liposomal doxorubicin (plus carboplatin in triple-negative breast cancer) for patients with high-risk early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: GeparOcto demonstrated that pathological complete response (pCR) of intense dose-dense epirubicin, paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide (iddEPC) was comparable to weekly paclitaxel/non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (plus carboplatin (PM(Cb) in triple-negative breast cancer [TNBC]) in high-risk early breast cancer (BC). Here, we report time-to-event secondary end-points. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomised to receive 18 weeks of E (150 mg/m2) followed by P (225 mg/m2) followed by C (2000 mg/m2), each q2w or weekly P (80 mg/m2) plus M (20 mg/m2) plus, in TNBC, Cb (AUC 1.5). Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+)BC received trastuzumab (6[loading dose 8]mg/kg q3w) and pertuzumab (420[840]mg q3w) with P and C cycles. RESULTS: 945 patients started treatment (iddEPC n = 470; PM(Cb) n = 475). After a median follow-up of 47.0 (range 1.6-61.5) months, 162 (75 in iddEPC; 87 in PM(Cb)) invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) events and 79 (41 in iddEPC; 38 in PM(Cb)) deaths were reported. No significant difference was observed in 4-year iDFS (81.9% iddEPC versus 79.7% PM(Cb), HR = 1.16 [95%CI 0.85-1.59], log-rank p = 0.334) or 4-year overall survival (OS) (90.3% iddEPC versus 90.6% PM(Cb), HR = 0.90 [95%CI 0.58-1.40], log-rank p = 0.637) overall and in HER2+ and TNBC subgroups. HR+/HER2- BC patients, however, had significantly better 4-year iDFS (77.9% iddEPC versus 62.5% PM, HR = 2.11 [95%CI 1.08-4.10], log-rank p = 0.025) and 4-year OS with iddEPC (94.7% iddEPC versus 80.1% PM, HR = 3.26 [95%CI 1.06-10.00], log-rank p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: While there was no difference in survival for the entire cohort, the HR+/HER2-subgroup significantly benefits from iddEPC. This supports the concept of an additional effect of NACT beyond pCR in patients with HR+/HER2- BC. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT02125344.

Efficacy of Endocrine Therapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer in Men: Results from the MALE Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: The extent of changes in estradiol levels in male patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer receiving standard endocrine therapies is unknown. The sexual function and quality of life related to those changes have not been adequately evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To assess the changes in estradiol levels in male patients with breast cancer after 3 months of therapy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter, phase 2 randomized clinical trial assessed 56 male patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Patients were recruited from 24 breast units across Germany between October 2012 and May 2017. The last patient completed 6 months of treatment in December 2017. The analysis data set was locked on August 24, 2018, and analysis was completed on December 19, 2018. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to 1 of 3 arms: tamoxifen alone or tamoxifen plus gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) or aromatase inhibitor (AI) plus GnRHa for 6 months. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was the change in estradiol levels from baseline to 3 months. Secondary end points were changes of estradiol levels after 6 months, changes of additional hormonal parameters, adverse effects, sexual function, and quality of life after 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: In this phase 2 randomized clinical trial, a total of 52 of 56 male patients with a median (range) age of 61.5 (37-83) years started treatment. A total of 3 patients discontinued study treatment prematurely, 1 in each arm. A total of 50 patients were evaluable for the primary end point. After 3 months the patients' median estradiol levels increased by 67% (a change of +17.0 ng/L) with tamoxifen, decreased by 85% (-23.0 ng/L) with tamoxifen plus GnRHa, and decreased by 72% (-18.5 ng/L) with AI plus GnRHa (P < .001). After 6 months, median estradiol levels increased by 41% (a change of +12 ng/L) with tamoxifen, decreased by 61% (-19.5 ng/L) with tamoxifen plus GnRHa, and decreased by 64% (-17.0 ng/L) with AI plus GnRHa (P < .001). Sexual function and quality of life decreased when GnRHa was added but were unchanged with tamoxifen alone. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This phase 2 randomized clinical trial found that AI or tamoxifen plus GnRHa vs tamoxifen alone led to a sustained decrease of estradiol levels. The decreased hormonal parameters were associated with impaired sexual function and quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01638247.

Glembatumumab vedotin for patients with metastatic, gpNMB overexpressing, triple-negative breast cancer ("METRIC"): a randomized multicenter study.

The METRIC study (NCT#0199733) explored a novel antibody-drug conjugate, glembatumumab vedotin (GV), targeting gpNMB that is overexpressed in ~40% of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and associated with poor prognosis. The study was a randomized, open-label, phase 2b study that evaluated progression-free survival (PFS) of GV compared with capecitabine in gpNMB-overexpressing TNBC. Patients who had previously received anthracycline and taxane-based therapy were randomized 2:1 to receive, GV (1.88 mg/kg IV q21 days) or capecitabine (2500 mg/m2 PO daily d1-14 q21 days). The primary endpoint was RECIST 1.1 PFS per independent, blinded central review. In all, 327 patients were randomized to GV (213 treated) or capecitabine (92 treated). Median PFS was 2.9 months for GV vs. 2.8 months for capecitabine. The most common grade ≥3 toxicities for GV were neutropenia, rash, and leukopenia, and for capecitabine were fatigue, diarrhea, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. The study did not meet the primary endpoint of improved PFS over capecitabine or demonstrate a relative risk/benefit improvement over capecitabine.

Predicting Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases in the BMBC Registry-Comparison of Three Different GPA Prognostic Scores.

Several scores have been developed in order to estimate the prognosis of patients with brain metastases (BM) by objective criteria. The aim of this analysis was to validate all three published graded-prognostic-assessment (GPA)-scores in a subcohort of 882 breast cancer (BC) patients with BM in the Brain Metastases in the German Breast Cancer (BMBC) registry. The median age at diagnosis of BM was 57 years. All in all, 22.3% of patients (n = 197) had triple-negative, 33.4% (n = 295) luminal A like, 25.1% (n = 221) luminal B/HER2-enriched like and 19.2% (n = 169) HER2 positive like BC. Age ≥60 years, evidence of extracranial metastases (ECM), higher number of BM, triple-negative subtype and low Karnofsky-Performance-Status (KPS) were all associated with worse overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis (p < 0.001 each). All three GPA-scores were associated with OS. The breast-GPA showed the highest probability of classifying patients with survival above 12 months in the best prognostic group (specificity 68.7% compared with 48.1% for the updated breast-GPA and 21.8% for the original GPA). Sensitivities for predicting 3 months survival were very low for all scores. In this analysis, all GPA-scores showed only moderate diagnostic accuracy in predicting the OS of BC patients with BM.

Germline BRCA1/2 mutations and severe haematological toxicities in patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: BRCA1 and BRCA2 play a central role in DNA repair. Therefore, patients harbouring germline (g) BRCA1/2 mutations (m) treated with chemotherapy might be at higher risk of haematological toxicities. METHODS: Patients from German Breast Group (GBG) and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie-breast group studies with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and known gBRCA1/2m status treated with anthracycline-taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy were analysed. Primary objective was the rate of neutropenia grade (G)III-IV in cycle 1 (C1). Secondary objectives included effects on overall and other haematological toxicities GIII-IV in C1, cumulative haematological toxicity across all cycles, relative total dose intensity, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor prophylaxis. Haematological toxicities under taxanes, carboplatin, and cyclophosphamide were explored. RESULTS: Two hundred nine of 1171 (17.8%) evaluated patients had gBRCA1/2m. In C1, 37.4% gBRCA1/2m versus 35.7% wild-type patients had neutropenia GIII-IV (P = 0.683). For C1, gBRCA1/2m predicted neither for neutropenia GIII-IV (odds ratio [OR]: 1.26, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.87-1.82, P = 0.226) nor for other haematological toxicities GIII-IV (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.64-1.31, P = 0.625) in multivariable regression models. Analyses of cumulative toxicities across all cycles yielded similar results except thrombocytopaenia GIII-IV, which was increased in gBRCA1m patients. In patients treated with taxanes, the rate of haematological toxicities GIII-IV was higher in gBRCA1/2m compared with wild-type (59.5% versus 43.1%; p < 0.001). No difference was seen under cyclophosphamide or platinum-containing chemotherapies. CONCLUSIONS: gBRCA1/2m was not associated with higher risk of overall severe haematological toxicities in the first cycle or cumulatively across all cycles under standard chemotherapy for TNBC. Under taxane, patients with gBRCA1/2m might have a higher risk of haematological toxicities GIII-IV, requiring further research.