Ovarian function recovery in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant anastrozole treatment: updated results from the phase 3 DATA trial.

PURPOSE: Patients with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure (CIOFF) may experience ovarian function recovery (OFR). Earlier, we showed that OFR during treatment with anastrozole impacted the prognosis of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) patients with CIOFF. Here, we present the long-term follow-up results. METHODS: Postmenopausal women with HR+ BC who were 45-57 years of age and received chemotherapy were identified from the phase 3 DATA study (NCT00301457) on the extended use of anastrozole. Eligible patients were categorised into two groups: patients with CIOFF and definitely postmenopausal patients. Patients with CIOFF were monitored for OFR. Disease-free survival (DFS), distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients with OFR and patients without OFR using multivariable Cox regression analyses, including OFR as a time-dependent covariate. BC-specific mortality (BCSM) was compared between groups using the Fine and Gray method. RESULTS: This study included 656 patients: 395 patients with CIOFF and 261 definitely postmenopausal patients. OFR occurred in 39 (12%) of 329 patients with CIOFF who were monitored for OFR. The median follow-up time was 13.3 years. Patients with OFR experienced a deterioration in DFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85-2.81), DRFS (HR = 1.51; 95% CI 0.73-3.11), OS (HR = 1.64; 95% CI 0.75-3.55), and BCSM (subdistribution HR = 1.98; 95% CI 0.84-4.63) when compared with patients without OFR. CONCLUSION: In patients with CIOFF, OFR during treatment with anastrozole was associated with a deterioration in BC outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of adequate ovarian function suppression in this subgroup of patients.

Molecular and Clinicopathologic Characterization of Mismatch Repair-Deficient Endometrial Carcinoma Not Related to MLH1 Promoter Hypermethylation.

Universal tumor screening in endometrial carcinoma (EC) is increasingly adopted to identify individuals at risk of Lynch syndrome (LS). These cases involve mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd) EC without MLH1 promoter hypermethylation (PHM). LS is confirmed through the identification of germline MMR pathogenic variants (PV). In cases where these are not detected, emerging evidence highlights the significance of double-somatic MMR gene alterations as a sporadic cause of MMRd, alongside POLE/POLD1 exonuclease domain (EDM) PV leading to secondary MMR PV. Our understanding of the incidence of different MMRd EC origins not related to MLH1-PHM, their associations with clinicopathologic characteristics, and the prognostic implications remains limited. In a combined analysis of the PORTEC-1, -2, and -3 trials (n = 1254), 84 MMRd EC not related to MLH1-PHM were identified that successfully underwent paired tumor-normal tissue next-generation sequencing of the MMR and POLE/POLD1 genes. Among these, 37% were LS associated (LS-MMRd EC), 38% were due to double-somatic hits (DS-MMRd EC), and 25% remained unexplained. LS-MMRd EC exhibited higher rates of MSH6 (52% vs 19%) or PMS2 loss (29% vs 3%) than DS-MMRd EC, and exclusively showed MMR-deficient gland foci. DS-MMRd EC had higher rates of combined MSH2/MSH6 loss (47% vs 16%), loss of >2 MMR proteins (16% vs 3%), and somatic POLE-EDM PV (25% vs 3%) than LS-MMRd EC. Clinicopathologic characteristics, including age at tumor onset and prognosis, did not differ among the various groups. Our study validates the use of paired tumor-normal next-generation sequencing to identify definitive sporadic causes in MMRd EC unrelated to MLH1-PHM. MMR immunohistochemistry and POLE-EDM mutation status can aid in the differentiation between LS-MMRd EC and DS-MMRd EC. These findings emphasize the need for integrating tumor sequencing into LS diagnostics, along with clear interpretation guidelines, to improve clinical management. Although not impacting prognosis, confirmation of DS-MMRd EC may release patients and relatives from burdensome LS surveillance.

PAZEC: a Dutch Gynaecological Oncology Group open-label, multicenter, phase II study of pazopanib in metastatic and locally advanced hormone-resistant endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: There is a continued need for improvement of second-line systemic treatment for metastatic and/or recurrent endometrial cancer. METHODS: In this phase II, open-label study, eligible patients had histologically or cytologically confirmed endometrial cancer, documented progressive disease, and a WHO performance status of ≤2. All participants received treatment with pazopanib 800 mg once daily until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or patient refusal. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival at 3 months, with secondary outcomes of overall response rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and toxicity. The study was powered to demonstrate 50% progression-free survival at 3 months with α=0.05 and ß=80%. RESULTS: Between January 2011 and February 2016, 60 eligible patients were included (intention-to-treat population). Median age was 68 (range, 53-85) years. Previous treatment included pelvic radiotherapy (58%), chemotherapy (90%), and hormonal therapy (43%). Three-month progression-free survival was 63.3% in the intention-to-treat population, with median progression-free survival and overall survival of 3.4 and 7.5 months, respectively. Overall response rate was 8.3%, and median follow-up 7.6 months. The most common grade 3 or higher adverse events were gastrointestinal toxicity in 21% of participants, including two patients with a gut perforation, one fatal gastrointestinal hemorrhage, one enterocutaneous fistula, and one fatal enterovaginal fistula. Extensive peritoneal disease existed in 80% of the patients with severe gastrointestinal toxicity. A definite correlation with previous radiotherapy could not be established. CONCLUSIONS: Pazopanib met its primary endpoint of 3 months' progression-free survival in advanced endometrial cancer (63.3%), but response rates were modest. There may be a correlation for rare but severe gastrointestinal toxicity with previous treatments and/or disease site that has yet to be elucidated.

APOLLO: neo-adjuvant pembrolizumab for primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma-a multicenter, single-arm, phase II, clinical proof-of-concept study.

BACKGROUND: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is a rare cancer for which the cornerstone of treatment is surgery with high complication rates. The unmet need is a less radical and more effective treatment for VSCC. PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of mono-immunotherapy pembrolizumab as neoadjuvant treatment for primary resectable VSCC patients. STUDY HYPOTHESIS: Some primary VSCC patients display a specific immune profile which is associated with better survival. In other tumors, this profile is associated with a better response to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint blockade which may reinvigorate tumor-specific T cells. This potentially results in a reduced tumor load and less radical surgery and/or adjuvant treatment in patients with this immune profile. TRIAL DESIGN: This is an investigator-initiated, prospective, single arm, multicenter, phase II clinical trial. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients with VSCC clinical stage International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) I-III (2021) eligible for primary surgery, with at least one measurable lesion of at least one dimension ≥10 mm in the largest diameter, are included in this study. MAIN EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients not suitable for surgery and/or previously treated with immunomodulatory agents, and/or who suffer from comorbidities that may interfere with PD-1 blockade, are excluded from the study. ENDPOINTS: The clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in VSCC is measured by an objective change in tumor size according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) and documented by calipers using standardized digital photography with a reference ruler. In addition, the activation, proliferation, and migration of T cells in the tumor will be studied. The secondary endpoints are pathological complete responses at the time of surgery, feasibility, and safety. SAMPLE SIZE: 40 patients with FIGO I-III (2021) primary VSCC will be enrolled. ESTIMATED DATES FOR COMPLETING ACCRUAL AND PRESENTING RESULTS: The intervention phase started in July 2023 and will continue until July 2025. The expected completion of the entire study is July 2026. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05761132.

A comparison of treatment allocation and survival between younger and older patients with HER2-overexpressing de novo metastatic breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: There have been several developments in the treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. However, pivotal trials mainly included younger and healthier patients, resulting in a lack of information about the benefits and harms of treatment for most older patients. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the differences in treatment allocation and survival outcomes over time between younger and older patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients from the Netherlands Cancer Registry with de novo metastatic breast cancer between 2005 and 2021 were included. Patients were divided into three age groups: <65, 65-74, and ≥ 75 years. Changes in treatment allocation were graphically depicted over time. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate overall survival and Poisson models for relative survival. RESULTS: Overall, 2,722 patients were included. Between 2005 and 2021, the use of targeted therapy as first-line treatment increased for all age groups (<65 years from 33.8% to 90.6%, p < 0.001; 65-74 years from 29.2% to 86.5%, p = 0.001; ≥75 years from 4.3% to 55.8%, p < 0.001). Use of chemotherapy as first-line treatment also increased for all age groups (<65 years from 73.5% to 89.8%, p < 0.001; 65-74 years from 50.0% to 78.4%, p = 0.01; ≥75 years from 8.7% to 37.2%, p = 0.04). Although not statistically significant, the use of endocrine therapy, both as monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapy in the first line, decreased (<65 years 19.1% to 5.5%, p < 0.001; 65-74 years 25.0% to 13.5%, p = 0.03; ≥75 years 65.2% to 37.2%, p = 0.16). Changes in relative and overall survival were similar and improved in all age groups, but most in the youngest age group (relative excess risk [RER] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-0.94 per year, p < 0.001), and least in patients ≥75 (RER 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.98 per year, p = 0.001). DISCUSSION: The use of first-line chemotherapy and targeted therapy increased in all age groups, while the use of endocrine therapy decreased over time. Nevertheless, the uptake of chemotherapy and targeted therapies was substantially slower in the oldest age group. Overall survival and relative survival improved for all age groups, but these improvements were smaller in the older age groups.

Model-Informed Development of a Cost-Saving Dosing Regimen for Sacituzumab Govitecan.

BACKGROUND: The antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan is approved for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and has shown promising results in various other types of cancer. Its costs may limit patient access to this novel effective treatment modality. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based rational dosing regimen that results in targeted drug exposure within the therapeutic range while minimizing financial toxicity, to improve treatment access. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Exposure equivalent dosing strategies were developed based on pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation by using the published pharmacokinetic model developed by the license holder. The alternative dose was based on the principle of using complete vials to prevent spillage and on the established non-linear relationship between body weight and systemic exposure. Equivalent exposure compared to the approved dosing regimen of 10 mg/kg was aimed for. Equivalent exposure was conservatively defined as calculated geometric mean ratios within the 0.9-1.11 boundaries for area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), trough concentration (Ctrough) and maximum concentration (Cmax) of the alternative dosing regimen compared to the approved dosing regimen. Since different vial sizes are available for the European Union (EU) and United States (US) market, because body weight distributions differ between these populations, we performed our analysis for both scenarios. RESULTS: Dosing regimens of sacituzumab govitecan for the EU (< 50 kg: 400 mg, 50-80 kg: 600 mg, and > 80 kg: 800 mg) and US population (< 40 kg: 360 mg, 40-65 kg: 540 mg, 65-90 kg: 720 mg, and > 90 kg: 900 mg) were developed, based on weight bands. The geometric mean ratios for all pharmacokinetic outcomes were within the predefined equivalence boundaries, while the quantity of drug used was 21.5% and 19.0% lower for the EU and US scenarios, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: With the alternative dosing proposal, an approximately 20% reduction in drug expenses for sacituzumab govitecan can be realized while maintaining an equivalent and more evenly distributed exposure throughout the body weight range, without notable increases in pharmacokinetic variability.

Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproduction in Patients With Breast Cancer Interrupting Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy to Attempt Pregnancy.

PURPOSE: We investigated time to pregnancy, efficacy and safety of fertility preservation, and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in women with early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) desiring future pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: POSITIVE is an international, single-arm, prospective trial, in which 518 women temporarily interrupted adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy. We evaluated menstruation recovery and factors associated with time to pregnancy and investigated if ART use was associated with achieving pregnancy. The cumulative incidence of BC-free interval (BCFI) events was estimated according to the use of ovarian stimulation at diagnosis. The median follow-up was 41 months. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-three patients (53%) reported amenorrhea at enrollment, of whom 94% resumed menses within 12 months. Among 497 patients evaluable for pregnancy, 368 (74%) reported at least one pregnancy. Young age was the main factor associated with shorter time to pregnancy with cumulative incidences of pregnancy by 1 year of 63.5%, 54.3%, and 37.7% for patients age <35, 35-39, and 40-42 years, respectively. One hundred and seventy-nine patients (36%) had embryo/oocyte cryopreservation at diagnosis, of whom 68 reported embryo transfer after enrollment. Cryopreserved embryo transfer was the only ART associated with higher chance of pregnancy (odds ratio, 2.41 [95% CI, 1.75 to 4.95]). The cumulative incidence of BCFI events at 3 years was similar for women who underwent ovarian stimulation for cryopreservation at diagnosis, 9.7% (95% CI, 6.0 to 15.4), compared with those who did not, 8.7% (95% CI, 6.0 to 12.5). CONCLUSION: In POSITIVE, fertility preservation using ovarian stimulation was not associated with short-term detrimental impact on cancer prognosis. Pregnancy rates were highest among those who underwent embryo/oocyte cryopreservation followed by embryo transfer.

IGF1 and Insulin Receptor Single Nucleotide Variants Associated with Response in HER2-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with or without a Fasting Mimicking Diet (BOOG 2013-04 DIRECT Trial).

AIM: We aimed to investigate associations between IGF1R and INSR single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and clinical response in patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without a fasting mimicking diet (FMD) from the DIRECT trial (NCT02126449), since insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and the insulin pathway are heavily involved in tumor growth and progression. METHODS: Germline DNA from 113 patients was tested for 17 systematically selected candidate SNVs in IGF1R and INSR with pathological and radiological response. RESULTS: IGF1R variants A > G (rs3743259) and G > A (rs3743258) are associated with worse pathological response compared to reference alleles p = 0.002, OR = 0.42 (95%CI: 0.24; 0.73); p = 0.0016; OR = 0.40 (95%CI: 0.23; 0.70). INSR T > C (rs1051690) may be associated with worse radiological response p = 0.02, OR = 2.92 (95%CI: 1.16; 7.36), although not significant after Bonferroni correction. Exploratory interaction analysis suggests that IGF1R SNVs rs2684787 and rs2654980 interact negatively with the FMD group regarding radiological response p = 0.036, OR = 5.13 (95%CI: 1.12; 23.63); p = 0.024, OR = 5.71 (95%CI: 1.26; 25.85). CONCLUSIONS: The IGF1R variants rs3743259 and rs3743258 are negatively associated with pathological response in this cohort, suggesting potential relevance as a predictive biomarker. Further research is needed to validate these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms and interaction with FMD.