HER2-negative Advanced Breast Cancer Research Articles

The treatment pattern of advanced HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer in central southern China: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

AimsThis investigation aims to elucidate the treatment status of advanced HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients in Hunan Province of Central Southern China from November 2021 to December 2022.MethodsData from 301 patients with advanced HR+/HER2- breast cancer were collected from the breast cancer investigation project in Hunan under the guidance of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncolfogy (CSCO). The data included the clinical characteristics of patients and the status of first-line and second-line rescue treatment.ResultsFirst-line chemotherapy and endocrine therapy for mBC accounted for 40% (121/301) and 60% (180/301) of treatments, respectively. AI (21%), AI plus CDK4/6 inhibitor (28%), and fulvestrant (24%) or fulvestrant plus CDK4/6 inhibitor (18%) were the most common first-line endocrine therapies. Taxane-based chemotherapy was the most common first-line chemotherapy (59%). Second-line chemotherapy and endocrine therapy for mBC accounted for 43% (72/166) and 57% (94/166) of treatments, respectively. Fulvestrant (23%) or fulvestrant plus CDK4/6 inhibitor (29%) were the most common second-line endocrine therapies. The prevalences of AI and AI plus CDK4/6 inhibitor decreased to 19% and 11%, respectively. T (taxane)-based chemotherapy was still the most common chemotherapy regimen (46%). Third-line chemotherapy was more prevalent than endocrine therapy (57% vs. 41%). T (taxane)-based chemotherapy was still the most common chemotherapy regimen (46%). Fulvestrant plus CDK4/6 inhibitor was the most common endocrine therapy (33%). AI, AI plus CDK4/6 inhibitor, and fulvestrant accounted for 21%, 12% and 18% of third-line endocrine therapies, respectively.ConclusionsCompared to chemotherapy, endocrine therapy was a more favorable choice for first-line and second-line treatment for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients in Hunan Province.

The impact of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (low) status on the efficacy of first line cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors in advanced breast cancer.

The fact that the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low group, historically classified as HER2 negative in breast cancer histology, benefited from HER2-targeted treatments similarly to the HER2-positive group indicates that this group has a distinct histology from the HER2-0 group. The effectiveness of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors, which are the standard first-line treatment for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer, in this newly defined histological subgroup remains a topic of debate. In our study, we examined the impact of HER2 status on the efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors. Our study is a retrospective, multicenter, real-world data analysis. One hundred sixty patients were included in the study. The relationship between HER2 status and other clinical-pathological features, as well as progression-free survival, was examined. Median follow-up was 20.33 ± 0.98 months. The mPFS could not be reached. All patients exhibited positive estrogen receptor expression. Among the patients, 111 (69.4%) were categorized as HER2-0, and 49 (30.6%) as HER2-low. The 24-month progression-free survival rates were similar between HER2-0 and HER2-low patients (60.6% vs 65.3%, hormone receptor: 1.18, CI: 0.67-2.20, P = .554). We established that the mPFS achieved with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors as a first-line therapy for patients with advanced breast cancer is unaffected by HER2 status.

Comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of CDK4/6 inhibitors in the first-line treatment of HR-positive and HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: a Markov's model-based evaluation

IntroductionCDK4/6 inhibitors are the first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. Despite their clinical benefit, they can increase healthcare expenditure. To date, there is no thorough comparison among the three approved CDK4/6 inhibitors in terms of their cost-effectiveness.ObjectiveTo investigate and compare the cost-effectiveness of CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with letrozole as a first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer with hormonal-receptor-positivity and HER-2-negativity versus one another and versus letrozole monotherapy.MethodsA 10-year within-cycle-corrected Markov’s model was employed from the healthcare payer perspective. Costs were obtained from the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) in Qatar. Utilities and transition probabilities were calculated from published landmark trials of PALOMA-2, MONALEESA-2, MONARCH-3, PO25, and other relevant literature. Costs, measured in Qatari Riyal (QAR), and effectiveness, measured in quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs), were incremented and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was compared to a willingness-to-pay threshold (WTP) of 1.5 Qatari GDP (448,758 QAR). A deterministic sensitivity analysis was implemented to account for uncertainties.ResultsRibociclib was the most effective option, generating 4.420 QALYs, followed by palbociclib (4.406 QALYs), abemaciclib (4.220 QALYs), then letrozole monotherapy (2.093 QALYs). As for cost-effectiveness, ribociclib dominated palbociclib. However, it was not cost-effective compared to abemaciclib (ICER=1,588,545 QAR/QALY). Ribociclib remained dominant over palbociclib with all uncertainties. The base-case conclusion of ribociclib versus abemaciclib remained robust over all uncertainties.ConclusionFrom the healthcare payer perspective in Qatar, ribociclib is the most effective CDK4/6 inhibitor. It was dominant over palbociclib in terms of cost-effectiveness; however, it was not cost-effective compared to abemaciclib at current prices.

Effect of PR status on the prognosis of advanced ER-high HER2-negative breast cancer patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitor combined with endocrine as first-line therapy

BackgroundThis study was designed to evaluate the effect of progesterone receptor (PR) status on the prognosis of advanced estrogen receptor (ER)-high human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitor combined with endocrine as first-line therapy.MethodsAdvanced ER-high HER2-negative breast cancer patients who were admitted to Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital and received cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitor combined with endocrine as first-line therapy were included for analysis. Patients were divided into PR-high group (11-100%), PR-low group (1-10%), and PR-negative group (< 1%) according to the expression of PR. Chi-square test was used to analyze the correlation of variables between groups. COX regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of survival. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the differences of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between groups.ResultsAmong the 152 patients, 72 were PR-high, 32 were PR-low, and 48 were PR-negative. Compared with PR-negative group, the proportions of disease-free survival (DFS) ≥ 5 years and Ki-67 index ≤ 30% in PR-low group and PR-high group were significant higher. PR-negative patients were more likely to occur first-line progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) than PR-high(P = 0.026). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that PR-negative and first-line POD24 occurrence were risk factors for survival. Survival curve analysis showed that compared with PR-high group, the PFS and OS were significantly lower in PR-negative group (P = 0.001, P = 0.036, respectively). Patients with first-line POD24 had shorter OS in the overall population as well as in subgroups stratified by PR status.ConclusionsPR-negative and first-line POD24 occurrence were risk factors of advanced ER-high HER2-negative breast cancer patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitor combined with endocrine as first-line therapy. PR-negative patients had shortest PFS and OS. Regardless of PR status, first-line POD24 occurrence predicted shorter OS.

Susceptibility gene mutations in germline and tumors of patients with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer

Germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (gBRCA1/2) are required for a PARP inhibitor therapy in patients with HER2-negative (HER2−) advanced breast cancer (aBC). However, little is known about the prognostic impact of gBRCA1/2 mutations in aBC patients treated with chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the frequencies and prognosis of germline and somatic BRCA1/2 mutations in HER2- aBC patients receiving the first chemotherapy in the advanced setting. Patients receiving their first chemotherapy for HER2- aBC were retrospectively selected from the prospective PRAEGNANT registry (NCT02338167). Genotyping of 26 cancer predisposition genes was performed with germline DNA of 471 patients and somatic tumor DNA of 94 patients. Mutation frequencies, progression-free and overall survival (PFS, OS) according to germline mutation status were assessed. gBRCA1/2 mutations were present in 23 patients (4.9%), and 33 patients (7.0%) had mutations in other cancer risk genes. Patients with a gBRCA1/2 mutation had a better OS compared to non-mutation carriers (HR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.17–0.86). PFS comparison was not statistically significant. Mutations in other risk genes did not affect prognosis. Two somatic BRCA2 mutations were found in 94 patients without gBRCA1/2 mutations. Most frequently somatic mutated genes were TP53 (44.7%), CDH1 (10.6%) and PTEN (6.4%). In conclusion, aBC patients with gBRCA1/2 mutations had a more favorable prognosis under chemotherapy compared to non-mutation carriers. The mutation frequency of ~5% with gBRCA1/2 mutations together with improved outcome indicates that germline genotyping of all metastatic patients for whom a PARP inhibitor therapy is indicated should be considered.

Concurrent use of Radiotherapy and Ribociclib: Preliminary Results and Review of the Literature.

In the recent MONALEESA-2, MONALEESA-3, and MONALEESA-7 clinical trials, the addition of ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, to standard endocrine therapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with hormone therapy alone in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor-positive (ER) and HER2-negative breast cancer. However, its toxicity raises concerns when administered concomitantly with radiotherapy, leading most radiotherapists and medical oncologists to prefer to discontinue Ribociclib during radiotherapy (RT). Although there are insufficient published data on this combination, our preliminary experience with the first 2 patients treated at Institut Curie suggests promising results when using Ribociclib with Letrozole or Fulvestrant concurrently with palliative radiotherapy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Our study aimed to evaluate the safety of combining Ribociclib with palliative radiotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer, providing crucial insights for clinical decision-making. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer with Ribociclib and concurrent radiotherapy at the Institut Curie (Paris, France) between September 2023 and April 2024. Among 38 patients who received Ribociclib and underwent irradiation, 36 temporarily suspended Ribociclib during radiotherapy, while 2 continued Ribociclib concurrently and were included in the analysis. Palliative radiotherapy was administered using volumetric modulated arc therapy, delivering 20Gy in 5 fractions to bone metastatic sites. Ribociclib was given at 600mg/day with hormonotherapy. Follow-up was conducted from the last day of RT until the last medical consultation. Toxicities were graded using CTCAE V5.0. Two patients received Ribociclib concomitantly with radiotherapy, experiencing pain relief without interruptions in RT. However, Ribociclib treatment was halted in both cases due to grade 3 neutropenia and grade 1 QTc interval prolongation, respectively. One patient had a dose reduction to 400mg due to neutropenia, with favorable outcomes observed. Both patients continued Ribociclib treatment, with one achieving complete remission and the other partial remission of bone disease. No late toxicities were observed. Despite the need for further investigation, our results suggest safety consistent with pivotal trials, advocating for a prospective cooperative data collection initiative to explore this combined strategy further, potentially revolutionizing metastatic breast cancer management.

Resistance to Targeted Inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in Advanced Oestrogen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer.

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway is one of the most frequently activated pathways in breast cancer and also plays a central role in the regulation of several physiologic functions. There are major efforts ongoing to exploit precision medicine by developing inhibitors that target the three kinases (PI3K, AKT, and mTOR). Although multiple compounds have been developed, at present, there are just three inhibitors approved to target this pathway in patients with advanced ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer: everolimus (mTOR inhibitor), alpelisib (PIK3CA inhibitor), and capivasertib (AKT inhibitor). Like most targeted cancer drugs, resistance poses a major problem in the clinical setting and is a factor that has frequently limited the overall efficacy of these agents. Drug resistance can be categorised into intrinsic or acquired resistance depending on the timeframe it has developed within. Whereas intrinsic resistance exists prior to a specific treatment, acquired resistance is induced by a therapy. The majority of patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer will likely be offered an inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway at some point in their cancer journey, with the options available depending on the approval criteria in place and the cancer's mutation status. Within this large cohort of patients, it is likely that most will develop resistance at some point, which makes this an area of interest and an unmet need at present. Herein, we review the common mechanisms of resistance to agents that target the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway, elaborate on current management approaches, and discuss ongoing clinical trials attempting to mitigate this significant issue. We highlight the need for additional studies into AKT1 inhibitor resistance in particular.

The G Protein Estrogen Receptor (GPER) is involved in the resistance to the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in breast cancer

BackgroundThe cyclin D1-cyclin dependent kinases (CDK)4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy shows remarkable efficacy in the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, resistance to palbociclib frequently arises, highlighting the need to identify new targets toward more comprehensive therapeutic strategies in BC patients.MethodsBC cell lines resistant to palbociclib were generated and used as a model system. Gene silencing techniques and overexpression experiments, real-time PCR, immunoblotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies as well as cell viability, colony and 3D spheroid formation assays served to evaluate the involvement of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in the resistance to palbociclib in BC cells. Molecular docking simulations were also performed to investigate the potential interaction of palbociclib with GPER. Furthermore, BC cells co-cultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) isolated from mammary carcinoma, were used to investigate whether GPER signaling may contribute to functional cell interactions within the tumor microenvironment toward palbociclib resistance. Finally, by bioinformatics analyses and k-means clustering on clinical and expression data of large cohorts of BC patients, the clinical significance of novel mediators of palbociclib resistance was explored.ResultsDissecting the molecular events that characterize ER-positive BC cells resistant to palbociclib, the down-regulation of ERα along with the up-regulation of GPER were found. To evaluate the molecular events involved in the up-regulation of GPER, we determined that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) interacts with the promoter region of GPER and stimulates its expression toward BC cells resistance to palbociclib treatment. Adding further cues to these data, we ascertained that palbociclib does induce pro-inflammatory transcriptional events via GPER signaling in CAFs. Of note, by performing co-culture assays we demonstrated that GPER contributes to the reduced sensitivity to palbociclib also facilitating the functional interaction between BC cells and main components of the tumor microenvironment named CAFs.ConclusionsOverall, our results provide novel insights on the molecular events through which GPER may contribute to palbociclib resistance in BC cells. Additional investigations are warranted in order to assess whether targeting the GPER-mediated interactions between BC cells and CAFs may be useful in more comprehensive therapeutic approaches of BC resistant to palbociclib.

A phase II trial of anlotinib combined chemotherapy as second-line and above therapy in HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

e13140 Background: The group of HER2-negative accounts for about 75% of breast cancer and has limited response to chemotherapy. Anlotinib is a novel multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR, and c-Kit. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus chemotherapy in second-line and above treatment of HER-2 negative advanced breast cancer. Methods: This open-label, single-arm, phase II study enrolled women aged 18-75 years with HER2-negative breast cancer who underwent at least one-line chemotherapy. All patients were treated with anlotinib (12mg, qd, administered orally on Days 1-14 of each 21 day cycle) in combination with investigator-selected chemotherapy. The primary endpoint evaluated in this study was the median progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), disease control rate (DCR) and safety. Results: From August 2022 to August 2023, 33 patients were enrolled in this study including 22(66.7%) HR+/HER2- patients and 11(33.3%) TNBC patients. After a median follow-up time of 11 months (95% CI, 5.8-16.2), the median PFS (mPFS) of the all patients was 8.6 months (95% CI 7.3-NA). In the HR+ and HR- populations, mPFS was 7.6 months versus 9.5 months (HR,0.376 [95%CI 0.12-1.13], p=0.072), respectively. All the patients had the confirmed best overall response assessments, no patient achieved complete response (CR); 11(33.3%) patients got partial response (PR) and 19(57.6%) patients achieved stable disease (SD). ORR was 33.3% (95% CI 18.0-51.8), DCR was 90.9% (95% CI 75.7-98.1) and CBR was 60.6% (95% CI 42.1-77.1). The most frequently observed adverse events were elevated triglycerides (78.8%), elevated blood sugar (63.6%), anemia (60.6%), elevated cholesterol (51.5%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (48.5%), and leukopenia (48.5%). Dose reductions due to adverse events occurred in 7 (21.2%) patients. Conclusions: Anlotinib combined with chemotherapy showed a promising efficacy with an acceptable safety profile for second-line and above patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Further studies enrolling more patients are still needed.

Frequency of dose reductions of abemaciclib in metastatic and early-stage hormone positive, HER2 negative breast cancer.

e13099 Background: Abemaciclib is a CDK4/6 inhibitor which in combination with endocrine therapy (ET) improves progression-free survival in hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2 negative advanced breast cancer, as well as invasive disease free-survival in high-risk early-stage breast cancer. However, abemaciclib is associated with adverse events which may limit treatment adherence. In this single-center study, we describe real-world safety outcomes of early-stage and advanced HR-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer patients prescribed abemaciclib in conjunction with ET. Specifically, we analyze the frequency of adverse events and dose reductions (DR). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients treated at Scripps Clinic between 1/1/2019-1/1/2023 with HR-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer prescribed abemaciclib with ET. Primary analyses were performed to discern clinical characteristic differences between groups. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and compared between arms by Chi-Square tests or Fisher’s Exact Tests. All continuous variables were summarized as means and standard deviations and compared between arms by T-Tests if normally distributed or summarized as medians and compared between arms by Mann-Whitney Tests otherwise. Statistical significance was set to 0.05 and all analyses were conducted in R. Results: A total of 77 patients were analyzed including 62% in the adjuvant setting and 38% in the metastatic setting. 51% of patients required DR. Patients requiring DR were older relative to those not requiring DR (59 vs 52 years of age, p=0.019). Those requiring DR remained on abemaciclib longer relative to those without DR (509 vs 350 days, p=0.057). Among those requiring DR, there were higher rates of grades II-IV diarrhea (p&lt;0.001) and Loperamide use (p=0.083). Those requiring DR also had higher rates of neutropenia (54% vs 29%, p=0.027), abdominal cramping (39% vs 8%, p=0.002), nausea (39% vs 13%, p=0.011), and fatigue (51% vs 32%, p=0.079). Among 9 patients who expired on abemaciclib, 7 were in the metastatic setting and 1 was linked to an adverse effect from abemaciclib; none required DR (24% vs 0%, p&lt;0.001). Finally, patients in the adjuvant setting remained on abemaciclib longer relative to those in the metastatic setting (526 vs 281 days, p=0.01). 95% of patients experienced symptom improvement with DR (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Our study describes real-world safety outcomes of patients with HR-positive, HER2 negative breast cancer treated with abemaciclib and ET. More than half of patients required DR. Those who reduced their abemaciclib dose had improvement of clinical symptoms and remained on therapy longer. Based on our findings and given the importance of adherence in treatment efficacy, a lower starting dose of abemaciclib may be a more tolerable strategy, especially among older patients who required more DR in our study.

Utidelone plus bevacizumab for the treatment of HER2-negative breast cancer brain metastases (U-BOMB): A multicenter, single-arm phase II study.

1081 Background: The primary treatment for brain metastases in patients with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer is predominantly local therapies like radiotherapy, owing to the limited efficacy of systemic therapies. Prior research has demonstrated utidelone's significant permeability across the blood-brain barrier and the preliminary effectiveness of bevacizumab for breast cancer brain metastases. Consequently, this study investigated the efficacy and safety of utidelone combined with bevacizumab in the treatment of advanced breast cancer brain metastases. Methods: This study was a single-arm, multi-center phase II clinical trial (NCT05357417). Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with either radiotherapy-naive or progressive brain metastases post-radiotherapy, presented with asymptomatic or symptomatic brain metastases associated with HER2-negative breast cancer.Patients received intravenous bevacizumab (15 mg/kg on day 1 of each 3-week cycle) and utidelone (30 mg/m2 on days 1 to 5 of each cycle) until intolerance or disease progression. The primary endpoint was central nervous system objective response rate (CNS-ORR), as assessed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1. Results: Between May 5, 2022, and October 25, 2023, a total of 46 patients were recruited, with a median age of 52.5 years (range, 33 to 69). Among them, 35 patients had untreated CNS lesions, while 11 had progressive brain metastases after local radiotherapy. The CNS-ORR was 43.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.9%-58.9%). As of January 8, 2024, the median duration of follow-up was 14.6 months, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.7 months (95% CI: 5.5-10.8) as shown in Table. The 12-month overall survival (OS) rate reached 74.4% (95% CI: 60.0%-92.3%). The most common grade 1-2 adverse events (AEs) were peripheral neuropathy (87.5%), decreased neutrophil count (62.5%), anemia (47.5%), diarrhea (37.5%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (25%). No grade 3 or higher treatment-related AEs occurred. Conclusions: This study preliminarily shows promising efficacy and manageable safety of the combination of utidelone and bevacizumab in the treatment of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients with brain metastases. Clinical trial information: NCT05357417 . [Table: see text]

Real-world treatment outcomes in patients with HR+ HER2- advanced breast cancer treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors and endocrine therapy.

1067 Background: The addition of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) to endocrine therapy (ET) improves progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2- ABC) in 1st and 2nd line setting. The international guidelines advise using 1st line CDK4/6i; however, its superiority over 2nd line use is debatable. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of HR+/HER2- ABC pts administered palbociclib (PAL), ribociclib (RIB) or abemaciclib (ABM) added to either 1st or 2nd line ET. Results: A total of 1511 pts (PAL=507; RIB=724; ABM=280) from 11 cancer Polish centers treated between Sep 2017 and Dec 2023. Median follow-up was 29.6 (95%CI 28.2 to 30.9) months (m). Mean age was 62.6±11.9, 58.9±12.2 and 61.4±10.8 years in PAL, RIB and ABM, respectively. 815 patients (53.9%) had visceral and 1109 (73.4%) bone metastases. 1254 pts (83%) received 1st line CDK4/6i, in 841 (67%) combined with aromatase inhibitor (AI) and in 413 (33%) with fulvestrant (FUL). Second-line CDK4/6i was used in 257 pts (17%); 59 (23%) and 198 (67%) with AI and FUL, respectively. There was no difference in PFS, PFS2, and OS between three CDK4/6i in combination with AIs in 1st and 2nd line setting. Median PFS (95%CI) for 1st line AI with PAL, RIB, ABM were 29.0 (21.6-37.0), 32.0 (24.5-36.9), not reached (N/R) (21.9-N/R) m; PFS2: 37.0 (28.8-N/R), 33.0 (29.5-40.2), N/R (28.9-N/R); OS: 48.9 (42.9-N/R), 48.6 (41.9-N/R), N/R (36.7-N/R). Median PFS (95%CI) for 2nd line AI with PAL, RIB, ABM were 11.9 (9.49-N/R), 10.8 (8.27-N/R), 11.0 (6.43-N/R); PFS2: 22.7 (16.8-N/R), 32.3 (24.9-N/R), 31.0 (13.2-N/R); OS: 27.4 (24.4-N/R), 36.7 (30.1-N/R), 45.5 (29.0-N/R) (no statistical significance). In contrast, RIB+FUL was superior to PAL+FUL and ABM+FUL in both lines (Table). The safety profile was concordant with the reported data for ET + CDK4/6i. Conclusions: Identifying predictive factors of response is essential for the rational use of CDK4/6i and ET in HR+/HER2- ABC. [Table: see text]

Real-world (RW) elacestrant use patterns and therapeutic outcomes in patients (pts) with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (aBC).

1071 Background: Elacestrant was the first novel endocrine therapy (ET) to receive FDA approval in over two decades. In the EMERALD study, pts with ESR1-mutant ( ESR1m) HR+/HER2-negative aBC had a median progression free survival (PFS) of 3.8 months (mos). Here, we use a large clinical-genomic database to assess the RW use of elacestrant and examine the impact of line of therapy (LOT) and number of ERS1m on pt outcomes. Methods: Pts with HR+/HER2- aBC were identified via the GuardantINFORM database; all pts with ESR1m detected on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing done in routine clinical care and treated with elacestrant after the FDA approval date were included. Real-world time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) and time to next treatment (TTNT) were used as proxies for PFS (measured in mos). For TTD/TTNT, Kaplan-Meier curves and median time-to-event with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used. For outcomes specific to single versus &gt;1 ESR1m, only pts with an ESR1m detected within the 6 months prior to elacestrant start were included. Results: 418 aBC pts were treated with elacestrant, with a median age of 62 years. Elacestrant was used across metastatic LOT (2nd: 12%, 3rd: 18%, 4tH: 17%, 5th+: 53%). Considering all prior therapies, pts commonly received prior aromatase inhibitors (AI) (89%), CDK4/6i (73%), fulvestrant (63%), and chemotherapy (49%). Of 312 pts with testing within 6 months of elacestrant start, 56% harbored a single ESR1m, with a maximum of 11 ESR1m detected in a single patient. TTD was 5.4 mos (95% CI: 4.2 - not reached [NR]) and TTNT was 6.2 mos (95% CI: 5.7 - NR); most pts were censored at the time of analysis (65% for TTD, 71% for TTNT). There were no significant differences in TTD or TTNT based on number of prior LOT or number of ESR1m mutations (Table 1). Data was not yet mature to assess differences in outcomes based on prior ET use, duration of prior CDK4/6i exposure, specific ESR1m, or co-occurring alterations. Conclusions: Using a clinical-genomic database, we present early RW insights of aBC pts treated with elacestrant. Initial outcomes, as assessed via TTD and TTNT, exceed the PFS reported in the EMERALD trial, perhaps due to multiple factors impacting patient selection and restaging protocols, which can differ in prospective trials versus routine clinical care. Factors such as prior LOT and number of ESR1m did not impact patient outcomes; additional factors such as prior ET use, duration of CDK4/6i treatment, specific ESR1m, and co-occurring mutations will be assessed as data matures. [Table: see text]

Safety and patient-reported outcomes in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors in China: A cross-sectional study.

1054 Background: It is reported that the adverse event (AE) profile may vary with different CDK4/6 inhibitors. With the prolongation of survival, AEs occurred during the treatment period may affect quality of life (QoL) for patients with advanced disease. Currently, there has been no study focusing on the safety and patient-reported outcomes in Chinese patients treated with different CDK4/6 inhibitors. Methods: This was a large cross-sectional study conducted at 10 sites in China. Randomly selected patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer and their physicians were asked to fill the self-designed questionnaires. Disease characteristics and AEs were collected from the perspectives of both patients and physicians, while the patient questionnaire additionally included feedback on the AE management and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-breast cancer module (QLQ-BR23). Results: Between Jan 30, 2023 and Sep 15, 2023, a total of 1254 patients (median age, 55 years) were included; 212 (16.9%) patients were treated with palbociclib, 483 (38.5%) with abemaciclib, 550 (43.9%) with dalpiciclib, and 9 (0.7%) with ribociclib. Of them, 197 (15.7%) had switching history or dose adjustment of CDK4/6 inhibitor, with the main reason being AEs (51.8%). From the perspective of physicians, the most common AEs for patients were decreased white blood cell (63.3%), decreased neutrophil count (58.7%), and diarrhea (36.3%). The incidence of increased alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and increased aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) was 9.3% (grade ≥3, 6.0%) and 8.4% (grade ≥3, 6.7%), respectively. Dalpiciclib showed the lowest incidence of increased ALT (3.5%; grade ≥3, none), increased AST (4.2%; grade ≥3, none), and diarrhea (10.5%) compared with other CDK4/6 inhibitors (P&lt;0.001). From the perspective of patients, dalpiciclib showed the lowest incidence of fatigue, alopecia, hot flashes, insomnia, arthralgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia (P&lt;0.05). Regarding QoL, the mean scores of upset by hair loss for different CDK4/6 inhibitors were higher than other symptom subscale scores. Dalpiciclib showed the lowest mean score of upset by hair loss compared with abemaciclib and palbociclib, whether in total (19.74 vs 27.23 vs 21.47, P=0.006) or in patients with &gt;6 months of treatment (12.59 vs 27.78 vs 17.95, P&lt;0.001). Conclusions: AEs are different among various CDK4/6 inhibitors. Dalpiciclib has the lowest risk of diarrhea and hepatotoxicity based on physicians' reports, and shows the best patient-perceived safety. Regarding QoL, CDK4/6 inhibitors can result in upset by hair loss, while patients have the least concern about this issue when using dalpiciclib, especially for those with long treatment duration (&gt;6 months).

Neoadjuvant dalpiciclib, exemestane, and goserelin in premenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer: A prospective, multicenter, randomized two-group, non-controlled phase 2 clinical trial.

TPS625 Background: The combination of CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) with endocrine therapy has significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (BC), revolutionizing the treatment landscape. However, previous CDK4/6i neoadjuvant studies have predominantly focused on postmenopausal populations, leaving a gap in preoperative treatment for early HR-positive, HER2-negative premenopausal BC patients. Therefore, the present trial is conducted to investigate the efficacy of dalpiciclib, exemestane and goserelin as neoadjuvant therapy in premenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative BC. Methods: This is a multicenter, randomized two-group, non-controlled phase 2 clinical trial. Key eligibility criteria include: Patients aged 18 years or older with no prior treatment, an ECOG performance status of 0-1, at least 1 measurable lesion, and clinical stage II-III HR-positive, HER2-negative premenopausal invasive BC. Initially, all enrolled patients will receive two cycles of treatment with docetaxel, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (TAC). Subsequently, patients with complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) will receive an additional four cycles of TAC, whereas patients with progressive disease (PD) will undergo surgery or treatment options decided upon by the investigators. Those with stable disease (SD) will be randomly assigned 1:1 to either an experimental group receiving 16 weeks of dalpiciclib, exemestane, and goserelin (dalpiciclib: 125 mg daily for 21 days followed by 7 days off, exemestane: 25 mg daily for 28 days, goserelin: 3.6 mg every 28 days) or a standard chemotherapy group receiving four more cycles of TAC. Treatment response is assessed according to RECIST 1.1 criteria. Surgery will be performed after completion of the planned neoadjuvant treatment, followed by radiation therapy and systemic treatment according to local guidelines or the investigators' choices. The study's primary endpoint is the objective response rate (ORR) of the experimental group. Secondary endpoints include the ORR, residual cancer burden, preoperative endocrine prognostic index, event-free survival, and safety of both. Using Simon's two-stage optimal design and assuming a 40% response rate as desirable in the experimental group, at least 13 responses among a total of 43 patients were required to meet the primary endpoint. The trial will be terminated if fewer than 3 patients respond in the first stage. Considering an 80% SD rate post two neoadjuvant TAC cycles and a 10% attrition, the sample size was ultimately set at 119. The trial is actively recruiting. Clinical trial information: NCT06009627 .

Innovation of the first-line strategy optimized as abemaciclib with endocrine therapy based on the ESR1mutation of ctDNA for patients with HR-positive HER2-negative advanced metastatic breast cancer (JBCRG-M08; AMBER study).

TPS1134 Background: Aromatase inhibitor (AI) + CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) has been established as a standard of care of 1st line treatment for hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative advanced metastatic breast cancer (AMBC). ESR1 mutations are considered to be one of the causes of acquiring resistance against the AI +CDK4/6i. PADA-1 trial showed that replacing AI with fulvestrant (FUL) as a partner of palbociclib (PAL) at occurrence of some ESR1 mutations improved progression-free survival (PFS) and PFS2, suggesting PAL should be used based on the strategy of selecting endocrine agents according to ESR1 mutation status by ctDNA analysis. On the other hand, we don’t know if this strategy is effective in the case of abemaciclib (ABM), another CDK4/6i established as the standard of care for AMBC. We are conducting a study to make evidence on this clinical question. Methods: This multicenter, single-arm phase II study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the strategy to replace AI with FUL for detectable ESR1 mutations in combination with ABM. Key eligibility criteria include patients receiving AI+ABM for at least 6 months as first-line treatment for HR-positive/ HER2-negative AMBC without progressive disease (PD). While continuing AI+ABM, ctDNA analysis will be performed at approximately 3, 9, 15 months from enrollment. If ESR1 mutation is identified at any point and non-PD is confirmed by CT, FUL+ABM will be initiated instead of AI+ABM. In patients with ESR1 mutations completely cleared by ctDNA analysis 6 months after the start of FUL+ABM, AI+ABM will be resumed (Re-AI+ABM arm); the Re-AI+ABM arm is intended to investigate whether the discontinuation of FUL will allow clones with ESR1 mutations to proliferate again. Primary endpoint is 2-year PFS rate in full analysis set. Key secondary endpoints include 2-year PFS rate by treatment sequences, and rate of disappearance of ESR1mutations in ctDNA with FUL+ABM. Plasma-SeqSensei Breast Cancer IVD Kit, which can simultaneously detect mutations in a wide range of six genes including ESR1, as well as PIK3CA, AKT1, ERBB2, KRAS, and TP53, is used for ctDNA analysis in this study. Based on PFS data in MONARCH3 study, the threshold and expected value of the 2-year PFS rate were estimated to be 45% and 55%, respectively, and target sample size was calculated as 160 patients. Patient enrollment started in December 2022 and run through December 2024; as of December 2023, 54 patients have been enrolled. Clinical trial information: 051220133.

Clinical outcomes with alpelisib (ALP) plus fulvestrant (FUL) in patients with HR-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) with PIK3CA mutations (m) in routine practice at several Russian centers.

e13053 Background: The data of ALP efficacy after FUL, chemotherapy (CT) and in later lines is limited. Only a small percentage of pts in BYLieve trial in cohort C received FUL (32%), CT (37%) and received ALP in later lines (only 4 pts received ALP in 4/4L+ lines). Therefore, we reported the real-world data of ALP+FUL efficacy in pts with HR+/HER2−ABC with PIK3CAm from initial year access in Russian Federation. Methods: Pts with HR+/HER2- ABC with PIK3CAm were treated with ALP 300mg QD orally and FUL 500mg IM until disease progression or intolerance. The primary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS) and clinical benefit (CB) defined per RECIST 1.1. Here we present the results of treatment pts with ALP+FUL in routine practice after prior FUL, chemotherapy and outcomes depend on the line of therapy in which pts received ALP+FUL. Results: 139 pts with HR+/HER2-ABC with PIK3CAm were included in our retrospective analysis from 2020 to 2023. Median lines of previous treatment in ABC was three (1-9), the most pts have received CDK 4/6, n=123 (86%), fulvestrant-containing regimens, n=83 (79%) and CT, n=77 (55%). The median of PFS (mPFS) on ALP+FUL was 7.0 months (CI 95%: 5.0-8.9); CB was achieved in 58% of pts, including partial response in 18% and stable disease ≥6 months in 40% pts. The mPFS was statistically longer in pts who didn’t receive CT and FUL compared with pts who had prior CT and FUL-containing regimens (Table). Pts received AlP+FUL in the 2L (n=45, 32%), 3L (n=35, 25%), 4L and 4L+ (n=59, 42%). The mPFS was statistically longer in pts treated with ALP+FUL in earlier lines (Table 1). The pts received metformin for hyperglycemia (HG) prevention according to their metabolic status; any grade of hyperglycemia (HG) was reported in 86 out of 138 pts (62%). HG grade (G) 1 was detected in 43 (31%) pts, G2 – in 27 (20%) pts, G3 – in 16 (12%) pts and no cases HG G4 were detected. 14 patient required ALP dose reductions to 250 mg due to HG G3; 3 pts discontinued ALP due to HG. Other most common AEs included rash and creatinine increase. The pts received cetirizine 10 mg orally during 4 weeks for rash prevention; rash any G occurred in 53 (39%) pts (G1 - 7%, G2 -10% G3 -19%, G4 - 0,7%), 20 pts required ALP dose reductions to 250 mg due to rash G3 and 11 pts discontinued ALP due to AEs. Blood creatinine increase was detected in 21/139 – all G 1-2. Conclusions: ALP+FUL demonstrated high efficacy in heavily pretreated pts with HR+/HER2- ABC with PIK3CAm in routine practice. ALP+FUL should be used in earlier lines of treatment in metastatic setting before chemotherapy and/or fulvestrant-containing regimens. [Table: see text]

Cisplatin monotherapy as a treatment option for patients with HER-2–negative breast cancer facing hepatic visceral crisis or impending visceral crisis: A single-center cohort study.

e13057 Background: The international consensus guidelines, ESO-ESMO's fifth edition, characterize visceral crisis (VC) in advanced breast cancer (ABC) as a swift rise in bilirubin during disease progression. The guidelines also briefly address the impending VC (IVC) definition. Systemic treatment data for hepatic VC/IVC are scarce and lacking in international guidelines regarding BC treatment. This study explores cisplatin monotherapy's safety and efficacy in HER2-negative BC patients with hepatic IVC/VC. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study conducted at a Reference Cancer Center in Southern Poland, data from HER2 negative ABC patients who underwent cisplatin monotherapy (60-80mg/m2, every 3-4 weeks) between 2016 and 2023 were examined. Hepatic VC followed ABC5 definition of rapid bilirubin elevation &gt;1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) due to diffuse liver metastases, in the absence of biliary tract obstruction or Gilbert's syndrome; IVC was characterized by rapid, symptomatic liver progression, a majority of liver involvement, with ALT or AST &gt;2 x ULN, and significant increases in LDH, alkaline phosphatase, or GGTP. Results: The study included 33 female participants (24 hormonal positive) with a mean age of 53.8 years (range 34-77). Among them, 10 were identified with hepatic VC, and 23 with IVC. Median number of previous palliative systemic treatment lines was 2 (range: 0-5). The median progression-free survival was 1.87 months and the median overall survival was 2.67 months. Patients received median 1 cycle of cisplatin (1-6): 17 patients received only one cycle, 6 patients two cycles and 10 patients ≥three cycles. Using the Conditional Inference Trees algorithm allowed to assess that patients with performance status (PS) 0 or 1 (15 patients) had a 66.67% chance of achieving stable disease (SD) or partial regression (PR) as the best response, while patients with PS ≥2 (18 patients) had a 5.6% chance of achieving SD or PR as per Response Evaluation in Solid Tumors 1.1 Criteria (median time from cisplatin initiation to imaging studies 2.23 months). Eight patients experienced adverse events of grade ≥3, such as fatigue or nephrotoxicity leading to dose reduction in 5 cases and treatment discontinuation in 2. Conclusions: The differentiation between IVC and VC lacks precision. Due to the hepatotoxicity of BC-active drugs, specific recommendations for systemic treatment are lacking. Our study explored cisplatin's potential use, finding it to be a feasible choice in patients with PS ≤1 experiencing hepatic IVC/VC, regardless of liver function parameters. Almost one-third of our patients were administered treatment in the last 30 days of life, potentially adversely affecting their quality of life and causing unwarranted suffering and costs. Academic clinical trials should be organized to address this pressing medical gap.

Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in adult patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutated, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: a retrospective medical record review in the United States.

To examine clinical characteristics, real-world treatment patterns, and health outcomes among patients with germline BRCA1/2-mutated, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC). A retrospective analysis was conducted using medical records from patients with HER2-negative ABC with BRCA1/2 mutation who received cytotoxic chemotherapy. Data were stratified into groups with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) or hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative diagnoses. Time-to-event outcomes (i.e., real-world progression-free survival [rwPFS] and overall survival [OS]) were calculated to summarize health outcomes. When diagnosed with ABC, most patients were younger than 60 years (mean age = 57.3 years), were white (76.4%), and had a family history of BRCA-related cancer (71.5%). A total of 305 patient records were examined; 194 patients (63.6%) had advanced TNBC, and 111 patients (36.4%) had HR+/HER2-negative ABC. Chemotherapy was primarily used as first-line treatment for both subgroups, but the TNBC subgroup received poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors at triple the rate as a second-line treatment and double the rate as a third-line treatment compared with the HR+/HER2-negative subgroup. Two-year OS rates were similar between the TNBC (73.9%) and the HR+/HER2-negative subgroups (77.0%), and anemia, nausea, and neutropenia were the most commonly reported toxicities across all treatments. Clinicians should consider the use of targeted agents such as PARP inhibitors in earlier lines of therapy for ABC given the growing evidence that PARP inhibitors may improve PFS compared with chemotherapy while potentially offering a more manageable toxicity profile and improved quality of life.

Abstract PO1-04-12: Palbociclib versus ribociclib in first-line treatment of patients with hormone-receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer – real world outcome data from the German registry platform OPAL

Abstract Introduction CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDKi) plus endocrine therapy (ET) are standard of care in first-line (1L) treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC). In the pivotal trials the three CDK4/6i (palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib) + ET showed similar progression-free survival (PFS) benefit over ET alone. However, other than ribociclib, palbociclib failed to demonstrate overall survival (OS) benefit. As patient (pts) characteristics differed between the trials, especially in the number of pts with treatment-free interval (TFI) of &amp;lt; 12 months after end of adjuvant ET, head-to-head comparisons of the CDKi are of clinical interest. Here we analyze the outcome of pts treated with palbociclib + ET or ribociclib + ET with real-world data from OPAL. Methods OPAL (NCT03417115) is a prospective observational, open, longitudinal multicenter cohort study (clinical registry) in Germany. Pts with ABC and early breast cancer can be recruited at start of their first systemic treatment. There are no treatment restrictions. Sites from all medical sectors can participate in OPAL (medical and gynecologic oncologists from outpatient centers and hospitals). Details on all (sequential) treatments, patient and tumor characteristics, biomarker testing, clinical and patient-reported outcomes are collected. Follow-Up is until death or up to 5 years. Between 01/2018 and 07/2021 1049 pts with HR+ HER2- ABC were recruited by 143 sites. Database cut was on 31/08/2022. 384 pts received palbociclib + ET and 231 pts received ribociclib + ET as 1L treatment. All endocrine combination partners including switch of ET during first line therapy was allowed, whereas switch of CDK4/6i (n=25) were excluded. PFS in registries can differ from PFS in clinical trials, since the RECIST criteria are usually not applied in routine care. PFS in registries represents the time to clinically relevant progression in routine care. PFS and OS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. To adjust for confounding, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) by propensity score analysis was used to compare PFS and OS between 1L palbociclib+ET and ribociclib+ET. IPTW was performed for the following variables: age, menopausal status, ECOG, any comorbidity, Charlson comorbidity index, metastatic stage, type of metastasis, number of metastatic sites, estrogen-/progesterone status, IHC status, previous chemo-/endocrine therapy, kind of endocrine combination partner, disease-free interval, and treatment-free interval. Results From 2018 to 2021, the proportion of CDK4/6i increased from 68% to 86% in 1L of HR+HER2- ABC. Overall, palbociclib was used in 44% and ribociclib in 26% of all first-line treatments in OPAL. Median age of pts receiving palbociclib/ribociclib was 66/68 years and for 77/81% of pts at least one comorbidity was documented. 37/35% of pts already had metastasis at diagnosis (M1) and 25/26% of pts had a TFI &amp;lt; 12 months. After IPTW, the two treatment groups were comparable for all tested characteristics. 42/46% of patients had a progression (palbociclib/ribociclib group). IPTW-adjusted median PFS was 25.1 months (95% Confidence interval (CI) 20.1 – 30.1) for the palbociclib and 27.0 months (95%-CI 21.1 – 31.6) for the ribociclib group. Hazard ratio was 0.91 (0.71 – 1.17) for palbociclib versus ribociclib. 26/29% of patients had an OS event (palbociclib/ribociclib group). IPTW-adjusted median OS was 36.7 months (95%-CI 33.0 – NA) for the palbociclib and 36.6 months (95%-CI 33.1 – NA) for the ribociclib group. Hazard ratio was 0.95 (0.69 - 1.30) for palbociclib versus ribociclib. Conclusions This analysis of real word data in the OPAL registry platform showed similar PFS and OS for palbociclib + ET compared to ribociclib + ET, when adjusted for a wide range of potential confounding variables. Further analyses will investigate whether one drug showed favorable results in certain subgroups of pts. Citation Format: Marc Thill, Mark-Oliver Zahn, Anja Welt, Arnd Nusch, Matthias Zaiss, Kathrin Engelken, Gabriele Kaltenecker, Kai Ringwald, Katja Gratzke, Lisa Kruggel, Martina Jänicke, Holger Schulz, Christoph Losem, Volker Hagen, Roland Fricker, Elmar Stickeler, Nadia Harbeck, Achim Wöckel, Thomas Decker. Palbociclib versus ribociclib in first-line treatment of patients with hormone-receptor positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer – real world outcome data from the German registry platform OPAL [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-04-12.