Safety of everolimus plus exemestane in patients with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer progressing on prior non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors: primary results of a phase IIIb, open-label, single-arm, expanded-access multicenter trial (BALLET)

BACKGROUND

This European phase IIIb, expanded-access multicenter trial evaluated the safety of EVE plus EXE in a patient population similar to BOLERO-2.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Post-menopausal women aged ≥18 years with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor-receptor-2-negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) recurring/progressing during/after prior non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors were enrolled. The primary objective was safety of EVE plus EXE based on frequency of adverse events (AEs), and serious AEs (SAEs). The secondary objective was to evaluate AEs of grade 3/4 severity.

RESULTS

The median treatment duration was 5.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.8-5.6] for EVE and 5.3 months (95% CI 4.8-5.6) for EXE. Overall, 2131 patients were included in the analysis; 81.8% of patients experienced EVE- or EXE-related or EVE/EXE-related AEs (investigator assessed); 27.2% were of grade 3/4 severity. The most frequently reported non-hematologic AEs were (overall %, % EVE-related) stomatitis (52.8%; 50.8%) and asthenia (22.8%; 14.6%). The most frequently reported hematologic AEs were (overall %, % EVE-related) anemia (14.4%; 8.1%) and thrombocytopenia (5.9%; 4.6%). AE-related treatment discontinuations were higher in elderly (≥70 years) versus non-elderly patients (23.8% versus 13.0%). The incidence of EVE-related AEs in both elderly and non-elderly patients appeared to be lower in first-line ABC versus later lines. The incidence of AEs (including stomatitis/pneumonitis) was independent of BMI status (post hoc analysis). Overall, 8.5% of patients experienced at least one EVE-related SAE. Of the 121 on-treatment deaths (5.7%), 66 (3.1%) deaths were due to disease progression and 46 (2.2%) due to AEs; 4 deaths were suspected to be EVE-related.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest ever reported safety dataset on a general patient population presenting ABC treated with EVE plus EXE and included a sizeable elderly subset. Although the patients were more heavily pretreated, the safety profile of EVE plus EXE in BALLET was consistent with BOLERO-2.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

EudraCT Number: 2012-000073-23.

Impact of palbociclib plus letrozole on pain severity and pain interference with daily activities in patients with estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer as first-line treatment

Background Palbociclib is a recently approved drug for use in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2-) breast cancer. This report assesses the impact of palbociclib in combination with letrozole versus letrozole alone on patient-reported outcomes of pain. Methods Palbociclib was evaluated in an open-label, randomized, phase II study (PALOMA-1/TRIO-18) among postmenopausal women with advanced ER+/HER2- breast cancer who had not received prior systemic treatment for their advanced disease. Patients received continuous oral letrozole 2.5 mg daily alone or the same letrozole dose and schedule plus oral palbociclib 125 mg, given once daily for 3 weeks followed by 1 week off over repeated 28-day cycles. The primary study endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival in the intent-to-treat population, and these results have recently been published (Finn et al., Lancet Oncol 2015;16:25-35). One of the key secondary endpoints was the evaluation of pain, as measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) patient-reported outcome tool. The BPI was administered at baseline and on day 1 of every cycle thereafter until disease progression and/or treatment discontinuation. Clinical trial registration This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00721409). Results There were no statistically significant differences in Pain Severity or Pain Interference scores of the BPI between the two treatment groups for the overall population or among those with any bone disease at baseline. A limitation of the study is that results were not adjusted for the concomitant use of opioids or other medications used to control pain. Conclusions The addition of palbociclib to letrozole was associated with increased efficacy without negatively impacting pain severity or pain interference with daily activities.

Abstract P4-13-12: Everolimus plus trastuzumab and vinorelbine for trastuzumab-resistant, taxane-pretreated, HER2+ advanced breast cancer: Overall survival results from BOLERO-3

Background

PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation due to PTEN loss may lead to trastuzumab (TRAS) resistance. mTOR inhibition has been shown to restore TRAS sensitivity in PTEN-deficient tumors. This provided the rationale for the BOLERO-3 trial which evaluated the combination of everolimus (EVE), an mTOR inhibitor, plus TRAS and a taxane in HER2+ advanced breast cancer (ABC). The addition of EVE to TRAS plus vinorelbine (VNB) led to a statistically significant prolongation of 1.2 months in median progression free survival (PFS) vs TRAS plus VNB in patients with TRAS-resistant and taxane-pretreated, HER2+ ABC (7.0 months vs 5.78 months; hazard ratio, 0.78; p=0.0067). The final overall survival (OS) analysis from this study is presented here.

Materials and methods

BOLERO-3 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Women with HER2+ ABC progressing on prior TRAS and taxane therapy were randomized (1:1) to receive either daily EVE (5 mg) or PBO plus weekly TRAS (2 mg/kg) and VNB (25 mg/m2), in 3-week cycles, stratified by previous lapatinib use. The primary endpoint was PFS by local investigator assessment. Overall survival was a key secondary endpoint.

Results

Overall, 569 patients were enrolled; 284 patients received EVE and 285 patients received PBO. As of April 1, 2015, after a median follow-up of 44.7 months, 388 deaths had occurred, 191 (67.3%) in the EVE arm and 197 (69.1%) in the PBO arm. The median OS in the EVE arm vs PBO arm was 23.5 months vs 24.1 months (HR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.79-1.17; p = 0.3392). In the HR+ subgroup, the median OS with EVE was 23.5 months (vs 25.5 months with PBO; HR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.79-1.35); in the HR subgroup, the median OS with EVE was 22.9 months (vs 23.1 months with PBO; HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.64-1.17). AEs leading to treatment discontinuation were reported in 81 (28.9%) vs 46 (16.3%) patients in the EVE vs PBO arms. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported in 122 (43.6%) vs 58 (20.6%) patients in the EVE vs PBO arms. Overall, 14 on-treatment deaths were observed, 7 (2.5%) in the EVE arm and 7 (2.5%) in the PBO arm; on-treatment deaths due to AEs were balanced between treatment arms (0.7% in each treatment arm). Types of post-progression therapies were balanced across both treatment arms.

Conclusions

In BOLERO-3, EVE showed a statistically significant prolongation of PFS. OS was similar in both treatment arms. The safety profile of EVE was comparable to that observed previously with EVE in breast cancer. (Funded by Novartis; BOLERO-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01007942.)

Citation Format: Isaacs C, O'Regan R, Xu B, Masuda N, Arena F, Yap Y-S, Papai Z, Lang I, Armstrong A, Lerzo G, White M, Shen K, Zhang Y, Jappe A, Pacaud LB, Taran T, Ozguroglu M. Everolimus plus trastuzumab and vinorelbine for trastuzumab-resistant, taxane-pretreated, HER2+ advanced breast cancer: Overall survival results from BOLERO-3. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-13-12.

Abstract P4-13-10: Stomatitis following everolimus (EVE) plus exemestane (EXE) in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2– advanced breast cancer (ABC) in the BALLET trial (CRAD001YIC04)

Background

Stomatitis is the most common adverse event (AE) associated with mTOR inhibitors, including EVE. In the pivotal BOLERO-2 trial, stomatitis was reported for 59% vs 12% (Gr3, 8% vs <1%) of pts with HR+, HER2– ABC who received EVE + EXE vs EXE alone. Of the limited real world evidence available, the BRAWO trial showed a stomatitis incidence of 39.8% (Gr3, 3.4%) in a similar pt population. Additional data are warranted to better understand the stomatitis incidence and time-course in order to minimize treatment discontinuations.

Methods

BALLET is a Phase 3b, European, multi-center, open-label, single-arm, expanded-access study that evaluated safety of EVE (10 mg/d) and EXE (25 mg/d) in 2131 postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2– ABC that progressed on prior NSAI treatment. Primary endpoint was safety; secondary endpoint was characterization of grade 3/4 AEs. In this exploratory analysis, we split the pts in two groups based on having experienced at least one all grade stomatitis event in the first 8 wks (cut-off chosen based on reports that 89.4% of stomatitis events occurred within 8 wks of EVE initiation [Rugo, ASCO 2014]) vs none.

Results

This subgroup analysis included 919 pts with stomatitis (43.1% of the full population). Baseline pt characteristics were comparable to the overall study population, except for more comorbidity (cardiovascular and metabolic disorder) in stomatitis subset. Pts with stomatitis had a longer EVE treatment duration vs pts who didn't (5.8 mo [95%CI, 5.0-6.2] vs 4.7 mo [95%CI, 4.4-5.3]; hazard ratio, 1.121 [95%CI, 0.97-1.28] censored by pts who switched to commercial drug). The relative risk of initial onset of stomatitis at 6 wks was ∼40%; median time to onset was 28 days. Majority of stomatitis events were of grade 1/2 severity (80%); grade 3/4 stomatitis was reported for 20% of pts. Most frequent reasons for treatment discontinuation in pts with stomatitis were reimbursement (37.6%), disease progression (35.0%), and AEs (16.2%). Most frequent AEs which led to treatment discontinuation in these pts were stomatitis in 3.7% (Grade 3/4, 2%), pneumonitis in 2.9% (Grade 3/4, 1.3%) and asthenia in 1.8% (Grade 3/4, 1%). Median EVE relative dose intensity in pts with stomatitis was 0.92. In the stomatitis subset, dose interruptions and reductions were required for 66.7% and 37.6% of pts, respectively; most frequent reasons for dose adjustments were AEs (65.9%) which included stomatitis (46.8%), asthenia (6.3%), and pneumonitis (5.3%). Median time to first dose modification in pts with stomatitis was 30 days; median duration of dose interruptions was 16 days. On-treatment deaths (4.4%) were due to progressive disease (2.1%), AEs (1.7%), and other reasons (0.5%).

Conclusions

These results confirmed the stomatitis time-course observed previously and that the majority of these events are of low grade. Stomatitis was the most common cause of dose reductions and interruptions due to AEs and was manageable with dose adjustments; there was a positive association between stomatitis and longer treatment duration. Therefore, proactive management, diligent monitoring and appropriate dose modifications, are recommended to keep pts on treatment.

Citation Format: Ciruelos EM, Jerusalem G, Generali D, Lang I, Gavila JG, Michelotti A, Tjan-Heijnn VCG, Mariani G, Conte P, Beliera A, Camozzi M, Lorizzo K, Martin M. Stomatitis following everolimus (EVE) plus exemestane (EXE) in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2– advanced breast cancer (ABC) in the BALLET trial (CRAD001YIC04). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-13-10.

Abstract PD5-07: The impact of early lapatinib-induced rash on disease-free and overall survival in patients treated within the ALTTO phase III randomized trial

Background: We have previously shown in a phase III neoadjuvant trial that early development of lapatinib-induced rash (i.e. within 6 weeks after lapatinib initiation) is independently associated with a higher chance of obtaining a pathological complete response (Azim et al; JCO 2013). In the current study, we aimed to investigate whether early lapatinib-induced rash is associated with improved survival in the context of a large phase III adjuvant trial.

Methods: This analysis is based on the ALTTO trial (BIG 2-06, Alliance N063D), in which patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer were randomized to adjuvant trastuzumab, lapatinib, their sequence or their combination for a total duration of 1 year. In this sub-study, we evaluated whether the development of rash (any grade) within 6 weeks of lapatinib initiation was associated with disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS). All analyses were tested in a multivariate model adjusted for treatment arm, treatment completion and trial stratification factors.

Results: A total of 6,098 lapatinib-treated patients were included in the current analysis; of whom 2,006 patients (32.9%) developed early lapatinib-induced rash, 1,025 (16.8%) developed rash after 6 weeks and 3,067 (50.3%) did not develop rash. No differences in patient characteristics were observed between the three groups apart from a higher frequency of younger patients (≤ 50) in the early rash group (54% vs. 47% and 44%, p<0.0001). At a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 876 (14.37%) and 377 (6.18%) patients in the lapatinib containing arms experienced a DFS and OS event, respectively. In a multivariate analysis confined to patients randomized to the lapatinib containing arms, the development of early rash was associated with improved DFS (HR: 0.80; 95%CI: 0.69-0.93, p=0.004) and OS (HR: 0.61; 95%CI: 0.48 - 0.78, p<0.001) compared to patients who did not develop early rash, with no interaction according to patient's age (p=0.9). No significant association was observed between the development of rash after 6 weeks of lapatinib initiation and survival. Compared to patients randomized to the trastuzumab alone arm (n=2,076), patients who developed early rash in the sequence (n=580) or combination (n=704) arms of trastuzumab/lapatinib had superior DFS (Sequence: HR 0.75 [95% CI: 0.58 – 0.98], p=0.034; Combination: HR 0.69 [95% CI: 0.54 – 0.89], p=0.005) and OS (Sequence: HR 0.57 [95%CI: 0.36 – 0.88], p=0.012; Combination: HR 0.59 [95% CI: 0.39 – 0.89], p=0.011). On the other hand, patients randomized to the lapatinib only arm who developed early rash (n=722) still had inferior DFS (HR 1.28 [95% CI: 1.04 – 1.59], p=0.02) with no difference in OS (HR: 0.95; 95%CI: 0.67 – 1.35, p=0.79) compared to patients randomized to the trastuzumab alone arm.

Conclusions: The results support our previous findings in the neoadjuvant setting that early development of skin rash within the first 6 weeks can identify patients who derive superior benefit of lapatinib treatment.

Citation Format: Azim Jr HA, Sonnenblick A, Agbor-Tarh D, Bradbury I, Daly F, Huang Y, Dueck AC, Pritchard K, Wolff AC, Jackisch C, Lang I, Untch M, Smith I, Boyle F, Xu B, Gomez H, Perez E, Piccart M, de Azambuja E. The impact of early lapatinib-induced rash on disease-free and overall survival in patients treated within the ALTTO phase III randomized trial. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PD5-07.

Abstract P1-10-05: Randomized phase 2, open-label, dose-ranging study of a novel, long-acting G-CSF (SPI-2012) or pegfilgrastim for the management of neutropenia in patients with breast cancer (BC) treated with (Neo) adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel + cyclophosphamide (TC)

Background: SPI-2012 is a distinct biologic that uses the innovative proprietary long-acting protein/peptide discovery technology (LAPSCOVERY™) to enhance the activity of G-CSF. SPI-2012 consists of a novel, modified recombinant human G-CSF conjugated to the Fc fragment of IgG4 via a polyethylene glycol linker to produce a new, more potent, longer-acting G-CSF with a potentially unique distribution to areas rich in Fc receptors. To assess the effect of SPI-2012 in supporting patients with breast cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy with TC, we conducted a randomized Phase 2 study of 3 SPI-2012 doses versus pegfilgrastim.

Methods: This was an open-label, global, multicenter, dose-ranging study designed to compare the safety and efficacy of SPI-2012 relative to a fixed, standard dose of pegfilgrastim as a concurrent active control. The study included 4 treatment arms: 3 dose levels of SPI-2012 (45 μg/kg, 135 μg/kg, and 270 μg/kg) vs pegfilgrastim (6 mg,). The primary objective of the study was the Duration of Severe Neutropenia (DSN) during Cycle 1 in patients with BC who received adjuvant or neoadjuvant TC chemotherapy.

Results: A total of 147 evaluable patients were enrolled. Patient and tumor characteristics were comparable across all 4 treatment arms. Mean age was 58.2 years (range 32 to 77 years); most patients were <65 years (68%), female (98%) and white (95%). The study met its primary endpoint with DSN in patients treated in the 135 µg/kg and 270 µg/kg SPI-2012 treatment arms in Cycle 1 showing non-inferiority to the DSN in patients treated with pegfilgrastim (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). In addition, superiority was demonstrated in patients treated with 270 µg/kg SPI-2012 compared to pegfilgrastim (p=0.023). Non-inferiority in DSN was also observed in Cycles 2 to 4 in both the 135 µg/kg and 270 µg/kg SPI-2012 treatment arms compared to pegfilgrastim.

Duration of Severe Neutropenia in Cycle 1 of TC chemotherapy by Treatment Arm  45 μg/kg SPI-2012 (N=39) 135 μg/kg SPI-2012 (N=36) 270 μg/kg SPI-2012 (N=36)Pegfilgrastim (N=36)DSN Mean (SD)(days)1.03 (1.5)0.44 (1.3)0.03 (0.2)0.31 (0.8)Difference with pegfilgrastim0.720.14-0.28NANon-inferiority p-value0.2960.002<0.001NASuperiority p-value0.0060.5280.023NASD=Standard Deviation; NA=Not Applicable

The common treatment-emergent adverse events observed in ≥20% of patients were similar across all 4 study arms with similar or lower incidence in the SPI-2012 treatment arms, and included fatigue, nausea, alopecia, diarrhea, and bone pain.

Conclusions: All doses of SPI-2012 administered in this Phase 2 study were well tolerated, and no new or significant dose-related toxicities were observed. Most reported adverse events were mild and similar to those previously reported in clinical trials with filgrastim and pegfilgrastim in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. In Cycle 1, the 135 µg/kg dose of SPI-2012 was non-inferior compared to pegfilgrastim, and the 270 µg/kg dose was superior in terms of DSN. Additional efficacy and safety data for SPI-2012 will be collected in planned Phase 3 clinical trials.

Citation Format: Vacirca JL, Chan A, Mezei K, Adoo CS, Papai Z, McGregor K, Okera M, Horvath Z, Landherr L, Hanslik J, Hager SJ, Ibrahim EN, Ghazal H, Rostom M, Bhat G, Choi MR, Allen LF, Tedesco KL, Agajanian R, Lang I. Randomized phase 2, open-label, dose-ranging study of a novel, long-acting G-CSF (SPI-2012) or pegfilgrastim for the management of neutropenia in patients with breast cancer (BC) treated with (Neo) adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel + cyclophosphamide (TC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-10-05.

Infraclavicular axillary vein cannulation using ultrasound in a mechanically ventilated general intensive care population

Central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is commonly undertaken in the ICU. The use of ultrasound (US) to facilitate CVC insertion is standard and is supported by guidelines. Because the subclavian vein cannot be insonated where it underlies the clavicle, its use as a CVC site is now less common. The axillary vein, however, can be seen on US just distal to the subclavian vein and placement of a CVC at this site gives a result which is functionally indistinguishable from a subclavian CVC. We evaluated placement of US-guided axillary CVCs in mechanically ventilated intensive care patients. Data were collected for 125 consecutive US-guided axillary CVC procedures in ventilated patients in an adult intensive care setting. All lines were inserted using real-time US guidance with an out-of-plane technique. One hundred and twenty-five procedures occurred in 119 patients. Successful line placement was achieved in 117 out of 125 (94%) procedures. Complications included four procedures that required repeating due to catheter malposition and one arterial puncture. The median number of attempts per procedure was one (IQR 1 to 2). Thirty-nine (31%) patients had a body mass index of 30 or above, 43 (34%) patients had a coagulopathy and 70 (56%) patients had significant ventilator dependence (FiO2 of 0.5 or above, or positive end expiratory pressure 10 cmH20 or above). The technique of US-guided axillary CVC access can be undertaken successfully in ventilated intensive care patients, even in challenging circumstances. Taken together with existing work on the utility and safety of this technique, we suggest that it be adopted more widely in the intensive care population.

Selecting first-line bevacizumab-containing therapy for advanced breast cancer: TURANDOT risk factor analyses

BACKGROUND

The randomised phase III TURANDOT trial compared first-line bevacizumab-paclitaxel (BEV-PAC) vs bevacizumab-capecitabine (BEV-CAP) in HER2-negative locally recurrent/metastatic breast cancer (LR/mBC). The interim analysis revealed no difference in overall survival (OS; primary end point) between treatment arms; however, progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rate were significantly superior with BEV-PAC. We sought to identify patient populations that may be most appropriately treated with one or other regimen.

METHODS

Patients with HER2-negative LR/mBC who had received no prior chemotherapy for advanced disease were randomised to either BEV-PAC (bevacizumab 10 mg kg(-1) days 1 and 15 plus paclitaxel 90 mg m(-2) days 1, 8 and 15 q4w) or BEV-CAP (bevacizumab 15 mg kg(-1) day 1 plus capecitabine 1000 mg m(-2) bid days 1-14 q3w). The study population was categorised into three cohorts: triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), high-risk hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and low-risk HR+. High- and low-risk HR+ were defined, respectively, as having ⩾2 vs ⩽1 of the following four risk factors: disease-free interval ⩽24 months; visceral metastases; prior (neo)adjuvant anthracycline and/or taxane; and metastases in ⩾3 organs.

RESULTS

The treatment effect on OS differed between cohorts. Non-significant OS trends favoured BEV-PAC in the TNBC cohort and BEV-CAP in the low-risk HR+ cohort. In all three cohorts, there was a non-significant PFS trend favouring BEV-PAC. Grade ⩾3 adverse events were consistently less common with BEV-CAP.

CONCLUSIONS

A simple risk factor index may help in selecting bevacizumab-containing regimens, balancing outcome, safety profile and patient preference. Final OS results are expected in 2015 (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00600340).

Economic inequalities in burden of illness, diagnosis and treatment of five long-term conditions in England: panel study

OBJECTIVE

We compared the distribution by wealth of self-reported illness burden (estimated from validated scales, biomarker and reported symptoms) for angina, cataract, depression, diabetes and osteoarthritis, with the distribution of self-reported medical diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to determine if the greater illness burden borne by poorer participants was matched by appropriately higher levels of diagnosis and treatment.

DESIGN

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a panel study of 12,765 participants aged 50 years and older in four waves from 2004 to 2011, selected using a stratified random sample of households in England. Distribution of illness burden, diagnosis and treatment by wealth was estimated using regression analysis.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures were ORs for the illness burden, diagnosis and treatment, respectively, adjusted for age, sex and wealth. We estimated the illness burden for angina with the Rose Angina scale, diabetes with fasting glycosylated haemoglobin, depression with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, osteoarthritis with self-reported pain and disability and cataract with self-reported poor vision. Medical diagnoses were self-reported for all conditions. Treatment was defined as β-blocker prescription for angina, surgery for osteoarthritis and cataract, and receipt of predefined effective interventions for diabetes and depression.

RESULTS

Compared with the wealthiest, the least wealthy participant had substantially higher odds for illness burden from any of the five conditions at all four time points, with ORs ranging from 4.2 (95% CI 2.6 to 6.8) for diabetes to 15.1 (11.4 to 20.0) for osteoarthritis. The ORs for diagnosis and treatment were smaller in all five conditions, and ranged from 0.9 (0.5 to 1.4) for diabetes treatment to 4.5 (3.3 to 6.0) for angina diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The substantially higher illness burden in less wealthy participants was not matched by appropriately higher levels of diagnosis and treatment.

[Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension--a position paper]

This position paper summarises current developments in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) including diagnostic approaches and treatment options. Based on the guidelines of the task force of CTEPH experts at the 5th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in Nice 2013. Open questions arising during the treatment of patients with CTEPH are addressed. Patients with suspected CTEPH should undergo echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing. A ventilation/perfusion scan is the recommended imaging test for screening in the diagnostic algorithm for the evaluation of CTEPH. CTEPH-patients should be discussed in an expert center with an interdisciplinary team and an experienced PEA surgeon to decide the further treatment. Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the treatment of choice for patients with CTEPH. Medical therapy with PH-targeted medications for inoperable CTEPH and residual disease after PEA should only be initiated if evaluation reveals that the patient is no candidate for a PEA. Current data suggest that CTEPH patients treated with PEA have a better long-term survival rate and quality of life than patients treated with medical therapy.