Treatment with trastuzumab for 1 year after adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer: a 4-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial

Dynamic genome and transcriptional network-based biomarkers and drugs: precision in breast cancer therapy

Despite remarkable progress in medium-term overall survival benefit in the adjuvant, neoadjuvant and metastatic settings, with multiple recent targeted drug approvals, acquired resistance, late relapse, and cancer-related death rates remain challenging. Integrated technological systems have been developed to overcome these unmet needs. The characterization of structural and functional noncoding genome elements through next-generation sequencing (NGS) systems, Hi-C and CRISPR/Cas9, as well as computational models, allows for whole genome and transcriptome analysis. Rapid progress in large-scale single-biopsy genome analysis has identified several novel breast cancer driver genes and oncotargets. The exploration of spatiotemporal tumor evolution has returned exciting while inconclusive data on dynamic intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) through multiregional NGS and single-cell DNA/RNA sequencing and circulating genomic subclones (cGSs) by serial circulating cell-free DNA NGS to predict and overcome intrinsic and acquired therapeutic resistance. This review discusses reliable breast cancer genome analysis data and focuses on two major crucial perspectives. The validation of ITH, cGSs, and intrapatient genetic/genomic heterogeneity as predictive biomarkers, as well as the valid discovery of novel oncotargets within patient-centric genomic trials, encouraging early drug development, could optimize primary and secondary therapeutic decision-making. A longer-term goal is to identify the individualized landscape of both coding and noncoding key mutations. This progress will enable the understanding of molecular mechanisms perturbating regulatory networks, shaping the pharmaceutical controllability of deregulated transcriptional biocircuits.

Which of the fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography parameters are better associated with prognostic factors in breast cancer?

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between the immunohistochemical and histopathological prognostic factors and the metabolic fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) parameters in breast cancer.A total of 94 female patients diagnosed with primary breast cancer (median age: 54.5 years, 94 lesions with size >15 mm) who underwent PET/CT imaging before any treatment were enrolled to this retrospective study. Maximum and average standardized uptake values (SUVmax and SUVavg), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and tumor/liver uptake ratio (TLR) of the primary tumors were calculated and compared between various histopathological and immunohistochemical prognostic factor groups.All metabolic parameters were associated with clinical T stage, metabolic M stage, and nuclear grade. The MTV, TLG, and TLR were significantly higher in patients with suspected lymph node metastasis. There were significant differences according to estrogen receptor and human epidermal growth factor-2 status in the metabolic values other than MTV. In case of progesterone receptor, there were significant differences in the metabolic characteristics except for the MTV and TLG values. The Ki-67 labeling index was moderately correlated with SUVmax, SUVavg, and TLR. All metabolic characteristics except MTV were significantly higher in triple negative breast cancer compared with the other molecular subtypes.The results of the present study suggest that the TLG and TLR values have stronger associations with several prognostic factors in breast cancer (BC) compared with other metabolic parameters.

Significance of HER2 protein expression and HER2 gene amplification in colorectal adenocarcinomas

BACKGROUND

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is an oncogenic driver, and a well-established therapeutic target in breast and gastric cancers. While the role of HER2 as a prognostic biomarker in colorectal adenocarcinomas (CRCs) remains uncertain, its relevance as a therapeutic target has been established. We undertook the present study to evaluate the frequency of HER2 expression in CRC and to correlate it with various clinicopathological variables.

AIM

To correlate HER2 protein expression and HER2 gene amplification with clinicopathological features and survival in surgically resected CRC.

METHODS

About 1195 consecutive surgically resected CRCs were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) to assess HER2 protein expression, and 141 selected tumors were further evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to assess HER2 gene amplification. Follow-up information was available for 1058 patients, and using this information we investigated the prevalence of HER2 protein overexpression and gene amplification in a large series of surgically resected CRCs, and evaluated the relationship between overexpression and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis.

RESULTS

HER2 IHC scores of 3+, 2+, 1+, and 0 were seen in 31 (2.6%), 105 (8.8%), 475 (39.7%), and 584 (48.9%) tumors, respectively. HER2 gene amplification was seen in 24/29 tumors with an IHC score of 3+ (82.8%; unreadable in 2/31), 12/102 tumors with an IHC score of 2+ (11.8%; unreadable in 2/104), and 0 tumors with IHC score of 1+ (0/10). HER2 gene amplification was seen in 36/1191 tumors (3.0%; unreadable in 4/1195). Among the tumors with HER2 IHC scores of 3+ and 2+, the mean percentage of tumor cells with positive IHC staining was 90% (median 100%, range 40%-100%) and 67% (median 75%, range 5%-95%), respectively (P < 0.05). Among tumors with IHC scores of 2+, those with HER2 gene amplification had a higher number of tumors cells with positive IHC staining (n = 12, mean 93%, median 95%, range 90%-95%) than those without (n = 90, mean 70%, median 50%, range 5%-95%) (P < 0.05). HER2 gene status was significantly associated with distant tumor metastasis and stage (P = 0.028 and 0.025). HER2 protein overexpression as measured by IHC or HER2 gene amplification as measured by FISH was not associated with overall survival (OS) or disease-specific survival for the overall group of 1058 patients. However, further stratification revealed that among patients with tubular adenocarcinomas who were 65 years old or younger (n = 601), those exhibiting HER2 gene amplification had a shorter OS than those without (mean: 47.9 mo vs 65.1 mo, P = 0.04). Among those patients with moderately to poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinomas, those with positive HER2 tumor IHC scores (2+, 3+) had a shorter mean OS than those with negative HER2 IHC scores (0, 1+) (47.2 mo vs 64.8 mo, P = 0.033). Moreover, among patients with T2 to T4 stage tumors, those with positive HER2 IHC scores also had a shorter mean OS than those with negative HER2 IHC scores (47.1 mo vs 64.8 mo, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSION

HER2 protein levels are correlated with clinical outcomes, and positive HER2 expression as measured by IHC confers a worse prognosis in those patients 65 years old or younger with tubular adenocarcinomas.

Cost effectiveness and affordability of trastuzumab in sub-Saharan Africa for early stage HER2-positive breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, the most common among women, and the most frequent cause of death among women in less developed regions. Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that downregulates the extracellular domain of the HER2 protein. Using trastuzumab to treat women with localized HER2-positive breast cancer has been shown to improve survival. The objective of this study is to explore the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant trastuzumab, from a societal perspective, in 11 African countries. In addition, we aimed to establish value-based prices for trastuzumab based on the gross domestic product per capita in each country.

Methods

We developed a Markov model in order to assess the costs and benefits associated with trastuzumab treatment over a lifetime horizon. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed in order to estimate the impact of uncertainty of parameter-values on the results. Efficacy inputs were derived using clinical trial data from non-African countries.

Results

In the base case analysis, trastuzumab yielded a gain ranging from 0.92 LYs in Nigeria to 1.07 LYs in South Africa, and 0.9 QALYs in Nigeria to 1.02 QALYs in South Africa. The incremental cost ranged from 19,561 USD in Nigeria to 19,997 USD in Congo, and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio ranging from 19,534 USD/QALY in South Africa to 21,697 USD/QALY in Nigeria. Using willingness to pay estimates based on World Health Organization recommendations, trastuzumab appear to not be cost-effective in all countries analyzed. Cost-effectiveness estimates were most sensitive to the discount rate, trastuzumab cost, and the hazard ratio.

Conclusions

Trastuzumab does not appear to be cost effective in the African countries analyzed. In order for trastuzumab to be cost-effective, the costs of treatment would require significant discounts.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12962-019-0174-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Phase I Immunotherapy Trial with Two Chimeric HER-2 B-Cell Peptide Vaccines Emulsified in Montanide ISA 720VG and Nor-MDP Adjuvant in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

PURPOSE

This first-in-human phase I study (NCT01417546) evaluated the safety profile, optimal immunologic/biological dose (OID/OBD), and immunogenicity of the combination of two peptide B-cell epitope vaccines engineered to represent the trastuzumab- and pertuzumab-binding sites. Although trastuzumab and pertuzumab have been approved for clinical use, patients often develop resistance to these therapies. We have advanced a new paradigm in immunotherapy that focuses on humoral responses based on conformational B-cell epitope vaccines.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The vaccine is comprised of two chimeric HER-2 B-cell peptide vaccines incorporating a "promiscuous T-cell epitope." Patients were immunized with the vaccine constructs emulsified with nor-muramyl-dipeptide adjuvant in a water-in-oil Montanide ISA 720VG vehicle. Eligible patients with metastatic and/or recurrent solid tumors received three inoculations every 3 weeks.

RESULTS

Forty-nine patients with a median of 4 prior lines of chemotherapy received at least 1 vaccination. Twenty-eight patients completed the 3 vaccination regimens. Six patients received 1 six-month boost after the regimen, and one patient received 7 six-month boosts. No serious adverse reactions or dose-limiting toxicities were observed. The vaccine was well tolerated with dose level 2 as the recommended phase II dose. The most common related toxicity in all patients was injection-site reactions (24%). Two patients had a partial response, 14 had stable disease, and 19 had progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The study vaccine is safe, exhibits antitumor activity, and shows preliminary indication that peptide vaccination may avoid therapeutic resistance and offer a promising alternative to monoclonal antibody therapies.

Impact of clinical and pathological factors on local recurrence after breast-conserving treatment: CT-based localization for a tumor bed boost yielded better local control when compared with a surgical scar

Background: We investigated the effects of risk factors on the incidence of local recurrence (LR) in patients who underwent breast-conserving treatment (BCT) for primary breast cancer at a single institution in China from 1999 to 2011. Methods: Patient outcomes were compared with respect to LR, ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Additionally, the risk factors for relapse after BCT were studied. Results: The 2028 patients with invasive breast cancer included in this study were followed for a median of 95 months, during which the 8-year LR, IBTR, DDFS, and DFS rates were 2.6%, 3.0%, 93.7%, and 91.3%, respectively. Lymph node involvement, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and the use of computed tomography (CT) information during boost field planning were identified as significant predictors of LR and IBTR. Notably, use of the surgical scar for tumor bed identification during boost field planning was associated with a higher adjusted risk of LR, compared with the use of CT. By contrast, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was not an independent predictor of LR (hazard ratio of no NAC vs. NAC, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.33-1.19; P = 0.157). In a multivariate analysis, the age at diagnosis, tumor diameter, lymph node involvement, HER2-positive status, and use of CT information during boost field planning were identified as significant factors affecting DFS. Conclusions: The use of CT information during boost field planning could reduce the risk of LR among patients undergoing BCT. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments for breast cancer did not show the significant difference in respect to the outcome of LR.

The Roles of Common Variation and Somatic Mutation in Cancer Pharmacogenomics

Cancer pharmacogenomics is the science concerned with understanding genetic alterations and its effects on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-cancer drugs, with the aim to provide cancer patients with the precise medication that will achieve a good response and cause low/no incidence of adverse events. Advances in biotechnology and bioinformatics have enabled genomic research to evolve from the evaluation of alterations at the single-gene level to studies on the whole-genome scale using large-scale genotyping and next generation sequencing techniques. International collaborative efforts have resulted in the construction of databases to curate the identified genetic alterations that are clinically significant, and these are currently utilized in clinical sequencing and liquid biopsy screening/monitoring. Furthermore, countless clinical studies have accumulated sufficient evidence to match cancer patients to therapies by utilizing the information of clinical-relevant alterations. In this review we summarize the importance of germline alterations that act as predictive biomarkers for drug-induced toxicity and drug response as well as somatic mutations in cancer cells that function as drug targets. The integration of genomics into the medical field has transformed the era of cancer therapy from one-size-fits-all to cancer precision medicine.

A novel detection methodology for HER2 protein quantitation in formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded clinical samples using fluorescent nanoparticles: an analytical and clinical validation study

BACKGROUND

Clinical assays for the assessment of the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status in breast cancer include immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH), both of which have limitations. Recent studies have suggested that a more quantitative approach to the measurement of HER2 protein expression may improve specificity in selecting patients for HER-2 targeted therapy. In the current study, we have used HER2 expression in breast cancer cell lines and clinical samples as a model to explore the potential utility of a novel immunodetection technique, using streptavidin coated Phosphor Integrated Dot fluorescent nanoparticles (PID), which can be quantitatively measured using computer analysis.

METHODS

The expression of HER2 protein in cell lines was evaluated with antibody-binding capacity using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for comparison with PID measurements to test for correlations with existing quantitative protein analysis methodologies. Various other analytic validation tests were also performed, including accuracy, precision, sensitivity, robustness and reproducibility. A methods comparison study investigated correlations between PID versus IHC and ISH in clinical samples. Lastly, we measured HER2 protein expression using PID in the pretreatment biopsies from 34 HER2-positive carcinomas that had undergone neoadjuvant trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

RESULTS

In the analytic validation, PID HER2 measurements showed a strong linear correlation with FACS analysis in breast cell lines, and demonstrated significant correlations with all aspects of precision, sensitivity, robustness and reproducibility. PID also showed strong correlations with conventional HER2 testing methodologies (IHC and ISH). In the neoadjuvant study, patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) had a significantly higher PID score compared with patients who did not achieve a pCR (p = 0.011), and was significantly correlated to residual cancer burden (RCB) class (p = 0.026, R² = 0.9975).

CONCLUSIONS

Analytic testing of PID showed that it may be a viable testing methodology that could offer advantages over other experimental or conventional biomarker diagnostic methodologies. Our data also suggests that PID quantitation of HER2 protein may offer an improvement over conventional HER2 testing in the selection of patients who will be the most likely to benefit from HER2-targeted therapy. Further studies with a larger cohort are warranted.

A Population-Based Study on Liver Metastases in Women with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Population-based estimates for prognosis among patients with liver metastases in newly diagnosed breast cancer are not generally available.

METHODS

Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 298,370 patients with breast cancer and 4,285 patients diagnosed with initial liver metastases between 2010 and 2014. Data were stratified according to subtype, age, and race. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression were used to identify predictors for the presence of initial liver metastases and prognostic factors, respectively. Kaplan-Meier procedure was used for survival analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 4,285 patients with initial liver metastases (1.4% of the entire cohort, 29.6% of the subset with metastatic disease) were identified. Patients with hormone receptor (HR)-negative human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive (4.4% of entire cohort, 52.5% of patients with metastatic disease to any distant site) and HR-positive HER2-positive (2.8% of entire cohort, 40.4% of patients with metastatic disease to any distant site) subtypes had highest incidence proportions. The median survival of patients with liver metastases in the entire cohort was 15.0 months. Patients with HR-positive HER2-positive subtype showed the longest median survival (31.0 months); however, patients with triple-negative subtype showed the shortest median survival (8.0 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide population-based estimates of epidemiologic characteristics and prognosis in breast cancer patients diagnosed with initial liver metastases.

IMPACT

This study lends support to the diagnosis of the liver among patients at high risk of liver metastases, including those with HER2-positive and other systemic metastases.

Identification, clinical-pathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with metastatic breast cancer and somatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2) mutations

PURPOSE

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2) may harbour somatic mutations that drive breast tumorigenesis. Here, we study prevalence, tumour characteristics and disease outcome of ERBB2 mutations in a large unselected cohort of metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively included all mBC patients with sufficient primary breast tumour, diagnosed between 2000 and 2015 (n = 775). Genomic DNA was subjected to a targeted-resequencing assay to identify hotspot mutations in exon 8, 17, 19, 20, and 21 of ERBB2. We studied demographics, tumour characteristics, median distant disease-free survival (DDFS), using a time-to-event analysis and time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) upon metastasis, using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank statistics to assess differences between ERBB2-mutation statuses.

RESULTS

ERBB2 mutations were observed in 1.8% of the samples (13/721). Patient and tumour characteristics were independent of ERBB2 mutations. Luminal ERBB2-mutated (ERBB2^mut+) cases (n = 5) had a shorter DDFS than ERBB2^mut- cases (median DDFS 0.8 vs. > 4.0 years, p = 0.02). ER-positive ERBB2^mut+ patients who received an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as first-line treatment (stage IV disease) had a worse TTP vs. ERBB2^mut- patients (n = 3 vs. 156; median TTP 103 vs. 311 days, p = 0.04). OS for all subtypes was lower for ERBB2^mut+ vs. ERBB2^mut- cases (n = 11 vs. 669; median OS 1.1 vs. 2.3 years, p = 0.46).

CONCLUSION

ERBB2^mut+ are rare in patients in whom mBC developed and no evidence was found for an association with specific types of BC or patient characteristics, although outcomes of ERBB2^mut+ carriers might be worse. The latter, however, needs to be validated in larger populations.

Herceptin® (trastuzumab) in HER2-positive early breast cancer: a systematic review and cumulative network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Originator trastuzumab (Herceptin®; H) is an antibody-targeted therapy to treat patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) early breast cancer (EBC). We investigated the overall survival (OS) advantage conferred by the addition of H to chemotherapy for HER2+ EBC patients and how the OS advantage changed over time.

METHODS

A systematic literature review (SLR) identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRSs) published from January 1, 1990 to January 19, 2017, comparing systemic therapies used in the neoadjuvant/adjuvant settings to treat HER2+ EBC patients. Bayesian cumulative network meta-analyses (cNMAs) of OS were conducted to assess the published literature over time. Heterogeneity was assessed through sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

RESULTS

The SLR identified 31 unique studies (28 RCTs, 3 NRSs) included in the OS analyses from 2008 to 2016. In the reference case cNMA (RCTs alone), initial evidence demonstrated an OS advantage for H/chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone in HER2+ EBC patients. As additional OS data were published, the precision around this survival benefit strengthened over time. Both H/anthracycline-containing chemotherapy and H/non-anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimens provided similar OS advantages for HER2+ EBC patients.

CONCLUSION

This analysis represents the most comprehensive SLR/cNMA to date of published OS data in HER2+ EBC studies. These findings demonstrate why H/chemotherapy is now the established standard of care in HER2+ EBC. In the case of H, the benefits of early patient access far outweighed the risk of waiting for more precise information.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017055763.

Relapsed and De Novo Metastatic HER2-positive Breast Cancer Treated With Trastuzumab: Tumor Genotypes and Clinical Measures Associated With Patient Outcome

BACKGROUND

We examined tumor genotype characteristics of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive relapsed (R-) and de novo (dn-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in trastuzumab-treated patients who were previously not exposed to this agent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed genotypes obtained upon deep sequencing from 113 HER2-positive primary tumors from 69 patients with R-MBC and 44 patients with dn-MBC.

RESULTS

Mutations were observed in 90 (79.6%) tumors, 56 R-MBC and 34 dn-MBC (median number per tumor: 2; mean: 11.2; range: 0-150). The top mutated gene was TP53 (63.7%) followed by PIK3CA (24.8%) and others that were mostly co-mutated with TP53 (eg, 22 of 28 PIK3CA mutated tumors were co-mutated in TP53, 17 of these were R-MBC [P = .041]). dn-MBC had higher CEN17 average copies (P = .048). Tumor mutational burden inversely correlated with average HER2 copies (rho -0.32; P < .001). In all patients, PIK3CA mutations and higher proliferation rate were independent unfavorable prognosticators. In R-MBC, longer disease-free interval between initial diagnosis and relapse conferred lower risk for time-to-progression (P < .001) and death (P = .009); PIK3CA mutations conferred higher risk for death (P = .035). In dn-MBC, surgical removal of the primary tumor before any other therapy was favorable for time-to-progression (P = .002); higher tumor mutational burden was unfavorable for survival (P = .026).

CONCLUSIONS

Except for the overall unfavorable prognostic effect of PIK3CA mutations in trastuzumab-treated MBC, our exploratory findings indicate that the outcome of patients with R-MBC is related to patient benefit from the preceding adjuvant chemotherapy and provide initial evidence that tumor mutational burden may be related to prognosis in dn-MBC, which is of potential clinical relevance and merits further investigation.

Efficacy of neoadjuvant pertuzumab in addition to chemotherapy and trastuzumab in routine clinical treatment of patients with primary breast cancer: a multicentric analysis

PURPOSE

Neoadjuvant combination treatment with chemotherapy (CTX), trastuzumab (TZM), and pertuzumab (PTZ) has been shown to result in higher pathological complete response rates (pCR) in comparison with treatment with chemotherapy and trastuzumab (CTX/TZM). This analysis was aimed at real-world validation of these results from prospective randomized trials.

METHODS

In a retrospective analysis conducted in the PRAEGNANT network, patients were eligible for inclusion if they had either received neoadjuvant therapy with CTX/TZM or chemotherapy, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (CTX/TZM/PTZ) and subsequently underwent surgery for their primary breast cancer. The effect of the two neoadjuvant regimens on pCR in addition to commonly applicable predictors of pCR was analyzed in 300 patients from three study sites, using logistic regression analyses with treatment arm, age, clinical tumor stage, grading, and hormone receptor status as predictors.

RESULTS

pCR with complete disappearance of all tumor cells was seen in 30.2% (n = 58) of patients treated with CTX/TZM and in 52.8% (n = 57) of those treated with CTX/TZM/PTZ. CTX/TZM/PTZ was positively associated with pCR (adjusted odds ratio 2.44; 95% CI 1.49-4.02). Mastectomy rates were not influenced by the therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of clinical trials were confirmed in this dataset of patients who were treated outside of clinical trials in everyday routine work. pCR rates can be improved by 20% with pertuzumab in routine clinical use.

Targeted agents for HER2-positive breast cancer in older adults: current and future perspectives

INTRODUCTION

One-third of breast cancer (BC) cases worldwide occur in women aged 65 years and older, with 10 to 15% overexpressing the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Although several HER2-targeted therapies have been developed, the lack of data regarding their use in older patients hampers evidence-based decision-making for this population.

AREAS COVERED

We review current evidence on the efficacy and safety of HER2-targeted therapies in older adults with BC, focusing on approved therapies such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, pertuzumab, ado-trastuzumab-emtansine, and neratinib. Additionally, we discuss drugs under development to target the HER2-receptor, and to overcome resistance to existing therapies. Finally, we highlight the cardiotoxicity of HER2-targeted drugs among older adults.

EXPERT OPINION

Older adults are underrepresented in trials of HER2-targeted therapies in BC. We propose strategies to increase recruitment of older adults in clinical trials in order to increase the evidence base to treat this growing population.

Effects of trastuzumab on locoregional recurrence in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy

PURPOSE

In the present study, the ability of adjuvant trastuzumab to reduce locoregional recurrence in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively included 520 patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer who received surgery followed by adjuvant RT and cytotoxic chemotherapy from 2003 to 2011. Adjuvant trastuzumab was administered to 286 patients. Propensity score matching was conducted to compare trastuzumab-treated and non-treated cohorts.

RESULTS

Median follow-up duration was 7.1 years (range 1.1-14.1 years). Propensity score matching yielded 171 matched pairs of patients with no significantly different clinical factors. An improved 7-year locoregional control (LRC) rate was observed in the trastuzumab-treated cohort compared with the non-treated cohort (95.6% vs. 89.9%, p = 0.014). Based on multivariate analysis, hormone receptor negativity (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.348, p = 0.007), positive lymph node ratio > 0.25 (HR = 2.549, p = 0.040), and lack of adjuvant trastuzumab (HR = 3.401, p = 0.017) were identified as significant risk factors for poor LRC. Adjuvant trastuzumab significantly reduced the locoregional recurrence rate in patients with one or two risk factors (7-year LRC = 95.0% vs. 84.2%, p = 0.007); however, the benefit of adjuvant trastuzumab was non-significant in patients with no risk factors (7-year LRC = 95.8% vs. 97.9%, p = 0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant trastuzumab improved LRC in patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer receiving adjuvant RT and cytotoxic chemotherapy, especially in hormone receptor-negative, HER2-enriched subtype, and high positive lymph node ratio breast cancer.

Prediction of postoperative disease-free survival and brain metastasis for HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab using a machine learning algorithm

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop mathematical tools to predict the likelihood of recurrence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) plus trastuzumab in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.

METHODS

Data of 776 patients from a multicenter retrospective cohort study were collected. All patients had HER2-positive breast cancer and received NAC plus trastuzumab between 2001 and 2010. Two mathematical tools using a machine learning method were developed to predict the likelihood of disease-free survival (DFS) (DFS model) and brain metastasis (BM) (BM model) within 5 years after surgery. For validation, bootstrap analyses were conducted. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was calculated to examine the discrimination.

RESULTS

The AUC values were 0.785 (95% CI 0.740-0.831, P < 0.001) for the DFS model and 0.871 (95% CI 0.830-0.912, P < 0.001) for the BM model. Patients with low-risk DFS or BM events, as predicted by the models, showed better 5-year DFS and BM rates than those with high-risk DFS or BM events (89% vs. 61% for the DFS model, P < 0.001; 99% vs. 87% for the BM model, P < 0.001). These models maintained discrimination abilities in both luminal and non-luminal subtypes, providing prognostic information independent of pathological response. Bootstrap validation confirmed the high generalization abilities of the models.

CONCLUSIONS

The DFS and BM models have a high accuracy to predict prognosis among HER2-positive patients treated with NAC plus trastuzumab. Our models can help optimize adjuvant therapy and postoperative surveillance.

Association between HER2 germline mutation A270S and prognosis in patients with primary breast cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between the HER2 germline mutation Ala270Ser (A270S), located in HER2 extracellular domain, and survival in breast cancer patients.

METHODS

HER2 germline mutation A270S was identified in 5395 consecutive patients with operable primary breast cancer using direct Sanger sequencing analysis. Survival curves for patients with HER2 A270S mutation were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test.

RESULTS

We identified that 31 cases carried HER2 germline mutation A270S in 5395 patients (0.6%, 31/5395). The HER2 A270S mutation was significantly associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) in the entire cohort of 5395 patients (RFS, unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00-5.00; P= 0.045; DRFS, unadjusted HR = 2.80; 95% CI = 1.25-6.28; P= 0.009). Among the HER2-negative patients (n= 3825), those with the HER2 A270S mutation had a significantly worse RFS (unadjusted HR = 3.19; 95% CI = 1.42-7.16; P= 0.003) and DRFS (unadjusted HR = 3.98; 95% CI = 1.77-8.96; P< 0.001) than did those with wild type. Moreover, the A270S mutation remained an independent unfavorable factor for RFS and DRFS in the HER2-negative patients (RFS, HR = 3.30; 95% CI = 1.34-8.10; P= 0.009; DRFS, HR = 4.26; 95% CI = 1.73-10.47; P= 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Breast cancer patients with the HER2 germline mutation A270S had a worse survival, especially in HER2-negative patients. Therefore, HER2-negative patients with a HER2 germline mutation A270S might be potential candidates for HER2-targeted therapy.

The comparison of anthracycline-based and non-anthracycline-based regimens in adjuvant chemotherapy of HER2-positive non-metastatic breast cancers

Aim of the study

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of anthracycline-based (AB) and non-anthracycline-based (nAB) adjuvant therapies in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive non-metastatic BC (nMBC) patients.

Material and methods

This retrospective study included women with HER2-positive BCs (stage I–III) treated with trastuzumab from 2008 to 2017. The patients were divided into two groups, including 196 patients in group AB and 67 in group nAB.

Results

Cox’s proportional hazard regression analysis showed no unfavourable predictors for five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) except for stage and hormone therapy. The OS rate was 67.9% in group AB and 80.6% in group nAB (p = 0.630). The DFS rate was 61.6% in group AB compared with 67.1% in group nAB (p = 0.447).

Conclusions

The results showed no difference between the efficacies of AB and nAB regimens in HER2-positive nMBCs in adjuvant setting. Therefore, selecting the nAB regimen can reduce the serious damage caused by the AB regimen.

Impact of phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor on the outcome of breast cancer patients and the prognostic value of its alteration during neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), which is involved in the genesis and progression of breast cancer, is thought to be associated with the overall survival (OS) of patients. However, the predictive and prognostic significance of the IGF-1R expression in breast cancer remains controversial. The present study aimed to identify the factors associated with the levels of phosphorylated (p)-IGF-1R in breast cancer, their impact on the outcomes of breast cancer patients, and the prognostic value of alterations of p-IGF-1R during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The present study included 348 female breast cancer patients whose paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sections had been collected by biopsy and/or resection, among which the pre-NAC and post-NAC sections were available from 40 patients. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positivity and molecular subtype were significantly associated with the presence of p-IGF-1R in the tumor tissue (P<0.05). Patients with p-IGF-1R present in the tumor tissue had a shorter OS (P=0.003). The p-IGF-1R levels in the tumor after NAC differed significantly from those prior to NAC (P=0.005); however, this alteration in p-IGF-1R levels was not associated with a shorter OS. In parallel with HER2, p-IGF-1R appears to be a promising indicator for predicting clinical outcomes and may be an attractive target for improving the efficacy of antitumor therapy, particularly for patients with HER2-negative, estrogen receptor-positive and luminal B tumors.

Trastuzumab in Female Breast Cancer Patients With Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Background Trastuzumab is life-extending therapy for breast cancer patients overexpressing the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER 2+), but has known cardiotoxic risk. We sought to determine if trastuzumab can be administered to patients with reduced baseline cardiac function at no higher cardiotoxicity risk than in those with normal cardiac function at baseline. Methods and Results We performed a retrospective study of women treated with trastuzumab for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 breast cancer at Mayo Clinic Rochester between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2015 with pre- and on-therapy echocardiograms available for review. A left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <53% was considered abnormal, and a ≥10% decline in LVEF as evidence of cardiotoxicity based on the criteria of the American Society of Echocardiography. A total of 428 women were identified; 408 had a normal cardiac function ( LVEF 63.4±5%) and 20 had an impaired cardiac function ( LVEF 45.4±7%) before trastuzumab. Seven women (35%) with reduced LVEF at baseline had a ≥10% reduction in LVEF , compared with 179 (43.9%) of those with normal LVEF before trastuzumab initiation ( P= NS ). Symptomatic heart failure developed more often in patients with reduced versus normal baseline LVEF (25% versus 4.2%, P<0.05). After adjusting for patient age and breast cancer disease stage, survival rates over 5 years from time of diagnosis were found to be lower for patients with reduced baseline LVEF compared with patients with normal baseline LVEF ( P<0.001); the adjusted proportion of patients surviving at 5 years for those with low LVEF at baseline was 79% and for those with normal LVEF was 93%. Conclusions Women undergoing trastuzumab therapy for breast cancer with impaired baseline cardiac function experience no higher risk of LVEF decline, but more frequently develop symptomatic heart failure. While trastuzumab could be considered, these patients should be co-managed by a cardiologist.

Current Targeted Therapies in HER2-Positive Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Gastric cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world, usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Despite the advances in specific anticancer agents' development, the survival rates remain modest, even in early stages. In 15%-20% of cases, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression was identified. We conducted a general review to summarize the progress that has been made in the targeted treatment of HER2-positive esogastric junction or gastric adenocarcinoma. According to our findings, trastuzumab is the only validated anti-HER2 agent in locally advanced or metastatic disease and its adjuvant effectiveness is assessed in a RTOG phase III study. In a previously treated advanced disease, the maytansine derivate TDM 1 failed to be approved as a second-line regimen, and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, lapatinib, shows modest results. The antiangiogenics have not been analyzed in specific populations and targeting the mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) receptor, overexpressed in up to 46% of the advanced disease, seems encouraging. Regarding the checkpoint inhibitors, based on KEYNOTE 059 multilevel ongoing trial, stratified according to the HER2 and programmed death-ligand (PD-L) 1 status, pembrolizumab was approved for third-line treatment of gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Survival Outcomes of Retreatment with Trastuzumab and Cytotoxic Chemotherapy for HER2-Positive Recurrent Patients With Breast Cancer Who Had Been Treated with Neo/adjuvant Trastuzumab Plus Multidrug Chemotherapy: A Japanese Multicenter Observational Study

Background:

There are little data on the usefulness of trastuzumab (TZM) retreatment as the first-line treatment for patients with HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2)–positive breast cancer recurrence after perioperative treatment with TZM.

Aim:

To clarify the outcome and safety of TZM retreatment in patients with recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer.

Method:

An observational study was conducted on patients who relapsed after primary systemic therapy with TZM using the central registration system. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points consisted of the response rate, overall survival (OS), and safety.

Result:

In total, 34 patients were registered between July 2009 and June 2012. The median follow-up time was 23.7 months (2-24 months). The 1- and 2-year PFS rates were 46.9% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 29.2%-62.9%) and 29.8% (95% CI: 15.0%-46.3%), respectively (median 10.6 months). The median PFS time for patients receiving TZM combined with CTx was 13.9 months. The 1-and 2-year OR rates were 93.9 (95% CI: 77.9%-98.4%) and 84.8% (95% CI: 67.4%-93.4%). Trastuzumab-induced grade 3/4 adverse events were not observed.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that the PFS and OS in Japanese patients who relapsed after perioperative TZM therapy improved or were similar to those in previous reports. Differences in patient backgrounds and treatments must be considered when interpreting the results. Trastuzumab should be used combination with CTx and/or HTx for retreatment. Retreatment with TZM is safe.

Trial registration: UMIN000002738.

Recent Advances in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy in women. It is classified into a few major molecular subtypes according to hormone and growth factor receptor expression. Over the past few years, substantial advances have been made in the discovery of new drugs for treating BC. Improved understanding of the biologic heterogeneity of BC has allowed the development of more effective and individualized approach to treatment. In this review, we provide an update about the current treatment strategy and discuss the various emerging novel therapies for the major molecular subtypes of BC. A brief account of the clinical development of inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, histone deacetylation, multi-targeting tyrosine kinases, and immune checkpoints for personalized treatment of BC is included. However, no targeted drug has been approved for the most aggressive subtype-triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Thus, we discuss the heterogeneity of TNBC and how molecular subtyping of TNBC may help drug discovery for this deadly disease. The emergence of drug resistance also poses threat to the successful development of targeted therapy in various molecular subtypes of BC. New clinical trials should incorporate advanced methods to identify changes induced by drug treatment, which may be associated with the upregulation of compensatory signaling pathways in drug resistant cancer cells.

Efficacy of Anti-HER2 Agents in Combination With Adjuvant or Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Early and Locally Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients: A Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Several (neo)adjuvant treatments for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have been compared in different randomized clinical trials. Since it is not feasible to conduct adequate pairwise comparative trials of all these therapeutic options, network meta-analysis offers an opportunity for more detailed inference for evidence-based therapy.

METHODS

Phase II/III randomized clinical trials comparing two or more different (neo)adjuvant treatments for HER2-positive breast cancer patients were included. Relative treatment effects were pooled in two separate network meta-analyses for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

17 clinical trials met our eligibility criteria. Two different networks of trials were created based on the availability of the outcomes: OS network (15 trials: 37,837 patients); and DFS network (17 trials: 40,992 patients). Two studies-the ExteNET and the NeoSphere trials-were included only in this DFS network because OS data have not yet been reported. The concept of the dual anti-HER2 blockade proved to be the best option in terms of OS and DFS. Chemotherapy (CT) plus trastuzumab (T) and lapatinib (L) and CT + T + Pertuzumab (P) are probably the best treatment options in terms of OS, with 62.47% and 22.06%, respectively. In the DFS network, CT + T + Neratinib (N) was the best treatment option with 50.55%, followed by CT + T + P (26.59%) and CT + T + L (20.62%).

CONCLUSION

This network meta-analysis suggests that dual anti-HER2 blockade with trastuzumab plus either lapatinib or pertuzumab are probably the best treatment options in the (neo)adjuvant setting for HER2-positive breast cancer patients in terms of OS gain. Mature OS results are still expected for the Aphinity trial and for the sequential use of trastuzumab followed by neratinib, the treatment that showed the best performance in terms of DFS in our analysis.

Tribody [(HER2)2xCD16] Is More Effective Than Trastuzumab in Enhancing γδ T Cell and Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Against HER2-Expressing Cancer Cells

An enhanced expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, ErbB2) often occurs in an advanced stage of breast, ovarian, gastric or esophageal cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Commonly, HER2 expression is associated with poor clinical outcome or chemoresistance in ovarian and breast cancer patients. Treatment with humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab or pertuzumab, has improved the outcome of patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric or breast cancer, but not all patients benefit. In this study, the bispecific antibody [(HER2)₂xCD16] in the tribody format was employed to re-direct CD16-expressing γδ T lymphocytes as well as natural killer (NK) cells to the tumor-associated cell surface antigen HER2 to enhance their cytotoxic anti-tumor activity. Tribody [(HER2)₂xCD16] comprises two HER2-specific single chain fragment variable fused to a fragment antigen binding directed to the CD16 (FcγRIII) antigen expressed on γδ T cells and NK cells. Our results revealed the superiority of tribody [(HER2)₂xCD16] compared to trastuzumab in triggering γδ T cell and NK cell-mediated lysis of HER2-expressing tumor cells, such as PDAC, breast cancer, and autologous primary ovarian tumors. The increased efficacy of [(HER2)₂xCD16] can be explained by an enhanced degranulation of immune cells. Although CD16 expression was decreased on γδ T cells in several PDAC patients and the number of tumor-infiltrating NK cells and γδ T cells was impaired in ovarian cancer patients, [(HER2)₂xCD16] selectively enhanced cytotoxicity of cells from these patients. Here, unique anti-tumor properties of tribody [(HER2)₂xCD16] are identified which beyond addressing HER2 overexpressing solid tumors may allow to treat with similar immunoconstructs combined with the adoptive transfer of γδ T cells and NK cells refractory hematological malignancies. A major advantage of γδ T cells and NK cells in the transplant situation of refractory hematological malignancies is given by their HLA-independent killing and a reduced graft-versus-host disease.

Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind Study Comparing the Efficacy, Safety, and Immunogenicity of SB3 (Trastuzumab Biosimilar) and Reference Trastuzumab in Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Therapy for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Positive Early Breast Cancer

Purpose

This phase III study compared SB3, a trastuzumab (TRZ) biosimilar, with reference TRZ in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive early breast cancer in the neoadjuvant setting ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02149524).

Patients and Methods

Patients were randomly assigned to receive neoadjuvant SB3 or TRZ for eight cycles concurrently with chemotherapy (four cycles of docetaxel followed by four cycles of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide) followed by surgery, and then 10 cycles of adjuvant SB3 or TRZ. The primary objective was comparison of breast pathologic complete response (bpCR) rate in the per-protocol set; equivalence was declared if the 95% CI of the ratio was within 0.785 to 1.546 or the 95% CI of the difference was within ± 13%. Secondary end points included comparisons of total pathologic complete response rate, overall response rate, event-free survival, overall survival, safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity.

Results

Eight hundred patients were included in the per-protocol set (SB3, n = 402; TRZ, n = 398). The bpCR rates were 51.7% and 42.0% with SB3 and TRZ, respectively. The adjusted ratio of bpCR was 1.259 (95% CI, 1.085 to 1.460), which was within the predefined equivalence margins. The adjusted difference was 10.70% (95% CI, 4.13% to 17.26%), with the lower limit contained within and the upper limit outside the equivalence margin. The total pathologic complete response rates were 45.8% and 35.8% and the overall response rates were 96.3% and 91.2% with SB3 and TRZ, respectively. Overall, 96.6% and 95.2% of patients experienced one or more adverse event, 10.5% and 10.7% had a serious adverse event, and 0.7% and 0.0% had antidrug antibodies (up to cycle 9) with SB3 and TRZ, respectively.

Conclusion

Equivalence for efficacy was demonstrated between SB3 and TRZ on the basis of the ratio of bpCR rates. Safety and immunogenicity were comparable.

Predicting hypertension among Korean cancer survivors: A nationwide population-based study

Hypertension is the most common comorbidity among cancer survivors, although there is no model for predicting hypertension in this population. Therefore, we developed a model for predicting hypertension using data from 6,480 Korean cancer survivors who were ≥20 years old. The odds ratios (ORs) for hypertension were calculated using stepwise logistic regression analyses, and a nomogram was generated to predict hypertension. Hypertension was independently associated with an age of ≥65 years (OR: 3.058), male gender (OR: 1.195), obesity (OR: 1.998), prehypertension (OR: 2.06), dyslipidaemia (OR: 2.011) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 2.297). Each variable in the nomogram was assigned a specific number of points, and the total score (range: 0-400) was used to obtain a value for predicting hypertension. The estimated prevalence of hypertension increased when the total nomogram score exceeded the sixth decile (total points: 128; p for trend <.001). Therefore, among Korean cancer survivors, hypertension was significantly associated with an age of >65 years, male gender, obesity, and having various comorbidities (e.g., prehypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus). Furthermore, our nomogram could predict the incidence of hypertension, and the sixth decile of the total nomogram score predicted an increased risk of hypertension.

Pharmacodynamic modeling of cardiac biomarkers in breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline and trastuzumab regimens

Trastuzumab is associated with cardiotoxicity, manifesting as a decrease of the left-ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Administration of anthracyclines prior to trastuzumab increases risk of cardiotoxicity. High-sensitive troponin T and N-terminal-pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are molecular markers that may allow earlier detection of drug-induced cardiotoxicity. In this analysis we aimed to quantify the kinetics and exposure–response relationships of LVEF, troponin T and NT-proBNP measurements, in patients receiving anthracycline and trastuzumab. Repeated measurements of LVEF, troponin T and NT-proBNP and dosing records of anthracyclines and trastuzumab were available from a previously published clinical trial. This trial included 206 evaluable patients with early breast cancer. Exposure to anthracycline and trastuzumab was simulated based on available dosing records and by using a kinetic-pharmacodynamic (K-PD) and a fixed pharmacokinetic (PK) model from literature, respectively. The change from baseline troponin T was described with a direct effect model, affected by simulated anthracycline concentrations, representing myocyte damage. The relationship between trastuzumab and LVEF was described by an indirect effect compartment model. The EC₅₀ for LVEF decline was significantly affected by the maximum troponin T concentration after anthracycline treatment, explaining 15.1% of inter-individual variability. In this cohort, NT-proBNP changes could not be demonstrated to be related to anthracycline or trastuzumab treatment. Pharmacodynamic models for troponin T and LVEF were successfully developed, identifying maximum troponin T concentration after anthracycline treatment as a significant determinant for trastuzumab-induced LVEF decline. These models can help identify patients at risk of drug-induced cardiotoxicity and optimize cardiac monitoring strategies.

Can anticancer chemotherapy promote the progression of brain metastases?

Brain metastases natural history from one primary tumor type might be accelerated or favored by using certain systemic chemotherapy. A great deal was described in mice and suggested in human with antiangiogenic drugs, but little is known about the metastatic progression generated by the perverse effect of anticancer drugs. A total of 413 patients who underwent treatment for brain metastasis (2013-2016) were included. The identification of all previous anticancer drugs received by patients from primary tumor diagnosis to brain metastases diagnosis was collated. The median value for the time of first appearance of brain metastasis in all patients was 13.1 months (SD 1.77). The values of brain metastasis-free survival (bMFS) for each primary cancer were: 50.9 months (SD 8.8) for breast, 28.5 months (SD 11.4) for digestive, 27.7 months (SD 18.3) for melanoma, 12.3 months (SD 8.3) for kidney, 1.5 months (SD 0.1) for lung and 26.9 months (SD 18.3) for others (p < 0.009). Through Cox multivariate proportional hazard model, we identified that the only independent factors associated with short bMFS were: lung primary tumor [odd ratio (OR) 0.234, CI 95% 0.16-0.42; p < 0.0001] and mitotic spindle inhibitor (taxanes) chemotherapy [OR 0.609, CI 95% 0.50-0.93; p < 0.001]. Contrariwise, breast primary tumor [odd ratio (OR) 2.372, CI 95% 1.29-4.3; p < 0.005] was an independent factor that proved a significantly longer bMFS. We suggest that anticancer drugs, especially taxane and its derivatives, could promote brain metastases, decreasing free survival. Mechanisms are discussed but still need to be determined.

Cardiotoxicity of Anticancer Therapeutics

As cancer therapeutics continues to improve and progress, the adverse side effects associated with anticancer treatments have also attracted more attention and have become extensively explored. Consequently, the importance of posttreatment follow-ups is becoming increasingly relevant to the discussion. Contemporary treatment methods, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, anthracycline chemotherapy, and immunotherapy regimens are effective in treating different modalities of cancers; however, these reagents act through interference with DNA replication or prevent DNA repair, causing endothelial dysfunction, generating reactive oxygen species, or eliciting non-specific immune responses. Therefore, cardiotoxic effects, such as hypertension, heart failure, and left ventricular dysfunction, arise posttreatment. Rising awareness of cardiovascular complications has led to meticulous attention for the evolution of treatment strategies and carefully monitoring between enhanced treatment effectiveness and minimization of adverse toxicity to the cardiovasculature, in which psychological assessments, early detection methods such as biomarkers, magnetic resonance imaging, and various drugs to reverse the damage from cardiotoxic events are more prevalent and their emphasis has increased tremendously. Fully understanding the mechanisms by which the risk factors action for various patients undergoing cancer treatment is also becoming more prevalent in preventing cardiotoxicity down the line.

Prognostic implications of HER2 heterogeneity in gastric cancer

The prognostic implications of human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2) heterogeneity in gastric cancer (GC) are not well established. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine to the effect of HER2 status on the prognosis of GC patients. We retrieved data on 248 pathologically-confirmed, consecutive patients with primary adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastro-esophageal junction who underwent surgical resection at Kurume University Medical Center between July 2000 and December 2012. HER2 status was classified as HER2 positive or negative and HER2 heterogeneity or homogeneity. The endpoint was overall survival (OS), which was compared using the generalized Wilcoxon test. HER2 status was positive in 36 patients (14.5%) and negative in 212 patients (85.5%). Among the 36 HER2 positive patients, 25 patients (69.4%) had HER2 heterogeneity and the remaining 11 patients (30.6%) had HER2 homogeneity. Among the 141 patients with stage III or IV disease, the prognosis of the HER2 homogeneity group was significantly worse than that of the HER2 heterogeneity group (p = 0.019; median OS 193 and 831 days, respectively). The prognosis was not significantly different between the HER2 positive group and the HER2 negative group (p = 0.84; median OS 552 and 556 days, respectively). The present study was conducted with small samples, however, the results of the study suggest that HER2 homogeneity but not HER2 positivity may represent a prognostic indicator in GC.

Gasdermin B expression predicts poor clinical outcome in HER2-positive breast cancer

Around, 30–40% of HER2-positive breast cancers do not show substantial clinical benefit from the targeted therapy and, thus, the mechanisms underlying resistance remain partially unknown. Interestingly, ERBB2 is frequently co-amplified and co-expressed with neighbour genes that may play a relevant role in this cancer subtype. Here, using an in silico analysis of data from 2,096 breast tumours, we reveal a significant correlation between Gasdermin B (GSDMB) gene (located 175 kilo bases distal from ERBB2) expression and the pathological and clinical parameters of poor prognosis in HER2-positive breast cancer. Next, the analysis of three independent cohorts (totalizing 286 tumours) showed that approximately 65% of the HER2-positive cases have GSDMB gene amplification and protein over-expression. Moreover, GSDMB expression was also linked to poor therapeutic responses in terms of lower relapse free survival and pathologic complete response as well as positive lymph node status and the development of distant metastasis under neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment settings, respectively. Importantly, GSDMB expression promotes survival to trastuzumab in different HER2-positive breast carcinoma cells, and is associated with trastuzumab resistance phenotype in vivo in Patient Derived Xenografts. In summary, our data identifies the ERBB2 co-amplified and co-expressed gene GSDMB as a critical determinant of poor prognosis and therapeutic response in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Evaluation of CDK12 Protein Expression as a Potential Novel Biomarker for DNA Damage Response-Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer

Disruption of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 12 (CDK12) is known to lead to defects in DNA repair and sensitivity to platinum salts and PARP1/2 inhibitors. However, CDK12 has also been proposed as an oncogene in breast cancer. We therefore aimed to assess the frequency and distribution of CDK12 protein expression by IHC in independent cohorts of breast cancer and correlate this with outcome and genomic status. We found that 21% of primary unselected breast cancers were CDK12 high, and 10.5% were absent, by IHC. CDK12 positivity correlated with HER2 positivity but was not an independent predictor of breast cancer-specific survival taking HER2 status into account; however, absent CDK12 protein expression significantly correlated with a triple-negative phenotype. Interestingly, CDK12 protein absence was associated with reduced expression of a number of DDR proteins including ATR, Ku70/Ku80, PARP1, DNA-PK, and γH2AX, suggesting a novel mechanism of CDK12-associated DDR dysregulation in breast cancer. Our data suggest that diagnostic IHC quantification of CDK12 in breast cancer is feasible, with CDK12 absence possibly signifying defective DDR function. This may have important therapeutic implications, particularly for triple-negative breast cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 306-15. ©2017 AACR.

Adjuvant Trastuzumab Therapy for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in Iran: A Cost-Effectiveness and Scenario Analysis for an Optimal Treatment Strategy

INTRODUCTION

Clinical guidelines have recommended a 1-year trastuzumab regimen as standard care for early human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer; however, this recommendation can have a dramatic impact on total drug expenditures in middle-income countries (MICs). We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis from the Iranian healthcare perspective to find an optimum duration of trastuzumab use in Iran.

METHOD

We compared four treatment strategies comprising chemotherapy and varying durations of trastuzumab use (no trastuzumab, 6, 9 months, and 1 year), and a Markov model and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were used to estimate the costs and effects of the strategies. We then examined the cost effectiveness of the strategies at different willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds and ages at onset of treatment.

RESULTS

Incremental costs (versus no trastuzumab) were €8826 (6 months), €13,808 (9 months) and €18,588 (12 months), while incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were 0.65 (6 months), 0.87 (9 months) and 1.14 (12 months). At a threshold of 3 × gross domestic product (GDP)/capita (€21,000/QALY) and for patients younger than 59 years, the 6-month protocol was most likely to be cost effective (probability of 42%). At a threshold of 4 × GDP/capita (€28,000/QALY), the 6-month and 1-year regimens were essentially equal in cost effectiveness (37 and 35%, respectively). At this WTP threshold, the 6-month and 1-year regimens were optimal strategies only for patients up to 66 and 44 years of age, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In contrast to clinical guidelines, 6 months of trastuzumab may be the most cost-effective option for Iran. The lower absolute WTP threshold and lower life expectancy compared with high-income countries are two crucial parameters in the cost effectiveness of interventions in MICs. It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between maximum population health and maintaining affordability in these countries.

Forty years of landmark trials undertaken by the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) nationwide or in international collaboration

BACKGROUND

Over the past 40 years the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) has made significant contributions to improve outcome and to make treatment of patients with early breast cancer more tolerable through nationwide and international trials evaluating loco-regional and systemic treatments. These trials have been instrumental to establish standards for the treatment of early breast cancer.

METHODS

The DBCG 82 trials had a global impact by documenting that the significant gain in loco-regional recurrence from postmastectomy radiation added to systemic therapy was associated with a reduction in distant recurrence and mortality in high-risk pre- and postmenopausal patients. The DBCG trials comparing breast conserving surgery and radiotherapy with mastectomy and more recently the trial of internal mammary node irradiation also had a major impact of practice. The trials initiated by the DBCG 40 years ago on tamoxifen and cyclophosphamide based chemotherapy became instrumental for the development of adjuvant systemic therapy not only due to their positive results but by sharing these important data with other members of the Early Breast Cancer Trialist' Collaborative Group (EBCTCG). Trials from the DBCG have also been important for highlighting the relative importance of anthracyclines and taxanes in the adjuvant setting. Furthermore, DBCG has made a major contribution to the development of aromatase inhibitors and targeted adjuvant treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive breast cancers.

RESULTS

The substantial impact of these treatment improvements is illustrated by a 46.7% 10-year overall survival of early breast cancer patients treated in 1978-1987 compared to 71.5% for patients treated 2008-2012.

CONCLUSIONS

The trials conducted and implemented by the DBCG appear to have a major impact on the substantial survival improvements in breast cancer.

TP53 mutations and protein immunopositivity may predict for poor outcome but also for trastuzumab benefit in patients with early breast cancer treated in the adjuvant setting

BACKGROUND

We investigated the impact of PIK3CA and TP53 mutations and p53 protein status on the outcome of patients who had been treated with adjuvant anthracycline-taxane chemotherapy within clinical trials in the pre- and post-trastuzumab era.

RESULTS

TP53 and PIK3CA mutations were found in 380 (21.5%) and 458 (25.9%) cases, respectively, including 104 (5.9%) co-mutated tumors; p53 immunopositivity was observed in 848 tumors (53.5%). TP53 mutations (p < 0.001) and p53 protein positivity (p = 0.001) were more frequent in HER2-positive and triple negative (TNBC) tumors, while PIK3CA mutations were more frequent in Luminal A/B tumors (p < 0.001). TP53 mutation status and p53 protein expression but not PIK3CA mutation status interacted with trastuzumab treatment for disease-free survival; patients with tumors bearing TP53 mutations or immunopositive for p53 protein fared better when treated with trastuzumab, while among patients treated with trastuzumab those with the above characteristics fared best (interaction p = 0.017 for mutations; p = 0.015 for IHC). Upon multivariate analysis the above interactions remained significant in HER2-positive patients; in the entire cohort, TP53 mutations were unfavorable in patients with Luminal A/B (p = 0.003) and TNBC (p = 0.025); p53 immunopositivity was strongly favorable in patients treated with trastuzumab (p = 0.009).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TP53 and PIK3CA mutation status was examined in 1766 paraffin tumor DNA samples with informative semiconductor sequencing results. Among these, 1585 cases were also informative for p53 protein status assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC; 10% positivity cut-off).

CONCLUSIONS

TP53 mutations confer unfavorable prognosis in patients with Luminal A/B and TNBC tumors, while p53 immunopositivity may predict for trastuzumab benefit in the adjuvant setting.

Association of Tobacco Use, Alcohol Consumption and HER2 Polymorphisms With Response to Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients

PURPOSE

Although the administration of trastuzumab has improved the survival of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer patients, resistance remains a major clinical obstacle. We retrospectively evaluated the association of HER2 polymorphisms, tobacco use and alcohol consumption with disease-free survival (DFS) in HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinicopathologic and survival data (median follow-up, 7.4 years) were collected from medical records for 236 nonmetastatic trastuzumab-treated HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Tobacco and alcohol consumption were assessed using validated questionnaires, and HER2 polymorphisms (Ile655Val and Ala1170Pro) were determined by TaqMan assay. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze DFS.

RESULTS

Compared to nonsmokers, patients who smoked before breast cancer diagnosis showed a worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.63, P = .001), and this association was stronger among patients who smoked > 20 cigarettes per day or who spent more than 2 decades smoking before their diagnosis (HR, 3.65, P = .01, and HR, 3.19, P = .002, respectively). Smoking during trastuzumab treatment was associated with DFS, but only among patients with estrogen receptor-negative tumors (HR, 4.49, P = .02). Compared to nondrinkers, patients who consumed alcohol before breast cancer diagnosis had a significantly better DFS (HR, 0.56, P = .03). No association was observed between alcohol consumption during trastuzumab treatment and DFS. Concerning HER2 polymorphisms, patients with Ile/Val or Val/Val genotype had a significantly worse DFS than those with the Ile/Ile genotype (HR, 4.96, P = .01).

CONCLUSION

Tobacco and alcohol consumption as well as HER2 Ile655Val polymorphism could influence trastuzumab response. These results need to be confirmed in a larger cohort study.

Effectiveness of trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy in patients with early stage breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy has long been established as a standard treatment for HER2-positive patients in early stage breast cancer (BC). The present study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of trastuzumab adjuvant therapy in early stage BC in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of trastuzumab adjuvant therapy. PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for relevant RCTs from the beginning to February 2017. Quality assessment of studies was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The desired outcomes were OS and DFS. Results: A total of 1818 articles were identified first, however, only 11 studies were eligible to be included in this study. Our findings and meta-analysis results revealed that trastuzumab is effective in increasing OS (OS hazard ratio: -0.286 ± 0.049, 95%CI (-0.381, - 0.191)) and improving DFS (DFS hazard ratio: -0.419± 0.077, 95%CI (-0.569, -0.269)). The most serious but negligible side effect of trastuzumab is congestive heart failure. Conclusion: Adding trastuzumab as adjuvant therapy in early stages of BC in HER2 positive patients could increase OS and DFS of the patients effectively.

Aiming for the Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 system in breast cancer therapeutics

Despite the major discoveries occurred in oncology the recent years, breast malignancies remain one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths for women in developed countries. Development of HER2-targeting drugs has been considered a breakthrough in anti-cancer approaches and alluded to the potential of targeting growth factors in breast cancer (BrCa) therapeutics. More than twenty-five years have passed since the Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) system was initially recognized as a potential target candidate in BrCa therapy. To date, a growing body of studies have implicated the IGF-1 signaling with the BrCa biology. Despite the promising experimental evidence, the impression from clinical trials is rather disappointing. Several reasons may account for this and the last word regarding the efficacy of this system as a target candidate in BrCa therapeutics is probably not written yet. Herein, we provide the theoretical basis, as well as, a comprehensive overview of the current literature, regarding the different strategies targeting the various components of the IGF-1/IGF-1R axis in several pathophysiological aspects of BrCa, including the tumor micro-environment and cancer stemness. In addition, we review the rationale for targeting the IGF-1 system in the different BrCa molecular subtypes and in treatment resistant breast tumors with a focus on both the molecular mechanisms and on the clinical perspectives of such approaches in specific population subgroups. We also discuss the future challenges, as well as, the development of novel molecules and strategies targeting the system and suggest potential improvements in the field.

HER2 exon 27 mutations predict worse survival of breast cancer patients, especially in HER2-negative patients

The aims of this study were to assess the prognostic value of the HER2 exon 27 mutations in breast cancer patients. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes, and then HER2 exon 27 mutations were detected by direct sequencing. Survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves and the differences between the curves were compared by log-rank tests. A total cohort of 892 female patients with operable primary breast cancer was included in this study. The median follow-up was 47 months. Of these 892 patients, 3.7% (33/892) had HER2 exon 27 mutations. Patients with the HER2 exon 27 mutations had a significant worse recurrence-free survival (RFS, unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.42; 95% CI: 1.05-5.58; P = 0.032) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS, unadjusted HR 2.81; 95% CI: 1.21-6.50; P = 0.012) than the patients with the wild-type exon 27. Among the 673 patients with negative HER2 expression, 24 mutants were found. Patients with the HER2 mutations showed a worse RFS (unadjusted HR 5.08; 95% CI: 2.14-12.02; P < 0.001) and DRFS (unadjusted HR 5.62; 95% CI: 2.36-13.40; P < 0.001) than those patients with the wild-type exon 27. Furthermore, the mutations remained as unfavorable independent predictors for RFS and DRFS. Breast cancer patients with HER2 exon 27 mutations have a worse survival, especially in HER2-negative patients. HER2-negative patients with HER2 exon 27 mutations are potential subgroup of breast cancer patients benefiting from HER2-targeted therapy in future.

A nomogram to predict HER2 status in breast cancer patients with HER2-borderline disease as determined via immunohistochemistry

This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay results for HER2-borderline breast cancer as determined via immunohistochemistry (IHC) among patients in China. We reviewed a database of breast cancer patients diagnosed between January 2007 and April 2013 at our institutions. We used logistic regression to develop a nomogram and we used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and calibration plots to validate our nomogram. In total, 1138, 301 and 344 patients had IHC-determined HER2-negative, HER2-borderline and HER2-positive disease, respectively. Within the training cohort, univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status and tumor grade were significantly associated with HER2 status (P<0.01). A nomogram was developed and the AUCs for the training and validation cohorts were 0.795 and 0.749, respectively. The calibration plots suggested that the model was well calibrated. This new nomogram can be used to predict HER2 status in HER2-borderline breast cancer patients and will be particularly helpful to resource-limited countries.

Concurrent administration of trastuzumab and anthracyclines as adjuvant regimen for HER2-positive breast cancer: a randomised controlled trial

Background

The regimen of concurrent administration of trastuzumab and anthracyclines in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer has never been evaluated prospectively for fear of cardiac toxicity.

Methods

Patients with HER2-positive operable breast cancer were randomised to receive adjuvant treatment with concurrent or sequential administration of trastuzumab and anthracyclines. Cardiac monitoring was scheduled at baseline and every 3 months after the first dose of trastuzumab. The primary study endpoint was cardiac safety. Secondary endpoints were disease-free and overall survival.

Results

From 2011 to 2014, 201 participants were enrolled and randomised. The median follow-up time was 42 months. Nineteen patients (19.4%) in the concurrent group and 22 patients (22.4%) in the sequential group met the criteria for cardiac events with non-significant difference (P=0.598). There was no difference in the mean LVEF between the two groups at the baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months after the first dose of trastuzumab. No case of congestive heart failure or cardiac death occurred. The differences between the efficacies of the two regimens, defined by disease-free or overall survival, were not significant.

Conclusions

Concurrent administration of trastuzumab and anthracyclines is a safe adjuvant regimen and it provides evidence for further clinical trials.

Pharmacologic measures in the prevention of left ventricular dysfunction associated with molecular-targeted therapies in the treatment of cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) is an infrequent but significant side effect of certain molecular-targeted cancer therapies and may lead to treatment modification and impact on disease prognosis. There may be a role for beta blockers (BB), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) in the prevention of LVD. Areas covered: There are multiple definitions for LVD based on clinical and/or imaging features. Molecular-targeted therapies cause reversible LVD. Therapies with well-reported LVD are inhibitors of human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2), angiogenesis, Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog (ABL) and the proteasome. BB, ACEI and ARB seem to have a role in the prevention of LVD associated with anthracyclines. Few trials have investigated the role of BB, ACEI and ARB as primary prevention of LVD in molecular-targeted therapies. Their results are not conclusive but a beneficial role cannot be excluded. Expert opinion: Because of inconclusive data, future interventional studies should not include all treated patients with molecular-targeted therapy, but focus on patients at risk for developing LVD. Another option is to study patients who show early signs of LVD to prevent progression to overt heart failure.