Oncotype DX: Where Does It Stand in India?

Tumor budding in breast carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Tumor budding is gaining importance as a prognostic factor in various carcinomas due to its association with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hence clinical outcome. Reporting tumor budding in breast cancer lacks homogeneity. We aim to systematically review the existing literature and conduct a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic implication of tumor budding in breast carcinoma. A systematic search was performed to identify studies that compared different prognostic variables between high- and low-grade tumor budding. Quality assessment was performed using a modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Dichotomous variables were pooled using the odds ratio using the Der-Simonian-Laird method. Meta-analysis was conducted to study the association between low/high-grade tumor budding and tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, ER, PR, HER2neu, KI67, and the molecular subtype triple-negative breast carcinoma. Thirteen studies with a total of 1763 patients were included. A moderate risk of bias was noted. The median bias scoring was 7 (6-9). High-grade tumor budding was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (OR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.52-3.34, P < 0.01) and lymphovascular invasion (OR: 3.14, 95% CI: 2.10-4.71, P < 0.01), and low-grade budding was significantly associated with triple-negative breast carcinoma (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39-0.95, P = 0.03)There was significant heterogeneity in the assessment and grading of tumor budding; thus, a checklist of items was identified that lacked standardization. Our meta-analysis concluded that tumor budding can act as an independent prognostic marker for breast cancer.

Clinical Utility of Genomic Recurrence Risk Stratification in Early, Hormone-Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Breast Cancer: Real-World Experience

BACKGROUND

RNA-based genomic risk assessment estimates chemotherapy benefit in patients with hormone-receptor positive (HR+)/Human Epidermal Growth Factor 2-negative (ERBB2-) breast cancer (BC). It is virtually used in all patients with early HR+/ERBB2- BC regardless of clinical recurrence risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of adult patients with early-stage (T1-3; N0; M0) HR+/ERBB2- BC who underwent genomic testing using the Oncotype DX (Exact Sciences) 21-genes assay. Clinicopathologic features were collected to assess the clinical recurrence risk, in terms of clinical risk score (CRS) and using a composite risk score of distant recurrence Regan Risk Score (RRS). CRS and RRS were compared to the genomic risk of recurrence (GRS).

RESULTS

Between January 2015 and December 2020, 517 patients with early-stage disease underwent genomic testing, and clinical data was available for 501 of them. There was statistically significant concordance between the 3 prognostication methods (P < 0.01). Within patients with low CRS (n = 349), 9.17% had a high GRS, compared to 8.93% in patients with low RRS (n = 280). In patients with grade 1 histology (n = 130), 3.85% had a high GRS and 68.46% had tumors > 1 cm, of whom only 4.49% had a high GRS. Tumor size > 1cm did not associate with a high GRS.

CONCLUSION

Genomic testing for patients with grade 1 tumors may be safely omitted, irrespective of size. Our finds call for a better understanding of the need for routine genomic testing in patients with low grade/low clinical risk of recurrence.

Practical Consensus Recommendations for Optimizing Risk versus Benefit of Chemotherapy in Patients with HR Positive Her2 Negative Early Breast Cancer in India

Breast cancer is a public health challenge globally as well as in India. Improving outcome and cure requires appropriate biomarker testing to assign risk and plan treatment. Because it is documented that significant ethnic and geographical variations in biological and genetic features exist worldwide, such biomarkers need to be validated and approved by authorities in the region where these are intended to be used. The use of western guidelines, appropriate for the Caucasian population, can lead to inappropriate overtreatment or undertreatment in Asia and India. A virtual meeting of domain experts discussed the published literature, real-world practical experience, and results of opinion poll involving 185 oncologists treating breast cancer across 58 cities of India. They arrived at a practical consensus recommendation statement to guide community oncologists in the management of hormone positive (HR-positive) Her2-negative early breast cancer (EBC). India has a majority (about 50%) of breast cancer patients who are diagnosed in the premenopausal stage (less than 50 years of age). The only currently available predictive test for HR-positive Her2-negative EBC that has been validated in Indian patients is CanAssist Breast. If this test gives a score indicative of low risk (< 15.5), adjuvant chemotherapy will not increase the chance of metastasis-free survival and should not be given. This is applicable even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A nomogram to predict the high-risk RS in HR+/HER2-breast cancer patients older than 50 years of age

Background

The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) testing can predict the prognosis for luminal breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, patients > 50 years with RS > 25 have improved survival with adjuvant chemotherapy. The current study aimed to develop a nomogram with routine parameters to predict RS.

Methods

We included patients diagnosed with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative who underwent the 21-gene RS testing and aged > 50 years. The primary outcome was high-risk RS (> 25). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant predictors. A predictive nomogram based on logistic model was developed and evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The nomogram was internally validated for discrimination and calibration with bootstrapping method, and externally validated in another cohort. We then assessed the nomogram in different subgroups of patients and compared it with several published models.

Results

A total of 1100 patients were included. Five clinicopathological parameters were used as predictors of a high-risk RS, including tumor grade, histologic subtype, ER expression, PR expression, and Ki-67 index. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.798 (95% CI 0.772–0.825) and optimism adjusted AUC was 0.794 (95% CI 0.781–0.822). External validation demonstrated an AUC value of 0.746 (95% CI 0.685–0.807), which had no significant difference with the training cohort (P = 0.124). Calibration plots indicated that the nomogram-predicted results were well fitted to the actual outcomes in both internal and external validation. The nomogram had better discriminate ability in patients who had tumors > 2 cm (AUC = 0.847, 95% CI 0.804–0.890). When compared with four other existing models, similar AUC was observed between our nomogram and the model constructed by discriminate Lee et al.

Conclusions

We developed a user-friendly nomogram to predict the high-risk RS in luminal breast cancer patients who were older than 50 years of age, which could guide treatment decision making for those who have no access to the 21-gene RS testing.

Individualized Chemotherapy Benefit Prediction by EndoPredict in Patients With Early Breast Cancer in an Indian Cohort

PURPOSE

There are new advancements in the modulation of the treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer, including the use of several molecular profiling tests to identify or select those patients who require additional adjuvant chemotherapy together with hormonal therapy on the basis of a recurrence score. One such tool is EndoPredict (Myriad Genetics; Salt Lake City, UT), which provides support in clinical decision making. The objective of this analysis was to study the landscape of absolute chemotherapy benefit and the likelihood of recurrence within 5 to 15 years in Indian patients with breast cancer who are undergoing EndoPredict testing.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 308 patients with hormone-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative early breast cancer. Their postsurgical blocks were analyzed using the EndoPredict test. The MEDCALC statistical tool (Panum Education; Seoul, Republic of Korea) was used to estimate the correlation coefficient and to conduct multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

On the basis of the EndoPredict EPclin Risk Score, 52.12% of patients were classified as being in the low-risk category and could safely forgo adjuvant chemotherapy. For every unit increase in the EPclin Risk Score, the percentage increase in absolute chemotherapy benefit was 6.82%. Similarly, the correlation between the likelihood of recurrence within 5 to 15 years and the EPclin Risk Score suggested that there is a 10.34% increase in recurrence for each unit of EPclin Risk Score.

CONCLUSION

The EPclin Risk Score has good prognostic and predictive power; it also provides the range of chemotherapy benefit for Indian patients.

Overview of Breast Cancer and Implications of Overtreatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer: An Indian Perspective

The prevalence and mortality of breast cancer is increasing in Asian countries, including India. With advances in medical technology leading to better detection and characterization of the disease, it has been possible to classify breast cancer into various subtypes using markers, which helps predict the risk of distant recurrence, response to therapy, and prognosis using a combination of molecular and clinical parameters. Breast cancer and its therapy, mainly surgery, systemic therapy (anticancer chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy), and radiation therapy, are associated with significant adverse influences on physical and mental health, quality of life, and the economic status of the patient and her family. The fear of recurrence and its devastating effects often leads to overtreatment, with a toxic cost to the patient financially and physically in cases in which this is not required. This article discusses some aspects of a breast cancer diagnosis and its impact on the various facets of the life of the patient and her family. It further elucidates the role of prognostic factors, the currently available biomarkers and prognostic signatures, and the importance of ethnically validating biomarkers and prognostic signatures.