Metastatic breast cancer, version 1.2012: featured updates to the NCCN guidelines

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy for HER2-Positive Ductal Carcinoma in Situ with Microinvasion

A retrospective study on 90 eligible HER2+ ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion (DCIS-MI) patients was performed with a median follow-up time of 57 months. The baseline was consistent between the 4-cycle and 6-cycle chemotherapy groups. There were more patients with multiple foci of micrometastasis in the target therapy group in the two groups with or without target therapy (p < 0.01). Postoperative chemotherapy with a 4-cycle regimen can achieve the expected therapeutic effect in patients with HER2+ DCIS-MI, but the role of target therapy in HER2+ DCIS-MI patients has not been confirmed.

Circulating tumor DNA: from discovery to clinical application in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) stands out as the cancer with the highest incidence of morbidity and mortality among women worldwide, and its incidence rate is currently trending upwards. Improving the efficiency of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is crucial, as it can effectively reduce the disease burden. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) originates from the release of tumor cells and plays a pivotal role in the occurrence, development, and metastasis of breast cancer. In recent years, the widespread application of high-throughput analytical technology has made ctDNA a promising biomarker for early cancer detection, monitoring minimal residual disease, early recurrence monitoring, and predicting treatment outcomes. ctDNA-based approaches can effectively compensate for the shortcomings of traditional screening and monitoring methods, which fail to provide real-time information and prospective guidance for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes the applications of ctDNA in various aspects of breast cancer, including screening, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and follow-up. It highlights the current research status in this field and emphasizes the potential for future large-scale clinical applications of ctDNA-based approaches.

Variant allele frequency in circulating tumor DNA correlated with tumor disease burden and predicted outcomes in patients with advanced breast cancer

PURPOSE

In patients with first-line advanced breast cancer (ABC), the correlation between ctDNA variant allele frequency (VAF) and tumor disease burden, and its prognostic value remains poorly investigated.

METHODS

This study included patients with ABC diagnosed at Peking University Cancer Hospital who performed ctDNA test before receiving first-line treatment. Baseline plasma samples were collected for assessing ctDNA alterations and VAF with next-generation sequencing. The sum of tumor target lesion diameters (SLD) was measured with imaging methods according to RECIST 1.1 criteria.

RESULTS

The final cohort included 184 patients. The median age of the cohort was 49.4 (IQR: 42.3-56.8) years. The median VAF was 15.6% (IQR: 5.4%-33.7%). VAF showed positive correlation with SLD in patients with relatively large tumor lesions (r = 0.314, p = 0.003), but not in patients with small tumor lesions (p = 0.226). VAF was associated with multiple metastasis sites (p = 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high VAF was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (HR: 3.519, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.149-5.761), and first-line progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 2.352, 95%CI: 1.462-3.782). Combined VAF and SLD improved prediction performance, both median OS and PFS of patients in VAF(H)/SLD(H) group were significantly longer than VAF(L)/SLD(L) group (mOS: 49.3 vs. 174.1 months; mPFS: 9.6 vs. 25.3 months).

CONCLUSION

ctDNA VAF associated with tumor disease burden, and was a prognostic factor for patients with ABC. A combination of ctDNA test and radiographic imaging might enhance tumor burden evaluation, and improve prognosis stratification in patients with ABC.

Progression after First-Line Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitor Treatment: Analysis of Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Data

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6iss) are widely used in first-line metastatic breast cancer. For patients with progression under CDK4/6is, there is currently no standard treatment recommended at the category 1 level in international guidelines. The purpose of this article is to review the cellular mechanisms underlying the resistance to CDK4/6is, as well as treatment strategies and the clinical data about the efficacy of subsequent treatments after CDK4/6is-based therapy. In the first part, this review mainly discusses cell-cycle-specific and cell-cycle-non-specific resistance to CDK4/6is, with a focus on early and late progression. In the second part, this review analyzes potential therapeutic approaches and the available clinical data on them: switching to other CDK4/6is, to another single hormonal therapy, to other target therapies (PI3K, mTOR and AKT) and to chemotherapy.

Randomized phase III trial of a neoadjuvant regimen of four cycles of adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide followed by four cycles of docetaxel (AC4-D4) versus a shorter treatment of three cycles of FEC followed by three cycles of docetaxel (FEC3-D3) in node-positive breast cancer (Neo-shorter; NCT02001506)

PURPOSE

To determine whether six cycles of FEC3-D3 has a comparable efficacy to eight of AC4-D4.

METHODS

The enrolled patients (pts) were clinically diagnosed with stage II or III breast cancer. The primary endpoint was a pathologic complete response (pCR), and the secondary endpoints were 3 year disease-free survival (3Y DFS), toxicities, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We calculated that 252 pts were needed in each treatment group to enable the detection of non-inferiority (non-inferiority margin of 10%).

RESULTS

In terms of ITT analysis, 248 pts were finally enrolled. The 218 pts who completed the surgery were included in the current analysis. The baseline characteristics of these subjects were well balanced between the two arms. By ITT analysis, pCR was achieved in 15/121 (12.4%) pts in the FEC3-D3 arm and 18/126 (14.3%) in the AC4-D4 arm. With a median follow up of 64.1 months, the 3Y DFS was comparable between the two arms (75.8% in FEC3-D3 vs. 75.6% in AC4-D4). The most common adverse event (AE) was Grade 3/4 neutropenia, which arose in 27/126 (21.4%) AC4-D4 arm pts vs 23/121 (19.0%) FEC3-D3 arm cases. The primary HRQoL domains were similar between the two groups (FACT-B scores at baseline, P = 0.35; at the midpoint of NACT, P = 0.20; at the completion of NACT, P = 0.44).

CONCLUSION

Six cycles of FEC3-D3 could be an alternative to eight of AC4-D4. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02001506. Registered December 5,2013. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02001506.

Could axillary lymph node dissection be omitted in the mastectomy patient with tumor positive sentinel node?

Background

Recent data from the ACOSOG Z0011 trial suggest that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) may not be necessary for patients with positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) receiving breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with irradiation. However, consensus statements and guidelines have recommended that patients undergoing mastectomy with tumor-positive sentinel node undergo completion ALND. In this study, we compared the locoregional recurrence rate of patients with tumor-positive sentinel nodes among three groups: mastectomy with SLNB, mastectomy with ALND and BCS with SLNB.

Method

We identified 6,163 women with invasive breast cancer who underwent surgical resection at our institution between January 2000 and December 2011. Clinicopathologic data obtained from the prospectively collected medical database were analyzed retrospectively. Among the patients with sentinel node positive, mastectomy with SLNB was performed in 39 cases, mastectomy with ALND in 181 cases, and BCS with SLNB in 165 cases. The primary end point was the loco-regional recurrence rate.

Results

Clinicopathologic characteristics were similar among the groups. There were no cases of loco-regional recurrence in the sentinel groups. At a median follow-up of 61.0 months (last follow-up May 2013), the loco-regional recurrence rate of each group was 0% for BCS with SLNB and mastectomy with SLNB only, and 1.7% for mastectomy with ALND (p=0.182).

Conclusion

In our study, there was no significant difference in loco-regional recurrence rates between groups. This result lends weight to the argument that SLNB without ALND may be a reasonable management for selected patients with appropriate surgery and adjuvant systemic therapy.

Dynomics: A Novel and Promising Approach for Improved Breast Cancer Prognosis Prediction

Traditional imaging techniques for breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and prediction, such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), demonstrate varying sensitivity and specificity due to clinical and technological factors. Consequently, positron emission tomography (PET), capable of detecting abnormal metabolic activity, has emerged as a more effective tool, providing critical quantitative and qualitative tumor-related metabolic information. This study leverages a public clinical dataset of dynamic ¹⁸F-Fluorothymidine (FLT) PET scans from BC patients, extending conventional static radiomics methods to the time domain-termed as 'Dynomics'. Radiomic features were extracted from both static and dynamic PET images on lesion and reference tissue masks. The extracted features were used to train an XGBoost model for classifying tumor versus reference tissue and complete versus partial responders to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The results underscored the superiority of dynamic and static radiomics over standard PET imaging, achieving accuracy of 94% in tumor tissue classification. Notably, in predicting BC prognosis, dynomics delivered the highest performance, achieving accuracy of 86%, thereby outperforming both static radiomics and standard PET data. This study illustrates the enhanced clinical utility of dynomics in yielding more precise and reliable information for BC diagnosis and prognosis, paving the way for improved treatment strategies.

Discordant and Converting Receptor Expressions in Brain Metastases from Breast Cancer: MRI-Based Non-Invasive Receptor Status Tracking

Discordance and conversion of receptor expressions in metastatic lesions and primary tumors is often observed in patients with brain metastases from breast cancer. Therefore, personalized therapy requires continuous monitoring of receptor expressions and dynamic adaptation of applied targeted treatment options. Radiological in vivo techniques may allow receptor status tracking at high frequencies at low risk and cost. The present study aims to investigate the potential of receptor status prediction through machine-learning-based analysis of radiomic MR image features. The analysis is based on 412 brain metastases samples from 106 patients acquired between 09/2007 and 09/2021. Inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosed cerebral metastases from breast cancer; histopathology reports on progesterone (PR), estrogen (ER), and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) receptor status; and availability of MR imaging data. In total, 3367 quantitative features of T1 contrast-enhanced, T1 non-enhanced, and FLAIR images and corresponding patient age were evaluated utilizing random forest algorithms. Feature importance was assessed using Gini impurity measures. Predictive performance was tested using 10 permuted 5-fold cross-validation sets employing the 30 most important features of each training set. Receiver operating characteristic areas under the curves of the validation sets were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [0.78; 0.85]) for ER+, 0.73 [0.69; 0.77] for PR+, and 0.74 [0.70; 0.78] for HER2+. Observations indicate that MR image features employed in a machine learning classifier could provide high discriminatory accuracy in predicting the receptor status of brain metastases from breast cancer.

Developing an Academic and Community Practice Collaborative Care Model for Metastatic Breast Cancer Care: A Protocol using the Dynamic Adaptation Process (Preprint)

Background

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains incurable despite significant treatment advances. Coordinating care for patients with MBC can be challenging given the various treatment options, available clinical trials, and frequent need for ancillary services. To optimize MBC care, we designed a project for adapting and developing an academic and community practice collaborative care model for MBC care (Project ADAPT), based on the Ending Metastatic Breast Cancer for Everyone (EMBRACE) program developed at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Objective

We aim to describe the implementation science–based study design and innovative components of Project ADAPT.

Methods

Project ADAPT uses the Dynamic Adaptation Process informed by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment framework. Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) partnered with 3 community hospitals in the St. Louis region covering rural and urban settings. The exploration and preparation phases provide patient and provider feedback on current referral practices to finalize the approach for the implementation phase. At the implementation phase, we will enroll patients with MBC at these 3 community sites to evaluate potential collaborative care at WUSM and assess the impact of this collaborative care model on referral satisfaction and acceptability for patients with MBC and their providers. Patients may then return to their community site for care or continue to receive part of their care at WUSM. We are incorporating virtual and digital health strategies to improve MBC care coordination in order to minimize patient burden.

Results

The exploration phase is ongoing. As of August 2021, we have recruited 21 patient and provider participants to complete surveys of the current collaborative care process at WUSM. Using a 2-tailed paired t test, 44 patients (including 10 patients from the exploration phase) and 32 oncologists are required to detect an effect size of 0.5 with 80% power at a level of significance of .05. Throughout this phase and in preparation for the implementation phase, we have iteratively updated and refined our surveys for the implementation phase based on testing of our data collection instruments. Our partner sites are in various stages of the single institutional review board (IRB) approval process. We have ongoing engagement with all partner sites, which has helped solidify our participant recruitment strategies and design patient-friendly recruitment materials. In addition, we have included a patient advocate on the research team. Members of the research team have launched a single IRB Support Network at WUSM to create a repository of the single IRB procedures in order to streamline the partner site onboarding process and facilitate enhanced collaboration across institutions.

Conclusions

With this robust model, we expect that patients with MBC will receive optimal care regardless of geographical location and the model will improve patient and provider experiences when navigating the health system.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/35736

Candidates of Genomic Tests in HR+/HER2- Breast Cancer Patients With 1-2 Positive Sentinel Lymph Node Without Axillary Lymph Node Dissection: Analysis From Multicentric Cohorts

Background

The genomic tests such as the MammaPrint and Oncotype DX test are being gradually applied for hormone receptor positive/HER-2 negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer patients with up to three positive axillary lymph nodes (ALNs). The first results from RxPONDER trial suggested that Oncotype DX could be applied to patients with 1-2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which constituted 37.4% of the intent-to-treat population. However, there was no distinctive research on how to apply genomic tests precisely to HR+/HER2- patients with 1-2 positive SLNs without ALND. The purpose was to construct a nomogram using the multi-center retrospective data to predict precisely which HR+/HER2- candidates with 1-2 positive SLNs could be subjected to genomic tests (≤ 3 positive lymph nodes).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 18,600 patients with stage I-III breast cancer patients treated with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in Shandong Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and West China Hospital. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictive factors of having ≤ 3 positive nodes among patients with 1-2 positive SLNs. A nomogram was developed based on variables in the final model with p<0.05. Calibration of the nomogram was carried out by internal validation using the bootstrap resampling approach and was displayed using a calibration curve. The discrimination of the model was evaluated using the ROC curve.

Results

Based on the database of the three institutions, a total of 18,600 breast cancer patients were identified undergoing SLNB between May 2010 and 2020. Among the 1817 HR+/HER2- patients with 1-2 positive SLNs undergoing ALND, 84.2% harbored ≤ 3 totals metastatic ALNs. The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified imaging abnormal nodes (OR=0.197, 95%CI: 0.082-0.472), the number of positive SLNs (OR=0.351, 95%CI: 0.266-0.464), the number of negative SLNs (OR=1.639, 95%CI: 1.465-1.833), pathological tumor stage (OR=0.730, 95%CI: 0.552-0.964), and lympho-vascular invasion (OR=0.287, 95%CI: 0.222-0.398) as independent predictors for the proportion of patients with ≤ 3 total metastatic ALNs (all p<0.05). These five predictors were used to create a predictive nomogram. The AUC value was 0.804 (95%CI: 0.681-0.812, p<0.001). The calibration curve showed a satisfactory fit between the predictive and actual observation based on internal validation with a bootstrap resampling frequency of 1000.

Conclusion

The nomogram based on the multi-centric database showed a good accuracy and could assist the oncologist in determining precisely which HR+/HER2- candidates with 1-2 positive SLNs without ALND could perform genomic tests. In the era of SLNB and precision medicine, the combined application of genomic tests and SLNB could provide patients with a better strategy of dual de-escalation management, including the de-escalation of both surgery and systemic treatment.

The molecular tumor burden index as a response evaluation criterion in breast cancer

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a potential biomarker of prognosis and therapeutic response. We conducted this study to explore the role of the molecular tumor burden index (mTBI) in ctDNA as a therapeutic response and prognostic biomarker in a larger cohort prospective phase III randomized multicenter study. We collected 291 plasma samples from 125 metastatic breast cancer patients from the CAMELLIA study (NCT01917279). Target-capture deep sequencing of 1021 genes was performed to detect somatic variants in ctDNA from the plasma samples. The pretreatment mTBI value was correlated with tumor burden (P = 0.025). Patients with high-level pretreatment mTBI had shorter overall survival than patients with low-level pretreatment mTBI, and the median overall survival was 40.9 months and 68.4 months, respectively (P = 0.011). Patients with mTBI decrease to less than 0.02% at the first tumor evaluation had longer progression-free survival and overall survival (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). The mTBI has good sensitivity to identify complete response/partial response and progressive disease based on computed tomography scans (88.5% and 87.5%, respectively). The patients classified as molecular responders had longer progression-free survival and overall survival than the nonmolecular responders in the overall cohort (P < 0.001 and P = 0.036, respectively), as well as in the cohort in which computed tomography scans were defined as representing stable disease (P = 0.027 and P = 0.015, respectively). The mTBI in ctDNA detected in liquid biopsies is a potential biomarker of therapeutic response and prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Association of guideline-concordant initial systemic treatment with clinical and economic outcomes among older women with metastatic breast cancer in the United States

PURPOSE

We examined guideline-concordant initial systemic treatment among women with metastatic breast cancer, its predictors, and if guideline-concordant treatment was associated with mortality, healthcare utilization and Medicare expenditures.

METHODS

This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, End Results-Medicare linked database. Women aged 66-90 years diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer during 2010-2013 (N = 1282) were included. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network treatment guidelines were used to determine the guideline-concordant initial systemic treatment following cancer diagnosis. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine significant predictors of guideline-concordant treatment. Generalized linear regressions were used to examine the association between guideline-concordant treatment and healthcare utilization and average monthly Medicare expenditures.

RESULTS

About 74% of the study cohort received guideline-concordant initial systemic treatment. Women who received guideline-concordant treatment were significantly more likely to be comparatively younger (p < 0.05), were married/partnered (p = 0.0038), had HER2 positive tumors, and had good performance status. Adjusted hazards ratios for all-cause (2.364, p < 0.0001) and breast-cancer specific mortality (2.179, p < 0.0001) were higher for women who did not receive guideline-concordant treatment. Rates of healthcare utilization were also higher for women not receiving guideline-concordant treatment. Average monthly Medicare expenditures were 100.4% higher (95% confidence interval: $77.3%-126.5%) for women who did not receive guideline-concordant treatment compared to those who received guideline-concordant treatment (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

One fourth of the study cohort did not receive guideline-concordant initial systemic treatment. Guideline-concordant initial treatment was associated with reduced mortality, and lower healthcare utilization and Medicare expenditures in women with metastatic breast cancer.

CDK4/6 inhibitors in HR+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer: a systematic literature review of real-world evidence studies

Background: This review aims to qualitatively summarize the published real-world evidence (RWE) for CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) approved for treating HR+, HER2-negative advanced/metastatic breast cancer (HR+/HER2- a/mBC). Materials & methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify RWE studies of CDK4/6i in HR+/HER2- a/mBC published from 2015 to 2019. Results: This review identified 114 studies, of which 85 were only presented at scientific conferences. Most RWE studies investigated palbociclib and demonstrated improved outcomes. There are limited long-term and comparative data between CDK4/6i and endocrine monotherapy, and within the CDK4/6i class. Conclusion: Available RWE suggests that CDK4/6i are associated with improved outcomes in HR+/HER2- a/mBC, although additional studies with longer follow-up periods are needed.

Identifying Mitochondrial-Related Genes NDUFA10 and NDUFV2 as Prognostic Markers for Prostate Cancer through Biclustering

Prostate cancer is currently associated with higher morbidity and mortality in men in the United States and Western Europe, so it is important to identify genes that regulate prostate cancer. The high-dimension gene expression profile impedes the discovery of biclusters which are of great significance to the identification of the basic cellular processes controlled by multiple genes and the identification of large-scale unknown effects hidden in the data. We applied the biclustering method MCbiclust to explore large biclusters in the TCGA cohort through a large number of iterations. Two biclusters were found with the highest silhouette coefficient value. The expression patterns of one bicluster are highly similar to those found by the gene expression profile of the known androgen-regulated genes. Further gene set enrichment revealed that mitochondrial function-related genes were negatively correlated with AR regulation-related genes. Then, we performed differential analysis, AR binding site analysis, and survival analysis on the core genes with high phenotypic contribution. Among the core genes, NDUFA10 showed a low expression value in cancer patients across different expression profiles, while NDUFV2 showed a high expression value in cancer patients. Survival analysis of NDUFA10 and NDUFV2 demonstrated that both genes were unfavorable prognostic markers.

Subtype switching in breast cancer brain metastases: a multicenter analysis

Background

Breast cancer (BC) brain metastases (BM) can have discordant hormonal or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression compared with corresponding primary tumors. This study aimed to describe incidence, predictors, and survival outcomes of discordant receptors and associated subtype switching in BM.

Methods

BCBM patients seen at 4 tertiary institutions who had undergone BM resection or biopsy were included. Surgical pathology reports were retrospectively assessed to determine discordance between the primary tumor and the BCBM. In discordant cases, expression in extracranial metastases was also assessed.

Results

In BM from 219 patients, prevalence of any discordance was 36.3%; receptor-specific discordance was 16.7% for estrogen, 25.2% for progesterone, and 10.4% for HER2. Because estrogen and progesterone were considered together for hormonal status, 50 (22.8%) patients switched subtype as a result; 20 of these switches were HER2 based. Baseline subtype predicted switching, which occurred in up to 37.5% of primary HR+ patients. Moreover, 14.8% of initially HER2-negative patients gained HER2 in the BM. Most (63.6%) discordant patients with extracranial metastases also had discordance between BM and extracranial subtype. Loss of receptor expression was generally associated with worse survival, which appeared to be driven by estrogen loss (hazard ratio = 1.80, P = 0.03). Patients gaining HER2 status (n = 8) showed a nonsignificant tendency toward improved survival (hazard ratio = 0.64, P = 0.17).

Conclusions

In this multicenter study, we report incidence and predictors of subtype switching, the risk of which varies considerably by baseline subtype. Switches can have clinical implications for prognosis and treatment choice.

Disparities in Guideline-Concordant Initial Systemic Treatment in Women with HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer: A SEER-Medicare Analysis

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Prognostic Value and Influence of Receptor Conversion on Treatment Regimen in Metastatic Breast Cancer at the First Time of Recurrence

PURPOSE

At the first time of metastatic breast cancer recurrence, conversion of the receptors status may occur between primary lesions and metastatic lesions, including the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Whether the decision of the treatment regimen is based on the primary receptor status or that of metastatic lesions is still unclear.

METHODS

This study enrolled 411 female patients with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer at the first time of recurrence to explore the influence of receptor conversion on prognosis prediction and treatment regimen of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

RESULTS

ER and PR changes from negative to positive are both prognostic factors for patients with breast cancer. Patients receiving endocrine therapy showed a better survival after recurrence than those using chemotherapy alone in the ER or PR Prim- Met+ subgroup. Patients in the HER2 Prim- Met+ subgroup using HER2-targeted therapy in multilines showed a post-recurrence survival advantage. In the bone re-biopsy subgroup, the PR change from positive to negative appeared to be more frequent than at other re-biopsy sites.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with metastatic breast cancer should perform re-biopsy to clarify the receptor status of the first metastatic lesions, which may provide clinicians valuable evidence to conduct treatments with higher precision.

Profile and outcome of receptor conversion in breast cancer metastases: a nation-wide multicenter epidemiological study

Although receptor status including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) of the primary breast tumors was related to the prognosis of breast cancer patients, little information is yet available on whether patient management and survival are impacted by receptor conversion in breast cancer metastases. Using data from the nation-wide multicenter clinical epidemiology study of advanced breast cancer in China (NCT03047889), we report the situation of retesting ER, PR and HER2 status for breast cancer metastases and evaluate the patient management and prognostic value of receptor conversion. In total, 3295 patients were analyzed and 1583 (48.0%) patients retesting receptor status for metastasis. Discordance in one or more receptors between the primary and the metastatic biopsy was found in 37.7% of women. Patients who remained hormone receptor (HR) positive in their metastases had similar progression-free survival of first-line and second-line treatment compared to patients with HR conversion (P > .05). In multivariate analysis, patients who showed ER conversion from negative to positive had longer disease-free survival (DFS) than patients who remained negative in their metastases (hazard ratio, 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-2.90; P < .001). Patients with PR remained positive and had longer DFS than patients with PR conversion from negative to positive (hazard ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.83; P = .004). Patients with PR conversion have shorter overall survival than patients with PR remained positive or negative (P = .016 and P = .041, respectively). Our findings showed that the receptors' conversions were common in metastatic breast cancer, and the conversion impacted the survival.

[Short-term survival prediction scale in patients with metastatic brain disease caused by lung and breast cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To develop a prognostic scale suitable for distinguishing a group of poor prognosis with low survival prior to deciding on the appropriateness of radiotherapy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We analyzed only those patients with reliably known date of death after previous WBRT to determine objective criteria allowing WBRT abandonment. WBRT was carried out in 100 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (n=49) and breast cancer (n=51) and confirmed metastatic brain disease. All procedures have been conducted at the radiotherapy department of the Herzen Moscow Oncology Research Institute since January 2014. The prescribed dose of 3 Gy was ensured in all patients. Total focal dose of 30 Gy delivered in 10 fractions was achieved in 77 cases, 36 Gy delivered in 12 fractions - in 23 cases.

RESULTS

Death date was recorded in all patients (n=100) by January 2020. In the electronic SPSS database, death information was digitized for each patient up to 2-24 months, respectively. We identified eight the most significant factors by using of correlation analysis: primary tumor (controlled (0), uncontrolled (1)), number of brain metastases (<17 (0), ≥17 (1)), volume of brain metastases (<48 cm³ (0) ≥48 cm³ (1)), extracranial control (no metastases (0), metastases with positive dynamics after chemotherapy (1), continued growth after chemotherapy (2)), metastatic lesion of liver and lungs, respectively (no (0), yes (1)), functional status (≥ 70% (0), ≤ 60% (1)), carcinomatosis of the meninges (no (0), yes (1)). A simple summation of digital variables for factors 1-8 in each patient resulted a prognostic scale. Low risk of early mortality after WBRT was determined by 0-3 scores, intermediate risk - 4-5 scores, high risk - 6-9 scores. According to univariate analysis (log-rank 0.000), median survival rate varied in these groups: low risk - 15.5 months (11.4-19.7), intermediate risk - 5.26 months (4.6-6.0), high risk - only 1.35 months (0.9-1.8). Only 1 out of 15 high-risk patients (6-9 scores) survived 3 months (3.25 months). Inclusion of all eight factors into multivariate analysis revealed significant impact of only risk group on short-term survival. A 3-month survival in the high-risk group was 20.6 times lower (p=0.002) compared to the low and intermediate risk groups.

CONCLUSION

High significance of prognostic model and low informative value of each of the included factors emphasize the advisability of determining risk groups for short-term survival according to the suggested scale for each patient scheduled for WBRT. A simple assessment of separate predictors is pointless to decide whether WBRT is necessary.

A Phase Ib Study of Alpelisib or Buparlisib Combined with Tamoxifen Plus Goserelin in Premenopausal Women with HR-Positive HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

This study reports the MTD, recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), and preliminary efficacy of alpelisib or buparlisib used in combination with tamoxifen plus goserelin in premenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR⁺), HER2-negative (HER2^-) advanced breast cancer (ABC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study enrolled premenopausal women with HR⁺, HER2^- ABC. Patients received tamoxifen (20 mg once daily) and goserelin acetate (3.6 mg every 28 days) with either alpelisib (350 mg once daily; n = 16) or buparlisib (100 mg once daily; n = 13) in 28-day cycles until MTD was observed.

RESULTS

The criteria for MTD were not met for both alpelisib and buparlisib. The RP2D of alpelisib and buparlisib in combination with tamoxifen and goserelin were 350 mg and 100 mg, respectively. Both combinations met protocol-specified criteria for tolerability. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were hypokalemia (12.5%), hyperglycemia (6.3%), and rash (6.3%) for alpelisib and alanine aminotransferase increase (30.8%), aspartate aminotransferase increase (23.1%), and anxiety (15.4%) for buparlisib. TEAEs led to treatment discontinuation in 18.8% and 53.8% of alpelisib- and buparlisib-treated patients, respectively. Progression-free survival was 25.2 months in the alpelisib group and 20.6 months in the buparlisib group.

CONCLUSIONS

The RP2Ds of alpelisib and buparlisib were 350 mg and 100 mg, respectively. No unexpected safety findings were reported. Although an early-phase study, data suggest that alpelisib plus endocrine therapy may be a potentially efficacious treatment that warrants further evaluation for premenopausal patients with HR⁺, HER2^- ABC.See related commentary by Clark et al., p. 371.

Axillary Management in Women with Early Breast Cancer and Limited Sentinel Node Metastasis: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis of Real-World Evidence in the Post-ACOSOG Z0011 Era

BACKGROUND

After the publication of the Z0011 trial, the American Society of Clinical Oncology published an updated clinical practice guideline stating that clinicians should not recommend axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for early-stage breast cancer patients with the involvement of one or two sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). However, these recommendations have been challenged because they were mainly based on data from limited studies. The aim of the current study is to systematically compare the real-world outcomes of SLN biopsy (SLNB) alone and SLNB + ALND in patients with early-stage breast cancers and limited positive SLN metastasis in the post-Z0011 era PATIENTS AND METHODS: We searched articles in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoints were recurrence rate and the incidence of lymphedema.

RESULTS

One randomized controlled trial and six retrospective studies with 8864 patients were retrieved. For patients with early-stage breast cancer with one or two SLN metastases, receiving SLNB alone showed no significant difference in OS, DFS, and recurrence rate compared with receiving SLNB + ALND. The incidence of lymphedema in patients who received SLNB alone was significantly lower than those who received SLNB + ALND (odds ratio 1.95, 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.71).

CONCLUSIONS

Current real-world evidence proved that the Z0011 strategy is safe with respect to survival outcomes and effective in reducing the incidence of lymphedema. ALND should be avoided in patients with early-stage breast cancer with one or two SLN metastases in the post-Z0011 era.

The transcription factor CBFB mutations indicate an improved survival in HR+/HER2- breast cancer

BACKGROUND

As a critical transcription factor, CBFB (core binding factor subunit β) is frequently mutated in breast cancer and considered to be of significance in the pathogenesis of cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate CBFB mutation profiles and the relationship between CBFB mutations and clinicopathologic characteristics in breast cancer.

METHODS

A total of 671 treatment-naive Chinese patients with invasive breast cancer at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (GDPH) were recruited in this study. CBFB mutation status were detected using the method of capture-based targeted sequencing. Correlation between CBFB mutations and clinicopathologic features were analyzed. Then, we compared the results between Chinese and western population by using Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) cohort (n = 1979) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort (n = 925).

RESULTS

The prevalence of CBFB mutation in GDPH cohort, METABRIC cohort, and TCGA cohort was 4.6% (31/671), 4.6% (92/1979), 2.5% (23/925), respectively. A hotspot mutation due to nucleotide thymine duplication or deletion occurring at the exon2/3 junction was detected in the GDPH and METABRIC cohorts. CBFB mutations were found to be significantly associated with the subtype of HR+/HER2- breast cancer (P = 0.008 in GDPH cohort and P＜0.001 in METABRIC cohort), lower tumor grade (P = 0.004 in GDPH cohort and P＜0.001 in METABRIC cohort), lower expression of Ki-67 protein (P＜0.001 in GDPH cohort), but we didn't find similar results in TCGA cohort. In addition, CBFB in GDPH cohort was observed at a rather high mutation rate in invasive lobular carcinomas (4/18, 22.2%). Further, cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that CBFB was of independent prognosis significance in HR+/HER2- subgroup in METABRIC cohort (HR, 0.562; 95% CI, 0.399-0.790; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study reveals race diversity of CBFB mutation spectrum in breast cancers. CBFB mutations mainly occur in HR+/HER2- breast cancer, and it may be a promising prognostic biomarker in HR+/HER2- subgroup.

Application of PET Tracers in Molecular Imaging for Breast Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool to visualize breast cancer characteristics. Nonetheless, implementation of PET imaging into cancer care is challenging, and essential steps have been outlined in the international "imaging biomarker roadmap." In this review, we identify hurdles and provide recommendations for implementation of PET biomarkers in breast cancer care, focusing on the PET tracers 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG), sodium [18F]-fluoride ([18F]-NaF), 16α-[18F]-fluoroestradiol ([18F]-FES), and [89Zr]-trastuzumab.

RECENT FINDINGS

Technical validity of [18F]-FDG, [18F]-NaF, and [18F]-FES is established and supported by international guidelines. However, support for clinical validity and utility is still pending for these PET tracers in breast cancer, due to variable endpoints and procedures in clinical studies. Assessment of clinical validity and utility is essential towards implementation; however, these steps are still lacking for PET biomarkers in breast cancer. This could be solved by adding PET biomarkers to randomized trials, development of imaging data warehouses, and harmonization of endpoints and procedures.

Expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 as prognostic biomarkers for triple-negative breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

Glucose-regulated protein78(GRP78) is a stress - induced endoplasmic reticulum chaperone protein. it is closely related to the occurrence, development, proliferation, differentiation and drug resistance of breast cancer. However, the association and clinicopathological features between GRP78 and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain to be studied.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Clinical and pathological characteristics and overall survival were analysed retrospectively in 179 surgically resected TNBC patients. GRP78 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using breast cancer tissue microarrays (TMAs), and the association between GRP78 levels and clinicopathological factors and prognosis was analyzed. Furthermore, GRP78 expression in human TNBC and NTNBC cell lines was detected by Western blot and qRT-PCR. After Si-GRP78 knocked-down GRP78 in MDA-MB-231 and BT549 cell lines, cell proliferation was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and cell colony formation was detected by crystal violet staining, respectively.

RESULTS

GRP78 was expressed in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). GRP78 expression was significantly associated with invasive, distant metastasis and proliferation of TNBC (P<0.05). In addition, patients with positive GRP78 expression had shorter overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). And the high expression of GRP78 was significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with TNBC (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings improve our understanding of the expression pattern of GRP78 in TNBC and clarify the role of GRP78 as promising prognostic biomarkers for triple-negative breast cancer.

Phyllodes tumor of the breast: diagnosis, management and outcome during a 10-year experience

Background

Phyllodes tumor is a very rare tumor of the breast, incidence being 0.3–0.9% of all breast tumors. Phyllodes tumors are classified into three grades: benign, borderline or malignant. The aim of this study was to investigate patient characteristics, imaging characteristic findings, surgical treatment and outcome of phyllodes tumor.

Materials and methods

This is a retrospective review of phyllodes tumor patients who had undergone surgical management between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2015 in Head, Neck and Breast Unit, Department of Surgery, Chiang Mai University Hospital.

Results

A total of 188 phyllodes tumor patients were included in this study. The average age of the patients was 35.6 years. The majority of the tumors were of lobulated shape. Tumor morphology from imaging: lobulated shaped tumor 112 cases, oval-shape 37 cases, round shape 8 cases and irregular 5 cases. Surgical management is the standard procedure for treatment of phyllodes tumors. A wide local excision was performed in 147 cases, mastectomy in 20 cases (modified radical mastectomy in 2 cases) and wide excision followed by mastectomy 21 cases. The final pathological diagnoses of the phyllodes tumors were: benign 118 cases (62%), borderline 33 cases (18%) and malignant in 37 cases (20%). The margin did not affect recurrence in all types.

Conclusion

The most frequent is a benign phyllodes tumor. Surgical treatment to remove the tumor with a free margin is acceptable with no recurrence difference from a wider margin. However, younger age and malignant phyllodes tumor are the two highest risk factors for recurrence.

Receptor Conversion in Distant Breast Cancer Metastases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

In metastatic breast cancer, hormone and/or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy decision-making is still largely based on tissue characteristics of the primary tumor. However, a change of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status in distant metastases has frequently been reported. The actual incidence of this phenomenon has been debated.

Methods

We performed a meta-analysis including 39 studies assessing receptor conversion from primary breast tumors to paired distant breast cancer metastases. We noted the direction of change (positive to negative or vice versa) and performed subgroup analyses for different thresholds for positivity, the type of test used to assess HER2 receptor status, and metastasis location-specific differences (two-sided tests).

Results

Overall, the incidence of receptor conversion varied largely between studies. For ERα, PR, and HER2, we found that random effects pooled positive to negative conversion percentages of 22.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 16.4% to 30.0%), 49.4% (95% CI = 40.5% to 58.2%), and 21.3% (95% CI = 14.3% to 30.5%), respectively. Negative to positive conversion percentages were 21.5% (95% CI = 18.1% to 25.5%), 15.9% (95% CI = 11.3% to 22.0%), and 9.5% (95% CI = 7.4% to 12.1%). Furthermore, ERα discordance was statistically significantly higher in the central nervous system and bone compared with liver metastases (20.8%, 95% CI = 15.0% to 28.0%, and 29.3%, 95% CI = 13.0% to 53.5%, vs 14.3%, 95% CI = 11.3% to 18.1, P = .008 and P < .001, respectively), and PR discordance was higher in bone (42.7%, 95% CI = 35.1% to 50.6%, P < .001) and liver metastases (47.0%, 95% CI = 41.0% to 53.0%, P < .001) compared with central nervous system metastases (23.3%, 95% CI = 16.0% to 32.6%).

Conclusions

Receptor conversion for ERα, PR, and HER2 occurs frequently in the course of disease progression in breast cancer. Large prospective studies assessing the impact of receptor conversion on treatment efficacy and survival are needed. Meanwhile, reassessing receptor status in metastases is strongly encouraged.

Thrombocytopenia in solid tumors: Prognostic significance

Solid tumors are a heterogeneous group of malignancies that result from out-of-control proliferation of cells. Thrombocytopenia is a common complication among patients with solid tumors that predispose them to bleeding disorders. The aim of this review article is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the risk and incidence of thrombocytopenia in solid tumors. It can be argued that thrombocytopenia is a poor prognostic factor in solid tumors that can result from several factors such as polymorphism and mutation in some transcription factors and cytokines involved in megakaryocytic maturation or from the adverse effects of treatment. Therefore, an understanding of the exact mechanism of thrombocytopenia pathogenesis in each stage of solid tumors can help in developing therapeutic strategies to decrease bleeding complications in these malignancies.

Examining the "usual" in usual care: a critical review and recommendations for usual care conditions in psycho-oncology

PURPOSE

Within psycho-oncology clinical trials, usual care (UC) represents a common and important control condition. Yet recent shifts in oncology, coupled with insufficient description of such conditions, threaten to render UC increasingly difficult to define and interpret. This paper offers evidence of these shifts and recommendations for addressing them.

METHODS

The broader literature on usual care as a control condition in psychosocial/behavioral intervention trials was assessed, and usual care-controlled trials in psycho-oncology were selectively reviewed, toward to goal of conceptual synthesis.

RESULTS

We offer evidence that (1) UC control conditions are often insufficiently defined and assessed; and (2) the context of supportive care in oncology has shifted in a manner that contributes to this problem, with implications for interpreting and comparing findings across clinical trials. Three converging findings support these conclusions. First, the scientific literature increasingly documents the diversity in how "usual care" conditions are defined across psychosocial and behavioral trials, with important considerations for trial interpretation. Second, evidence suggests that the availability of psychosocial oncology care has increased over the past few decades. The increasing availability and variety of psychosocial care introduces potential confounds for UC conditions. Third, mental health care trends in the general population affect the supportive interventions available to oncology patients in UC conditions today versus in the past.

CONCLUSIONS

Shifts in psychosocial oncology and broader mental health care underscore the importance of carefully defining and assessing UC in psycho-oncology trials. Recommendations are offered for improving the design, evaluation, and interpretation of UC conditions, toward the ultimate goal of improving the quality of the evidence in psycho-oncology.

Predictive value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in the preoperative setting for progression of patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) has been used as a parameter reflecting systemic inflammation in several tumors, and is reportedly associated with prognosis in cancer patients. In this study, we evaluated the predictive value of LMR for progression and chemosensitivity in breast cancer patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy.

METHODS

LMR was evaluated in 239 patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide, followed by weekly paclitaxel with or without trastuzumab, and subsequent curative surgery. The correlations between LMR and clinicopathological features, prognosis, and pathological complete response (pCR) rate of NAC were evaluated retrospectively. We also evaluated the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and compared the predictive values of LMR and NLR.

RESULTS

We set 6.00 as the cut-off level for LMR based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A total of 119 patients (49.8%) were classified in the high-LMR group and 120 (50.2%) were classified in the low-LMR group. The low-LMR group had significantly worse disease-free survival rate (DFS) in all patients (p = 0.005) and in triple-negative breast cancer patients (p = 0.006). However, there was no significant correlation between LMR and pCR. Multivariate analysis showed that low LMR was an independent risk factor for DFS (p = 0.008, hazard ratio = 2.245). However, there was no significant difference in DFS (p = 0.143, log-rank) between patients in the low- and high-NLR groups.

CONCLUSIONS

LMR may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with breast cancer.

Significance of intrinsic breast cancer subtypes on the long-term prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of breast cancer and the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) differ depending on the intrinsic molecular subtypes. We evaluated the prognostic significance of immunohistological subtypes in patients with recurrent breast cancer after treatment with NAC and surgery.

METHODS

A total of 237 patients with breast cancer treated with NAC and subsequent curative surgery between 2007 and 2015 were analyzed. The correlation between intrinsic molecular subtypes and clinicopathological features, prognosis, and pathological complete response (pCR) rate of NAC were investigated retrospectively.

RESULTS

There were 55 (23.2%) patients with recurrence after surgery. No significant difference in post-recurrence survival (PRS) was noted among the subtypes (p = 0.397). In patients with estrogen receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2-negative (luminal) malignancy, PRS was significantly better in the pCR group than in the non-pCR group (p = 0.031). Conversely, pCR was not a significant predictor of improved PRS in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; p = 0.329). Multivariate analysis revealed that the efficacy of NAC [hazard ratio (HR) 300.204, p < 0.001] and the initial metastasis site (HR 15.037, p = 0.005) were independent predictors for PRS in patients with luminal breast cancer, while Ki-67 (HR 51.171, p = 0.020) and the initial metastasis site (HR 13.318, p = 0.048) were independent predictors for PRS in patients with TNBC.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognostic factors for each intrinsic subtype should be evaluated separately in patients with recurrent breast cancer following NAC and surgery.

FOXA1 levels are decreased in pleural breast cancer metastases after adjuvant endocrine therapy, and this is associated with poor outcome

Estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα)-positive breast cancer is often treated with antihormonal regimens. However, resistance to treatment is common, leading to metastatic disease. ERα activity requires the functional involvement of pioneer factors FOXA1 and GATA3, which enable ERα-chromatin binding and are crucial for ERα-driven cell proliferation. FOXA1 was found increased in metastatic breast cancers in relation to the primary tumor, but a comprehensive clinical assessment thereof, in relation to different metastatic sites and endocrine therapy usage, is currently lacking. Prior cell line-based reports, however, have revealed that FOXA1 is required for tamoxifen-resistant tumor cell proliferation. We studied expression levels of ERα, GATA3, and FOXA1 by immunohistochemistry in samples from both primary tumors and various metastatic sites. For all factors, expression levels varied between the metastatic sites. For pleural metastases, strong variation was found in FOXA1 and GATA3 levels. Although GATA3 levels remained unaltered between primary breast cancer and pleural metastases, FOXA1 levels were reduced exclusively in metastases of patients who received endocrine therapies in the adjuvant setting, even though ERα was still expressed. Importantly, decreased FOXA1 levels in pleural metastases correlated with hormone irresponsiveness in the palliative setting, while no such correlation was found for GATA3. With this, we show divergent clinical correlations of the two ERα pioneer factors FOXA1 and GATA3 in metastatic breast cancer, where endocrine therapy resistance was associated with decreased FOXA1 levels in pleural metastases.

Expanded Genomic Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients to Assess Biomarker Status and Biology Over Time (CALGB 40502 and CALGB 40503, Alliance)

Purpose: We profiled circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to study the biology of blood-borne metastasis and to monitor biomarker status in metastatic breast cancer (MBC).Methods: CTCs were isolated from 105 patients with MBC using EPCAM-based immunomagnetic enrichment and fluorescence-activated cells sorting (IE/FACS), 28 of whom had serial CTC analysis (74 samples, 2-5 time points). CTCs were subjected to microfluidic-based multiplex QPCR array of 64 cancer-related genes (n = 151) and genome-wide copy-number analysis by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH; n = 49).Results: Combined transcriptional and genomic profiling showed that CTCs were 26% ESR1-ERBB2-, 48% ESR1+ERBB2-, and 27% ERBB2+ Serial testing showed that ERBB2 status was more stable over time compared with ESR1 and proliferation (MKI67) status. While cell-to-cell heterogeneity was observed at the single-cell level, with increasingly stable expression in larger pools, patient-specific CTC expression "fingerprints" were also observed. CTC copy-number profiles clustered into three groups based on the extent of genomic aberrations and the presence of large chromosomal imbalances. Comparative analysis showed discordance in ESR1/ER (27%) and ERBB2/HER2 (23%) status between CTCs and matched primary tumors. CTCs in 65% of the patients were considered to have low proliferation potential. Patients who harbored CTCs with high proliferation (MKI67) status had significantly reduced progression-free survival (P = 0.0011) and overall survival (P = 0.0095) compared with patients with low proliferative CTCs.Conclusions: We demonstrate an approach for complete isolation of EPCAM-positive CTCs and downstream comprehensive transcriptional/genomic characterization to examine the biology and assess breast cancer biomarkers in these cells over time. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1486-99. ©2018 AACR.

Comparison of primary breast cancer and paired metastases: biomarkers discordance influence on outcome and therapy

AIM

Discordance between primary tumor and paired metastases biology has been widely detected in metastatic breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of Ki67, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 discordance.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 544 patients affected by metastatic breast cancer. Variation in ER, PR, Ki67 and HER2 expression between primary site and recurrence was tested through the McNemar test.

RESULTS

A significant variation was observed in respect to ER, PR and Ki67 status (12.65%, p = 0.0072; 49.71%, p < 0.0001; 35%, p < 0.0001, respectively). Among patients with ER or PR discordance, the driver of therapeutic decisions was the ER status. Moreover, we observed a therapy-related reduction of ER in taxanes or aromatase inhibitors-exposed patients (odds ratio: 3.59; 95% CI: 1.66-7.77; p = 0.001 and odds ratio: 2.07; 95% CI: 0.96-4.44; p = 0.06, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Biopsy of metastatic lesions may influence the decision-making process translating into better outcome.

Development and validation of a prognostic nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) for breast cancer

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the prognostic effect of log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) and develop a nomogram for survival prediction in breast cancer patients at the time of surgery.

RESULTS

LODDS was an independent risk factor for cancer-related death in breast cancer (hazard ratio: 1.582, 95%CI: 1.190-2.104). Menopausal status, tumor size, pathological lymph node staging, estrogen receptor status and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 status were also included in the nomogram. The calibration plots indicated optimal agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual observation. Discrimination of nomogram was superior to the seventh edition TNM staging system [C-index: 0.745 vs. 0.721 (p = 0.03) in training cohort; 0.796 vs. 0.726 (p < 0.01) in validation cohort].

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 2023 breast cancer patients from Jan 2002 to Dec 2008 at our center. The cohort was randomly divided into training cohort and validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors, and nomogram was established using Cox regression model in training cohort. External validation of the nomogram was performed in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The LODDS is an independent prognostic indicator in breast cancer and the novel nomogram can provide individual prediction of cancer-specific survival and help prognostic assessment for breast cancer patients.

Estrogen and Androgen Blockade for Advanced Prostate Cancer in the Era of Precision Medicine

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been widely prescribed for patients with advanced prostate cancer (PC) to control key signaling pathways via androgen receptor (AR) and AR-collaborative transcriptional factors; however, PC gradually acquires a lethal phenotype and results in castration-resistant PC (CRPC) during ADT. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are required in clinical practice. In addition, ARs; estrogen receptors (ERs; ERα and ERβ); and estrogen-related receptors (ERRs; ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ) have been reported to be involved in the development or regulation of PC. Recent investigations have revealed the role of associated molecules, such as KLF5, FOXO1, PDGFA, VEGF-A, WNT5A, TGFβ1, and micro-RNA 135a of PC, via ERs and ERRs. Selective ER modulators (SERMs) have been developed. Recently, estrogen and androgen blockade (EAB) using a combination of toremifene and ADT has been demonstrated to improve biochemical recurrence rate in treatment-naïve bone metastatic PC. In the future, the suitability of ADT alone or EAB for individuals may be evaluated by making clinical decisions on the basis of information obtained from RT-PCR, gene-panel, or liquid biopsy to create a “personalized medicine” or “precision medicine”. In this review, we summarize ER and ERR signaling pathways, molecular diagnosis, and SERMs as candidates for advanced PC treatment.

Estrogen receptor (ESR1) mutation in bone metastases from breast cancer

Activating mutations of estrogen receptor α gene (ESR1) in breast cancer can cause endocrine resistance of metastatic tumor cells. The skeleton belongs to the metastatic sides frequently affected by breast cancer. The prevalence of ESR1 mutation in bone metastasis and the corresponding phenotype are not known. In this study bone metastases from breast cancer (n=231) were analyzed for ESR1 mutation. In 27 patients (12%) (median age 73 years, range: 55-82 years) activating mutations of ESR1 were detected. The most frequent mutation was p.D538G (53%), no mutations in exon 4 (K303) or 7 (S463) were found. Lobular breast cancer was present in 52% of mutated cases (n=14) and in 49% of all samples (n=231), respectively. Mutated cancers constantly displayed strong estrogen receptor expression. Progesterone receptor was positive in 78% of the mutated cases (n=21). From 194 estrogen receptor-positive samples, 14% had ESR1 mutated. Except for one mutated case, no concurrent HER2 overexpression was noted. Metastatic breast cancer with activating mutations of ESR1 had a higher Ki67 labeling index than primary luminal cancers (median 30%, ranging from 5 to 60% with 85% of cases revealing ≥20% Ki67-positive cells). From those patients from whom information on endocrine therapy was available (n=7), two had received tamoxifen only, 4 tamoxifen followed by aromatase inhibitors and one patient had been treated with aromatase inhibitors only. We conclude that ESR1 mutation is associated with estrogen receptor expression and high proliferative activity and affects about 14% of estrogen receptor-positive bone metastases from breast cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression in breast carcinoma: a marker for unfavorable prognosis

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) is a member of the matrix metalloproteinases family, and its aberrant expression is implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the relationship between MMP1 abnormal expression and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients remains to be elucidated. To address this issue, we conducted immunohistochemistry in breast cancer and adjacent normal tissues, and mined the transcriptional and survival data of MMP1 in breast cancer patients through Oncomine, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, bc-GenExMiner, COSMIC and cBioPortal databases. First, we found that both protein and mRNA levels of MMP1 expression were significantly higher in breast cancer tissues. Second, high MMP1 mRNA expression correlated with worse overall survival among grade II (HR = 1.75; p = 0.011), nodal-negative (HR = 2.00; p = 0.00028), ER-positive (HR = 1.61; p = 0.00027) and HER2-negative (HR = 3.17; p = 0.029) patients with breast cancer by using Kaplan-Meier plotter database. Third, the overexpression of MMP1 was associated with unfavorable survival results including overall survival (HR = 1.6; p = 1.6e-05), relapse free survival (HR = 1.78; p < 1e-16) and distant metastasis free survival (HR = 1.65; p = 5.3e-05) in patients with breast cancer. Taken together, the expression status of MMP1 is a significant prognostic indicator and a potential drug target for breast cancer.

Wound fluids affect miR-21, miR-155 and miR-221 expression in breast cancer cell lines, and this effect is partially abrogated by intraoperative radiation therapy treatment

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease occurring in women. Conservative breast cancer surgery followed by radiation therapy is currently the standard treatment for this type of cancer. The majority of metastases occur within the scar, which initiated a series of studies. As a result, clinical trials aimed to assess whether localized radiotherapy, as intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), may more effective in inhibiting the formation of local recurrence compared with the standard postoperative whole breast radiotherapy. The present study determined the role of postoperative wound fluids (WFs) from patients diagnosed with breast cancer subsequent to breast conserving surgery or breast conserving surgery followed by IORT on the expression of three microRNAs (miRNAs), consisting of miR-21, miR-155 and miR-221, in distinct breast cancer cell lines that represent the general subtypes of breast cancer. It was determined that the miRNAs responsible for breast cancer progression, induction of tumorigenesis and enrichment of the cancer stem cell phenotype, which is responsible for resistance to tumor therapy, were highly upregulated in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer SK-BR-3 cell line following stimulation with WFs. It is worth emphasizing, that those changes were more significant in WFs collected from patients after surgery alone. The BT-549 cell line showed altered expression only of miR-155 following incubation with WFs. Notably, this change was not associated with IORT. Additionally, it was indicated that both WFs and RT-WF strongly downregulated the expression of miR-21, miR-155 and miR-221 in basal/epithelial and luminal subtypes of breast cancer. It was concluded that the present study contributes to an increased understanding of the role of surgical WFs and IORT treatment in the regulation of miRNA expression. This may enable the development of the current knowledge of breast cancer biology subsequent to IORT treatment and substantially to improve the therapy in the future.

Advances in the treatment of advanced oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer

Oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer is the most common subtype of breast cancer. Endocrine therapies that target the dependence of this subtype on the oestrogen receptor have substantial activity, yet the development of resistance to therapy is inevitable in advanced cancer. Major progress has been made in identifying the drivers of oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer and the mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy. This progress has translated into major advances in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, with several targeted therapies that enhance the efficacy of endocrine therapy; inhibitors of mTOR and inhibitors of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6 substantially improve progression-free survival. A new wave of targeted therapies is being developed, including inhibitors of PI3K, AKT, and HER2, and a new generation of oestrogen-receptor degraders. Considerable challenges remain in patient selection, deciding on the most appropriate order in which to administer therapies, and establishing whether cross-resistance occurs between therapies.

Circulating tumor cell clusters-associated gene plakoglobin is a significant prognostic predictor in patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are linked to metastatic relapse and are regarded as a prognostic marker for human cancer. High expression of plakoglobin, a cell adhesion protein, within the primary tumor is positively associated with CTC clusters in breast cancer. In this study, we investigated the correlation between plakoglobin expression and survival of breast cancer.

METHODS

We evaluated 121 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Expression of plakoglobin was identified by immunohistochemical staining in the cell membrane. We also examined the relation between the expression of plakoglobin and E-cadherin, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker.

RESULTS

Patients with high plakoglobin expression had significantly worse distant-metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (P = 0.016, log rank). Plakoglobin expression had no correlation with pathological complete response rate (P = 0.627). On univariate analysis with respect to distant metastasis, high plakoglobin expression showed worse prognosis than low plakoglobin expression [P = 0.036, hazard ratio (HR) = 3.719]. Multivariate analysis found the same result (P = 0.013, HR = 5.052). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the expression of plakoglobin and E-cadherin (P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

Plakoglobin expression is an independent prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer, particularly for DMFS, and this is related to EMT.

Loss of steroid hormone receptors is common in malignant pleural and peritoneal effusions of breast cancer patients treated with endocrine therapy

Discordance in estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), progesterone receptor (PR), androgen receptor (AR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between primary breast cancers and solid distant metastases (“conversion”) has been reported previously. Even though metastatic spread to the peritoneal and pleural cavities occurs frequently and is associated with high mortality, the rate of receptor conversion and the prognostic implications thereof remain elusive.

We therefore determined receptor conversion in 91 effusion metastases (78 pleural, 13 peritoneal effusions) of 69 patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization. Data were coupled to clinical variables and treatment history.

ERα, PR and AR receptor status converted from positive in the primary tumor to negative in the effusion metastases or vice versa in 25-30%, 30-35% and 46-51% of cases for the 1% and 10% thresholds for positivity, respectively. 19-25% of patients converted clinically relevant from “ERα+ or PR+” to ERα-/PR- and 3-4% from ERα-/PR- to “ERα+ or PR+”. For HER2, conversion was observed in 6% of cases. Importantly, receptor conversion for ERα (p = 0.058) and AR (p < 0.001) was more often seen in patients adjuvantly treated with endocrine therapy. Analogous to this observation, HER2-loss was more frequent in patients adjuvantly treated with trastuzumab (p < 0.001).

Alike solid distant metastases, receptor conversion for ERα, PR, AR and HER2 is a frequent phenomenon in peritoneal and pleural effusion metastases. Adjuvant endocrine and trastuzumab therapy imposes an evolutionary selection pressure on the tumor, leading to receptor loss in effusion metastases. Determination of receptor status in malignant effusion specimens will facilitate endocrine treatment decision-making at this lethal state of the disease, and is hence recommended whenever possible.

Influence of decalcification procedures on immunohistochemistry and molecular pathology in breast cancer

Distant breast cancer metastases are nowadays routinely biopsied to reassess receptor status and to isolate DNA for sequencing of druggable targets. Bone metastases are the most frequent subgroup. Decalcification procedures may negatively affect antigenicity and DNA quality. We therefore evaluated the effect of several decalcification procedures on receptor status and DNA/RNA quality. In 23 prospectively collected breast tumors, we compared ERα, PR and HER2 status by immunohistochemistry in (non-decalcified) tissue routinely processed for diagnostic purposes and in parallel tissue decalcified in Christensen's buffer with and without microwave, EDTA and Formical-4. Furthermore, HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization and DNA/RNA quantity and quality were assessed. We found that the percentage of ERα-positive cells were on average lower in EDTA (P=0.049) and Formical-4 (P=0.047) treated cases, compared with controls, and PR expression showed decreased antigenicity after Christensen's buffer treatment (P=0.041). Overall, a good concordance (weighted kappa) was seen for ERα, PR and HER2 immunohistochemistry when comparing the non-decalcified control tissues with the decalcified tissues. For two patients (9%), there was a potential influence on therapeutic decision making with regard to hormonal therapy or HER2-targeted therapy. HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization interpretation was seriously hampered by Christensen's buffer and Formical-4, and DNA/RNA quantity and quality were decreased after all four decalcification procedures. Validation on paired primary breast tumor specimens and EDTA-treated bone metastases showed that immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization were well assessable and DNA and RNA yield and quality were sufficient. With this, we conclude that common decalcification procedures have only a modest negative influence on hormone and HER2 receptor immunohistochemistry in breast cancer. However, they may seriously affect DNA/RNA-based diagnostic procedures. Overall, EDTA-based decalcification is therefore to be preferred as it best allows fluorescence in situ hybridization and DNA/RNA isolation.

Targeted Therapies in HER2-Overexpressing Metastatic Breast Cancer

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) is amplified in 25-30% of breast cancers and is associated with aggressive disease and poorer survival. Multiple anti-HER2 targeted therapies have dramatically changed management and outcome of this subgroup, both in adjuvant and metastatic settings. Despite the improvement of survival thanks to trastuzumab, unclear mechanisms of resistance occur, which has led to the development of new anti-HER2 therapies such as lapatinib, pertuzumab, and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). The optimal sequence of the available drugs is still not well established. All this progress raises the question of toxicity that need to be managed, especially with longer survival of patients. In this article, we review different anti-HER2 therapies used in HER2-positive m etastatic breast cancer.

Cutaneous Metastasis due to Breast Cancer in a Patient with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: A Case Report

Background

Breast cancer is the most common solid tumor to cause cutaneous metastases. These are incurable and the treatment goal is geared toward local control with surgical excision, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, treatment can be challenging in subjects with end-stage liver disease and a multidisciplinary approach is warranted.

Case Report

In this case report, we present a 61-year-old female with primary biliary cirrhosis and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER-2)-positive breast cancer, who subsequently developed cutaneous metastases. We briefly describe the treatment challenges due to underlying end-stage liver disease, and an exceptional response to trastuzumab and nab-paclitaxel.

Conclusion

A multidisciplinary approach to local control and attenuated doses of nab-paclitaxel and trastuzumab suggest a durable response to HER-2-positive breast cancer with cutaneous metastasis. Subjects with end-stage liver disease pose unique challenges and toxicities, warranting additional research and drug development for less hepatotoxic antineoplastic agents.

Bayesian adjustment for the misclassification in both dependent and independent variables with application to a breast cancer study

In this paper, we propose a Bayesian method to address misclassification errors in both independent and dependent variables. Our work is motivated by a study of women who have experienced new breast cancers on two separate occasions. We call both cancers primary, because the second is usually not considered as the result of a metastasis spreading from the first. Hormone receptors (HRs) are important in breast cancer biology, and it is well recognized that the measurement of HR status is subject to errors. This discordance in HR status for two primary breast cancers is of concern and might be an important reason for treatment failure. To sort out the information on true concordance rate from the observed concordance rate, we consider a logistic regression model for the association between the HR status of the two cancers and introduce the misclassification parameters (i.e., sensitivity and specificity) accounting for the misclassification in HR status. The prior distribution for sensitivity and specificity is based on how HR status is actually assessed in laboratory procedures. To account for the nonlinear effect of one error-free covariate, we introduce the B-spline terms in the logistic regression model. Our findings indicate that the true concordance rate of HR status between two primary cancers is greater than the observed value. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

miR-200c inhibits breast cancer proliferation by targeting KRAS

The microRNA, miR-200c, is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of a variety of cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression, mechanism and prognostic roles of miR-200c in breast cancer. We found that miR-200c was downregulated in both breast cancer tissue and cell lines using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In situ hybridization (ISH) and microarrays showed that low miR-200c expression was associated with poor patient overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). We used luciferase reporter plasmids to find that miR-200c inhibited the AKT and ERK pathways by directly targeting KRAS. Repression of KRAS by miR-200c suppressed the proliferation and survival of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. miR-200c also had an anti-tumor effect by negatively regulating KRAS in a xenograft mouse model. Our findings provide clues regarding the role of miR-200c as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer through the inhibition of KRAS translation both in vitro and in vivo. miR-200c could be a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.

Contrasting breast cancer molecular subtypes across serial tumor progression stages: biological and prognostic implications

The relevance of the intrinsic subtypes for clinical management of metastatic breast cancer is not comprehensively established. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic significance of drifts in tumor molecular subtypes during breast cancer progression. A well-annotated cohort of 304 women with advanced breast cancer was studied. Tissue microarrays of primary tumors and synchronous lymph node metastases were constructed. Conventional biomarkers were centrally assessed and molecular subtypes were assigned following the 2013 St Gallen guidelines. Fine-needle aspirates of asynchronous metastases were transcriptionally profiled and subtyped using PAM50. Discordant expression of individual biomarkers and molecular subtypes was observed during tumor progression. Primary luminal-like tumors were relatively unstable, frequently adopting a more aggressive subtype in the metastases. Notably, loss of ER expression and a luminal to non-luminal subtype conversion was associated with an inferior post-recurrence survival. In addition, ER and molecular subtype assessed at all tumor progression stages were independent prognostic factors for post-recurrence breast cancer mortality in multivariable analyses. Our results demonstrate that drifts in tumor molecular subtypes may occur during tumor progression, conferring adverse consequences on outcome following breast cancer relapse.

Occurrence and outcome of de novo metastatic breast cancer by subtype in a large, diverse population

PURPOSE

To examine the occurrence and outcomes of de novo metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer, particularly with respect to tumor HER2 expression.

METHODS

We studied all 6,268 de novo metastatic breast cancer cases diagnosed from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2011 and reported to the California Cancer Registry. Molecular subtypes were classified according to HER2 and hormone receptor (HR, including estrogen and/or progesterone receptor) expression. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of Stage IV versus Stage I-III breast cancer; Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess relative hazard (RH) of mortality.

RESULTS

Five percent of invasive breast cancer was metastatic at diagnosis. Compared to patients with earlier stage disease, patients with de novo metastatic disease were significantly more likely to have HER2+ tumors (HR+/HER2+: OR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.17-1.42; HR-/HER2+: OR 1.40, 95 %CI 1.25-1.57, vs. HR+/HER2-). Median survival improved over time, but varied substantially across race/ethnicity (Asians: 34 months; African Americans: 6 months), neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) (highest: 34 months, lowest: 20 months), and molecular subtype (HR+/HER2+: 45 months; triple negative: 12 months). In a multivariable model, triple negative (RH 2.85, 95 % CI 2.50-3.24) and HR-/HER2+ (RH 1.60, 95 % CI 1.37-1.87) had worse, while HR+/HER2+ had similar, risk of all-cause death compared to HR+/HER2- breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

De novo metastatic breast cancer was more likely to be HER2+. Among metastatic tumors, those that were HER2+ had better survival than other subtypes.