Increasing Annual Cancer Incidence in Patients Age 20-49 Years: A Real-Data Study

PURPOSE

Data from population-based studies have shown an increased incidence of certain types of neoplasms in patients younger than 50 years (early-onset cancer [EOC]); however, little information is derived from other real-world data sources. In a nonpopulation registry, we analyzed changes in the incidence of several neoplasms in successive generations.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included all patients with a cancer diagnosis registered in one university hospital in Málaga, Spain, between 1998 and 2021, and 18 neoplasms were analyzed. For each neoplasm, the proportion of patients younger than 50 years and age 50 years and older (late-onset cancer [LOC]) of the total number of patients diagnosed each year was determined. In addition, the age limit was lowered to 45-40 years. Changes in these proportions between each year and the following year were assessed by calculating the annual percentage change (APC), and a final assessment of these changes was performed by determining the average APC (AAPC).

RESULTS

Of the 24,596 patients, 5,466 (22.2%) had EOC, and 19,130 (77.8%) had LOC. The incidence of all tumors increased throughout the study period in both age groups. The AAPC increase was higher in patients with EOC than in those with LOC for the following neoplasms: head and neck (6.1% v 4.6%), colon (11.0% v 8.2%), testicular (16.3% v -13.1%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (8.4% v 5.9%), rectum (16.1% v 6.8%), kidney (27.8% v 20.1%), and sarcoma (43.4% v 28.6%). This increase was confirmed in patients younger than 45 years and 40 years.

CONCLUSION

Our results are consistent with the data published for most tumor sites analyzed. This global public health problem requires the utmost attention to decrease excess cancer in young patients.

NK cell-triggered CCL5/IFNγ-CXCL9/10 axis underlies the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant anti-HER2 antibodies in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The variability in responses to neoadjuvant treatment with anti-HER2 antibodies prompts to personalized clinical management and the development of innovative treatment strategies. Tumor-infiltrating Natural Killer (TI-NK) cells can predict the efficacy of HER2-targeted antibodies independently from clinicopathological factors in primary HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Understanding the mechanism/s underlying this association would contribute to optimizing patient stratification and provide the rationale for combinatorial approaches with immunotherapy.

METHODS

We sought to uncover processes enriched in NK cell-infiltrated tumors as compared to NK cell-desert tumors by microarray analysis. Findings were validated in clinical trial-derived transcriptomic data. In vitro and in vivo preclinical models were used for mechanistic studies. Findings were analysed in clinical samples (tumor and serum) from breast cancer patients.

RESULTS

NK cell-infiltrated tumors were enriched in CCL5/IFNG-CXCL9/10 transcripts. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, IFNG levels underlie the association between TI-NK cells and pathological complete response to neoadjuvant treatment with trastuzumab. Mechanistically, the production of IFN-ɣ by CD16+ NK cells triggered the secretion of CXCL9/10 from cancer cells. This effect was associated to tumor growth control and the conversion of CD16 into CD16-CD103+ NK cells in humanized in vivo models. In human breast tumors, the CD16 and CD103 markers identified lineage-related NK cell subpopulations capable of producing CCL5 and IFN-ɣ, which correlated with tissue-resident CD8+ T cells. Finally, an early increase in serum CCL5/CXCL9 levels identified patients with NK cell-rich tumors showing good responses to anti-HER2 antibody-based neoadjuvant treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies specialized NK cell subsets as the source of IFN-ɣ influencing the clinical efficacy of anti-HER2 antibodies. It also reveals the potential of serum CCL5/CXCL9 as biomarkers for identifying patients with NK cell-rich tumors and favorable responses to anti-HER2 antibody-based neoadjuvant treatment.

Comparative study of droplet-digital PCR and absolute Q digital PCR for ctDNA detection in early-stage breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is increasingly used for clinical decision-making in oncology. However, ctDNA could represent ≤ 0.1 % of cell-free DNA in early-stage tumors and its detection requires high-sensitive techniques such as digital PCR (dPCR).

METHODS

In 46 samples from patients with early-stage breast cancer, we compared two leading dPCR assays for ctDNA analysis: QX200 droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) system from Bio-Rad which is the gold-standard in the field, and Absolute Q plate-based digital PCR (pdPCR) system from Thermo Fisher Scientific which has not been reported before. We analyzed 5 mL of baseline plasma samples prior to any treatment.

RESULTS

Both systems displayed a comparable sensitivity with no significant differences observed in mutant allele frequency. In fact, ddPCR and pdPCR possessed a concordance > 90 % in ctDNA positivity. Nevertheless, ddPCR exhibited higher variability and a longer workflow. Finally, we explored the association between ctDNA levels and clinicopathological features. Significantly higher ctDNA levels were present in patients with a Ki67 score > 20 % or with estrogen receptor-negative or triple-negative breast cancer subtypes.

CONCLUSION

Both ddPCR and pdPCR may constitute sensitive and reliable tools for ctDNA analysis with an adequate agreement in early-stage breast cancer patients.

Dynamic Exosome Analysis to Predict Response to the Combination of SABR and Immunotherapy in Oligoprogressive Disease

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Up to 80% of metastatic patients face resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Combined SABR and ICI (I-SABR) can unleash antitumor immune cascades to overcome resistance and improve response with minimal toxicity. This synergy is particularly interesting in the oligoprogressive setting to extend the clinical benefit (CB) of ICI. However, there are no current biomarkers for patient selection. We hypothesize that differential expression of exosomal RNA in liquid biopsy may predict response to I-SABR.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Ongoing prospective multicenter study in two cohorts. Cohort A consists of metastatic patients in oligoprogression to ICI (1-5 extracranial sites) but maintaining the same ICI due to CB and who receive concomitant SABR (35 Gy in 5 fractions, fx) to oligoprogressive sites. Cohort B is a comparative group of oligometastatic patients receiving only SABR in ablative doses. Blood samples are extracted before SABR (T1), after the first (T2) and last (T3) fx, two months post-SABR (T4) and at further progression (TP). Response is evaluated by iRECIST and defined by the objective response rate (ORR) in all lesions (in and out-of-field)- complete and partial responses. For exosome analysis, we perform RNA isolation and small RNA sequencing from plasma. We use Cutadapt, Bowtie and featureCounts to quantify the number of reads of miRNA, small nuclear RNA (snRNA) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA). Pairwise differences in expression in responders and non-responders are examined by DESeq2 differential expression analysis. Differentially expressed transcripts are consulted in Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA).

RESULTS

Of 22 patients recruited, we present preliminary results of the first 10 (8 from cohort A and 2 from B) that had undergone re-evaluation after SABR. Most frequent cancer types were lung (60%) and renal cell (20%). Seventy percent were polymetastatic (>5 lesions) and 90% had a single progressing site. Pembrolizumab (40%) and Nivolumab (30%) were the most frequent ICI. Most lesions for SABR were lung (45%). With a median follow-up of 7.1 months (95% CI, 3.7-10.6) ORR at two months was 60% (6 partial responses, 1 stable disease and 3 progressions). Median progression-free survival was 10.3 months (95% CI, 3.7-not reached) and median overall survival was not reached. Seven patients in cohort A were available for small RNA analysis. We identified 3 miRNA, 24 snRNA and 9 snoRNA that were significantly differentially expressed at T1. Hsa-miR-493, marker of tumor progression, was upregulated in non-responders. RN7SK inhibits LAS1L (a known inductor of metastasis in lung cancer) and was upregulated in responders. SNORD71, which is inhibited by ILF3 (promotor of progression), was also upregulated in responders.

CONCLUSION

I-SABR is an effective approach for extending CB of ICI in oligoprogressive patients. Exosomal RNA expression analysis in liquid biopsy is a novel and non-invasive technique that may predict response to this combination and aid in patient selection.

Abstract 3746: Dynamic characterization of small RNAs in non small cell lung cancer exosomes under immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatments

Immunotherapy based on Immune Checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become a significant therapeutic option for advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, there is an urgent need to find novel biomarkers that to reliably stratify good responders to immunotherapy. Currently, the available biomarkers are not specific enough. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles with sizes of 30-100 nm secreted by most cell types including cancer cells. Exosomes operate as an intercellular communication system by sending proteins, mRNA and miRNAs among other relevant RNA molecules. Exosomes enriched with miRNAS are involved in proliferation, differentiation, maduration and immune cell activation. Moreover, in cancer cells miRNA and other small RNA molecule expressions are dysregulated. Exosomes produced from cancer patient's plasma have been shown to be accurate diagnostic tools for the disease. In this study we profiled miRNAs and other small RNA cargo by exosome of plasma samples from 77 Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) metastatic patients before and after the first cycle of immunotherapy to evaluate the potentiality of predicting response to immunotherapy. We perform exosomes together with RNA isolation and small RNAseq sequencing from plasma samples before and after the first ICB cycle. Two independent softwares were used to identify small RNAs (RNAtoolbox and mirMaster). Prior ICB treatment we did not find differentially expressed miRNAs or other small RNA between good and bad responders. Interestingly we identified 12 exosomal miRNA differentially expressed between good and bad responders after the first cycle of ICB. Intriguingly, levels of miR-134-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-143-3p among others previously associated with NSCLC were found to be considerably higher in the good responder group than the bad responder group. Regarding other smallRNA molecules we observed a great variety and variability of piRNA, rRNA, scaRNA, lncRNA, snoRNA, snRNA, miscRNA and circRNA. To address the function of miRNA and other differentially expressed RNA molecules, we consulted KEGG, GO and Reactome for gene regulatory networks. Interestingly, KEGG results show pathways in cancer as top hit and Reactome highlight Immune System and cancer hits. In conclusion, we observed that patients that have favorable response to ICB have distinctive plasma exosomal miRNA patterns that could be used as possible biomarkers for predicting the effectiveness of immunotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients

Citation Format: Maria Garrido-Barros, Javier Oliver, Juan Luis Onieva, Beatriz Martinez-Galvez, Jaime Duddelman, Antonio Rueda, Elisabeth Perez, Emilio Alba, Inmaculada Ramos, Juan Zafra, Manuel Cobo, Isabel Barragán. Dynamic characterization of small RNAs in non small cell lung cancer exosomes under immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatments. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3746.

Abstract 1044: Cell-free DNA concentration as a prognostic biomarker in patients with non-small cell lung cancer under immunotherapy treatment

The irruption of the immunotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors is considered a treatment revolution. However, only a small percentage of patients benefit with ICI treatment over the long term, and precise biomarkers that can recognize these individuals before or early during treatment have so far eluded. PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) are the most well studied biomarkers for predicting response to PD- (L)1 blockade-based ICI prior to treatment. TMB is still being clinically assessed whereas PD-L1 has several drawbacks for prediction of persistent benefit. Our aim is to evaluate the basal state and dynamic changes of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentration to predict and monitor response in NSCLC patients starting ICI. A total of 248 cfDNA concentration measurements were performed from 87 NSCLC patients. The quantification was done before the start of the treatment, at the second ICI cycle, after 6 and 12 months in treatment, and at progression if it was within the first 12 months. Quality and quantity of the cfDNA was assessed using Qubit High Sensitivity and Bioanalyzer 2100. We first explored the association with response of the basal cell-free DNA concentration using Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. The longitudinal analysis between different time points was tested with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Response was ascertained using RECIST parameters at 3, 6, and 12 months. We evaluated the utility of the cfDNA concentration as a prognostic factor using Mantel-Cox test. The response association results indicate that early and long-term response is associated with lower levels of basal cfDNA (p<0.002, 3 months; p<0.001, 6 months; p<0.05, 12 months). The longitudinal analysis could also detect a decrease in cfDNA from the second cycle to the month 6 of treatment in responders (p<0.05), and an increase in non-responders (p<0.05). To identify a prognostic concentration threshold, statistical stratification of cfDNA levels based on the selected maximum rank method of cfDNA levels was used to group them into low and high concentration. Patients with high basal cfDNA concentrations showed both worse FPS (log-rank 3.4x10-03, Medians: Low 12.57 [8.36 - 18.46] High 5.50 [3.03 - 10.06]) and OS (log-rank 3.2x10-05, Medians: Low 21.26 [15.33 - 33.96] High 5.45 [3.10 - 15.66]). With these results, we provide proof-of-principle that specifically detecting tumor cfDNA by PCR or NGS methods would not be necessary to predict the long-term clinical benefit to ICI in NSCLC patients. Moreover, concentration cut-offs can be defined to categorize the patients in potential responders and non-responders before the start of the treatment. This would constitute a cost-effective and easily implementable prognostic tool that could be particularly useful for avoiding loss of treatment windows of opportunities.

Citation Format: Isabel Barragan, Elisabeth Perez-Ruiz, Juan Luis Onieva, Maria Garrido-Ramos, Beatriz Martinez-Galvez, Jaime Dubbelman, Emilio Alba, Juan Zafra, Manuel Cobo, Javier Oliver, Antonio Rueda-Dominguez. Cell-free DNA concentration as a prognostic biomarker in patients with non-small cell lung cancer under immunotherapy treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1044.

Abstract 6610: Increasing blood volumes to detect minimal residual disease in neoadjuvant-treated early breast cancer patients

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent neoplasia affecting women worldwide normally detected at early stages. In this regard, early diagnosis drastically decreases mortality, however, around 20% of these patients will later relapse. This is mainly caused by undetectable molecular residual disease (MRD) not eliminated by standard primary treatments. Therefore, it is crucial to detect the after-treatment MRD to stratify the patients by their risk of relapse. Liquid biopsies have emerged as non-invasive method to obtain information about tumors and improve clinical cancer management. Regarding this, much has been hypothesized about utilizing high blood volumes to overcome the necessity of complex and resource-intensive next generation sequencing (NGS) methodologies to detect highly diluted blood tumor components in localized cancers. Herein, we employed a combined analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) together with high blood volumes and single-assay droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect MRD with ultra-high sensitivity. We prospectively assayed 124 samples extracted at baseline, post-neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), post-surgery and a follow-up on a six-monthly basis. A median of 76.40 mL of blood to detect CTCs and 40 mL of plasma to detect ctDNA per patient from 19 BC women were used in this study. ddPCR assays were performed with a median of 14 partitions per determination to detect ctDNA and 12 partitions for CTCs. Overall, ctDNA, CTCs and ctDNA and/or CTCs were detected in 84.21%, 66.66% and 89.47% respectively in the pre-treatment blood samples. MRD (ctDNA and/or CTCs) was detected in 73.68% of the after NAT blood samples. On the other hand, it was detected in 46.66% and 70.00% of the post-surgery and follow-up samples respectively. Post-NAT MRD was detected in 57.14% (4/7) and 83.33% (10/12) of patients with and without pathological complete response pCR respectively. To note, the discordant patients achieving pCR in tissue with detectable MRD in blood were high-risk BC. Importantly, in one of the two patients without pCR and no MRD detected, not enough sample were available to complete the analysis. The other discordant patient presented a localized disease with residual cancer burden value of 1 and no lymph nodes affected. In 1 out of 19 (5.26%) patient clinically relapsed with a positive MRD detection 6 months earlier. Applying this methodology, we observed a sensitivity of 0.004% in ctDNA detection and 0.224 CTCs per mL of blood. Overall, this novel methodology greatly improves sensitivity for ctDNA and CTCs detection in treatment-naïve early BC. In addition, MRD was successfully detected in post-treatment samples antedating clinical relapse by 6 months in one patient. This prospective study is potentially demonstrating that using high blood volumes and a single-assay ddPCR is a cost-effective strategy to monitor localized BC and predict relapses.

Citation Format: Alfonso Alba-Bernal, Ana Godoy-Ortiz, María Emilia Domínguez-Recio, Begoña Jimenez-Rodriguez, María Elena Quirós-Ortega, Esperanza López-López, Guillermo Carbajosa-Antona, Jesús Peralta-Linero, Luis Vicioso, Estefanía Bellagarza-García, Guadalupe Dolores Garrido-Ruiz, Cynthia Robles-Podadera, Alicia Garrido-Aranda, María Dunia Roldán-Díaz, Jesús Velasco-Suelto, Rocío Lavado-Valenzuela, Martina Álvarez, Nuria Ribelles, Javier Pascual, Emilio Alba, Iñaki Comino-Méndez. Increasing blood volumes to detect minimal residual disease in neoadjuvant-treated early breast cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6610.

Dual neoadjuvant blockade plus chemotherapy versus monotherapy for the treatment of women with non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

We aimed to determine the effect of dual anti-HER2 blockade compared to monotherapy on clinically important outcomes.

METHODS

We carried out a systematic review updated until July 2022. The outcomes included pathological complete response (pCR), clinical response, event-free survival, and overall survival.

RESULTS

We identified eleven randomized clinical trials (2836 patients). When comparing paclitaxel plus dual treatment versus paclitaxel plus trastuzumab or lapatinib, dual treatment was associated with a higher probability of achieving a pathological complete response (OR 2.88, 95% CI 2.02-4.10). Addition of a taxane to an anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil, plus lapatinib or trastuzumab, showed that the dual treatment was better than lapatinib alone (OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.41-4.34), or trastuzumab alone (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.13-3.16). Dual treatment may result in an increase in survival outcomes and tumour clinical response, although such benefits are not consistent for all the combinations studied.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of dual blockade with combinations of trastuzumab and pertuzumab can be recommended for the neoadjuvant treatment of women with HER2-positive breast cancer. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42018110273.

Explainable clinical coding with in-domain adapted transformers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Automatic clinical coding is a crucial task in the process of extracting relevant information from unstructured medical documents contained in Electronic Health Records (EHR). However, most of the existing computer-based methods for clinical coding act as "black boxes", without giving a detailed description of the reasons for the clinical-coding assignments, which greatly limits their applicability to real-world medical scenarios. The objective of this study is to use transformer-based models to effectively tackle explainable clinical-coding. In this way, we require the models to perform the assignments of clinical codes to medical cases, but also to provide the reference in the text that justifies each coding assignment.

METHODS

We examine the performance of 3 transformer-based architectures on 3 different explainable clinical-coding tasks. For each transformer, we compare the performance of the original general-domain version with an in-domain version of the model adapted to the specificities of the medical domain. We address the explainable clinical-coding problem as a dual medical named entity recognition (MER) and medical named entity normalization (MEN) task. For this purpose, we have developed two different approaches, namely a multi-task and a hierarchical-task strategy.

RESULTS

For each analyzed transformer, the clinical-domain version significantly outperforms the corresponding general domain model across the 3 explainable clinical-coding tasks analyzed in this study. Furthermore, the hierarchical-task approach yields a significantly superior performance than the multi-task strategy. Specifically, the combination of the hierarchical-task strategy with an ensemble approach leveraging the predictive capabilities of the 3 distinct clinical-domain transformers, yields the best obtained results, with f1-score, precision and recall of 0.852, 0.847 and 0.849 on the Cantemist-Norm task and 0.718, 0.566 and 0.633 on the CodiEsp-X task, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

By separately addressing the MER and MEN tasks, as well as by following a context-aware text-classification approach to tackle the MEN task, the hierarchical-task approach effectively reduces the intrinsic complexity of explainable clinical-coding, leading the transformers to establish new SOTA performances for the predictive tasks considered in this study. In addition, the proposed methodology has the potential to be applied to other clinical tasks that require both the recognition and normalization of medical entities.

Abstract PD18-10: Treatment of HER2-positive (HER2+) hormone-receptor positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) with the novel combination of zanidatamab, palbociclib, and fulvestrant

Background: HER2+ mBC remains incurable, with a need for new HER2-directed therapies and regimens, including chemotherapy-free options. Zanidatamab (zani) is a novel HER2-targeted bispecific antibody that binds HER2 in a unique trans configuration, driving multiple mechanisms of antitumor activity, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity. A CDK4/6 inhibitor combined with endocrine therapy is an approved treatment for HER2-negative/HR+ mBC and this combination has also demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity when paired with HER2-targeted therapy(ies) in HER2+/HR+ mBC. Here, we report results from ZWI-ZW25-202 (NCT04224272), an ongoing single-arm phase 2 study of zani combined with palbociclib (palbo) and fulvestrant (fulv) in pts with HER2+/HR+ mBC. Methods: Eligibility requirements include: HER2+/HR+ unresectable, locally advanced BC or mBC; ECOG PS of 0 or 1; prior treatment with trastuzumab, pertuzumab and T DM1 (additional prior HER2-targeting agents are permitted); and no prior treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors. Part 1 of the study evaluated the safety and tolerability of the zani/palbo/fulv combination and determined the recommended doses for use in Part 2, where the antitumor activity of the combination is being evaluated. Endpoints include safety outcomes, progression-free survival at 6 months (PFS6), confirmed objective response rate (cORR) per RECIST v1.1; disease control rate (DCR=complete response [CR] plus partial response [PR] plus stable disease [SD]); duration of response (DOR); PFS; and overall survival. Results: As of 24 Feb 2022, 34 pts (33 HER2+/HR+ per central analysis) with a median age of 52 (range 36-77) have been treated. In the metastatic setting, pts had received a median (range) of 4 (1-10) prior systemic regimens, including 3 (1-8) different prior HER2 targeted therapies, and 1 (0-4) endocrine therapy. Seven pts (20%) had prior T DXd treatment and 7 pts had prior fulv treatment. All pts received zani (20 mg/kg Q2W) and standard doses of palbo and fulv. Eighteen pts (53%) remained on treatment; median duration of zani treatment was 6.9 mo (range 0.5-16.3). A dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of neutropenia occurred in 1 of 7 DLT-evaluable pts in Part 1. Among all pts (n=34), the most common (>20%) treatment (zani, palbo and/or fulv)-related adverse events (TRAEs) were diarrhea (74%), neutrophil count decreased/neutropenia (62%), stomatitis (41%), asthenia (26%), nausea (24%), and anemia (21%). Grade (Gr) ≥3 TRAEs in 2 or more pts included neutrophil count decreased/neutropenia (50%), anemia (6%), diarrhea (6%), and thrombocytopenia (6%). AEs of special interest were all Gr ≤2 and included 4 pts with cardiac events (LVEF decrease of ≥10% from baseline) and 1 pt with infusion-related reaction. There were no treatment-related serious AEs. Palbo was discontinued for 1 pt due to an AE (AST increase); no pt discontinued zani treatment as a result of AEs. Two deaths occurred: 1 due to disease progression and 1 due to an unrelated AE of pneumonia caused by COVID-19. In 29 pts with measurable disease, the cORR was 34.5% (95% CI: 17.9, 54.3), all responses were cPRs, of which 1 is pending CR confirmation. DOR ranged from 2.3 to 14.9+ mo, with 8 confirmed responses ongoing, and the DCR was 93.1% (95% CI: 77.2, 99.2). Interim median PFS was 11.3 mo (range 0.03-16.7; 95% CI: 5.6, not estimable). PFS6 analysis is planned following the completion of enrollment. Conclusions: Zani in combination with palbo and fulv shows encouraging antitumor activity with durable responses in heavily pretreated pts and a manageable safety profile. This regimen has the potential to be a chemotherapy-free treatment option in pts with HER2+/HR+ mBC. Enrollment in the study is continuing.

Citation Format: Santiago Escrivá-de-Romani, Emilio Alba, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Sara Hurvitz, Juan Miguel Cejalvo, Maria Gión, Cristiano Ferrario, Manuel Ruiz Borrego, Rossanna C. Pezo, Erika Hamilton, Marc Webster, Timothy Pluard, Muralidhar Beeram, Begoña Jiménez Rodríguez, Hannah Linden, Cristina Saura, Adam Omidpanah, Phoebe Harvey, Marie-France Savard. Treatment of HER2-positive (HER2+) hormone-receptor positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) with the novel combination of zanidatamab, palbociclib, and fulvestrant [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr PD18-10.

Abstract GS1-01: Race and clinical outcomes in the RxPONDER Trial (SWOG S1007)

Introduction: Racial disparities in breast cancer (BC) outcomes continues to be a major health care challenge. The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) is an important tool to guide treatment (tx) decisions among women with early-stage BC. We report an analysis of clinical characteristics, survival outcomes and race in association with RS in participants (pts) in the RxPONDER trial.

Methods: We analyzed clinical outcomes with respect to race and ethnicity. Unreported race excluded 18.7% of the pts, with most due to privacy rules. The primary outcome was invasive disease-free survival (IDFS). Distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) was also evaluated. Analyses adjusted for assigned tx arm, RS, and grade were performed. There were too few events to include Native American/Pacific Islander (NAPI) women in the survival analyses.

Results: A total of 4,048 trial women with Hormone Receptor positive, HER2 negative (HR+/HER2-) BC, 1-3 involved axillary lymph nodes (LNs), RS ≤ 25 and known race/ethnicity were included in this analysis including the following: 2,833 non-Hispanic (NH) White pts (70%), 248 NH Black pts (6.1%), 610 Hispanic pts (15.1%), 324 Asian pts (8.0%), and 33 NAPI pts (0.8%). Asian and Hispanic women were younger than NH Whites (by 7.1 and 2.4 years, respectively) but NH Blacks did not differ in age. RS distribution did not differ among all racial subgroups (p=0.49). There were also no significant differences in tumor size (p=0.10) or number of positive LNs (p=0.26) across all racial groups. However, tumor grade was found to be significantly different with grade 3 tumors higher for NH Blacks (18.0%), NH NAPI (21.1%), and Hispanics (14.5%) vs. NH Whites (10.4%) and Asians (6.5%) (p< 0.001). Overall five-year IDFS was lower for NH Blacks (87.0%) compared to that for Asians (93.9%), NH Whites (91.5%), and Hispanics (91.4%) (Table 1). A multivariable Cox model adjusting for RS and tx arm showed worse IDFS for NH Blacks compared to NH Whites (HR=1.38; 95% CI 1.00-1.90; p=0.048), although Asian pts had better IDFS than NH Whites (HR=0.65; 95% CI 0.44-0.97; p=0.034). In a separate analysis by menopausal status the magnitude of the IDFS hazard ratios (HRs) for NH Blacks was similar, although no longer statistically significant (premenopausal HR=1.37; 95% CI 0.69-2.72; postmenopausal HR=1.38; 95% CI 0.96-1.98). While there was no statistically significant interaction between NH Blacks vs. NH Whites and tx arm for either premenopausal (p=0.99) or postmenopausal women (p=0.44), adjusting for RS, the small number of events in the NH Black cohort, particularly in premenopausal women (n = 9 IDFS events), limit power and inference about differences in chemotherapy benefit. Among postmenopausal women, NH Blacks had worse DRFS compared to NH Whites (HR=1.69; 95% CI 1.12-2.53; p=0.01), adjusting for tx and RS. A similar trend was seen among premenopausal women (HR=1.74; 95% CI 0.79-3.82; p=0.17), although not statistically significant. Data on tx adherence over 5 years was not mature, although NH Blacks were more likely to accept tx assignment compared to NH Whites at randomization (93% vs. 86%, p=0.004).

Conclusion: Black women with HR+/HER2- BC, 1-3 involved LNs and RS ≤ 25 have worse outcomes compared to White women despite similar RS results. There was no significant interaction between NH Blacks vs. NH Whites and tx arm, although this analysis was limited due to sample size. There remains an important need for novel approaches to improve clinical outcomes particularly for NH Black Women.

Table 1. IDFS by Race and Ethnicity.

Citation Format: Yara Abdou, William E. Barlow, Julie R. Gralow, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Kathy S. Albain, Daniel F. Hayes, Nancy U. Lin, Edith A. Perez, Lori J. Goldstein, Stephen K. Chia, Sukhbinder Dhesy-Thind, Priya Rastogi, Emilio Alba, Suzette Delaloge, Anne F. Schott, Steven Shak, Priyanka Sharma, Danika L. Lew, Jieling Miao, Joseph M. Unger, Debu Tripathy, Lajos Pusztai, Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, Kevin Kalinsky. Race and clinical outcomes in the RxPONDER Trial (SWOG S1007) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr GS1-01.

Factors associated with upper limb function in breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer survivors may have side effects from treatment, such as impaired upper limb function after surgery, which may be affected by a range of factors.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the association between upper limb function and strength, fear avoidance, and central sensitization symptoms among breast cancer survivors, and to explore how these variables are associated with upper limb function.

DESIGN

Validation cohort.

SETTING

Institutional practice at a public hospital.

PATIENTS

One hundred seventy-four breast cancer survivors who had been undergone surgery for a primary tumor.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Upper limb function was measured by the Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI-Sp). Independent outcomes were: handgrip strength, which was measured using a Jamar dynamometer on the dominant side; fear avoidance, measured using the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS-Sp); and central sensitization symptoms, which were measured using the Central Sensitisation Inventory (CSI-Sp). A linear regression model explaining the ULFI-Sp results was constructed with the variables.

RESULTS

The regression model was significant (F = 46.826; p < .0001), and explained 45% of the variance of the ULFI values. All variables showed strong associations with upper limb function.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater upper limb function is associated with higher grip strength, lower fear-avoidance behavior and fewer central sensitization symptoms among breast cancer survivors. These variables explained 45% of the upper limb function in the regression model, and concur with earlier research showing that factors such as central sensitization symptoms and kinesiophobia negatively affect upper limb function in such patients. Clinicians should therefore take into account strength, fear avoidance, and central sensitization symptoms when considering interventions aimed at improving upper limb function among breast cancer survivors.

The value of sentinel lymph-node biopsy in women with node-positive breast cancer at diagnosis and node-negative tumour after neoadjuvant therapy: a systematic review

PURPOSE

To conduct a systematic review to analyse the performance of the sentinel lymph-node biopsy (SLNB) in women with node-positive breast cancer at diagnosis and node-negative tumour after neoadjuvant therapy, compared to axillary lymph-node dissection.

METHODS

The more relevant databases were searched. Main outcomes were false-negative rate (FNR), sentinel lymph-node identification rate (SLNIR), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy. We conducted meta-analyses when appropriate.

RESULTS

Twenty studies were included. The pooled FNR was 0.14 (95% CI 0.11-0.17), the pooled SLNIR was 0.89 (95% CI 0.86-0.92), NPV was 0.83 (95% CI 0.79-0.87), and summary accuracy was 0.92 (95% CI 0.90-0.94). SLNB performed better when more than one node was removed and double mapping was used.

CONCLUSIONS

SLNB can be performed in women with a node-negative tumour after neoadjuvant therapy. It has a better performance when used with previous marking of the affected node and with double tracer.

Development of in vitro and in vivo tools to evaluate the antiangiogenic potential of melatonin to neutralize the angiogenic effects of VEGF and breast cancer cells: CAM assay and 3D endothelial cell spheroids

Melatonin is a molecule with different antitumor actions in breast cancer and has been described as an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Despite the recognition of the key role exerted by VEGF in tumor angiogenesis, limitations arise when developing models to test new antiangiogenic molecules. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop rapid, economic, high capacity and easy handling angiogenesis assays to test the antiangiogenic effects of melatonin and demonstrate its most effective dose to neutralize and interfere with the angiogenic sprouting effect induced by VEGF and MCF-7. To perform this, 3D endothelial cell (HUVEC) spheroids and a chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay were used. The results showed that VEGF and MCF-7 were able to stimulate the sprouting of the new vessels in 3D endothelial spheroids and the CAM assay, and that melatonin had an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis. Specifically, as the 1 mM pharmacological dose was the only effective dose able to inhibit the formation of ramifications around the alginate in the CAM assay model, this inhibition was shown to occur in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these techniques represent novel tools for the development of antiangiogenic molecules such as melatonin, with possible implications for the therapy of breast cancer.

Validation of pain catastrophizing scale on breast cancer survivor

INTRODUCTION

Pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) is the most used scale to measure pain catastrophizing. In breast cancer survivors (BCS), pain catastrophizing is related to upper-limbs dysfunction and disability. This study aimed to assess the internal consistency, internal structure, and convergent validity of the Spanish version of the PCS in Spanish BCS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Breast cancer survivors were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). The psychometric properties were evaluated with analysis factor structure by maximum likelihood extraction (MLE), internal consistency, and construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

RESULTS

Factor structure was three-dimensional, and one item was removed due to cross-loading. The new 12-item PCS showed a high internal consistency for the total score (α = 0.91) and a good homogeneity, and CFA revealed a satisfactory fit. PCS showed an acceptable correlation with FACS (r = 0.53, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Pain catastrophizing scale is a valid and reliable instrument to evaluate pain catastrophizing in Spanish BCS. This tool may help clinicians in the management of pain by assessing pain and by measuring the effect of interventions.

Responsiveness of the new index muscular echotexture in women with metastatic breast cancer: an exercise intervention study

Ultrasound imaging texture analyses may provide information on tissue homogeneity changes in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) through second-order analyzes based on the gray-level co-occurrence matrix. This study aimed to analyze the responsiveness and correlations of biomarkers of muscular and fat echotexture after an exercise intervention in women with MBC. A 12-week exercise intervention was conducted in 2019, including aerobic and strength training. Echotexture variables were obtained at baseline and after intervention from the quadriceps (Q) and biceps brachii and brachialis. Mean differences were calculated using the T-Student parametric test for dependent samples of the differences in the means (P = 0.05; 95% CI). Data obtained from 13 MBC women showed significant differences in some echotexture variables after the intervention. QLQ-BR23 questionnaire correlated with several echotexture variables from muscle and subcutaneous fat. PFS-R scale correlated positively with the Q Subcutaneous Fat Non-Contraction Homogeneity (R = 0.43, P < 0.05). Q Muscle Non-Contraction Energy and Q Muscle Non-Contraction Textural Correlation explained 90% of the variance of QLQ-BR23. Some muscle and subcutaneous fat echotexture biomarkers showed good responsiveness after the exercise intervention. Additionally, some muscle and subcutaneous fat variables correlated with QLQ-BR23 and cancer-related fatigue measured by PFS-R scale in MBC patients.

Trial registration: NCT03879096

Implementation of a Standard Care Program of Therapeutic Exercise in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

There is little information on the feasibility and benefit of therapeutic exercise (TE) in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The aim of this article is to describe the implementation of a TE intervention in MBC patients, and to determine the recruitment, compliance and improvement in outcomes after its completion.

METHODS

The "Therapeutic Exercise program in MBC" (TEP-MBC) consists of 1 h of individualized TE supervised by a physiotherapist in a group format, consisting of four groups of seven to eight participants. TEP-MBC was delivered twice a week, lasting 12 weeks (22 sessions), with patients considered to have completed the program when attending at least 17 sessions (>75% attendance). After referral, patients underwent a clinical interview and a physical and functional assessment. This information was complemented with patient-reported outcomes. Data about referral, compliance and assessment were collected.

RESULTS

Only 11 of the 30 patients completed the program. Drop-out was mainly related to personal issues and symptoms arising from the disease or treatment. All patients who completed the program improved cancer-related fatigue and increased their functional parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

The TEP-MBC was safe and feasible in patients with MBC, although with low compliance. The high variability in baseline measures reflects the heterogeneous level of function.

Role of germline variants in the metastasis of breast carcinomas

Most cancer-related deaths in breast cancer patients are associated with metastasis, a multistep, intricate process that requires the cooperation of tumour cells, tumour microenvironment and metastasis target tissues. It is accepted that metastasis does not depend on the tumour characteristics but the host’s genetic makeup. However, there has been limited success in determining the germline genetic variants that influence metastasis development, mainly because of the limitations of traditional genome-wide association studies to detect the relevant genetic polymorphisms underlying complex phenotypes. In this work, we leveraged the extreme discordant phenotypes approach and the epistasis networks to analyse the genotypes of 97 breast cancer patients. We found that the host’s genetic makeup facilitates metastases by the dysregulation of gene expression that can promote the dispersion of metastatic seeds and help establish the metastatic niche—providing a congenial soil for the metastatic seeds.

Abstract 1538: Association of ceRNA dysregulation with clinical Response to Immunotherapy in cutaneous melanoma (CM)

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is an aggressive malignant tumor of epidermal melanocytes for which treatment options and survival chances decrease dramatically when metastatic. To date, immunotherapy is becoming a new standard treatment for CM although less than 30% of the patients´ response positively. Therefore, there is a strong interest to identify response predictors and molecular pathways that might lead to therapy failure. Two novel biomarker sources are LncRNA and CircRNA which can function as natural sponges of miRNA as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) or can associate to RNA-Binding Proteins (RBP) to regulate gene expression. Moreover, several studies have revealed that ceRNA networks are implicated in tumorigenic processes. Considering this, we set to interrogate the role of the ceRNA in the prediction of response to CM immunotherapy. In this pilot study, differential expression was quantified by RNA-seq in 16 FFPE pre-treatment metastatic samples from CM patients treated with Nivolumab. Total RNA isolation was performed from 10 µm slides (4) with RNAeasy FFPE kit. Total RNAseq was done with Truseq Stranded RNA gold kit, and libraries were sequenced on Illumina Nextseq 550. LncRNA were obtained by STARs alignment and explored on LncATLAS. To assess the presence of high confident cirRNA we used 5 different pipelines with a minimum filtering cut-off of 2 junction reads in at least 2 samples and with at least 3 software. Deseq2 pipeline of total mapped reads was used to perform differential expression. We identified 23 circRNA and 74 lncRNA differentially expressed (DE) with a fold change of 1.5 and a p value &lt; 0,01. Ingenuity pathway analysis was carried out to generate DE ceRNA-mRNA networks and associated RBP networks. Interestingly, in the DE ceRNA-mRNA networks, most of the 47 significant canonical pathways comprised immunological pathways such the antigen presentation pathway, Th1 and Th2 activation pathways and PD1-PDL1 cancer immunotherapy pathways. Regarding the DE ceRNA associated RBP networks, HOTAIR regulatory pathway and senescence as well as G1/S cell cycle checkpoint regulator pathways were enriched. Furthermore, we were able to predict the interaction of the DE ceRNA with the activation of key promoters of the immune response such as IL27 (Interleukin 27), EIB3 (Epstein-Barr Virus Induced 3), IL2 (Interleukin 2) and IFNA2 (Interferon Alpha2), as well as the inhibition of negative immune regulators such as SAFB2 (Distal-Less Homeobox 2) and FOXD1 (Forkhead Box D1). In conclusion, we have evidenced for the first time the potential utility of ceRNA as immunotherapy predictors. We have generated a response signature of ceRNA expression and used network analysis to associate them with specific key modulators of the immune response. This study opens a new venue for the investigation of the role of these regulatory ncRNA in the resistance to immunotherapy in cancer.

Citation Format: Javier Oliver, Juan Luis Onieva, Maria Garrido-Barros, Alicia Garrido-Aranda, Vanessa De Luque, Martina Alvarez, Alfonso Sanchez, Elisabeth Perez, Patricia Chaves, Maria Jose Lozano, Miguel Berciano, Manolo Cobo, Emilio Alba, Antonio Rueda, Isabel Barragan. Association of ceRNA dysregulation with clinical Response to Immunotherapy in cutaneous melanoma (CM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1538.

Abstract 1910: flowTOTAL: A comprehensive bioinformatics workflow for flow cytometry automatic analysis

Flow cytometry is a technique for analyzing cells that are suspended in a buffered salt-based solution and flow past one or more lasers. Visible light scatter and one or more fluorescence characteristics are assessed for each particle. The most common use of flow cytometry is immunophenotyping. In traditional flow cytometry analysis, a region around a population of cells is manually drawn (gating) in two-dimensional scatter plots. This enables the measuring of specific groups of cells. However, manual gating could increase the overall error rate of the study and makes the analysis hardly reproducible since it is done in less controlled settings. Furthermore, it represents a bottleneck in the analysis of large amounts of data. Some processes, such as gating, have recently been automated using R packages. In addition, dimensionality reduction approaches have been developed in the flow cytometry environment to take advantage of information from several markers at once. Despite this, none of them are integrated in a harmonized way, and none of them allow back-gating to emphasize the study population and eliminate false positives. To tackle this problem, our team has developed flowTOTAL (github.com/ImmunoOncology/flowTOTAL), a user-friendly command line workflow to analyze flow cytometry data. The major attractive feature is the facility to perform with one command not only a traditional analysis, but also an unsupervised analysis. As input, the user has to indicate the folder with the .FCS files, the metadata associated with each file, and the marker to be used during back-gating. The pipeline is divided into three main sections: preprocessing, traditional analysis, and unsupervised analysis. During preprocessing each. FCS will be subjected to correcting for fluorescence spillover (compensation), detection of anomalies by checking flow rate and signal acquisition as well as removing doublets based on forward scatter (QC). For the traditional analysis, auto-gating will be performed for the identification of the target population using back-gating. For each set of given markers, the number of events obtained and the scatter plot will be generated. Finally, in the unsupervised analysis, the population of interest will be specified and the pipeline will proceed with normalization, dimensionality reduction using PCA or UMAP and finally a clustering approach for subpopulation identification. In addition, differential abundance analysis can be performed with metadata information. flowTOTAL is presented as a standardization for the analysis of flow cytometry data, comprising all the necessary steps for comprehensive analysis and allowing mass analysis. Furthermore, it goes beyond the simple quantification of particles, since the implementation of more complex methodologies allows for the discovery of subpopulations that are not present in the traditional analysis but have a significant biological role.

Citation Format: Juan Luis Onieva, Patricia Cháves, Javier Oliver, María Garrido-Barros, Juan Zafra, Belén Sojo, Alfonso Sánchez, Martina Álvarez, Pedro Jiménez, Emilio Alba, Miguel Berciano, Antonio Rueda, Manuel Cobo-Dols, Elisabeth Pérez, Isabel Barragán. flowTOTAL: A comprehensive bioinformatics workflow for flow cytometry automatic analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1910.

Development of a functional assessment task in metastatic breast cancer patients: the 30-second lie-to-sit test

PURPOSE

To develop a physical function test based on lie-to-sit transition and to study its feasibility in patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited 90 women diagnosed with MBC. Patients were asked to transfer from lying to sitting position as fast as possible during 30 s, performing the 30-second lie-to-sit test (30-LTS). Heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and number of repetitions were measured. An assessment included the 30-second sit-to-stand test (30-STS), handgrip strength, Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) and Lower Limb Functional Index (LLFI). Pearson correlation was calculated between 30-LTS and independent outcomes. A linear regression model explaining the 30-LTS results was further constructed with variables that had a significant correlation.

RESULTS

About 72 patients were measured, of which 65 were able to perform 30-LTS. Subjects performed 8.13 repetitions on average, with a mean RPE of 4.78 (0-10), reaching 63.08% of maximal HR. 30-LTS was significantly correlated with 30-STS (r = 0.567), handgrip (p = 0.26) and LLFI (r = 0.348). The regression model was significant (F = 4.742; p = 0.00), and these variables explained 32% of the variance of the 30-LTS.

CONCLUSION

The 30-LTS showed to be a feasible functional and submaximal test in a sample of MBC. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThe 30-second lie-to-sit (30-LTS) developed does not require the patient to acquire a standing position and therefore it is an alternative to other more biomechanically demanding tests such as a 30 second sit-to-stand test or Timed up-and-go.30-LTS involves both a functional and energy system assessment tool that can be implemented by allied health professionals in oncology rehabilitation to individualize exercise prescription, as well as for functional screening purposes.The present study adds value to current research focused on individualizing exercise prescription in the oncology field and provides reference values of function in metastatic breast cancer patients.

Clinical utility of comprehensive circulating tumor DNA genotyping compared with standard of care tissue testing in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Comprehensive biomarker testing is essential in selecting optimal treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); however, incomplete genotyping is widespread, with most patients not receiving testing for all guideline-recommended biomarkers, in part due to reliance on burdensome sequential tissue-based single-biomarker tests with long waiting times or availability of only archival tissue samples. We aimed to demonstrate that liquid biopsy, associated with rapid turnaround time (TAT) and lower patient burden, effectively identifies guideline-recommended biomarkers in mCRC relative to standard of care (SOC) tissue testing.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prospectively enrolled patients with previously untreated mCRC undergoing physician discretion SOC tissue genotyping submitted pretreatment blood samples for comprehensive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis with Guardant360 and targeted RAS and BRAF analysis with OncoBEAM.

RESULTS

Among 155 patients, physician discretion SOC tissue genotyping identified a guideline-recommended biomarker in 82 patients, versus 88 identified with comprehensive ctDNA (52.9% versus 56.8%, noninferiority demonstrated down to α = 0.005) and 69 identified with targeted PCR ctDNA analysis (52.9% versus 44.5%, noninferiority rejected at α = 0.05). Utilizing ctDNA in addition to tissue increased patient identification for a guideline-recommended biomarker by 19.5% by rescuing those without tissue results either due to tissue insufficiency, test failure, or false negatives. ctDNA median TAT was significantly faster than tissue testing when the complete process from sample acquisition to results was considered (median 10 versus 27 days, P < 0.0001), resulting in accelerated biomarker discovery, with 52.0% biomarker-positive patients identified by ctDNA versus 10.2% by SOC tissue 10 days after sample collection (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive ctDNA genotyping accurately identifies guideline-recommended biomarkers in patients with mCRC at a rate at least as high as SOC tissue genotyping, in a much shorter time. Based on these findings, the addition of ctDNA genotyping to clinical practice has significant potential to improve the care of patients with mCRC.

Derived Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Pathological Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Background

Derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) is a biomarker associated with clinical outcome in breast cancer (BC). We analyzed the association of dNLR with pathological complete response (pCR) in triple-negative BC (TNBC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT).

Methods

This is a retrospective analysis of two randomized studies involving early stage/locally advanced TNBC patients receiving anthracycline/taxane-based CT+/−carboplatin (GEICAM/2006-03) or nab-paclitaxel/paclitaxel followed by anthracycline regimen (ETNA). dNLR was calculated as the ratio of neutrophils to the difference between total leukocytes and neutrophils in peripheral blood before CT (baseline) and at the end of treatment (EOT). Logistic regression analyses were used to explore dNLR association with pCR.

Results

In total, 308 TNBC patients were analyzed, 216 from ETNA and 92 from GEICAM/2006-03. Baseline median dNLR was 1.61 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.25–2.04) and at EOT 1.53 (IQR: 0.96–2.22). Baseline dNLR showed positive correlation with increased tumor size (p-value = 1e−04). High baseline dNLR, as continuous variable or using median cutoff, was associated with lower likelihood of pCR in univariate analysis. High EOT dNLR as continuous variable or using quartiles was also associated with lower pCR rate in uni- and multivariate analyses.

Conclusions

High baseline and EOT dNLR correlates with lower benefit from neoadjuvant CT in TNBC.

Abstract OT2-06-01: Solti-1903 HOPE: Real-world clinical practice study to assess the impact of using genomic data on the next treatment decision making-choice in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in Spain

BACKGROUND: Metastatic breast cancer (mBC) remains an incurable disease and is the cause of nearly all deaths related to BC. Next-generation sequencing technologies are allowing the application of personalized targeted molecular therapies, thereby improving outcomes in breast cancer patients. However, they are not routinely used in the clinic and their cost could be a cause of disparity. One strategy to overcome the barriers of implementing NGS in the clinic is to promote the active participation of patients with mBC in the management of their disease and offering free access to these tests. With this in mind, we designed HOPE (SOLTI-1903), a Spanish real-world study where patients lead their inclusion, participation, and follow-up through a digital tool (DT) that guides them in every step of the journey. The ultimate objective of HOPE is to gather real-world data on the utilization of molecular information in the management of mBC and to empower these patients. TRIAL DESIGN: Patients diagnosed with locally advanced or mBC can be included. Basic demographic data, disease characteristics, treatment history and quality of life data are collected by patients through a DT. The study is complemented by a patient empowerment program including informative workshops and precision medicine video-tutorials. Patients are encouraged to involve their physicians in HOPE. A total of 600 patients will be included in Spain. PATIENT JOURNEY: Once patients request participation through the DT, a dedicated team in SOLTI assists them in the subsequent steps while validating that eligibility criteria are met according to patient-provided data. Then, patients receive instructions from SOLTI’s team to attend the nearest partner local laboratory, where they sign the study informed consent form. A metastatic (preferably) or primary archival tumor sample is requested from the patient’s reference hospital and analyzed by FoundationOne®CDx. Patients that are in progression or not receiving active systemic chemo- or radiotherapy undergo a blood draw to receive a Guardant360 analysis. These two NGS tests are offered to all patients, and the blood test is performed even if no tissue is available. The results from the molecular analyses are regularly reviewed by a Molecular Advisory Board (MAB). The MAB, based on its joint experience in clinical oncology, genomics, bioethics, and pathology, may add some advice to these reports via DT, making comments about detected molecular alterations and adding further recommendations for specific treatment options or available CT with targeted therapies and/or additional genetic tests such as germline validation of potentially significant findings. From that moment, patients are requested to record their disease evolution in the DT every 3 months for 2 years. The primary objective is to assess the real-world clinical practice integrating molecular profiling in the Standard of Care management of patients with mBC connected through a DT. Secondary objectives include to i) describe the genetic mutational profile of mBC, ii) estimate the enrollment rate in CT of patients engaged in a patient-centered strategy for molecular tumor assessment, iii) assessing Progression Free Survival, Overall Survival and Quality of Life status among patients enrolled in CT according to the tumor’s genomic profile and iv) evaluate the logistic feasibility of the study. Recruitment started on October 2020. By June 2021, 362 patients had been enrolled. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This study is sponsored by SOLTI and financially supported by Novartis and three non-profit organizations: Asociación Cáncer de Mama Metastásico, Asociación Saray and Fundación Actitud frente al Cáncer. Roche and Guardant Health provide their tests for all patients.

Citation Format: Ana Casas, Eva Ciruelos, Mafalda Oliveira, Cristina Saura, Meritxell Bellet, Sonia Pernas, Joaquín Gavilá, Montserrat Muñoz, Maria Vidal, Blanca González-Farré, Juan M. Cejalvo, Rafael López, Ana Vivancos, Marcos Malumbres, Javier Salvador Bofill, Isabel Blancas, Emilio Alba, Valentina Boni, Susana De la Cruz, Elena Galve, Antonia Perelló, Mireia Margelí, Meritxell Soler, Rubén Olivera-Salguero, Helena Masanas, Rosa Olmos, Marga Forns, Pilar Fernández Pascual, Elia Seguí, Tomas Pascual, Aleix Prat. Solti-1903 HOPE: Real-world clinical practice study to assess the impact of using genomic data on the next treatment decision making-choice in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer in Spain [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT2-06-01.

Abstract P4-07-10: Patient profiles, management and treatment patterns in HR+, HER2- early breast cancer in a real-world setting in Spain

Background: Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) is the most prevalent breast cancer (BC) subtype(≈60% of all BC in Spain), 95% of which are diagnosed in early stage. Despite several treatment options, approximately 20%-25% of them will experience metastatic relapse. Early and accurate identification of patients at high risk of recurrence is critical to improve patient outcomes. It would be relevant to know how high risk patients are identified and managed in Spain. The primary objective was to describe the current approaches to patient management and standards of care for patients with early stage (I-IIIc) HR+/HER2- BC in a real world setting in Spain.Methods: Real-world data were drawn from the Adelphi Early BC I Disease Specific Program. Data included physicians´ (medical oncologists) subjective perceptions such as factors used to determine patient´s risks of recurrence, and objective variables relating to the next 8 consecutive patients with HR+ HER2- BC they consulted and completed patient record forms for, such as demographic, clinical and gene expression profiles. Data were collected between June and October 2019. The sample was analyzed to identify patients similar to those meeting the high risk of recurrence criteria used in the monarchE (mE) trial: ≥4 positive nodes, OR 1-3 positive nodes AND [grade 3 or tumor ≥5 cm or Ki-67 ≥20%]. Those not meeting the criteria were categorised as Low/moderate (L/M) risk. Results: 50 oncologists provided data on 400 consecutive patients, of which 81 (20%) were categorized as high risk. Patients´ mean age was 58 years old at diagnosis and initiated first adjuvant treatment (AT) within four months of diagnosis. 19% had family history of BC, their disease stage was predominantly II (50%), 57% had grade 2 tumors and 74% had a tumor size of 1-3cm. 50 patients (13%) met high risk clinical pathologic criteria (≥4 positive nodes, OR 1-3 positive nodes AND [grade 3 or tumor ≥5 cm]) and an additional 31 patients (8%) met high risk mE criteria based on having a Ki-67 expression of ≥20%.At diagnosis, high risk patients compared to L/M tended to be younger (mean 54,3 vs 58,5 years), with higher likelihood of BC family history (32% vs 16%), more advanced disease at diagnosis (99% vs 59% stage II or III), more likely to have grade 3 tumors (41% vs 14%) and tumors &gt;3cm (32% vs 14%). The most common biomarker/genetic tests at diagnosis were ER, PgR and Ki67, used in over 95% of patients.Genomic assays of the tumors were performed in 35% of patients, of which the most common were Oncotype Dx (58%) and MammaPrint (22%). High risk patients were less likely to have genomic assays (15% vs 40% received any). Genomic assays were more often conducted prior to starting AT therapy (66%) than at initial diagnosis (38%).Neoadjuvant and first adjuvant treatments are described in table 1. Factors frequently considered by oncologists (&gt;45% of respondents) to evaluate risk of recurrence were tumor stage, size and grade, nodal, HER2 and HR status, genomic assays and Ki-67 expression level. Conclusion: One in five patients were classified as high risk according to mE criteria, although oncologists considered additional factors to categorize patients as high risk level in their daily practice. Consequently, many patients of L/M risk according to mE criteria could still be considered as high risk by their physicians, as suggested by nearly half of patients receiving ChT treatment as adjuvant therapy.

Proportion of patients that were prescribed each class in each setting (not mutually exclusive)ChemotherapyAnthracyclineTaxaneEndocrine therapyAromatase inhibitorTamoxifenTargeted therapyTotal sampleNeoadjuvant therapy n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)Overall (n=400)75 (19)69 (92)60 (80)64 (85)28 (37)22 (29)6 (8)-High risk (n=81)17 (21)16 (94)15 (88)16 (94)8 (47)7 (41)1 (6)-L/M risk (n=319)58 (18)53 (91)45 (78)48 (83)20 (34)15 (26)5 (9)-Total sampleFirst adjuvant n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)Overall (n=400)400 (100)217 (54)129 (32)132 (33)256 (64)177 (44)79 (20)1 (0)High risk (n=81)81 (100)66 (81)56 (69)50 (62)27 (33)18 (22)9 (11)1 (1)L/M risk (n=319)319 (100)151 (47)73 (23)82 (26)229 (72)159 (50)70 (22)-

Citation Format: Miguel Martín, Jose Ángel García Sáenz, Isabel Blancas, Alberto Molero, Manuel Atienza, Jose Manuel Cervera, Jacqueline Brown, Alex Rider, Rhys Williams, Emilio Alba. Patient profiles, management and treatment patterns in HR+, HER2- early breast cancer in a real-world setting in Spain [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-10.

Abstract GS2-07: Updated results from a phase 3 randomized clinical trial in participants (pts) with 1-3 positive lymph nodes (LN), hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC) with recurrence score (RS) ≤ 25 randomized to endocrine therapy (ET) +/- chemotherapy (CT): SWOG S1007 (RxPONDER)

Background: We previouslyreported that invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), the primary outcome, and distantdisease-free survival (DDFS), a secondary outcome, differed by menopausalstatus in a pre-specified analysis. Here,we report updates on IDFS and DDFS with additional follow-up, as well as distantrecurrence-free interval (DRFI) and post hoc analyses in premenopausal women.Methods: Eligibilitycriteria included women &gt; 18 years of age with HR+, HER2-BC and 1-3 +LN and no contraindications to taxane and/or anthracycline basedCT. DRFI was defined as time to distant recurrence or death from breast cancer.Analyses were intent-to-treat among eligible pts. We performed a post hocanalysis evaluating IDFS between treatment arms in premenopausal pts with pN1mi.In addition, we conducted a two-year landmarked IDFS analysis by ovarianfunction suppression (OFS) or not in the ET arm, as well as by regularmenstrual periods or not in both treatment arms.Results: Among the 4,984eligible pts, there were 553 IDFS events and median follow-up of 6.1 years.Postmenopausal women do not have any IDFS or DDFS benefit with CT; however, 5-yearabsolute benefits for IDFS and DDFS with CT for premenopausal pts were 5.9% and3.3%, respectively. In pre-menopausal pts, CT was associated with improved DRFIfor all RS values &lt; 25, with an absolute improvement of 2.3% for RS0-13 and of 2.8% for RS 14-25. Among premenopausal pts, 12.4% (n=206) had pNmi)disease. In a post hoc analysis, there was a trend for CT benefit for thosewith pNmi [hazard ratio (HR)=0.44, confidence interval (CI)=0.18-1.08]. Therewere only 22 IDFS events. Only 17.2% of premenopausal pts assigned to ETunderwent OFS in the first 24 months and in two-year landmarked analysis, therewas no IDFS difference in those who underwent OFS or not (HR=0.88,CI=0.47-1.63). In premenopausal women assigned to ET, 58.9% stopped havingperiods within the first 24 months, and have anumerically improved IDFS compared to those who continued regular periods (HR=1.48,CI: 0.92-2.40). Among premenopausal assigned to CT followed by ET, 80.8%stopped having periods within the first 24 months and have a numericallyimproved IDFS compared to those who continue to have regular periods (HR=1.56, CI:0.85-2.86).Discussion: In accordancewith the differential IDFS and DDFS benefit based upon menopausal status inS1007, premenopausal pts with 1-3+LN and RS &lt; 25 had a statisticallysignificant improvement in DRFI with the addition of CT. A small proportion of S1007premenopausal participants underwent OFS. The role of OFS as it relates to CTbenefit cannot be determined from this study. A future randomized trial should address the clinical question if OFScan replace CT in premenopausal pts with HR+/HER2-, node-positive breast cancer.Funding: Supported by National Cancer Institute grants U10CA180888, U10CA180819,U10CA180820, U10CA180821, U10CA180868, U10CA180863, and in part by Susan G.Komen for the Cure® Research Program, The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research,Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Genomic Health, Inc.

Citation Format: Kevin M Kalinsky, William E Barlow, Julie R Gralow, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Kathy S Albain, Daniel F Hayes, Nancy U Lin, Edith A Perez, Lori A Goldstein, Stephen KL Chia, Sukhbinder Dhesy-Thind, Priya Rastogi, Emilio Alba, Suzette Delaloge, Miguel Martin, Catherine M Kelly, Manuel Ruiz-Borrego, Miguel Gil-Gil, Claudia H Arce-Salinas, Etienne GC Brain, Eun Sook Lee, Jean-Yves Pierga, Begoña Bermejo, Manuel Ramos-Vasquez, Kyung Hae Jung, Jean-Marc Ferrero, Anne Schott, Steven Shak, Priyanka Sharma, Danika Lew, Jieling Miao, Debasish Tripathy, Lajos Pusztai, Gabriel Hortobagyi. Updated results from a phase 3 randomized clinical trial in participants (pts) with 1-3 positive lymph nodes (LN), hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC) with recurrence score (RS) ≤ 25 randomized to endocrine therapy (ET) +/- chemotherapy (CT): SWOG S1007 (RxPONDER) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS2-07.

Design and implementation of a standard care programme of therapeutic exercise and education for breast cancer survivors

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) face several symptoms and are at higher risk of weight gain following diagnosis. Current literature shows that both exercise and diet play a key role in recovery of BCS. However, there is a gap between current guidelines and the real-world context. The aim of this article is to describe the process behind a free, not-for-profit community-based therapeutic exercise and education programme (TEEP) for BCS in the clinical setting.

METHODS

The "Onco-Health Club" (OHC) consists of therapeutic exercise (TE) intervention aimed at ameliorating cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and improving QoL and physical function. TE is supplemented with nutritional education, providing information about the Mediterranean diet. To this end, patients are recruited from an oncologist and are referred to a physiotherapist and a nutritionist for baseline assessment. TEEP consists of a 3-month intervention, delivered twice a week in a group format with 1 h of TE and 30 min of nutritional education. BCS then have a final assessment and are advised to continue with a healthy lifestyle. Data about referral, compliance and assessment were collected.

RESULTS

From May 2017 to February of 2020, a total of 158 patients were recruited from 8 cohorts and 142 initially started the OHC. From 119 that joined the program, 96 patients were considered to have finished it with good adherence (assistance > 80%). BCS significantly improved their QoL, as well as upper and lower limb's function, and increased their level of physical activity. CRF tended to decrease (p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

This study obtained data on recruitment, compliance, and possible limitations of these kinds of programmes in a real-world context. Further research is needed in order to optimize patient engagement and compliance, as well as to determine the transferability of these programmes in the clinical setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT03879096, Registered 18th March 2019. Retrospectively registered.

21-Gene Assay to Inform Chemotherapy Benefit in Node-Positive Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

The recurrence score based on the 21-gene breast-cancer assay has been clinically useful in predicting a chemotherapy benefit in hormone-receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, axillary lymph-node-negative breast cancer. In women with positive lymph-node disease, the role of the recurrence score with respect to predicting a benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy is unclear.

METHODS

In a prospective trial, we randomly assigned women with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, one to three positive axillary lymph nodes, and a recurrence score of 25 or lower (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a worse prognosis) to endocrine therapy only or to chemotherapy plus endocrine (chemoendocrine) therapy. The primary objective was to determine the effect of chemotherapy on invasive disease-free survival and whether the effect was influenced by the recurrence score. Secondary end points included distant relapse-free survival.

RESULTS

A total of 5083 women (33.2% premenopausal and 66.8% postmenopausal) underwent randomization, and 5018 participated in the trial. At the prespecified third interim analysis, the chemotherapy benefit with respect to increasing invasive disease-free survival differed according to menopausal status (P = 0.008 for the comparison of chemotherapy benefit in premenopausal and postmenopausal participants), and separate prespecified analyses were conducted. Among postmenopausal women, invasive disease-free survival at 5 years was 91.9% in the endocrine-only group and 91.3% in the chemoendocrine group, with no chemotherapy benefit (hazard ratio for invasive disease recurrence, new primary cancer [breast cancer or another type], or death, 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.26; P = 0.89). Among premenopausal women, invasive disease-free survival at 5 years was 89.0% with endocrine-only therapy and 93.9% with chemoendocrine therapy (hazard ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.83; P = 0.002), with a similar increase in distant relapse-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.87; P = 0.009). The relative chemotherapy benefit did not increase as the recurrence score increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Among premenopausal women with one to three positive lymph nodes and a recurrence score of 25 or lower, those who received chemoendocrine therapy had longer invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival than those who received endocrine-only therapy, whereas postmenopausal women with similar characteristics did not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. (Funded by the National Cancer Institute and others; RxPONDER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01272037.).

Ability of final PET/CT to predict response to first-line treatment in real patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma

Up to 25% of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and a negative interim PET/CT will progress. Unfortunately, there are few published studies on the predictive value of PET/CT performed after finishing treatment. The objective of our study was to assess the role of the final PET/CT (fPET/CT) in predicting progression in a retrospective series of patients treated in the last 10 years with a homogeneous protocol (ABVD + / - radiotherapy). We reviewed a cohort of 227 patients with newly diagnosed cHL. fPET/CT was performed on 212 patients (93%). In patients with a positive fPET, progression-free survival at 60 months was 17% (94% if fPET was negative, p = 0.000). The positive and negative predictive values for the fPET were 76% and 94%, respectively (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.000). In the subgroup of patients with advanced-stage cHL, progression-free survival at 60 months was 91% with negative fPET and 0% with positive fPET (p = 0.000). However, fPET was negative in 19 of the 29 patients with a positive interim PET/CT (only 2 showed progression). In conclusion, fPET is a useful tool to predict treatment failure in patients with newly diagnosed cHL, especially advanced-stage disease.

Ocular surface toxicity of depatuxizumab mafoditin (ABT-414): case reports

The purpose of this study is to report the clinical features and outcomes of ocular surface toxicity following depatuxizumab mafoditin (ABT-414) therapy for unresectable glioblastoma. Ocular signs and symptoms of three patients treated with ABT-414 during a phase III trial for glioblastoma multiforme were evaluated. Both eyes of all patients were damaged during the week after the first infusion of the ABT-414 molecule. In all patients, mild-to-moderate keratitis could be ascertained, along with decreased visual acuity and blurred vision, as well as foreign-body sensation and redness. Symptoms and visual acuity improved 4 weeks. In conclusion, ABT-414 therapy may cause transient ocular surface toxicity. The initiation of artificial tears and lubricant ointment was enough to control the ocular surface signs and symptoms. A multidisciplinary approach, complete ophthalmologic monitorization, and elaboration of protocols are required to adequately manage these patients.

Health-related quality of life with palbociclib plus endocrine therapy versus capecitabine in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer: Patient-reported outcomes in the PEARL study

BACKGROUND

The PEARL study showed that palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (palbociclib/ET) was not superior to capecitabine in improving progression-free survival in postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitors, but was better tolerated. This analysis compared patient-reported outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The PEARL quality of life (QoL) population comprised 537 patients, 268 randomised to palbociclib/ET (exemestane or fulvestrant) and 269 to capecitabine. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 and EQ-5D-3L questionnaires. Changes from the baseline and time to deterioration (TTD) were analysed using linear mixed-effect and stratified Cox regression models, respectively.

RESULTS

Questionnaire completion rate was high and similar between treatment arms. Significant differences were observed in the mean change in global health status (GHS)/QoL scores from the baseline to cycle 3 (2.9 for palbociclib/ET vs. -2.1 for capecitabine (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-8.6; P = 0.007). The median TTD in GHS/QoL was 8.3 months for palbociclib/ET versus 5.3 months for capecitabine (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.55-0.89; P = 0.003). Similar improvements for palbociclib/ET were also seen for other scales as physical, role, cognitive, social functioning, fatigue, nausea/vomiting and appetite loss. No differences were observed between the treatment arms in change from the baseline in any item of the EQ-5D-L3 questionnaire as per the overall index score and visual analogue scale.

CONCLUSION

Patients receiving palbociclib/ET experienced a significant delay in deterioration of GHS/QoL and several functional and symptom scales compared with capecitabine, providing additional evidence that palbociclib/ET is better tolerated.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02028507 (ClinTrials.gov).

EUDRACT STUDY NUMBER

2013-003170-27.

Validity and reliability of the Spanish fear-avoidance components scale in breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to carry out a psychometric analysis of the Fear-Avoidance Components Scale (FACS-Sp) in Spanish breast cancer survivors (BCS).

METHODS

A validation study was carried out in 154 BCS. Participants were recruited from the service of Medical Oncology of the University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, in Málaga (Spain). A psychometric analysis of internal consistency, internal structure and convergent validity of the FACS-Sp was performed. Cronbach's alpha was calculated for internal consistency. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to determine the internal structure of the FACS-Sp. Convergent validity with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) was determined using the Pearson correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

The internal consistency was high (McDonald's ω = 0.91). The Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded one factor explaining the 40.80% of total variance. Convergent validity with the TSK and the PCS was demonstrated.

CONCLUSIONS

The FACS-Sp has demonstrated to be a valid and reliable measure for assessing pain-related fear avoidance in BCS based on internal consistency, structural validity and convergent validity. Further studies that analyse other measurement properties in different Spanish cancer populations are needed.

The role of CDK4/6 inhibitors in early breast cancer

The use of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) has proven to be a successful strategy in the treatment of advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC), leading to a strong interest in their possible role in the treatment of early luminal BC. In this review we collect the most relevant and recent information on the use of CDK4/6i for the treatment of early BC in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Specifically, we evaluate the results of the large phase 3 adjuvant trials recently released, which have yielded apparently divergent results. We also examine the relevance of biomarkers as response predictive factors for CDI4/6i, the combination between radiotherapy and CDK4/6i, and provide a critical discussion on the evidence that we have so far and future directions of the role of these drugs in the treatment of early BC.

A New Paradigm in the Relationship between Melatonin and Breast Cancer: Gut Microbiota Identified as a Potential Regulatory Agent

In this review we summarize a possible connection between gut microbiota, melatonin production, and breast cancer. An imbalance in gut bacterial population composition (dysbiosis), or changes in the production of melatonin (circadian disruption) alters estrogen levels. On the one hand, this may be due to the bacterial composition of estrobolome, since bacteria with β-glucuronidase activity favour estrogens in a deconjugated state, which may ultimately lead to pathologies, including breast cancer. On the other hand, it has been shown that these changes in intestinal microbiota stimulate the kynurenine pathway, moving tryptophan away from the melatonergic pathway, thereby reducing circulating melatonin levels. Due to the fact that melatonin has antiestrogenic properties, it affects active and inactive estrogen levels. These changes increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Additionally, melatonin stimulates the differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes, which have low estrogen levels due to the fact that adipocytes do not express aromatase. Consequently, melatonin also reduces the risk of breast cancer. However, more studies are needed to determine the relationship between microbiota, melatonin, and breast cancer, in addition to clinical trials to confirm the sensitizing effects of melatonin to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and its ability to ameliorate or prevent the side effects of these therapies.

Feasibility and patient perception of a web-based exercise program during COVID pandemic in breast and ovarian cancer patients

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Background: Current literature shows us that therapeutic exercise has multiple benefits in oncology patients, such as improvement in quality of life or a reduction in cancer-related fatigue. Furthermore, given the risk of obesity, both exercise and diet play a key role in recovery from cancer. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, oncology patients present more difficulties to attend programs as they are considered a risk population, so new online exercise programs should be developed to ensure that patients take advantage of them in the post-COVID era. The main objective was to study patient´s perspectives and the feasibility of a web-based tailored and supervised therapeutic exercise program during COVID pandemic. Methods: A prospective study was performance on patients recruited from the Medical Oncology Unit of the Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga. Participants were between 18 and 65 years old and diagnosed of early resected breast cancer after finishing chemotherapy (CT) or metastatic ovarian (MOC) or breast cancer (MBC) with or without active treatment. Patients had had a good performance status (PS) with no prior cardiovascular history, and they were excluded if they were not used to online technologies. The duration of the program was 3 months, twice a week, delivered by a physiotherapist and a nutritionist. At the end of the program, women were asked 9 questions about their perspectives on the program. All of them signed informed consent. Results: 17 breast cancer survivor (BCS), 10 MBC and 3 MOC patients were initially recruited. From 30 patients recruited, 5 BCS did not started the program because of clinical contraindication and 5 patients left due to personal issues. 15 out of the remaining 20 completed the survey. All of patients reported that the program had contributed to improve their mood during the pandemic due to issues such functional ability, feeling better or less asthenia, and serving as improvement and encouragement in their lives. 86,7% reported having met their objectives and 100% reported going to continue doing some type of exercise or physical activity on a regular basis after the program is finished. Regarding advantages of online format compared to the face-to-face one, they reported avoiding displacement and lower risk of contagion. Lately, if they could participate again, 50% reported they would prefer online, while the remining 50% would prefer traditional modality. Conclusions: At the light of these results, the tele-exercise program contributed to improve the mood and fatigue of patients during the pandemic. The web-based program seems to be feasible and allow patients to meet their objectives after program completion and encourage them to keep doing some type of physical activity.

Genetic and clinical characterization of multigene hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) panels in Málaga (Spain)

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Background: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies have transformed hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) testing process. Several multigene panels (MP) include from 10 to 100 candidate cancer susceptibility genes, but there is a debate about what genes should and should not be tested because of lack of actionability. Few studies have been reported about MP in Europe or Spanish cancer families and no studies in Andalusian population (southern Spain). Methods: We investigated a panel of 17 known genes of high/moderate-risk for HBOC in 938 clinically suspicious HBOC Andalusian families (SEOM 2015 criteria), tested from 2017 to 2019. Multigene panel including BRCA,1 BRCA2, CHEK2, PALB2, BRIP1, ATM, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, CDH1, NF1, PTEN, p53, STK11, RAD51C and RAD51D was performed. Results: We identified 130 patients who carried a high- or moderate-risk pathogenic variants: 61 in BRCA2 (47%), 30 in BRCA 1 (23%), 10 in CHEK2 (8%), 7 in ATM (5%), 7 in PALB2 (5%), 4 in RAD51 (3%), 4 in BRIP1 (3%), 4 in MSH6 (3%), 2 in MLH1 (1,5%) and 1 in MSH2. We detected 220 patients carry variants of uncertain significance (VUS), with a total of 248 VUS (some patients carried more than one VUS): 46 (19%) in ATM, 38 (15%) in BRCA 2, 28 (11%) in MSH6, 19 (8%) in PMS2, 17 (7%) in BRIP1, 16 (6%) in NF1, 14 (6%) in MSH2 and 12 (5%) in CDH1 and PALB2. The most frequent criteria in the entire cohort was “High-grade epithelial non-mucinous ovarian cancer”, reported in 243 cases (26%)”, whereas “Breast cancer (BC) diagnostic under 35” was the most frequent criteria between positives (48 cases (40%)). One case carried two pathogenic variants: BRCA2 and MUTYH. Conclusions: This is the first study reporting the mutational profile of MP gene testing in Andalusia. 70% of mutations were due to BRCA1 and 2 followed by far by CHEK2, ATM and PALB2. We also identified a large amount of VUS in BRCA2, ATM and MSH6. MP improve the diagnostic in andalusian HBOC patients.

Functional status of patients suffering from ovarian cancer: A cross-sectional study

e17556

Background: Physical activity displays multiple benefits in oncology patients, with the strongest evidence related to breast cancer. But there is little information about patient with ovarian cancer, even less in those who are metastatic. The main objective of this study was to assess and describe the performance´s in patients suffering from ovarian cancer in terms of function and cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Methods: Patients willing to join therapeutic exercise program (TEP) were at the Medical Oncology Unit of the Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Malaga. A physiotherapist carried out an interview and a baseline assessment. The following outcomes were recorded: number of repetitions (n) performed in 30 seconds sit-to-stand test (30-STS), handgrip strength (Kg), cancer related fatigue (CRF) measured by Piper Fatigue Scale (0-10), upper and lower limb function measured by Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) and Lower Upper Limb Functional Index (LLFI), respectively (%). Results: Patients recruited had a diagnosed of an advanced ovarian cancer receiving or not active treatment. All participants had a good performance status (PS) and signed informed consent. 8 women were included, with a mean age of 52.66 (9.53) years and a mean BMI of 27.22 (4.56) kg/m2. Women performed 22 (4.24) repetitions of 30-STS test. Handgrip strength was 22 (2.7) Kg and CRF 5.43 (2.91) points. Patients reported 64.81% (34.65) and 66.83% (37.91) in ULFI and LLFI questionnaires, respectively. Conclusions: At the light of these preliminary results, ovarian cancer patients present a good level of function measured by 30-STS and a good grip strength. However, they report a moderate level of CRF and affected upper and lower limbs function. In additions, patients measured had function enough to participate in a therapeutic exercise program. Given the heterogeneity of the sample and its low number of participants, future studies with a wider sample should be carried out.

Ultrasound use in metastatic breast cancer to measure body composition changes following an exercise intervention

Changes in body composition and muscle dysfunction are common in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Ultrasound imaging (US) offers reliable information about muscle and fat tissue architecture (thickness) and quality (echo-intensity). This study aimed to analyze the responsiveness of thickness and echo-intensity and its possible relationship with functional and patient reported-outcomes (PRO) in MBC patients after an exercise intervention. A prospective study was conducted in 2019. A 12-week exercise program was performed, including aerobic exercise and strength training. Measurements were made at baseline and after intervention. Thickness and echo-intensity were obtained from the quadriceps and biceps brachii and brachialis (BB). Mean differences were calculated using the T-Student parametric test for dependent samples of the differences in the means before and after the intervention (p = 0.05; 95% CI). Data from 13 MBC patients showed that some US muscle variables had significant differences after intervention. Best correlations were found between the quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-BR23) PRO and variables from BB muscle thickness in contraction (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), and Non-contraction (r = 0.55, p < 0.01). BB Muscle Non-contraction Thickness also explained 70% of QLQ-BR23 variance. In conclusion, muscle architecture biomarkers showed great responsiveness and are correlated with PRO after an exercise intervention in MBC patients.

Structural validity and reliability of the Spanish Central Sensitization Inventory in breast cancer survivors

INTRODUCTION

One of the most widely used instruments to identify symptoms that may be related to central sensitization is the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). Although this instrument has been translated and validated in Spanish patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, no psychometric analysis has been carried out in breast cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to perform a psychometric analysis of the Spanish version of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI-Sp) in Spanish breast cancer survivors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A validation study was carried out in 183 breast cancer survivors. A psychometric analysis of internal consistency, factor structure, and test-retest reliability of the CSI-Sp was performed. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) Type 2.1. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the internal structure of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The internal consistency was high (α = 0.91). The test-retest reliability was satisfactory with excellent values (ICC 2.1 = 0.95). The exploratory factor analysis yielded a one factor structure explaining the 33.88% of total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The CSI-Sp has demonstrated to be a psychometrically strong measure for assessing central sensitization symptoms in breast cancer survivors based on internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and structural validity. Further studies that analyze other measurement properties in different Spanish clinical populations are needed.

Abstract GS3-00: First results from a phase III randomized clinical trial of standard adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) +/- chemotherapy (CT) in patients (pts) with 1-3 positive nodes, hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC) with recurrence score (RS) &lt; 25: SWOG S1007 (RxPonder)

Funding: Supported by National Cancer Institute grants U10CA180888, U10CA180819, U10CA180820, U10CA180821, U10CA180868, U10CA180863; and in part by Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Research Program, The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Genomic Health, Inc. Acknowledgement: The authors wish to thank Dr. Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, MD, for her invaluable contributions to the design and implementation of this study. Background: The clinical utility of the RS to determine CT benefit is well established in pts with HR+, HER2-, axillary lymph node (LN)-negative BC. Retrospective analyses from SWOG S8814 support the potential prognostic and predictive role of RS for CT benefit in postmenopausal pts with LN+ BC. SWOG S1007 is a prospective, randomized trial of endocrine therapy (ET) vs. chemoendocrine therapy (CET) in women with 1-3 +LN and a RS &lt; 25 (NCT01272037). Methods: Eligibility criteria included women &gt; 18 years of age with HR+, HER2- BC and 1-3 +LN and no contraindications to taxane and/or anthracycline based CT. Women with a RS &lt; 25 were randomized to receive ET or CET in 1:1 randomization using 3 stratification factors: (1) RS (0-13 vs.14-25); (2) menopausal status; and (3) axillary nodal dissection vs. sentinel node biopsy. The primary objective was to determine the effect of CT on invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and whether the effect depended on the RS. The primary analysis was to test for a significant interaction of the treatment arm and continuous RS using a Cox regression model for IDFS, adjusting for treatment, RS, and menopausal status. A total of 832 IDFS events were expected for the final analysis. Secondary objectives included overall survival (OS). The protocol specified that interaction between treatment and the stratification variables was to be tested and, if significant, separate analyses performed by stratum. Annual interim analyses were planned starting at 24% of events. At the third interim analysis with 410 IDFS events, the Data and Safety Monitoring Committee recommended reporting results, with a decision by the NCI’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, the study sponsor. Results: Of the 9,383 women screened from 2/28/11-9/29/17, 5,083 pts (54.2%) were randomized. With a median follow-up of 5.1 years, 447 IDFS events have been observed. For the primary analysis, the interaction test for CT benefit and continuous RS was not statistically significant, p=0.30. In a model with CT, RS, and menopausal status (no interaction term), higher continuous RS was associated with worse IDFS [HR 1.06, 2-sided p&lt;0.001, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04-1.07], and CT was associated with an improvement in IDFS (HR 0.81, p=0.026, 95% CI 0.67-0.98). In a pre-specified analysis, a significant interaction was identified between CT and menopausal status (p=0.004), necessitating separate analyses by menopausal status. In postmenopausal pts (N=3350, 67%), adjusting for continuous RS, the HR for CET vs. ET was not significant (HR=0.97, p=0.82, 95% CI 0.78-1.22; 5-year IDFS 91.6% vs. 91.9%) indicating no benefit from CT. In premenopausal pts (N=1665, 33%), the HR (0.54) was statistically significant (p=0.0004, 95% CI 0.38-0.76; 5-year IDFS 94.2% vs. 89.0%), indicating CT benefit. In premenopausal pts, ovarian suppression was performed in 15.9% vs. 3.7% (ET vs. CET), and 47.9% vs. 26.4% reported menstruation after 6 months of treatment. Although the number of events is limited, the HR for treatment adjusted by RS for OS in premenopausal pts was 0.47 (p=0.032, 95% CI 0.24-0.94). At this time, there is no differential effect with CT in regard to other stratification factors. Conclusions: There is a significant differential treatment effect of CT benefit based on RS for premenopausal vs. postmenopausal women requiring separate analyses. While only 54% of the protocol specified events are recorded and pts will be followed for 15 years, the current data show that adjuvant therapy can be de-escalated to ET alone in postmenopausal pts with a RS &lt; 25 and 1-3 +LN. However, there is a strong IDFS benefit for CET in premenopausal pts, with an early indication of an OS improvement.

Citation Format: Kevin Kalinsky, William E Barlow, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Julie R Gralow, Kathy S Albain, Daniel Hayes, Nancy Lin, Edith A Perez, Lori J Goldstein, Stephen Chia, Subkhbinder Dhesy-Thind, Priya Rastogi, Emilio Alba, Suzette Delaloge, Miguel Martín, Miguel Gil Gil, Claudia Arce-Salinas, Etienne Brain, In Hae Park, Jean-Yves Pierga, Ana Hernandez Lluch, Manuel Ramos Vasquez, Manuel Ruiz Borrego, Kyung Hae Jung, Jean-Marc Ferrero, Anne Schott, Steve Shak, Priyanka Sharma, Danika L Lew, Jieling Miao, Debu Tripathy, Gabriel Hortobagyi, Lajos Pusztai. First results from a phase III randomized clinical trial of standard adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) +/- chemotherapy (CT) in patients (pts) with 1-3 positive nodes, hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer (BC) with recurrence score (RS) &lt; 25: SWOG S1007 (RxPonder) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr GS3-00.

Addressing disparities and challenges in underserved patient populations with metastatic breast cancer in Europe

People with metastatic breast cancer face many challenges and disparities in obtaining optimal cancer care. These challenges are accentuated in underserved patient populations across Europe, who are less likely to receive quality healthcare for reasons including socioeconomic inequalities, educational or cultural status, or geographic location. While there are many local and national initiatives targeted to address these challenges, there remains a need to reduce disparities and improve access to healthcare to improve outcomes, with a focus on multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement. In October 2019, a range of experts in metastatic breast cancer, including healthcare professionals, patient representatives, policymakers and politicians, met to discuss and prioritize the critical needs of underserved patient populations with metastatic breast cancer in Europe. Six key challenges faced by these communities were identified: the need for amplification of the metastatic breast cancer patient voice, better and wider implementation of high-quality guidelines for metastatic breast cancer, more collaboration between stakeholders, tailored support for patients from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, improved data sharing, and work-related issues. The Expert Panel then conceived and discussed potential actionable goals to address each key challenge. Their conclusions present a set of interrelated approaches to address the different challenges and could serve as the basis for concerted improvement of the lives of patients with metastatic breast cancer in Europe.

Ocular side effects of checkpoint inhibitors

The incidence and impact of ocular side effects in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors are not clearly defined. We reviewed prospective phase III clinical trials of checkpoint inhibitors applied in lung cancer, renal cell cancer, and melanoma. Case reports of the occurrence of ocular toxicities in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors were also included. Of the 35 articles corresponding to phase III clinical trials with checkpoint inhibitors, ocular toxicity was described in four. Forty-six clinical cases of ocular toxicity after therapy with checkpoint inhibitors have been reported. The most frequently described ocular toxicities are uveitis, inflammatory orbital disease, and alterations of the ocular surface. Ocular toxicity is underestimated in checkpoint inhibitors clinical trials. Early ophthalmic examination and treatment with corticosteroids may improve the visual prognosis in these patients.

Machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) approach to predict early progression to first-line treatment in real-world hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

CDK4/6 inhibitors plus endocrine therapies are the current standard of care in the first-line treatment of HR+/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, but there are no well-established clinical or molecular predictive factors for patient response. In the era of personalised oncology, new approaches for developing predictive models of response are needed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data derived from the electronic health records (EHRs) of real-world patients with HR+/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer were used to develop predictive models for early and late progression to first-line treatment. Two machine learning approaches were used: a classic approach using a data set of manually extracted features from reviewed (EHR) patients, and a second approach using natural language processing (NLP) of free-text clinical notes recorded during medical visits.

RESULTS

Of the 610 patients included, there were 473 (77.5%) progressions to first-line treatment, of which 126 (20.6%) occurred within the first 6 months. There were 152 patients (24.9%) who showed no disease progression before 28 months from the onset of first-line treatment. The best predictive model for early progression using the manually extracted dataset achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.734 (95% CI 0.687-0.782). Using the NLP free-text processing approach, the best model obtained an AUC of 0.758 (95% CI 0.714-0.800). The best model to predict long responders using manually extracted data obtained an AUC of 0.669 (95% CI 0.608-0.730). With NLP free-text processing, the best model attained an AUC of 0.752 (95% CI 0.705-0.799).

CONCLUSIONS

Using machine learning methods, we developed predictive models for early and late progression to first-line treatment of HR+/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, also finding that NLP-based machine learning models are slightly better than predictive models based on manually obtained data.

Palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy versus capecitabine in hormonal receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2-negative, aromatase inhibitor-resistant metastatic breast cancer: a phase III randomised controlled trial-PEARL

BACKGROUND

Palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (ET) is the standard treatment of hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, its efficacy has not been compared with that of chemotherapy in a phase III trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PEARL is a multicentre, phase III randomised study in which patients with aromatase inhibitor (AI)-resistant MBC were included in two consecutive cohorts. In cohort 1, patients were randomised 1 : 1 to palbociclib plus exemestane or capecitabine. On discovering new evidence about estrogen receptor-1 (ESR1) mutations inducing resistance to AIs, the trial was amended to include cohort 2, in which patients were randomised 1 : 1 between palbociclib plus fulvestrant and capecitabine. The stratification criteria were disease site, prior sensitivity to ET, prior chemotherapy for MBC, and country of origin. Co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) in cohort 2 and in wild-type ESR1 patients (cohort 1 + cohort 2). ESR1 hotspot mutations were analysed in baseline circulating tumour DNA.

RESULTS

From March 2014 to July 2018, 296 and 305 patients were included in cohort 1 and cohort 2, respectively. Palbociclib plus ET was not superior to capecitabine in both cohort 2 [median PFS: 7.5 versus 10.0 months; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 1.13; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85-1.50] and wild-type ESR1 patients (median PFS: 8.0 versus 10.6 months; aHR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.87-1.41). The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicities with palbociclib plus exemestane, palbociclib plus fulvestrant and capecitabine, respectively, were neutropenia (57.4%, 55.7% and 5.5%), hand/foot syndrome (0%, 0% and 23.5%), and diarrhoea (1.3%, 1.3% and 7.6%). Palbociclib plus ET offered better quality of life (aHR for time to deterioration of global health status: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.53-0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no statistical superiority of palbociclib plus ET over capecitabine with respect to PFS in MBC patients resistant to AIs. Palbociclib plus ET showed a better safety profile and improved quality of life.

Challenges and achievements of liquid biopsy technologies employed in early breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women worldwide and its early detection is crucial to curing the disease. Tissue biopsy, currently the method of choice to obtain tumour molecular information, is invasive and might be affected by tumour heterogeneity rendering it incapable to portray the complete molecular picture. Liquid biopsy permits to study disease features in a more comprehensive manner by sampling biofluids and extracting tumour components such as circulating-tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating-tumour cells (CTCs), and/or circulating-tumour RNA (ctRNA) amongst others in a monitoring-compatible manner. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the utilization of the circulating tumour components using early breast cancer samples. We review the most important analytes and technologies employed for their study.

Breast and Gut Microbiota Action Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Pathogenesis and Treatment

In breast cancer (BC) the employment of sequencing technologies for metagenomic analyses has allowed not only the description of the overall metagenomic landscape but also the specific microbial changes and their functional implications. Most of the available data suggest that BC is related to bacterial dysbiosis in both the gut microenvironment and breast tissue. It is hypothesized that changes in the composition and functions of several breast and gut bacterial taxa may contribute to BC development and progression through several pathways. One of the most prominent roles of gut microbiota is the regulation of steroid-hormone metabolism, such as estrogens, a component playing an important role as risk factor in BC development, especially in postmenopausal women. On the other hand, breast and gut resident microbiota are the link in the reciprocal interactions between cancer cells and their local environment, since microbiota are capable of modulating mucosal and systemic immune responses. Several in vivo and in vitro studies show remarkable evidence that diet, probiotics and prebiotics could exert important anticarcinogenic effects in BC. Moreover, gut microbiota have an important role in the metabolism of chemotherapeutic drugs and in the activity of immunogenic chemotherapies since they are a potential dominant mediator in the response to cancer therapy. Then, the microbiome impact in BC is multi-factorial, and the gut and breast tissue bacteria population could be important in regulating the local immune system, in tumor formation and progression and in therapy response and/or resistance.