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SummaryBackgroundWe aimed to report on long-term outcomes of patients with small, node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab and to establish potential biomarkers to predict prognosis. MethodsIn this open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study, patients aged 18 years or older, with small (≤3 cm), node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1, were recruited from 16 institutions in 13 cities in the USA. Eligible patients were given intravenous paclitaxel (80 mg/m 2) with intravenous trastuzumab (loading dose of 4 mg/kg, subsequent doses 2 mg/kg) weekly for 12 weeks, followed by trastuzumab (weekly at 2 mg/kg or once every 3 weeks at 6 mg/kg) for 40 weeks to complete a full year of trastuzumab. The primary endpoint was 3-year invasive disease-free survival. Here, we report 10-year survival outcomes, assessed in all participants who received protocol-defined treatment, with exploratory analyses using the HER2DX genomic tool. This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00542451, and is closed to accrual. FindingsBetween Oct 29, 2007, and Sept 3, 2010, 410 patients were enrolled and 406 were given adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab and included in the analysis. Mean age at enrolment was 55 years (SD 10·5), 405 (99·8%) of 406 patients were female and one (0·2%) was male, 350 (86·2%) were White, 28 (6·9%) were Black or African American, and 272 (67·0%) had hormone receptor-positive disease. After a median follow-up of 10·8 years (IQR 7·1–11·4), among 406 patients included in the analysis population, we observed 31 invasive disease-free survival events, of which six (19·4%) were locoregional ipsilateral recurrences, nine (29·0%) were new contralateral breast cancers, six (19·4%) were distant recurrences, and ten (32·3%) were all-cause deaths. 10-year invasive disease-free survival was 91·3% (95% CI 88·3–94·4), 10-year recurrence-free interval was 96·3% (95% CI 94·3–98·3), 10-year overall survival was 94·3% (95% CI 91·8–96·8), and 10-year breast cancer-specific survival was 98·8% (95% CI 97·6–100). HER2DX risk score as a continuous variable was significantly associated with invasive disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] per 10-unit increment 1·24 [95% CI 1·00–1·52]; p=0·047) and recurrence-free interval (1·45 [1·09–1·93]; p=0·011). InterpretationAdjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab is a reasonable treatment standard for patients with small, node-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer. The HER2DX genomic tool might help to refine the prognosis for this population. FundingGenentech.

In a trial of patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), addition of the ATR inhibitor berzosertib to gemcitabine improved progression free survival (PFS) compared to gemcitabine alone but biomarkers predictive of treatment are lacking. Here we report a candidate biomarker of response to gemcitabine versus combined gemcitabine and ATR inhibitor therapy in HGSOC ovarian cancer. Patients with replication stress (RS)-high tumors (n = 27), defined as harboring at least one genomic RS alteration related to loss of RB pathway regulation and/or oncogene-induced replication stress achieve significantly prolonged PFS (HR = 0.38, 90% CI, 0.17–0.86) on gemcitabine monotherapy compared to those with tumors without such alterations (defined as RS-low, n = 30). However, addition of berzosertib to gemcitabine benefits only patients with RS-low tumors (gemcitabine/berzosertib HR 0.34, 90% CI, 0.13–0.86) and not patients with RS-high tumors (HR 1.11, 90% CI, 0.47–2.62). Our findings support the notion that the exacerbation of RS by gemcitabine monotherapy is adequate for lethality in RS-high tumors. Conversely, for RS-low tumors addition of berzosertib-mediated ATR inhibition to gemcitabine is necessary for lethality to occur. Independent prospective validation of this biomarker is required. A randomized phase 2 study recently showed that the addition of ATR inhibitor berzosertib to gemcitabine improved PFS compared to gemcitabine alone in patients with ovarian cancer. In this preplanned exploratory study, the authors demonstrate that a genomic biomarker of replication-stress is associated with outcome to gemcitabine alone and may predict which patients benefit from addition of the ATR inhibitor berzosertib.

Daily azithromycin decreases acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), but long-term side effects are unknown. To identify the types of exacerbations most likely to be reduced and clinical subgroups most likely to benefit from azithromycin, 250 mg daily, added to usual care. Enrollment criteria included irreversible airflow limitation and AECOPD requiring corticosteroids, emergency department visit, or hospitalization in the prior year or use of supplemental oxygen. Recurrent events and cumulative incidence analyses compared treatment received for AECOPD by randomization group, stratified by subgroups of interest. Cox proportional hazards models estimated treatment effects in subgroups adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, FEV1% predicted, concomitant COPD medications, and oxygen use. Azithromycin was most effective in reducing AECOPD requiring both antibiotic and steroid treatment (n = 1,113; cumulative incidence analysis, P = 0.0002; recurrent events analysis, P = 0.002). No difference in treatment response by sex (P = 0.75), presence of chronic bronchitis (P = 0.19), concomitant inhaled therapy (P = 0.29), or supplemental oxygen use (P = 0.23) was observed. Older age and milder Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage were associated with better treatment response (P = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). A significant interaction between treatment and current smoking was seen (P = 0.03) and azithromycin did not reduce exacerbations in current smokers (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.38; P = 0.95). Azithromycin is most effective in preventing AECOPD requiring both antibiotic and steroid treatment. Adjusting for confounders, we saw no difference in efficacy by sex, history of chronic bronchitis, oxygen use, or concomitant COPD therapy. Greater efficacy was seen in older patients and milder Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages. We found little evidence of treatment effect among current smokers. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT0011986 and NCT00325897).

The landscape of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) resistance is still being elucidated and the optimal subsequent therapy to overcome resistance remains uncertain. Here we present the final results of a phase Ib/IIa, open-label trial (NCT02871791) of exemestane plus everolimus and palbociclib for CDK4/6i-resistant metastatic breast cancer. The primary objective of phase Ib was to evaluate safety and tolerability and determine the maximum tolerated dose/recommended phase II dose (100 mg palbociclib, 5 mg everolimus, 25 mg exemestane). The primary objective of phase IIa was to determine the clinical benefit rate (18.8%, n  = 6/32), which did not meet the predefined endpoint (65%). Secondary objectives included pharmacokinetic profiling (phase Ib), objective response rate, disease control rate, duration of response, and progression free survival (phase IIa), and correlative multi-omics analysis to investigate biomarkers of resistance to CDK4/6i. All participants were female. Multi-omics data from the phase IIa patients ( n  = 24 tumor/17 blood biopsy exomes; n  = 27 tumor transcriptomes) showed potential mechanisms of resistance (convergent evolution of HER2 activation, BRAF V600E ), identified joint genomic/transcriptomic resistance features ( ESR1 mutations, high estrogen receptor pathway activity, and a Luminal A/B subtype; ERBB2 / BRAF mutations, high RTK/MAPK pathway activity, and a HER2-E subtype), and provided hypothesis-generating results suggesting that mTOR pathway activation correlates with response to the trial’s therapy. Our results illustrate how genome and transcriptome sequencing may help better identify patients likely to respond to CDK4/6i therapies. Intrinsic and acquired resistances to CDK4/6 inhibitors have been described in patients with breast cancer. Here the authors report the results from a phase I/II clinical trial of the aromatase inhibitor exemestane plus everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) and palbociclib (CDK4/6i) in patients with metastatic breast cancer, assessing safety, clinical efficacy, as well as genomic and transcriptomic determinants of resistance.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have minimal therapeutic effect in hormone receptor-positive (HR+ ) breast cancer. We present final overall survival (OS) results ( n  = 88) from a randomized phase 2 trial of eribulin ± pembrolizumab for patients with metastatic HR+ breast cancer, computationally dissect genomic and/or transcriptomic data from pre-treatment tumors ( n  = 52) for molecular associations with efficacy, and identify cytokine changes differentiating response and ICI-related toxicity ( n  = 58). Despite no improvement in OS with combination therapy (hazard ratio 0.95, 95% CI 0.59–1.55, p  = 0.84), immune infiltration and antigen presentation distinguished responding tumors, while tumor heterogeneity and estrogen signaling independently associated with resistance. Moreover, patients with ICI-related toxicity had lower levels of immunoregulatory cytokines. Broadly, we establish a framework for ICI response in HR+ breast cancer that warrants diagnostic and therapeutic validation. ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT03051659. A randomized phase 2 clinical trial has recently shown no benefit of the combination eribulin and pembrolizumab over pembrolizumab alone in HR + metastatic breast cancer patients (NCT03051659). Here, the authors are reporting the final OS data and biomarker analyses on a subset of samples to analyze molecular correlates

In the phase II NIMBUS trial, patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and high tumor mutational burden (TMB ≥ 9 mut/Mb) received nivolumab (3 mg/kg biweekly) and low-dose ipilimumab (1 mg/kg every 6 weeks) for 2 years or until progression. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST 1.1 criteria. Among 30 patients enrolled, the median TMB was 10.9 mut/Mb (range: 9–110) and the confirmed objective response rate was 20%. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival, overall survival, clinical benefit rate, and safety and tolerability, including immune-related adverse events (irAEs). A prespecified correlative outcome was to evaluate the ORR in patients with a TMB ≥ 14 mut/Mb. Patients with TMB ≥ 14 mut/Mb (n = 6) experienced higher response rates (60% vs 12%; p = 0.041) and showed a trend towards improved progression-free survival and overall survival compared to patients with TMB < 14 mut/Mb. Exploratory genomic analyses suggested that ESR1 and PTEN mutations may be associated with poor response, while clinical benefit was associated with a decrease or no change in tumor fraction by serial circulating tumor DNA during treatment. Stool microbiome analysis revealed that baseline blood TMB, PD-L1 positivity, and immune-related diarrhea are associated with distinct taxonomic profiles. In summary, some patients with hypermutated HER2-negative MBC experience extended clinical benefit with a dual immunotherapy regimen; a higher TMB, and additional genomic and microbiome biomarkers may optimize patient selection for therapy with nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab. (Funded by Bristol Myers Squibb; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT03789110). The current use of immune checkpoint inhibitors without chemotherapy on patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has not proven useful. Here this group reports a phase 2 NIMBUS trial evaluating the efficacy/safety of nivolumab + low dose ipilimumab in 30 patients with hypermutated HER2-negative MBC.

PurposeMost reports describing the risk of late relapse in breast cancer (BC) have been based on selected patients enrolled into clinical trials. We examined population-based long-term risks of BC-specific mortality (BCSM), the risks of BCSM conditional on having survived 5 years, and factors associated with late BCSM.MethodsUsing SEER, we identified women diagnosed with BC (T1-T2, N0-N2, M0) between 1990 and 2005 with known hormone receptor (HR) status. Kaplan–Meier analyses determined cumulative risks of BCSM. We performed Fine and Gray regression stratified by HR status.ResultsWe included 202,080 patients (median follow-up of 14.17 years). Of all BC deaths, the proportion that occurred after 5 years was 65% for HR-positive vs 28% for HR-negative (p < 0.001) BC. In HR-positive BC, the cumulative risks of BCSM during years 5–20 were 9.9%, 21.9%, and 38% for N0, N1, and N2 disease. For HR-negative BC, the risks were 7.9%, 12.2%, and 19.9%, respectively. For T1a/b, N0, HR-positive BC, the risk of BCSM was 6 times lower than the risk of non-BCSM. In N2, HR-positive BC, the risk of BCSM was 43% higher than the risk of non-BCSM. In adjusted Fine and Gray models stratified by HR status, the risks of BCSM conditional on having survived 5 years for both HR-positive and HR-negative depended on T-N status, age, and year of diagnosis. In HR-positive, the risks also depended on race and grade.ConclusionThe risks of BCSM beyond 5 years, although different, remain important for both HR-positive and HR-negative BC. Strategies to prevent early and late recurrences are warranted.

Patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR + )/HER2- breast cancer may benefit from neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) plus chemotherapy. The effect of chemotherapy or ICI run-in before combination therapy in this population is unexplored. In this randomized pilot trial, patients with HR + /HER2- breast cancer received two weeks of neoadjuvant nab-paclitaxel or pembrolizumab, with baseline and post-run-in tumor biopsy, followed by combined nab-paclitaxel/pembrolizumab. The primary endpoint was PD-L1 expression change between biopsies. Tumor whole exome/RNA sequencing were performed. Of 29 patients, 72% were node-positive. Residual cancer burden (RCB) 0-1 rate was 28% (inclusive of patients receiving additional neoadjuvant adriamycin/cyclophosphamide). No significant change in PD-L1 expression occurred following nab-paclitaxel or pembrolizumab run-in, thus the primary endpoint was not met. Other secondary outcome measures included overall response rate of 80% to the neoadjuvant regimen, and 3-year event-free survival of 86% (95% CI 69-100%); there were no unexpected safety signals. In exploratory biomarker analyses, higher baseline PD-L1 expression and inflammatory gene signatures were associated with favorable response (RCB 0-1); higher expression of estrogen response genes, with unfavorable response (RCB 2-3). Clinical Trial Number: NCT02999477 Despite often being poorly immunogenic, some subsets of patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR + /HER2-) breast cancer benefit from immunotherapy. Here, the authors present a randomised pilot clinical trial comparing a neoadjuvant run-in of either nab-paclitaxel or pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) monotherapy, followed by the combination, in patients with stage II-III HR + /HER2- breast cancer.

De-escalating adjuvant therapy following pathologic complete response (pCR) to an abbreviated neoadjuvant regimen in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is the focus of international research efforts. However, the feasibility of this approach and its appeal to patients and providers had not been formally investigated. We aimed to assess adherence to de-escalated adjuvant antibody doublet therapy (trastuzumab and pertuzumab [HP], without chemotherapy) among patients with pCR following neoadjuvant paclitaxel/HP (THP). In this single-arm prospective trial, patients with treatment-naïve stage II-III HER2+ breast cancer received neoadjuvant weekly paclitaxel ×12 and HP every 3 weeks ×4. The primary endpoint was receipt of adjuvant non-HER2-directed cytotoxic chemotherapy. Ninety-eight patients received ≥1 dose of THP on study. Patients had median age of 50 years, 86% had stage II tumors, and 34% were hormone receptor-negative. Five patients had incomplete clinical response following THP and received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide before surgery; they were classified as non-pCR and censored from further analyses. The overall pCR rate was 56.7%. Among patients with pCR, the adherence rate to de-escalated antibody-only therapy (HP) was 98.2% (95% CI 90.3–100.0%), and the primary feasibility endpoint was reached. The majority of patients felt positive or neutral about their adjuvant treatment plans. With brief follow-up (median 19.1 months), there were no breast cancer recurrences. De-escalation of adjuvant chemotherapy among patients who experience pCR in early-stage HER2+ breast cancer is a practicable approach for both patients and physicians. Planned and ongoing prospective trials will determine the long-term efficacy of this approach.Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03716180, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03716180.

Background Compared to older adults with breast cancer (BC), adolescents and young adults (AYAs) develop more aggressive disease necessitating more intensive therapy with curative intent, which is disruptive to planned life trajectories. The burden of unmet needs among AYA BC survivors exists in two domains: (1) symptoms (e.g., sexual problems, anxiety, fatigue, stress, hot flashes) and (2) AYA concerns (e.g., fertility, genetics, relationships, economic attainment). Improved attention to concerns and symptoms may improve symptom management and quality of life. The Young, Empowered and Strong (YES) trial tests the efficacy of a 9-month, multicomponent digital health intervention that includes monthly assessments of prevalent symptoms, a chat room, and journal to engage and support AYAs with BC by providing tailored information, resources, and support outside of the clinical setting. Methods YES is a multicenter, randomized controlled trial across three academic institutions in the United States with 400 participants randomized to either the YES intervention or usual care arm. Inclusion criteria include biologically female; 15–39 years of age at diagnosis of stage 0-III BC; within 3 years of diagnosis; no known evidence of recurrence; no prior history of new malignancy since initial BC diagnosis; and ability to access medical records from treatment site. All participants complete REDCap surveys at baseline, and at 3, 6, and 9 months post-enrollment. The primary outcome is quality of life as measured by the Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors Scale (QLACS), with changes from baseline to 6-months in QLACS scores, compared by arm. Secondary outcomes include patient reported AYA concerns/needs, emotional symptoms, general health, physical symptoms, and health behaviors, Discussion Study findings will provide valuable insight into the ability of the YES digital health intervention to address symptoms and concerns of AYA BC survivors and assist them to track and self-manage their own symptoms, concerns, and needs related to their cancer outside of the clinic. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04906200, registered May 13, 2021.