Laura G. Estévez

Evidence-Based Use of Neoadjuvant Taxane in Operable and Inoperable Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC) is standard therapy for patients with locally advanced breast cancer and is increasingly used for early-stage operable disease. The aim of NC is a pathological complete response (pCR) in the breast and axillary lymph nodes, which is the best predictor of improved outcome and prolonged survival. The taxanes docetaxel and paclitaxel are potent agents in breast cancer management, with promising single-agent activity and acceptable tolerability in the neoadjuvant setting. In this review of the taxanes as NC for operable and inoperable breast cancer, we include all fully published Phase II-III studies enrolling ≥30 patients. Current evidence suggests that the sequential administration of taxane- and anthracycline-based therapy may be superior to concomitant administration. Indeed, until the recent Phase III Aberdeen study (n = 162), it was uncertain whether NC could prolong survival. In this study, sequential docetaxel after anthracycline-based NC significantly enhanced the clinical response rate and pathological complete response, and yielded a significant 3-year survival advantage, versus anthracycline-based NC alone. Recently, the Phase III National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) trial B27 trial (n = 2411) showed that sequential docetaxel after doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide significantly increased both clinical and pathological response rates for operable breast cancer, with the benefit evident in both estrogen receptor-positive and estrogen receptor-negative patients. This apparent superiority of a sequential anthracycline-taxane regimen is limited to docetaxel, with no similar Phase III trials of paclitaxel versus a non-taxane-based comparator having been conducted to date. In conclusion, current evidence supports the inclusion of a taxane in NC schedules for patients with large and locally advanced breast cancer.

A Phase II Study of Capecitabine and Vinorelbine in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Pretreated with Anthracyclines and Taxanes

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of capecitabine in combination with vinorelbine in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this prospective, multicenter, open-label phase II trial, patients received capecitabine (2000 mg/m2 daily, taken in 2 oral doses) on days 1-14 and vinorelbine (25 mg/m2 intravenous infusion) on days 1 and 8. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks up to a maximum of 6 cycles, unless disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred or patient consent was withdrawn. RESULTS Thirty-one patients were included and received 152 cycles of chemotherapy, with a median of 3 cycles per patient. All patients were evaluated for efficacy and toxicity in an intent-to-treat analysis. The overall response rate was 49% (95% CI, 30%-67%), including 4 complete (13%) and 11 partial (36%) responses. With a median follow-up time of 9 months, the median time to disease progression was 7.6 months (95% CI, 5.7-9.8 months), and the median survival time was 27.2 months. The most frequent severe hematologic toxicities were neutropenia (48% of patients) and leukopenia (10% of patients). Vomiting (16% of patients) was the most common nonhematologic toxicity, while asthenia, bone pain, dyspnea, plantar-palmar erythrodysesthesia, nausea, and transaminase elevation were observed in 6%-10% of patients. There was 1 death from septic shock. CONCLUSION Capecitabine in combination with vinorelbine is an effective and safe schedule for patients with MBC pretreated with anthracycline- and taxane-containing regimens.

Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer: past, present and future

Combined treatments together with surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy have contributed substantially to the improved survival rate in breast cancer. For more than 2 decades, tamoxifen has been the standard endocrine agent for hormone receptor-positive tumors. Third-generation aromatase inhibitors have, however, now proven to be superior to tamoxifen in the adjuvant and, more recently, the neoadjuvant treatment of postmenopausal patients. They have especially improved the surgical management of large or inoperable locally advanced breast tumors. Other advantages of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy are just emerging, but there are still many unanswered questions regarding its optimal use in this setting. A need to define how to select the patients who will benefit most from these therapies, the optimal duration of treatment, the best method to evaluate the treatment response achieved, the existence of predictive factors for response, or the superiority of certain endocrine agents over others has been observed. Other questions regarding which complementary local and systemic treatments should be administered after neoadjuvant endocrine therapy or which efficacy endpoints should be evaluated in clinical trials are also of interest. To answer as many of these questions as possible, we have carried out a critical analysis of the current literature on the use of endocrine therapy in the neoadjuvant setting of breast cancer. In this review, we outline the rationale for its use, and consider data published to date to further clarify how to optimize its administration.

An Overview of Letrozole in Postmenopausal Women with Hormone-Responsive Breast Cancer

Third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have proven to be superior to tamoxifen in terms of time to disease progression in patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive (HR+) status and, nowadays, are used in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, and first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer. Letrozole is a third generation AI, as are anastrozole and exemestane. In the past, clinical studies had demonstrated that letrozole was effective as a second-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In this paper, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of letrozole are reviewed along with its activity in preclinical and clinical settings. Additionally, the results of important clinical trials such as Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98, which tested the optimal initial adjuvant endocrine treatment and the sequential therapy with letrozole and tamoxifen, MA-17 that evaluates the benefits of extended adjuvant therapy, and other important studies in advanced and neoadjuvant disease, are reviewed. Safety comparisons of treatments are also addressed. Interestingly, about 50% of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancers are HR+. However, HER2 positivity is a marker of antiestrogen treatment resistance. Because of this, a dual treatment is a logical approach when both receptors are overexpressed. The combination of lapatinib and letrozole leads to a significant improvement in the overall disease outcome. Also, the combination of everolimus plus letrozole has been tested in this setting. In fact, the coadministration of both agents seems to increase the efficacy of letrozole in newly-diagnosed HR+ patients. Once resistance to sequential trastuzumab and AI as monotherapy has been found, trastuzumab and letrozole combined in HR+ and HER2+ patients with advanced breast cancer can overcome resistance to both drugs administered as single agents, according to recently reported results.

Current perspectives of treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ.

DCIS is a genetically diverse group of diseases with different prognosis. The similarities between DCIS and ductal infiltrating carcinoma (DIC) suggest that the key step in tumorigenesis is the transformation from high grade ductal hyperplasia to DCIS. The prognostic factors of DCIS include anatomo-pathologic factors, age and molecular factors. The key questions for DCIS management include: which patients are more likely to present an invasive failure; in which an excision is sufficient and who can be spared from radiation therapy. The role of post operative radiation therapy to reduce by 50-60% ipsilateral invasive and non-invasive local failure has been established in four randomized clinical trials. The question whether radiation therapy can be avoided in some patients remains controversial. Treatment with tamoxifen should be recommended to patients with estrogen receptor positive tumors who have been treated with conservative surgery. However, data from randomized trials suggest that addition of tamoxifen to locoregional treatment decreases the recurrence rate of invasive cancer as well as contralateral tumors. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for patients with clinically palpable, large DCIS in which the risk of microinvasion is high as well as in extensive DCIS requiring mastectomy. Mammography continues to be the best method to detect DCIS. Newer digital mammography improves the detection of microcalcifications. Current ultrasound can detect associated invasive cancer. MRI is also useful in DCIS. Combined with mammography, MRI increases the diagnoses of DCIS. Current trend includes the use of radiology guided-vacuum assisted-large bore needles that allow obtaining larger amounts of tissue, improving diagnostic yield.

Gemcitabine and Carboplatin for Patients With Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer remains poor. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy produces a modest benefit in survival compared with that observed with best supportive care. Gemcitabine (Gemzar; Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN), a novel nucleoside antimetabolite, is active and well tolerated. The combination of gemcitabine/cisplatin has shown a significant improvement in response rate and survival over cisplatin alone. Phase III trials comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin with older combinations such as cisplatin/etoposide or mitomycin/ifosfamide/cisplatin have shown a higher activity for gemcitabine/cisplatin; however, the best way to combine these drugs remains unclear. In addition, the 3-week schedule has obtained a higher dose intensity with less toxicity and similar efficacy as the 4-week schedule. The role of carboplatin in combination with new drugs is still under evaluation. Gemcitabine/carboplatin seems to be a good alternative, with the advantage of ambulatory administration and lower nonhematologic toxicity. The 4-week schedule has produced frequent grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in some studies. The 3-week schedule, using gemcitabine on days 1 and 8 and carboplatin on day 1, is a convenient and well-tolerated regimen. The toxicity profile is acceptable without serious symptoms. This schedule could be considered a good option as a standard regimen. Semin Oncol 28 (suppl 10):4-9.

Molecular effects of lapatinib in patients with HER2 positive ductal carcinoma in situ

IntroductionHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification is frequent in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast and is associated with poorly differentiated tumors and adverse prognosis features. This study aimed to determine the molecular effects of the HER2 inhibitor lapatinib in patients with HER2 positive DCIS.MethodsPatients with HER2 positive DCIS received 1,500 mg daily of lapatinib for four consecutive weeks prior to surgical resection. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine changes in tumor volume. The molecular effects of lapatinib on HER2 signaling (PI3K/AKT and RAS/MAPK pathways), cell proliferation (Ki67 and p27) and apoptosis (TUNEL) were determined in pre and post-lapatinib treatment samples.ResultsA total of 20 patients were included. Lapatinib was well tolerated with only minor and transient side effects. The agent effectively modulated HER2 signaling decreasing significantly pHER2 and pERK1 expression, together with a decrease in tumor size evaluated by MRI. There was no evidence of changes in Ki67.ConclusionsFour weeks of neoadjuvant lapatinib in patients with HER2-positive DCIS resulted in inhibition of HER2 and RAS/MAPK signaling pathway.Trial registration2008-004492-21 (Registered June 25th 2008).

SEOM clinical guidelines for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Patients with metastatic breast cancer have a wide number of treatment options, including medical, surgical, and supportive care measures. Treatment decisions are based in predictive and prognostic factors and the informed choice of the patients. SEOM has elaborated these guidelines with evidence-based recommendations for the diagnostic work-up, treatment (chemotherapy, endocrine therapy and targeted therapies) and supportive care for the management of these patients.

Can Oncotype DX Recurrence Score (RS) be used in Luminal A and Luminal B breast cancer patients (pts) to predict the likely benefit of chemotherapy? A retrospective unicentric study in Spanish population.

40 Background: The 2011 St Gallen guidelines recommend the use of Ki67 as a surrogate marker for luminal A and Luminal B breast cancer subtypes. Pts with luminal B subtypes should be treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. The guidelines also recognize the Oncotype DX RS as a predictor of chemotherapy benefit. The aim of this study is to assess the distribution of the RS in luminal A and luminal B breast cancer subtypes as defined by Ki67. METHODS Data from 131 pts with invasive breast cancer for which Oncotype DX results and pathology data were available. Pathological assessment was evaluated by the same pathologist. Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor was assessed by immunostaining (cut-off 10% nuclear staining). Ki67 was assessed by IHC [high (≥14%) and low (< 14%)]. Histological grade was performed by using Nottingham grading system. RESULTS Median age: 50 (range: 35-78); premenopausal status: 53 pts (44.2%). Median tumor size: 1, 5 cm (0, 3-5); Median of Ki 67 index: 15 (range: 3-63); 79 pts (66.4%) had negative-lymph nodes. Seventy (58.3%) tumors were classified as Luminal B (Ki 67 ≥14%) and 50 (41.7%) as Luminal A. Grade III were more common in Luminal B 14 (20.3%) than in Luminal A 1 pts (2%) patients (p=0.003). Chemotherapy was the first recommendation in 29 pts (41.4%) with Luminal B vs. 7 pts (14%) with Luminal A; hormonotherapy was the first recommendation in 32 pts (45.7%) with Luminal B and 37 pts (74%) in Luminal A (p =0.003). In the Luminal B group, Recurrence Score results was low in 42 (60%) pts, intermediate in 19 (27.1%) and high in 9 (12.9%) while in the Luminal A group 31 (62%) had low; 16 (32%) intermediate and 3 (6%) high Recurrence Score results (p=0.433). RS changed the first treatment recommendation in 35 (50%) cases of Luminal B subtype vs. 14 (28%) cases in Luminal A subtype (p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS The results show that a substantial number (60%) pts with Luminal B breast cancer subtype had a low RS, therefore preserving them from adjuvant chemotherapy treatment. The wide range of RS in both Luminal B and Luminal A breast cancer subtypes confirm the important role of Oncotype DX in treatment decision making.

Inhibiting the PI3K signaling pathway: buparlisib as a new targeted option in breast carcinoma

AbstractAberrations in the PI3K signaling pathway are frequently observed in patients with breast cancer. Because of that, PI3K inhibitors are attractive options for the treatment of breast cancer because PI3K is the most proximal component of the pathway other than receptor tyrosine kinases. Buparlisib is a potent and highly specific oral pan-class I PI3K inhibitor, which is currently under investigation in patients with breast cancer. In this article, we describe the PI3K signaling pathway, the prognostic value of PI3K pathway mutations, as well as the mechanism of action of buparlisib. Lastly, we discuss preliminary results of preclinical and clinical studies showing the efficacy and safety profile of this agent in breast cancer patients.