Abstract P1-07-20: Developing prognostic indicators of poor outcomes in PRAEGNANT metastatic breast cancer cohort

Background: Despite novel, targeted therapies, metastatic breast cancer patients have an extremely unfavourable prognosis. Prognostic and predictive factors for patients with advanced breast cancer are not well understood. Molecular assessment of the patient and the tumor in the metastatic situation is not routinely performed despite advances in molecular precision medicine indicating great benefit to this patient group. Here we present early findings from the first 142 patients of a prospective molecular breast cancer registry with completed transcriptomic profiling.

Methods: The PRAEGNANT study proctocol (NCT02338767) is a molecular registry designed to provide an infrastructure for the real-time comprehensive analysis of tumor and patient molecular characteristics under study conditions. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumors have been used from this registry to identify molecular, transcriptomic predictors for overall survival (OS).

Known clinical correlates for OS (e.g. hormone-receptor status, age at diagnosis, and BMI) were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard ratios, and compared to transcriptomic markers of outcomes. Transcriptomes for all patient tumors were sequenced on the Illumina sequencing platform, and analyzed by RSEM to estimate transcripts per million (TPM) values for each gene isoform. Log-TPM values were used in established (PAM50) and novel (hierarchical clustering) expression-based subtyping of tumor samples. Expression-based subtypes were demonstrated to be strong prognostic indicators by Cox analysis. A Lasso regression machine learning algorithm was used to develop an expression-based predictive model of OS.

Results: Hormone receptor positivity (HR=0.7, p<0.006) and TNBC status (HR=1.4, p<0.01) were significantly associated with outcomes. PAM50 subtypes were also strong indicators of outcomes (e.g. Basal disease compared to Luminal-A subtype has HR=1.4, p<0.017). A novel expression-based high-risk cluster in this cohort was more indicative of poor prognosis than clinical variates or Basal-type, with a HR=2.7 (p<0.009) when compared to Luminal-A subtype. An expression-based survival prediction model achieved a concordance-index of 0.65 in an unseen validation cohort. Patients predicted as having the shortest survival times were in the high-risk cluster.

Conclusions: Here we demonstrate using molecular profiling to develop prognostic signatures that out-perform standard clinical correlates of poor outcomes, even in a small subset of the total cohort. As the PRAEGNANT cohort expands these prognostic tools will continue to improve and supplement physician knowledge to improve patient outcomes.

Citation Format: Szeto C, Benz S, Nguyen A, Rübner M, Wallwiener D, Tesch H, Hadji P, Fehm TN, Janni W, Overkamp F, Lueftner D, Lux MP, Wallwiener M, Beckmann MW, Huebner H, Ettl J, Hartkopf AD, Mueller V, Taran FA, Belleville E, Schneeweiss A, Soon-Shiong P, Rabizadeh S, Fasching PA. Developing prognostic indicators of poor outcomes in PRAEGNANT metastatic breast cancer cohort [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-07-20.

Abstract OT1-03-05: The DETECT V-Study – Comparison of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab plus pertuzumab in combination with chemo- or endocrine therapy in addition with CDK4/6 inhibition in patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer

Background:Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is usually an incurable disease and maintenance of quality of life (QoL) is one of the main aims of therapy. In patients with HER2-positive MBC taxane-based chemotherapy in combination with dual HER2 targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, has shown significantly increased progression free survival and overall survival. Adverse events are well-known side effects of any cytostatic treatment and can seriously impact the patients' QoL.

The synergistic combination of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab plus endocrine therapy might offer a better treatment option for these patients. Preclinical data and first clinical trial results suggest an additional benefit when a CDK4/6 inhibitor is added to the combination of endocrine therapy and anti HER2 treatment. DETECT V is a randomized phase III study comparing the safety and efficacy of trastuzumab plus pertuzumab in combination with either endocrine therapy or chemotherapy. In both treatment arms the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib will be added.

Trial design and eligibility criteria: Patients are 1:1 randomized to receive dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with endocrine therapy and ribociclib or to chemotherapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab followed by maintenance therapy with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, endocrine therapy and ribociclib when chemotherapy has stopped.

The sample size calculations are based on the assumption that the probability of having an adverse event as defined by the modified adverse event score for patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer in the chemotherapy arm is 86.3%. Based on this assumption, a minimum of 121 patients per treatment arm is required to detect a 25% decreased risk of having an adverse event as defined by the modified adverse event score (i.e. a relative risk ratio of 0.75) for patients treated with dual HER2-targeted plus endocrine therapy and ribociclib as compared to patients treated with dual HER2-targeted plus chemotherapy with the combination of endocrine therapy and ribociclib as maintenance treatment (90% power, two-sided test, α = 0.05).

Specific aims: The primary objective of this study is to assess the tolerability of both treatment strategies, as assessed by the occurrence of AEs during the treatment period. Modified adverse event score was developed in order to better reflect the clinical, physiological and psychological impact of AEs on patients' QoL. Key secondary endpoint, besides the efficacy endpoints progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival, is to compare quality-adjusted survival (QAS), as measured using the quality-adjusted time without symptoms and toxicity (Q-TWiST) method, between both treatment arms.

The DETECT V trial comes along with a comprehensive translational program focusing on detection and phenotyping of circulating tumor cell (CTC)-and the assessment of marker expression on CTCs in order to calculate an endocrine responsiveness score.

Citation Format: Romashova T, Polasik A, Friedl TWP, Rack B, Tzschaschel M, Fasching PA, Taran F-A, Hartkopf A, Schneeweiss A, Mueller V, Bahriye A, Pantel K, Meier-Stiegen F, Wimberger P, Janni W, Fehm T, Huober J. The DETECT V-Study – Comparison of dual HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab plus pertuzumab in combination with chemo- or endocrine therapy in addition with CDK4/6 inhibition in patients with HER2-positive and hormone-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-03-05.

Abstract P6-11-10: Impact of disease progression on health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer in the PRAEGNANT breast cancer registry

Background: Improved progression-free survival is considered as treatment goal for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) since it is assumed to delay or prevent deterioration of quality of life.Aim of our analysis was to examine the influence of disease progression on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: The PRAEGNANT study comprises a real-life registry for patients with MBC. HRQoL was assessed with the EORTC-QLQ-C30 Version 3.0 questionnaire at study entry and every 3 months thereafter. The primary endpoint was minimally important deterioration (MID) in global HRQoL score by ≥ five points between baseline and any follow-up assessment. A logistic regression model was built with MID (yes/no) at a follow-up timepoint as outcome variable and several covariates as predictors.

Results: In total, 329 patients were included in this analysis, with disease progression in 63 patients. Concerning the primary study aim, progression status predicted MID of global HRQoL status in addition to the other covariates. The adjusted odds ratio for the effect of progression status on MID was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.04 – 4.73). Comparisons of mean differences of QoL domains/scales yielded no differences.

Conclusions: We provide evidence that disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer in a real-world registry has a significant negative impact on HRQoL as measured by MID of HRQoL. This study emphasizes the relevance of avoiding progression and prolonging PFS to maintain QoL.

Citation Format: Wallwiener M, Nabieva N, Haeberle L, Taran FA, Hartkopf AD, Volz B, Overkamp F, Brandl AL, Kolberg H-C, Hadji P, Tesch H, Ettl J, Lux MP, Lueftner D, Belleville E, Fasching PA, Janni W, Beckmann MW, Wimberger P, Hielscher C, Fehm T, Brucker SY, Wallwiener D, Schneeweiss A, Mueller V. Impact of disease progression on health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer in the PRAEGNANT breast cancer registry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-11-10.

Discordance in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Phenotype Between Primary Tumor and Circulating Tumor Cells in Women With HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

Purpose

Discordance in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status between primary tumor and metastases might have important implications for treatment response and therapy decisions. Here, we evaluate both the frequency of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and the factors predicting HER2 discordance between primary tumor and CTCs as a potential surrogate for tumor biology and tumor heterogeneity in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

The number of CTCs in 7.5 mL of peripheral blood and HER2 status were evaluated in 1,123 women with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. HER2 discordance was defined as the presence of at least one CTC with a strong immunocytochemical HER2 staining intensity. Factors predicting discordance in HER2 phenotype were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Overall, 711 (63.3%) of 1,123 screened patients were positive for CTCs (≥ one CTC). Discordance in HER2 phenotype between primary tumor and CTCs was observed in 134 patients (18.8%) and was significantly associated with histologic type (lobular v ductal; odds ratio [OR], 2.67; 95% CI, 1.63 to 4.39; P < .001), hormone receptor status (positive v negative; OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.15 to 7.02; P = .024), and CTC number (≥ five v one to four; OR, 7.64; 95% CI, 3.97 to 14.72; P < .001).

Conclusion

HER2 discordance between primary tumor and CTCs was observed in 18.8% of patients and was associated with histologic type, hormone receptor status of the primary tumor, and CTC number. The clinical utility of CTCs as liquid biopsy to assess tumor heterogeneity of metastatic disease and guide treatment decisions must be evaluated in prospective randomized trials.

Circulating Tumour Cell Release after Cement Augmentation of Vertebral Metastases

Cement augmentation via percutaneous vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty for treatment of spinal metastasis is a well-established treatment option. We assessed whether elevated intrametastatic pressure during cement augmentation results in an increased dissemination of tumour cells into the vascular circulation. We prospectively collected blood from patients with osteolytic spinal column metastases and analysed the prevalence of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) at three time-points: preoperatively, 20 minutes after cement augmentation, and 3–5 days postoperatively. Enrolling 21 patients, including 13 breast- (61.9%), 5 lung- (23.8%), and one (4.8%) colorectal-, renal-, and prostate-carcinoma patient each, we demonstrate a significant 1.8-fold increase of EpCAM+/K+ CTCs in samples taken 20 minutes post-cement augmentation (P < 0.0001). Despite increased mechanical CTC dissemination due to cement augmentation, follow-up blood draws demonstrated that no long-term increase of CTCs was present. Array-CGH analysis revealed a specific profile of the CTC collected 20 minutes after cement augmentation. This is the first study to report that peripheral CTCs are temporarily increased due to vertebral cement augmentation procedures. Our findings provide a rationale for the development of new prophylactic strategies to reduce the increased release of CTC after cement augmentation of osteolytic spinal metastases.

A randomized, open-label, multicentre, phase IV study evaluating palbociclib plus endocrine treatment versus a chemotherapy based treatment strategy in patients with hormone receptor positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer in a real world setting

TPS1115

Background: Although endocrine based therapy is recommended as first-line treatment in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in patients with an HER2-/HR+ tumour up to 50% of the patients receive chemotherapy. Palbociclib (P) a CDK4/6 inhibitor improves PFS by 42% in endocrine sensitive and resistant HER2-/HR+ MBC when added to an endocrine therapy (ET). Patients included in clinical trials are often criticised not to be representative for real world breast cancer patients. Methods: Patients with first-line HER2-/HR+ MBC who are candidate for mono-chemotherapy will be eligible to be randomised 1:1 to receive either P plus ET per label or mono-chemotherapy per investigator´s choice with or without maintenance ET. In both study arms, treatment will be given until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent of the patient or change of initial treatment plan (either planned six chemotherapy cycles followed by maintenance ET or chemotherapy until disease progression). Primary objective is to compare the time-to-treatment failure (TTF), defined as time from randomization to discontinuation of treatment for any reason, including disease progression, treatment toxicity and death. Secondary objectives are progression free survival, overall survival at 36 months, amongst other time to event endpoints; investigator assessed overall clinical response; toxicity and compliance; patient well-being and health care utilization by daily monitoring treatment impact. Aim: 360 patients will be accrued to show an improved TTF for P in combination with ET. Recruitment will start in QII/2017 and is planned for approximately 18 months in 100 sites in Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, France, UK and Canada. Conclusions: The aim of the trial is to demonstrate that an endocrine based strategy consisting of ET plus P is superior to a chemotherapy based strategy as first-line therapy in women with HER2-/HR+ breast cancer in a real world setting.

PLA2G7 associates with hormone receptor negativity in clinical breast cancer samples and regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cultured breast cancer cells

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths in women due to distinct cancer subtypes associated with early recurrence and aggressive metastatic progression. High lipoprotein‐associated phospholipase A2 (PLA2G7) expression has previously been associated with aggressive disease and metastasis in prostate cancer. Here, we explore the expression pattern and functional role of PLA2G7 in breast cancer. First, a bioinformatic analysis of genome‐wide gene expression data from 970 breast samples was carried out to evaluate the expression pattern of PLA2G7 mRNA in breast cancer. Second, the expression profile of PLA2G7 was studied in 1042 breast cancer samples including 89 matched lymph node metastasis samples using immunohistochemistry. Third, the effect of PLA2G7 silencing on genome‐wide gene expression profile was studied and validated in cultured breast cancer cells expressing PLA2G7 at high level. Last, the expression pattern of PLA2G7 mRNA was investigated in 24 nonmalignant tissue samples and 65 primary and 7 metastatic tumour samples derived from various organs using qRT‐PCR. The results from clinical breast cancer samples indicated that PLA2G7 is overexpressed in a subset of breast cancer samples compared to its expression in benign breast tissue samples and that high PLA2G7 expression associated with hormone receptor negativity as well as with poor prognosis in a subset of breast cancer samples. In vitro functional studies highlighted the putative role of PLA2G7 in the regulation of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related signalling pathways, vimentin and E‐cadherin protein expression as well as cell migration in cultured breast cancer cells. Furthermore, supporting the findings in breast and prostate cancer, high PLA2G7 mRNA expression was associated with metastatic cancer in four additional organs of origin. In conclusion, our results indicate that PLA2G7 is highly expressed in a subset of metastatic and aggressive breast cancers and in metastatic samples of various tissues of origin and promotes EMT and migration in cultured breast cancer cells.

Abstract P1-01-03: Dynamics of circulating tumor cells during the course of chemotherapy and prognostic relevance across molecular subtypes in high-risk early breast cancer patients – Results from the adjuvant SUCCESS A trial

Background: The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) before chemotherapy is known to be associated with reduced disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in early breast cancer (EBC). In addition, recent findings suggest that CTCs persisting after adjuvant chemotherapy indicate poor prognosis. In an explorative analysis of the SUCCESS A trial, we evaluated the prognostic relevance of changes in CTC counts during the course of adjuvant chemotherapy across molecular subtypes to assess whether the prognostic role of persisting CTCs varies according to tumor biology.

Methods: The SUCCESS A trial is a phase III study, where patients with high-risk EBC (stage pN1-3 or pT2-4 or grade 3 or age ≤ 35 or hormone-receptor negative) were randomized to adjuvant chemotherapy with 3 cycles of epirubicin-fluorouracil-cyclophosphamide followed by either 3 cycles of docetaxel or 3 cycles of gemcitabine-docetaxel. CTC enumeration was performed before and after chemotherapy using the FDA-approved CellSearch® System (Janssen Diagnostics, LLC), and CTC positivity was defined as ≥ 1 CTC in 23 ml blood. Molecular subtypes were defined as luminal A like (hormone-receptor positive, grading 1 or 2), luminal B like (hormone-receptor positive, grading 3), triple-negative or HER2-positive. Patient outcome in terms of DFS and OS was analyzed using univariate log-rank tests and Cox regression models (median follow-up time 65.2 months).

Results: Data on both molecular subtypes and CTC status before and after chemotherapy were available for 1485 (39.6%) of 3754 patients randomized. This cohort contained 577 (38.9%) luminal A like, 236 (15.9%) luminal B like, 379 (25.5%) HER2-positive and 293 (19.7%) triple negative tumors. Overall, 917 (61.8%) patients were CTC negative before and after chemotherapy (neg/neg), 260 (17.5%) patients had a negative CTC status before and a positive CTC status after chemotherapy (neg/pos), 229 (15.4%) patients converted from positive to negative CTC status (pos/neg), and 79 (5.3%) patients were positive for CTCs at both time points (pos/pos). There were significant differences in DFS and OS among these four groups in patients with luminal A like tumors (log rank test, both p &lt; 0.003) and patients with luminal B like tumors (log rank test, both p &lt; 0.001). In both patients with luminal A like or luminal B like tumors, persistently CTC positive patients had the worst outcome (relative to persistently CTC-negative patients) in terms of DFS and OS. In contrast to luminal-like tumors, no significant differences with regard to DFS or OS were found among the four groups (neg/neg, neg/pos, pos/neg, pos/pos) in patients with HER2-positive or triple-negative tumors (log rank test, all p &gt; 0.13).

Conclusion: The presence of CTCs both before and after adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with poor survival in luminal A like and luminal B like tumors, but not in HER2-positive or triple-negative tumors. Further research is needed to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy on CTC prevalence in different molecular subtypes of EBC.

Citation Format: Tzschaschel MLJ, Rack B, Andergassen U, Friedl TWP, Schneeweiss A, Mueller V, Tanja F, Pantel K, Gade J, Lorenz R, Rezai M, Tesch H, Soeling U, Polasik A, Alunni-Fabbroni M, Trapp EK, Mahner S, Schindlbeck C, Lichtenegger W, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Janni W. Dynamics of circulating tumor cells during the course of chemotherapy and prognostic relevance across molecular subtypes in high-risk early breast cancer patients – Results from the adjuvant SUCCESS A trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-01-03.

Abstract P6-13-02: Efficacy of first-line bevacizumab (BEV)-containing therapy for poor-prognosis advanced breast cancer (aBC): Subgroup analyses of the German AVANTI observational study

Background: The multicenter AVANTI observational study is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of EU-approved BEV-containing regimens (BEV + paclitaxel [PAC] or BEV + capecitabine [CAP]) as first-line therapy for HER2-negative aBC in German routine oncology practice.

Methods: Eligible patients (pts) had received no prior chemotherapy (CT) for aBC and had no BEV contraindications. CT schedule, diagnostics, and frequency of follow-up visits are at the physician's discretion. Data are collected for 1 year after starting BEV, with 6-monthly follow-up for 1.5 years thereafter. We explored treatment outcomes in pts with triple-negative aBC (TNBC), pts considered at high risk according to a simple prognostic index for OS in BEV-treated pts [Llombart, 2014], and subgroups defined by timing of BEV+CT initiation.

Results: Between Oct 2009 and Feb 2015, 2168 pts treated at 331 centers received BEV+PAC (n=1774) or BEV+CAP (n=394). Of these, 445 (21%) had TNBC and 306 (14%) met the high-risk criteria. Within the hormone receptor-positive (HR+) subgroup, pts receiving endocrine therapy (ET) before BEV+CT were older than pts starting BEV+CT immediately (median age 65 vs 60 years, respectively) and included a smaller proportion with ECOG performance status 0 (39% vs 47%), visceral metastases (70% vs 77%), or prior (neo)adjuvant CT exposure (46% vs 57%). In all subgroups, median BEV treatment duration was longer than median CT duration. At the data cutoff for this interim analysis (Mar 1, 2015), median duration of observation was 10.8 (range &lt;0.1–47.5) months. The table shows treatment exposure and efficacy overall and in selected subgroups.

table 1 All pts (n=2168)TNBC (n=445)aHR+ with immediate BEV+CT (n=1260)a,bHR+ with ET before BEV+CT (n=309)a,bHigh riskc (n=306)bBEV+PAC, n (%)1774 (82)352 (79)b1062 (84)238 (77)229 (75)Treated until PD, n (%)b,d640 (30)180 (40)314 (25)104 (34)125 (41)BEV+CT until PD449 (21)143 (32)210 (17)61 (20)99 (32)Single-agent BEV until PD191 (9)37 (8)104 (8)43 (14)26 (8)Median BEV duration, months (95% CI)5.9 (5.6–6.3)5.1 (4.9–5.6)6.4 (5.9–7.0)5.6 (5.1–6.5)5.1 (4.6–5.6)Median CT duration, months4.6 (4.4–4.9)3.9 (3.5–4.2)4.9 (4.6–5.1)4.6 (4.2–5.1)3.9 (3.3–4.4)No. of PFS events/pts (%)e1238/2154 (57)302/441 (68)667/1255 (53)187/307 (61)210/306 (69)Median PFS, months (95% CI)10.1 (9.7–10.7)7.2 (6.2–8.0)11.5 (10.8–12.3)9.0 (8.3–10.0)6.4 (5.9–7.4)a154 pts could not be classified as TNBC or HR+ because of missing HR status information. bPost hoc analysis. c≥3 of the 5 risk factors (disease-free interval ≤24 months; ECOG performance status ≥2; liver metastases and/or ≥3 metastatic organ sites; TNBC; prior (neo)adjuvant anthracycline and/or taxane). dData available only in pts with documented end of treatment. ePFS data missing in 14 pts.

Conclusions: Interim results from this large observational study indicate that first-line BEV+CT is an effective therapy in all risk subgroups of a general population of pts with HER2-negative aBC treated in routine oncology practice, including pts with a particularly poor prognosis. Results of these exploratory subgroup analyses suggest that BEV+CT could be considered irrespective of HR status.

Citation Format: Mueller V, Jakob A, Aktas B, Pott D, Grafe A, Jungberg P, Maerz W, Fett W, Bruch H-R, Klare P, Boller E, Hoefflin S, Schneeweiss A. Efficacy of first-line bevacizumab (BEV)-containing therapy for poor-prognosis advanced breast cancer (aBC): Subgroup analyses of the German AVANTI observational study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-13-02.

In vitro study comparing the efficacy of the water-soluble HSP90 inhibitors, 17-AEPGA and 17-DMAG, with that of the non‑water-soluble HSP90 inhibitor, 17-AAG, in breast cancer cell lines

Heat shock protein (HSP)90 has emerged as an important target in cancer therapeutics. Diverse HSP90 inhibitors are under evaluation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the growth inhibitory effects of the newly developed water-soluble HSP90 inhibitors, 17-[2-(Pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl]amino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AEPGA) and 17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG), compared to that of the non-water-soluble HSP90 inhibitor, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG). The anti-proliferative effects of the 3 drugs on the human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, SKBR-3 and MDA-MB-231, were examined in vitro. In addition, tumor progression factors, including human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR1) and insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF1R), as well as apoptotic markers were analysed. We found a time- and dose-dependent effect in all the tested cell lines. The effects of 17-AEPGA and 17-DMAG were equal or superior to those of 17-AAG. The 50% growth inhibition concentration was <2 µM for the water-soluble compounds following 72 h of exposure. The significant inhibition of HER2, EGFR1 and IGF1R protein expression was already evident at the concentration of 1 µM. Apoptosis was examined by caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) assay at the concentration of 1 µM of the inhibitors. HSP70 was upregulated, but HSP27 expression was not affected. Our data indicate that 17-AEPGA and 17-DMAG are highly active in breast cancer cell lines and may help to overcome the delivery issues associated with the use of 17-AAG.

Dimensionality, Stability, and Validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in Cancer Patients Receiving Curative and Palliative Treatment

CONTEXT

Hopelessness is a clinically important construct in patients with advanced illness.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the dimensionality, stability, and validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) in cancer patients receiving either curative or palliative treatment.

METHODS

Following a longitudinal design, we assessed a sample of cancer patients receiving either curative or palliative treatment (N = 315) at baseline and at follow-up after 12 months (N = 158). In addition to hopelessness, we measured depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), and health-related quality of life (Short-Form Health Survey-8). We analyzed dimensionality, stability, and construct validity of the BHS using confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis and correlational analysis.

RESULTS

Independent of treatment intention, confirmatory factor analyses resulted in unsatisfactory model fits. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution in both groups receiving curative or palliative treatment. Factor 1 reflected pessimistic/resigned beliefs (Cronbach alpha ≥ 0.85), Factor 2 reflected positive beliefs toward the future (Cronbach alpha = 0.73). Both subscales showed significant associations with anxiety, depression, and decreased health-related quality of life. The factorial structure was partially replicated in patients being reexamined after 12 months (CMIN/DF = 2.130, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.0716, Comparative Fit Index = 0.904, Tucker-Lewis-Index = 0.883, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.085). Hopelessness scores were significantly higher in patients reporting suicidal ideation according to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates psychometric limitations of the BHS in patients receiving both curative and palliative treatment, suggesting reduced utility in cancer populations. Given the clinical importance of the construct, a cancer-specific approach to capture the unique meaning of hopelessness in patients with severe medical illness is recommended.

Abstract B70: p16 and 9p21 deletion are largely unrelated but linked to unfavorable tumor phenotype in breast cancer

Overexpression of the p16 tumor suppressor, but also deletion of its gene locus 9p21, has been linked to unfavorable tumor phenotype and poor patient outcome in breast cancer. To better understand these seemingly contradictory observations, and the prognostic impact of p16 expression and 9p21 deletion in breast cancer, we analyzed a tissue microarray (TMA) with 2,197 breast cancers by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) using a CDKN2A-specific probe and by p16 immunohistochemistry. p16 immunostaining was typically uniform and considered weak in 25.6%, moderate in 7.1%, and strong in 12.7% of 1,684 analyzable cancers. Strong p16 staining was significantly linked to advanced tumor stage (p=0.0003), high-grade (p&lt;0.0001), high tumor cell proliferation (p&lt;0.0001), negative hormone receptor (ER/PR) status (p&lt;0.0001 each), and shortened overall survival (p=0.0038). 9p21 deletion was found in 15.3% of 1,089 analyzable breast cancers, including 1.7% homozygous and 13.6% heterozygous deletions. 9p21 deletion was significantly linked to adverse tumor features, including high-grade (p&lt;0.0001) and nodal positive cancers (p=0.0063), high cell proliferation (p&lt;0.0001), negative hormone receptor (ER/PR) status (p≤0.0006), and HER2 amplification (p=0.0078). Patient outcome was also worse in p16 deleted than in undeleted cancers but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=0,0720). p16 expression was absent in cancers harboring homozygous 9p21 deletions. However, a striking difference in p16 expression was not found between cancers with (59.2% p16 positive) and without heterozygous 9p21 deletion (51.3% p16 positive, p=0.0256). In conclusion, p16 expression is unrelated to 9p21 deletion, but both alterations are linked to aggressive breast cancer phenotype. High level p16 expression is a strong predictor of unfavorable disease course in breast cancer.

Citation Format: Patrick Lebok, Magdalena Roming, Martina Kluth, Christina Koop, Cansu Oezden, Brevian Taskin, Khakan Hussein, Anette Lebeau, Isabell Witzel, Sven Mahner, Stefan Geist, Peter Paluchowski, Christian Wilke, Uwe Heilenkoetter, Volkmar Mueller, Ronald Simon, Guido Sauter, Luigi Terracciano, Rainer Krech, Albert von der Assen, Eike Burandt. p16 and 9p21 deletion are largely unrelated but linked to unfavorable tumor phenotype in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr B70.

Abstract OT3-02-09: Seraphina – Safety efficacy and patient reported outcomes of advanced breast cancer patients: Therapy management with NAB-paclitaxel in daily routine

BACKGROUND

Treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC) has evolved significantly. Nevertheless, further improvement in ABC treatment is a high medical need. Besides the prolongation of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) the major objective of new therapeutic approaches is the enhancement of quality of life (QoL). A recent advance for the treatment of ABC was the development of the cremophor-free albumin-bound paclitaxel, nab-Paclitaxel.

SPECIFIC AIMS/TRIAL DESIGN

The aim of this non-interventional study is the analysis of efficacy and safety data of ABC patients within routine treatment with nab-Paclitaxel. A key focus will be the assessment of patient reported outcomes (PRO), health economic aspects and the influence of breast cancer patient characteristics on prognosis, adverse event frequencies, PRO and therapy decision making. Patients with ABC, who experienced failure of first-line treatment for metastatic disease and for whom standard anthracycline-containing therapy is not indicated, will be followed up under real-life conditions. Sixty sites, equally distributed with regard to their organizational structure (hospital and office based) and medical disciplines (gyneco-oncologists and medical oncologists) will document 1,200 patients. The primary objective is the assessment of PFS under real-life conditions. Secondary objectives include the assessment of overall and breast cancer specific survival, the influence of age on prognosis and QoL, as well as the incidence of (serious) adverse events (AE). PRO including FACT-B, FACT-Taxane, and nab-Paclitaxel treatment specific questions will be collected in a web based application and compared to paper based reporting. Furthermore, biomaterials will be collected to allow translational research projects.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Adult women (&gt;18 years) with ABC and treated with nab-Paclitaxel.

STATISTICAL METHODS/TARGET ACCRUAL:

In Germany nab-Paclitaxel is indicated for patients with metastatic breast cancer after failure of a previous therapy in ABC. In this therapeutic setting several studies have shown high efficacy and acceptable toxicity. However, populations within clinical trials are selected and may be different from the general patient population in clinical practice. Therefore this study aims at the capture of PFS, PRO and AE in the general population for which nab-Paclitaxel is used in clinical practice. Nab-Paclitaxel treatment will be documented over a period of up to 6 months, followed by a 30 months progression/ survival follow-up. Target accrual is 1,200 patients. We assume that at most 10% are lost to follow-up before the median survival time is reached. Kaplan-Meier curves will be calculated, especially the median survival time with 95% confidence interval.

Citation Format: Fasching PA, Wallwiener M, Lux MP, Mueller V, Schneeweiss A, Tesch H, Brucker SY, Haeberle L, Spall T, Belleville E, Lück H-J. Seraphina – Safety efficacy and patient reported outcomes of advanced breast cancer patients: Therapy management with NAB-paclitaxel in daily routine. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-02-09.

Abstract P6-17-08: Brain metastases in breast cancer network Germany (BMBC, GBG 79): First analysis of 548 patients from the multicenter registry

Background: The incidence of brain metastases (BM) in breast cancer patients is rising and has become a major clinical challenge. So far, limited therapeutic options and insights into the biology of BM exist since only a few studies analyzed exclusively data of breast cancer patients. In order to improve this situation, our multicenter registry was initiated in 2014: Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Network Germany (BMBC, GBG79).

Materials and Methods: Patients with BM diagnosed since 2000, a history of breast cancer and no history of other malignant or neurologic disease can be included. Registration is allowed retrospectively as well as prospectively into a web–based database ("MedCodes"). Characteristics of the primary tumor, metastatic disease and BM as well as treatment details are documented. For this first analysis, 548 patients from 39 German centers were included.

Results: Median age at first diagnosis of BM was 55 years (25 – 90 years). 43% of patients (233/548) were HER2 positive, 19% (n=105) were triple–negative and 25% (n= 138) had luminal primary tumors indicating a selection of patients with specific tumor biology who develop BM. 54 % of the patients (n=267) had up to three BM whereas 45% (n=223) had more than three BM. 19% of patients (n=106) had BM without evidence of extracranial disease. 27% of the patients (n=146) underwent surgery of the BM. Of these patients, 61% (n= 89) were treated with whole brain radiotherapy and 16% (n=23) with stereotactic radiotherapy. In patients without surgery (n=397), 73% (n=289) received whole brain radiotherapy and 7% (n=28) stereotactic radiotherapy.

Median time from diagnosis of primary breast cancer to BM was 38.5 month for the entire cohort (CI95% 35.4 – 43.3). The time from first diagnosis to BM was shorter for triple–negative patients (20.9 month, CI95% 15.5 – 25.9) compared with patients with HER2–positive (37.0 month, CI95% 30.5 – 42.0) or luminal tumors (48.3 month, CI95% 38.2 – 54.0) (p&lt;0.001). Median time from first diagnosis of BM to death in the entire cohort was 6.1 months (CI95%: 5.2 – 7.3). One year survival rate from diagnosis of BM was 32.2 % (CI95%: 2.2 – 67.8). Regarding tumor subtypes, HER2–positive patients had the longest median survival with 9.4 months (CI95%: 7.1 – 13.4) compared with 6 months (CI95%: 4.0 – 7.3) for luminal primary tumors and 3.2 months (CI95%: 2.1 – 4.6) for triple–negative patients (p&lt;0.001). HER2 positive patients receiving HER2–directed therapy after the diagnosis of BM lived longer than those without (median 9.6 vs. 5.5 months, p=0.029). Regarding the number of BM, no difference in survival was observed between one, two or three BM (median survival of 7.8 months). However, survival was shorter in those patients with more than three BM (5.2 months; p=0.007).

Conclusion: This is so far the largest analysis of breast cancer patients with BM treated in Germany. In this cohort, triple–negative subtype or more than three BM were associated with shorter survival from the diagnosis of BM. HER2 positive patients with no HER2 directed therapy after the diagnosis of BM showed a shorter survival. The recruitment of the registry is ongoing and we aim to include more than 1000 patients by the end of 2015.

Citation Format: Witzel I, Loibl S, Laakmann E, Augustin D, Flock F, Dohmen H-H, Durmus G, Frank M, Hesse T, Ignatov A, Kühn T, Neunhöffer T, Park-Simon T-W, Schmidt M, Stefek A, Weide R, Würschmidt F, Fehm T, Moebus V, von Minckwitz G, Burchardi N, Mueller V. Brain metastases in breast cancer network Germany (BMBC, GBG 79): First analysis of 548 patients from the multicenter registry. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-17-08.

Potential Involvement of Jagged1 in Metastatic Progression of Human Breast Carcinomas

BACKGROUND

Jagged1, the ligand of Notch, has been shown to be involved in formation of bone metastases in an experimental study. Here, clinical relevance of Jagged1 expression in tumor progression was assessed in human breast carcinomas.

METHODS

Jagged1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 228 tumor tissue samples and compared to clinicopathologic parameters and patients' outcomes. Furthermore, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood of 100 unmatched metastatic cancer patients with progressive disease were enriched using Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and detected by pan-keratin/Jagged1/CD45 immunofluorescent staining.

RESULTS

Jagged1 expression was detected in 50% of 228 tumors. Jagged1 expression was correlated with higher tumor grade (P = 0.047), vascular invasion (P = 0.026), luminal B subtype (P = 0.016), overexpression of Her-2 (P = 0.001), high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.035), and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) positivity (P = 0.013). Jagged 1 expression indicated shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.040) and metastasis-free survival (P = 0.048) in lymph node–negative breast cancer for which it was the only independent predictor of DFS (multivariate analysis, P = 0.046). Tumors characterized by the strongest Jagged1 staining intensity (7.5% of cases) correlated with lymph node positivity (P = 0.037), metastatic relapse (P = 0.049), and higher number of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow aspirates (P = 0.041). Twenty-one unmatched metastatic breast cancer patients with progressive disease were positive for CTCs, and 85.7% of the CTCs also expressed Jagged1. The presence of Jagged1(+) CTCs was significantly associated with shorter progression-free survival in patients treated with bisphosphonates (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

Jagged1 expression characterizes more aggressive breast carcinoma and might be involved in tumor cell dissemination, metastatic progression, and resistance to bone-targeting therapy in breast cancer patients.

Abstract A59: Prognostic relevance of PTEN and TP53 deletion in breast cancer

Inactivation of PTEN and TP53 have been suggested to promote unfavorable phenotypes in various cancers, including breast cancer. Chromosomal deletion is one well established mechanism for inactivation of these genes. In breast cancer, deletions of TP53 and PTEN are known to occur, but systematic analyses of its clinical relevance are lacking. We thus analyzed a tissue microarray (TMA) with 2,197 breast cancers by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) using specific probes against TP53 and PTEN in combination with respective centromere probes. We found, that TP53 deletion (29%/1026 cancers) occur more frequent in breast cancers than deletions of PTEN (19%/1,239 cancers). The frequency of PTEN deletion varied between histological subtypes with highest deletion rate in medullary cancers (18 of 39, 46%) and lowest deletion rate in mucinous cancers (1 of 28; 3%; p&lt;0.0001) for mucinous vs. medullary). PTEN deletions were significantly linked to various unfavorable tumor features, including advanced tumor stage (p=0.0054), high-grade (p&lt;0.0001), high tumor cell proliferation (Ki67 Labeling Index; p&lt;0.0001), and shortened overall survival (p=0.0090). Deletions of TP53 were significantly linked to high-grade (p&lt;0.0001) and high tumor cell proliferation (p=0,0193) but unrelated to histological subtypes, tumor stage, nodal status, and patient survival. Deletion of PTEN and TP53 were unrelated to each other (p=0.6469). Combined analysis of PTEN and TP53 deletions showed that TP53 deletion had no additional effect on patient prognosis in cancers with or without PTEN deletion. In conclusion, our data support a role of PTEN and TP53 deletions in breast cancer. However, only PTEN deletion is inked to aggressive tumor behavior, while TP53 deletion has no prognostic relevance in breast cancer.

Citation Format: Martina Kluth, Anette Lebeau, Isabell Witzel, Sven Mahner, Linn Woelber, Stefan Geist, Peter Paluchowski, Christian Wilke, Uwe Heilenkoetter, Volkmar Mueller, Ronald Simon, Guido Sauter, Luigi Terracciano, Rainer Krech, Albert von der Assen, Eike Burandt, Patrick Lebok. Prognostic relevance of PTEN and TP53 deletion in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research; Oct 17-20, 2015; Bellevue, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A59.

Beyond Bevacizumab: An Outlook to New Anti-Angiogenics for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

In addition to the monoclonal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab, several alternative anti-angiogenic treatment strategies for ovarian cancer patients have been evaluated in clinical trials. Apart from targeting extracellular receptors by the antibody aflibercept or the peptibody trebananib, the multikinase inhibitors pazopanib, nintedanib, cediranib, sunitinib, and sorafenib were developed to interfere with VEGF receptors and multiple additional intracellular pathways. Nintedanib and pazopanib significantly improved progression-free survival in two positive phase III trials for first-line therapy. A reliable effect on overall survival could, however, not be observed for any anti-angiogenic first-line therapies so far. In terms of recurrent disease, two positive phase III trials revealed that trebananib and cediranib are effective anti-angiogenic agents for this indication. Patient selection and biomarker guided prediction of response seems to be a central aspect for future studies. Combining anti-angiogenics with other targeted therapies to possibly spare chemotherapy in certain constellations represents another very interesting future perspective for clinical trials. This short review gives an overview of current clinical trials for anti-angiogenic treatment strategies beyond bevacizumab. In this context, possible future perspectives combining anti-angiogenics with other targeted therapies and the need for specific biomarkers predicting response are elucidated.