Adjuvant endocrine therapy for women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: american society of clinical oncology clinical practice guideline focused update

Relapse Rates and Disease-Specific Mortality Following Procedures for Fertility Preservation at Time of Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Question

Is fertility preservation at time of breast cancer diagnosis associated with any increased risk of disease-specific relapse or mortality?

Findings

In this population-based Swedish nationwide cohort study that included 1275 women with breast cancer, fertility preservation at time of breast cancer diagnosis was not statistically significantly associated with any increased risk of disease-specific mortality or relapse.

Meaning

Findings of this study support the safety of fertility preservation in women with breast cancer, which is highly relevant for reproductive counseling of women with breast cancer diagnosed at a young age.

Importance

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common indication for fertility preservation (FP) in women of reproductive age. Procedures for FP often include hormonal stimulation, but current data are scarce regarding whether using hormonal stimulation for FP is associated with any deterioration in BC prognosis.

Objective

To investigate the risk of disease-specific mortality and relapse in women who underwent FP with or without hormonal stimulation compared with women who did not at time of BC diagnosis.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This Swedish nationwide prospective cohort study was conducted to assess the safety of hormonal and nonhormonal FP procedures indicated by BC in Sweden from January 1, 1994, through June 30, 2017. Women were identified from any of the regional FP programs located at Swedish university hospitals. A total of 425 women were found to have undergone FP, and 850 population comparators who had not undergone FP were sampled from regional BC registers and matched on age, calendar period of diagnosis, and region. Relapse-free survival was assessed in a subcohort of 241 women who underwent FP and 482 women who had not, with complete data. Nationwide demographic and health care registers provided data on outcome, disease- and treatment-related variables, and socioeconomic characteristics. Data analyses were performed between November 2021 and March 2022 and completed in June 2022.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Relapse and disease-specific mortality after a diagnosis of BC.

Results

The final study population included 1275 women (mean [SD] age, 32.9 [3.8] years) at the time of BC diagnosis. After stratification by the matching variables age, calendar period, and region, and adjustment for country of birth, education, parity at diagnosis, tumor size, number of lymph node metastases, and estrogen receptor status, disease-specific mortality was similar in women who underwent hormonal FP (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.59; 95% CI, 0.32-1.09), women who underwent nonhormonal FP (aHR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.20-1.29), and women who were not exposed to FP (reference). In a subcohort with detailed data on relapse, adjusted rate of disease-specific mortality and relapse were also similar among the groups who underwent hormonal FP (aHR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.49-1.37), underwent nonhormonal FP (aHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.35-1.62), and were not exposed to FP (reference).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, FP with or without hormonal stimulation was not associated with any increased risk of relapse or disease-specific mortality in women with BC. Results of this study provide much needed additional evidence on the safety of FP procedures in women with BC and may influence current health care practice to the benefit of young women with BC who wish to preserve their fertility.

Aromatase inhibitors and contralateral breast cancer in BRCA mutation carriers

BACKGROUND

Deleterious BRCA mutations confer a significant lifetime risk of breast cancer (BC) as well as contralateral BC (CBC) in patients who do not undergo prophylactic mastectomy. Prior reports have suggested that tamoxifen reduces the risk of CBC in BRCA mutation carriers. Whether aromatase inhibitors (AI) have the same effect is unknown.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with non-metastatic ER+ BC between 2004 and 2014 with known BRCA mutation status. Patients were followed from primary diagnosis until CBC diagnosis or death. Median follow-up was 11.5 years. Risk of CBC was evaluated as time to event.

RESULTS

935 subjects were included in this analysis, with 53 BRCA1 mutation carriers, and 94 BRCA2 mutation carriers. Median age at diagnosis was 42.7 years. Seventy-two percent (676) received tamoxifen and 43% (405) received AI. A total of 66 CBCs occurred, of which 10% (15/147) occurred in BRCA mutation carriers vs 6.5% (51/788) in BRCA wild type. Multivariate analyses indicated that BRCA status and AI use were significantly associated with CBC risk. AI use resulted in a significant reduction in risk of CBC (HR 0.44, p = 0.004) regardless of the BRCA mutation status. Tamoxifen use was not associated with reduced risk of CBC.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report showing that AIs reduce the risk of CBC in BRCA mutation carriers. The potential role of AIs as chemoprevention should be validated in larger independent cohorts.

Regression of choroidal metastasis from breast carcinoma with palbociclib

Background

Uveal metastasis is reported to be the most common intraocular malignancy. The most common site of origin of ocular metastases in females is the breast. In some cases, uveal metastatic lesions respond to systemic chemotherapy. We report a case of a patient who developed choroidal metastasis, while on endocrine therapy with selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), tamoxifen, for estrogen receptor (ER) positive, progesterone receptor (PR) positive and (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) HER2 negative primary breast carcinoma, which then regressed following systemic chemotherapy with palbociclib.

Case description

An 83-year-old female, with a history of modified radical mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy for infiltrating duct carcinoma of the breast, presented with a choroidal metastatic lesion in the left eye along with liver and lung metastases, 3 years after the primary carcinoma was treated. At the time of presentation, she was on tamoxifen. The choroidal tumor showed regression after the introduction of palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor.

Conclusion

This report highlights the use of palbociclib, in the palliative treatment of choroidal metastasis from primary breast cancer. The use of chemotherapy for choroidal metastasis can help avoid external beam radiation therapy and its concurrent side effects. Although there are a few reports involving the use of palbociclib for metastatic breast carcinoma, all of those have been in conjunction with and/or following non-response to other treatment modalities. Ours is the first report wherein palbociclib has been used as the first-line palliative chemotherapy and helped in regression of choroidal metastasis.

Interactive exploration of a global clinical network from a large breast cancer cohort

Despite unprecedented amount of information now available in medical records, health data remain underexploited due to their heterogeneity and complexity. Simple charts and hypothesis-driven statistics can no longer apprehend the content of information-rich clinical data. There is, therefore, a clear need for powerful interactive visualization tools enabling medical practitioners to perceive the patterns and insights gained by state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms. Here, we report an interactive graphical interface for use as the front end of a machine learning causal inference server (MIIC), to facilitate the visualization and comprehension by clinicians of relationships between clinically relevant variables. The widespread use of such tools, facilitating the interactive exploration of datasets, is crucial both for data visualization and for the generation of research hypotheses. We demonstrate the utility of the MIIC interactive interface, by exploring the clinical network of a large cohort of breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This example highlights, in particular, the direct and indirect links between post-NAC clinical responses and patient survival. The MIIC interactive graphical interface has the potential to help clinicians identify actionable nodes and edges in clinical networks, thereby ultimately improving the patient care pathway.

Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial of a Low-Touch Remotely-Delivered Values Intervention to Promote Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Among Breast Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND

Oral anti-cancer treatments such as adjuvant endocrine therapies (AET) for breast cancer survivors are commonly used but adherence is a challenge. Few low-touch, scalable interventions exist to increase ET adherence.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of a low-touch, remotely-delivered values plus AET education intervention (REACH) to promote AET adherence.

METHODS

A mixed-methods trial randomized 88 breast cancer survivors 1:1 to REACH or Education alone. Wisepill real-time electronic adherence monitoring tracked monthly AET adherence during a 1-month baseline through 6-month follow-up (FU) (primary outcome). Patient-reported outcomes were evaluated through 3- and 6-month FU (secondary). Multiple indices of intervention feasibility and acceptability were evaluated. Qualitative exit interviews (n = 38) further assessed participants' perceptions of feasibility/acceptability and recommendations for intervention adaptation.

RESULTS

The trial showed strong feasibility and acceptability, with an eligible-to-enrolled rate of 85%, 100% completion of the main intervention sessions, and "good" intervention satisfaction ratings on average. For Wisepill-assessed AET adherence, REACH outperformed Education for Month 1 of FU (p = .027) and not thereafter. Participants in REACH maintained high adherence until Month 4 of FU, whereas in Education, adherence declined significantly in Month 1. Conditions did not differ in self-reported adherence, positive affective attitudes, future intentions, or necessity beliefs. REACH trended toward less negative AET attitudes than Education at 3-month FU (p = .057) reflecting improvement in REACH (p = .004) but not Education (p = .809). Exploratory moderator analyses showed that average to highly positive baseline AET affective attitudes and oncologist-patient communication each predicted higher adherence following REACH than Education; low levels did not. Participants identified recommendations to strengthen the interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

REACH, a low-touch values intervention, showed good feasibility and acceptability, and initial promise in improving objectively-assessed AET adherence among breast cancer survivors (relative to education alone). Future research should target improving REACH's tailoring and endurance.

Hormonal Therapy Drug Switching, Out-of-Pocket Costs, and Adherence Among Older Women With Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Adherence to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and tamoxifen has considerable survival benefits for postmenopausal women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Reduced out-of-pocket costs and treatment-related side effects could increase therapy adherence. Given that individuals' side effect profiles could differ across AIs, generic AI entry could facilitate switching between AIs to manage side effects and improve adherence.

METHODS

From Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare, we selected women first diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer at age 65+ years and initiated an AI within 1 year of diagnosis between January 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008, or June 1, 2011, and December 31, 2012, and followed them for up to 2 years (N  = 20 677). We estimated changes in probabilities of adherence with and without switching for Part D enrollees with and without the low-income subsidy (LIS vs non-LIS) before and after generic entry using linear probability models. Tests of statistical significance are 2-sided.

RESULTS

After generic entry reduced out-of-pocket costs of AIs (larger reduction for non-LIS), the percentage of women who ever switched from one AI to another AI increased from 8.8% to 14.6% for non-LIS and from 7.3% to 12.5% for LIS. Adherence without switching increased by 8.0 percentage points (pp) for non-LIS (P < .001) but decreased by 4.9 pp (P < .001) for LIS. Adherence with switching increased for both non-LIS (6.4 pp, P < .001) and LIS (4.4 pp, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased switching after generic entry contributed to increased adherence, suggesting switching allowed better management of treatment-related side effects. Subsidized women also experienced increased adherence with switching after generic entry, suggesting that patients and physicians might not understand Part D benefit design when making decisions.

Dissecting the Roles of PDCD4 in Breast Cancer

The human programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) gene was mapped at chromosome 10q24 and encodes the PDCD4 protein comprised of 469 amino acids. PDCD4 inhibits protein translation PDCD4 inhibits protein translation to suppress tumor progression, and its expression is frequently decreased in breast cancer. PDCD4 blocks translation initiation complex by binding eIF4A via MA-3 domains or by directly binding 5’ mRNA internal ribosome entry sites with an RNA binding domain to suppress breast cancer progression and proliferation. Numerous regulators and biological processes including non-coding RNAs, proteasomes, estrogen, natural compounds and inflammation control PDCD4 expression in breast cancer. Loss of PDCD4 expression is also responsible for drug resistance in breast cancer. HER2 activation downregulates PDCD4 expression by activating MAPK, AKT, and miR-21 in aromatase inhibitor-resistant breast cancer cells. Moreover, modulating the microRNA/PDCD4 axis maybe an effective strategy for overcoming chemoresistance in breast cancer. Down-regulation of PDCD4 is significantly associated with short overall survival of patients, which suggests that PDCD4 may be an independent prognostic marker for breast cancer.

Genome-wide cross-cancer analysis illustrates the critical role of bimodal miRNA in patient survival and drug responses to PI3K inhibitors

Heterogeneity of cancer means many tumorigenic genes are only aberrantly expressed in a subset of patients and thus follow a bimodal distribution, having two modes of expression within a single population. Traditional statistical techniques that compare sample means between cancer patients and healthy controls fail to detect bimodally expressed genes. We utilize a mixture modeling approach to identify bimodal microRNA (miRNA) across cancers, find consistent sources of heterogeneity, and identify potential oncogenic miRNA that may be used to guide personalized therapies. Pathway analysis was conducted using target genes of the bimodal miRNA to identify potential functional implications in cancer. In vivo overexpression experiments were conducted to elucidate the clinical importance of bimodal miRNA in chemotherapy treatments. In nine types of cancer, tumors consistently displayed greater bimodality than normal tissue. Specifically, in liver and lung cancers, high expression of miR-105 and miR-767 was indicative of poor prognosis. Functional pathway analysis identified target genes of miR-105 and miR-767 enriched in the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, and analysis of over 200 cancer drugs in vitro showed that drugs targeting the same pathway had greater efficacy in cell lines with high miR-105 and miR-767 levels. Overexpression of the two miRNA facilitated response to PI3K inhibitor treatment. We demonstrate that while cancer is marked by considerable genetic heterogeneity, there is between-cancer concordance regarding the particular miRNA that are more variable. Bimodal miRNA are ideal biomarkers that can be used to stratify patients for prognosis and drug response in certain types of cancer.

Bimodal genes can be defined as those having two modes of expression within the same population. A variety of statistical methodologies have been employed to assess bimodal gene expression, but current methods and their applications have been limited. Given the advances in next-generation sequencing as well as the extensive regulatory role of miRNA, assessing bimodality in miRNA-seq data can greatly broaden our understanding of factors underlying tumor progression. The goal of the current study was to utilize a novel mixture modeling approach to identify bimodal miRNA and then demonstrate their importance in cancer by evaluating their ability to predict overall survival and drug response. Our results showed that high levels of bimodal miRNA expression was characteristic of cancer. Additionally, several bimodal miRNA were common to multiple cancer types, suggesting that certain miRNA consistently account for tumor heterogeneity and may be involved in general oncogenic processes. Our study points to the potential of bimodal miRNA to facilitate precise prognostic evaluation and effective treatment strategies.

The analysis of breast cancer survival in East Azerbaijan province of Iran; prognostic impact of chemotherapy and hormone therapy protocols

BACKGROUND

The global cancer pattern indicated that there were about 2.3 million newly diagnosed breast cancer cases in 2020 worldwide, and was the most common cancer incident in the world. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic impact of various treatment modalities and cancer-specific overall and disease-free survival rates.

METHODS

One, 5-, 10-, and 15 -years survival rates were calculated; furthermore, overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates were obtained using Kaplan Meier method. To assess the effects of different treatment methods and all clinico-pathological variables with OS and DFS, cox-regression method was used to achieve adjusted hazard ratios of mortality and recurrence rates.

RESULTS

During the study period, 504 primary breast cancer cases were evaluated, with mean age of 49.69(± 10.68) years. The one, 5-, 10-, and 15- year survival rates were 98.21%, 87.39%, 68.17% and, 60.60%, respectively. Tamoxifen + GnRh Agonist and Tamoxifen protocols decreased the hazard of relapse 46% and 84%, respectively. The best one-year OS was obtained for patients treated with Tamoxifen with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) for about 100% overall survival rate. The breast cancer mortality rate was lower than relapse rate in the first and 5thyears of disease, but 10- and 15- year mortality were higher than 10- and 15 -year relapse rates.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed better overall survival and disease- free survival among primary breast cancer patients in East Azerbaijan; consequently, this underscores establishing and using better chemotherapy and hormone therapy protocols and sufficient follow-ups.

Microcalcifications and Peritumoral Edema Predict Survival Outcome in Luminal Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Background Little is known regarding findings at imaging associated with survival in patients with luminal breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Purpose To determine the relationship between imaging (MRI, US, and mammography) and clinical-pathologic variables in predicting distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with luminal breast cancer treated with NAC. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, consecutive women with luminal breast cancer who underwent NAC followed by surgery were identified from the breast cancer registries of two hospitals. Women from one hospital between January 2003 and July 2015 were classified into the development cohort, and women from the other hospital between January 2007 and July 2015 were classified into the validation cohort. MRI scans, US scans, and mammograms before and after NAC (hereafter, referred to as pre- and post-NAC, respectively) and clinical-pathologic data were reviewed. Peritumoral edema was defined as the water-like high signal intensity surrounding the tumor on T2-weighted MRI scans. The prediction model was developed in the development cohort by using Cox regression and then tested in the validation cohort. Results The development cohort consisted of 318 women (68 distant metastases, 54 deaths) and the validation cohort consisted of 165 women (37 distant metastases, 14 deaths) (median age, 46 years in both cohorts). Post-NAC MRI peritumoral edema, age younger than 40 years, clinical N2 or N3, and lymphovascular invasion were associated with worse DMFS (all, P < .05). Pre-NAC mammographic microcalcifications, post-NAC MRI peritumoral edema, age older than 60 years, and clinical T3 or T4 were associated with worse OS (all, P < .05). The prediction model showed good discrimination ability (C index, 0.67-0.75 for DMFS and 0.70-0.77 for OS) and stratified prognosis into low-risk and high-risk groups (10-year DMFS rates, 79% vs 21%, respectively; and 10-year OS rates, 95%-96% vs 63%-67%, respectively) in the validation cohort. Conclusion MRI features and clinical-pathologic variables were identified that were associated with prolonged survival of patients with luminal breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Kataoka in this issue.

Health-related quality of life among elderly breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy: a U.S Medicare population-based study

OBJECTIVES

The evidence regarding the impact of individual adjuvant endocrine therapies (AET) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is limited. We aimed to assess the association between the type of AET and HRQoL and to examine the relationship between HRQoL and one-year mortality among women with breast cancer in the USA.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study used the 2006-2017 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey database to identify older women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Multivariate linear regressions were used to assess the association between types of AET (anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane, and tamoxifen) and HRQoL scores (physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS)). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to predict the impact of PCS and MCS on one-year mortality.

RESULTS

Out of 3537 older women with breast cancer, anastrozole was the most commonly prescribed (n = 1945, 55.0%). Regarding PCS, there was no significant difference between the four AET agents. Higher MCS scores, which indicate better HRQoL, were reported in patients treated with anastrozole (vs. letrozole [β = 1.26, p = 0.007] and exemestane [β = 2.62, p = 0.005) and tamoxifen (vs. letrozole [β = 1.49, p = 0.010] and exemestane [β = 2.85, p = 0.004]). Lower PCS and MCS scores were associated with higher one-year mortality, regardless of type of AET initiated, except for tamoxifen in MCS.

CONCLUSION

Although there was no significant difference in physical HRQoL scores between AET agents, anastrozole and tamoxifen were associated with better mental HRQoL scores.

CDK16 promotes the progression and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer by phosphorylating PRC1

Background

Cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16) is an atypical PCTAIRE kinase, and its activity is dependent on the Cyclin Y (CCNY) family. Ccnys have been reported to regulate mammary stem cell activity and mammary gland development, and CCNY has been recognized as an oncoprotein in various cancers, including breast cancer. However, it remains unclear whether CDK16 has a role in breast cancer and whether it can be used as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Methods

Publicly available breast cancer datasets analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed to reveal the expression and clinical relevance of atypical CDKs in breast cancer. CDK16 protein expression was further examined by immunohistochemical and immunoblot analyses of clinical samples. Cell proliferation was measured by colony formation and MTT analyses. Cell cycle and apoptosis were examined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. Wound-healing and trans-well invasion assays were conducted to test cell migration ability. The functions of CDK16 on tumorigenesis and metastasis were evaluated by cell line-derived xenograft, patient-derived organoid/xenograft, lung metastasis and systemic metastasis mouse models. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms involved in the function of CDK16. Pharmacological inhibition of CDK16 was achieved by the small molecular inhibitor rebastinib to further assess the anti-tumor utility of targeting CDK16.

Results

CDK16 is highly expressed in breast cancer, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The elevated CDK16 expression is correlated with poor outcomes in breast cancer patients. CDK16 can improve the proliferation and migration ability of TNBC cells in vitro, and promote tumor growth and metastasis of TNBC in vivo. Both genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition of CDK16 significantly suppress the tumor progression of TNBC. Mechanistically, CDK16 exerts its function by phosphorylating protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) to regulate spindle formation during mitosis.

Conclusion

CDK16 plays a critical role in TNBC and is a novel promising therapeutic target for TNBC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02362-w.

Personalizing Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Early-Stage Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Endocrine therapy has undergone major changes in the past few years, and is no longer a "one- size- fits- all" prescription. This article discussed some of the new developments and directions.

Gynecologic Symptoms among Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Patients on Oral Endocrine Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Endocrine therapy (ET) for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer can contribute to gynecologic symptoms (GS) that impact vaginal health, sexual function, and quality of life (QoL). A cross-sectional study was conducted at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada between July 2017 and June 2018 to examine the occurrence and frequency of GS among HR+ breast cancer patients on ET, patient-provider communication, female sexual dysfunction (FSD), and QoL. A Treatment Experience questionnaire was developed for this study and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MENQOL) were also administered. Of 151 patients surveyed, 77 (51.0%) were on tamoxifen and 74 (49.0%) on an aromatase inhibitor. Most patients (84.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 77.3% to 89.5%) experienced at least one GS “all the time” or “often”, or one or more infections, in the past year. Only 44 (31.9%) patients reported that their oncologist had ever previously asked them about experiencing GS. The prevalence of FSD was 61.2% (95% CI 46.2% to 74.8%) among 49 sexually active patients that completed the FSFI. Symptoms captured in the MENQOL’s vasomotor domain were deemed most bothersome. Side effect management and patient-provider communication should be prioritized to optimize GS, vaginal health, and sexual function of ET users.

Aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen in premenopausal women with oestrogen receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer treated with ovarian suppression: a patient-level meta-analysis of 7030 women from four randomised trials

BACKGROUND

For women with early-stage oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, adjuvant tamoxifen reduces 15-year breast cancer mortality by a third. Aromatase inhibitors are more effective than tamoxifen in postmenopausal women but are ineffective in premenopausal women when used without ovarian suppression. We aimed to investigate whether premenopausal women treated with ovarian suppression benefit from aromatase inhibitors.

METHODS

We did a meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomised trials comparing aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, exemestane, or letrozole) versus tamoxifen for 3 or 5 years in premenopausal women with ER-positive breast cancer receiving ovarian suppression (goserelin or triptorelin) or ablation. We collected data on baseline characteristics, dates and sites of any breast cancer recurrence or second primary cancer, and dates and causes of death. Primary outcomes were breast cancer recurrence (distant, locoregional, or contralateral), breast cancer mortality, death without recurrence, and all-cause mortality. As distant recurrence invariably results in death from breast cancer several years after the occurrence, whereas locoregional recurrence and new contralateral breast cancer are not usually fatal, the distant recurrence analysis is shown separately. Standard intention-to-treat log-rank analyses estimated first-event rate ratios (RR) and their confidence intervals (CIs).

FINDINGS

We obtained data from all four identified trials (ABCSG XII, SOFT, TEXT, and HOBOE trials), which included 7030 women with ER-positive tumours enrolled between June 17, 1999, and Aug 4, 2015. Median follow-up was 8·0 years (IQR 6·1-9·3). The rate of breast cancer recurrence was lower for women allocated to an aromatase inhibitor than for women assigned to tamoxifen (RR 0·79, 95% CI 0·69-0·90, p=0·0005). The main benefit was seen in years 0-4 (RR 0·68, 99% CI 0·55-0·85; p<0·0001), the period when treatments differed, with a 3·2% (95% CI 1·8-4·5) absolute reduction in 5-year recurrence risk (6·9% vs 10·1%). There was no further benefit, or loss of benefit, in years 5-9 (RR 0·98, 99% CI 0·73-1·33, p=0·89) or beyond year 10. Distant recurrence was reduced with aromatase inhibitor (RR 0·83, 95% CI 0·71-0·97; p=0·018). No significant differences were observed between treatments for breast cancer mortality (RR 1·01, 95% CI 0·82-1·24; p=0·94), death without recurrence (1·30, 0·75-2·25; p=0·34), or all-cause mortality (1·04, 0·86-1·27; p=0·68). There were more bone fractures with aromatase inhibitor than with tamoxifen (227 [6·4%] of 3528 women allocated to an aromatase inhibitor vs 180 [5·1%] of 3502 women allocated to tamoxifen; RR 1·27 [95% CI 1·04-1·54]; p=0·017). Non-breast cancer deaths (30 [0·9%] vs 24 [0·7%]; 1·30 [0·75-2·25]; p=0·36) and endometrial cancer (seven [0·2%] vs 15 [0·3%]; 0·52 [0·22-1·23]; p=0·14) were rare.

INTERPRETATION

Using an aromatase inhibitor rather than tamoxifen in premenopausal women receiving ovarian suppression reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Longer follow-up is needed to assess any impact on breast cancer mortality.

FUNDING

Cancer Research UK, UK Medical Research Council.

Management of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in breast cancer survivors: An update

There is increasing attention about managing the adverse effects of adjuvant therapy (Chemotherapy and anti-estrogen treatment) for breast cancer survivors (BCSs). Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), caused by decreased levels of circulating estrogen to urogenital receptors, is commonly experienced by this patients. Women receiving antiestrogen therapy, specifically aromatase inhibitors, often suffer from vaginal dryness, itching, irritation, dyspareunia, and dysuria, collectively known as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), that it can in turn lead to pain, discomfort, impairment of sexual function and negatively impact on multiple domains of quality of life (QoL). The worsening of QoL in these patients due to GSM symptoms can lead to discontinuation of hormone adjuvant therapies and therefore must be addressed properly. The diagnosis of VVA is confirmed through patient-reported symptoms and gynecological examination of external structures, introitus, and vaginal mucosa. Systemic estrogen treatment is contraindicated in BCSs. In these patients, GSM may be prevented, reduced and managed in most cases but this requires early recognition and appropriate treatment, but it is normally undertreated by oncologists because of fear of cancer recurrence, specifically when considering treatment with vaginal estrogen therapy (VET) because of unknown levels of systemic absorption of estradiol. Lifestyle modifications and nonhormonal treatments (vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, and gels) are the first-line treatment for GSM both in healthy women as BCSs, but when these are not effective for symptom relief, other options can be considered, such as VET, ospemifene, local androgens, intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (prasterone), or laser therapy (erbium or CO2 Laser). The present data suggest that these therapies are effective for VVA in BCSs; however, safety remains controversial and a there is a major concern with all of these treatments. We review current evidence for various nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapeutic modalities for GSM in BCSs and highlight the substantial gaps in the evidence for safe and effective therapies and the need for future research. We include recommendations for an approach to the management of GSM in women at high risk for breast cancer, women with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, women with triple-negative breast cancers, and women with metastatic disease.

Efficacy of Antiresorptive Drugs on Bone Mineral Density in Post-Menopausal Women With Early Breast Cancer Receiving Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background

Cancer treatment-induced bone loss (CTIBL) is a frequent complication of breast cancer therapies affecting both disability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). To date, there is still a lack of consensus about the most effective approach that would improve bone health and HRQoL. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to summarize the evidence on the effects of antiresorptive drugs on CTIBL in patients with early breast cancer.

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to April 30, 2021 to identify RCTs satisfying the following PICO model: P) Participants: postmenopausal women with early breast cancer receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitors (AI), age >18 years; I) Intervention: antiresorptive drugs (i.e. bisphosphonates and/or denosumab); C) Comparator: any comparator; O) Outcome: bone mineral density (BMD) modifications. Moreover, a quality assessment was performed according to the Jadad scale.

Results

Out of the initial 2415 records, 21 papers (15 studies) were included in the data synthesis. According to the Jadad scale, 6 studies obtained a score of 5, 1 study obtained a score of 4, 13 studies obtained a score of 3, and 1 study with score 1. Although both bisphosphonates and denosumab showed to increase BMD, only denosumab showed significant advantages on fractures.

Conclusions

Bone health management in patients with early breast cancer receiving adjuvant AIs remains challenging, and the optimal therapeutic approach is not standardized. Further studies are needed to investigate CTIBL, focusing on both the need for antiresorptive drugs and their duration based on individual patients’ characteristics.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42021267107.

Targeting Oncoproteins for Degradation by Small Molecule-Based Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) in Sex Hormone-Dependent Cancers

Sex hormone-dependent cancers, including breast, ovary, and prostate cancer, contribute to the high number of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Steroid hormones promote tumor occurrence, development, and metastasis by acting on receptors, such as estrogen receptors (ERs), androgen receptors (ARs), and estrogen-related receptors (ERRs). Therefore, endocrine therapy targeting ERs, ARs, and ERRs represents the potential and pivotal therapeutic strategy in sex hormone-dependent cancers. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are a novel strategy that can harness the potential of the endogenous ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) to target and degrade specific proteins, rather than simply inhibiting the activity of target proteins. Small molecule PROTACs degrade a variety of proteins in cells, mice, and humans and are an emerging approach for novel drug development. PROTACs targeting ARs, ERs, ERRs, and other proteins in sex hormone-dependent cancers have been reported and may overcome the problem of resistance to existing endocrine therapy and receptor antagonist treatments. This review briefly introduces the PROTAC strategy and summarizes the progress on the development of small molecule PROTACs targeting oncoproteins in sex hormone-dependent cancers, focusing on breast and prostate cancers.

DREAM, a possible answer to the estrogen paradox of the Women's Health Initiative Trial

Estrogen is thought to cause proliferation of all estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancers. Paradoxically, in the Women's Health Initiative Trial, estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy reduced the incidence and mortality of low grade, ER+, HER2- breast cancer. We gave estradiol to 19 post-menopausal women with newly diagnosed low-grade, ER+, HER2- breast cancer in a prospective window of opportunity clinical trial and examined the changes in proliferation and gene expression before and after estradiol treatment. Ki67 decreased in 13/19 (68%) patients and 8/13 (62%) showed a decrease in Risk of Recurrence Score. We chose three prototypical estrogen responders (greatest decrease in ROR) and non-responders (no/minimal change in ROR) and applied a differential gene expression analysis to develop pre-treatment (PRESTO-30^core) and post-treatment (PRESTO-45^surg) gene expression profiles. The PRESTO-30^core predicted adjuvant benefit in a published series of tamoxifen, the partial estrogen agonist. Of the 45 genes in the PRESTO-45^surg, thirty contain the Cell cycle genes Homology Region (CHR) motif that binds the class B multi-vulva complex (MuvB) a member of the DREAM (Dimerization partner, retinoblastoma-like proteins, E2F, MuvB) complex responsible for reversible cell cycle arrest or quiescence. There was also near uniform suppression (89%) of the remaining DREAM genes consistent with estrogen induced activation of the DREAM complex to mediate cell cycle block after a short course of estrogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report to show estrogen modulation of DREAM genes and suggest involvement of DREAM pathway associated quiescence in endocrine responsive post-menopausal ER+ breast cancers.

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WHI trial found that estrogen decreases some ER+ post-menopausal breast cancers.

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Our prospective clinical trial confirmed an anti-proliferative effect of estradiol.

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DREAM pathway genes were downregulated during the anti-proliferative response.

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This suggests that estrogen may activate DREAM quiescence of ER+ breast cancers.

The rate of estrogen receptor-conversion associated with tumor progression in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients following adjuvant Tamoxifen administration

BACKGROUND

Hormone Receptor (HR)-discordance between primary breast cancer and metastasis is a known biological phenomenon. Discordance studies usually comprise a heterogeneous group of HR-positive and negative patients and allow for the comparison of changes in HR-status from the primary to the recurrent disease. However, in a clinical setting, the rate of estrogen receptor-conversion following endocrine therapy with agents such as Tamoxifen (TAM) in estrogen receptor-positive cancers is of primary interest as opposed to total receptor discordance.

AIM

To investigate the rate of estrogen receptor-conversion associated with tumor progression in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients following adjuvant TAM administration and to compare the results with the meta-analysis data of HR-discordance studies.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A retrospective double-center review of biomarkers in 67 estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients who underwent TAM treatment in the adjuvant setting. The estrogen and progesterone receptor-status were compared at the time of diagnosis and following relapse and the Disease-free Survival, mean duration of TAM treatment as well as the operative, radiation, and cytotoxic therapies registered before TAM treatment, were recorded. Initially, all patients were estrogen receptor-positive. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 52.8 ± 12.4 years. After recurrence, only 47 patients (70.1%) were still estrogen receptor-positive with a highly significant loss of estrogen receptor-expression in 29.9% of cases. The mean duration of TAM treatment was 40.7 ± 19.9 months. 45 patients (i.e., 67.2%) progressed during the TAM treatment and the remaining 22 patients (32.8%) developed relapse after the TAM treatment had finished. Initially, there were 82.1% progesterone receptor-positive and 17.9% progesterone receptor-negative, but after relapse the progesterone receptor-positive cases diminished significantly to 53.7%, showing a progesterone receptor-loss of 28.4%.

CONCLUSION

The rate of estrogen receptor-loss associated with tumor progression following TAM treatment is approximately 30%, which is of clinical relevance in order to evaluate further endocrine efficacy in these patients. This rate of receptor conversion is roughly 6-13% higher compared to the recently published meta-analysis data of discordance studies. This discrepancy could possibly be due to anti-hormonal therapy with TAM accentuating receptor conversion.

The Relationship between Work-Related Outcomes and Symptoms in Early Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care and Health-Related Quality of Life of Non-Hispanic Black/African American, Hispanic/Latina and Non-Hispanic White Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the U.S.: A Mixed-Methods Study Protocol

The COVID-19 pandemic has had critical consequences for cancer care delivery, including altered treatment protocols and delayed services that may affect patients’ quality of life and long-term survival. Breast cancer patients from minoritized racial and ethnic groups already experience worse outcomes, which may have been exacerbated by treatment delays and social determinants of health (SDoH). This protocol details a mixed-methods study aimed at comparing cancer care disruption among a diverse sample of women (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latina) and assessing how proximal, intermediate, and distal SDoH differentially contribute to care continuity and health-related quality of life. An embedded mixed-methods design will be implemented. Eligible participants will complete an online survey, followed by a semi-structured interview (with a subset of participants) to further understand factors that influence continuity of care, treatment decision-making, and self-reported engagement. The study will identify potentially modifiable factors to inform future models of care delivery and improve care transitions. These data will provide the necessary evidence to inform whether a subsequent, multilevel intervention is warranted to improve quality of care delivery in the COVID-19 aftermath. Additionally, results can be used to identify ways to leverage existing social resources to help manage and support patients’ outcomes.

Physical Therapies for Psychosomatic Symptoms and Quality of Life Induced by Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective

To evaluate the effects of Physical Therapies (PTs) on improvement in psychosomatic symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer patients.

Data Sources

Seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wangfang, VIP, and China Biology Medicine disc databases) were systematically searched from the database inception through May 18, 2021.

Study Selection

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which compared acupuncture or exercise with a sham control or usual care for the treatment of aromatase inhibitors (AIs)-related psychosomatic symptoms and QOL.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Data were screened and extracted independently using predesigned forms. The quality of RCTs was assessed with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The effect size was calculated via random-effects modeling. The quality of evidence was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The score of pain was measured with BPI scale and Western Ontario and the McMaster Universities Index (WOMAC) scale. Emotional state was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue). The QOL score was measured by self-reported measurements, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) scale and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) scale.

Results

Eleven RCTs (with 830 patients) were included in the systematic review, and data from 10 RCTs (with 798 patients) were used in the meta-analysis. Results showed acupuncture significantly reduced worst pain scores (P < 0.00001, I² = 83.5%) [SMD = −0.81, 95% CI (−1.51, −0.11)], but the effect of exercise therapies was not significant in overall change in worst pain scores (P =0.006, I² = 72.3%) [SMD = −0.30, 95% CI (−0.76, 0.16)]. Both acupuncture and exercise resulted in little to no difference in overall change in HADS-A subscale (P = 0.026<0.05, I² = 79.8%) [WMD = −0.21, 95% CI (−3.44, 3.03)], PSQI subscale (P = 0.488, I² = 0%) [WMD = 0.98, 95% CI (−0.57, 2.53)], and FACIT-Fatigue subscale (P = 0.022<0.05, I² = 81.0%) [WMD = 1.6, 95% CI (−5.75, 8.94)]. Exercise (compared with usual care) was associated with improving overall change in health-related QOL (subscales of SF-36 tool) (P = 0, I² = 72.1%) [WMD = 7.97, 95% CI (5.68, 10.25)] and cancer-specific QOL (subscales of FACT-G tool) (P = 0.304, I² = 16%) [WMD = 1.16, 95% CI (0.34, 1.97)].

Conclusions and Relevance

This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that based on moderate-level evidence, acupuncture was associated with significant reductions in pain intensity, and exercise might improve QOL in breast cancer patients treated with AIs. However, in psychosomatic symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disturbance, and fatigue, acupuncture and exercise training did not result in significant improvements.

Association between medication adherence and non-drug healthcare utilisation and costs: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study among US women age 65 and older

OBJECTIVES

To explore the association between hormone therapy (HT) adherence and non-drug healthcare utilisation and healthcare costs among patients with breast cancer.

DESIGN

Retrospective longitudinal cohort study.

SETTING

The US Medicare beneficiaries in the SEER-Medicare-linked database PARTICIPANTS: Women aged ≥ 65 with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer from 2007 through mid-2009 in the USA.

INTERVENTIONS

We examined the relationship between HT and adherence and outcomes of our interests.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Our study cohort's HT adherence, non-drug healthcare utilisation and healthcare costs for the first year of HT and each year, thereafter, for a total of 5 years.

RESULTS

6045 eligible Medicare beneficiaries that met our selection criteria were included. We found that patients who were adherent to HT were associated with lower healthcare utilisation of all kinds (inpatient (0.35 vs 0.43, p<0.001), length of study during hospitalisation (4.19 vs 4.89, p<0.01), physician office visits (25.16 vs 26.17, p<0.001)), and significant reductions in many types of medical costs and neutral total healthcare costs despite the increased pharmacy costs. Half of the total medical cost reduction came from savings in hospitalisation costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that the added cost of HT adherence was all but offset by the reduced cost for other medical care. Our study provides evidence on the potential success of implementing value-based insurance design (VBID) plans among patients with breast cancer to improve their long-term oral medication adherence. Policymakers should consider adherence improvement strategies such as VBID plans, given that the costs likely will not surpass the total savings.

Young Women with Breast Cancer in Resource-Limited Settings: What We Know and What We Need to Do Better

Young women with breast cancer (YWBC) account for a variable proportion of patients diagnosed with breast cancer around the globe, with a higher prevalence in resource-limited settings than in high-income countries. This group represents a unique population that warrants special attention due to specific biological considerations and age-specific supportive care issues. This review aims to explore existing knowledge regarding YWBC's needs, particularly in resource-restricted settings. To date, scarce information regarding the care of YWBC in resource-constrained countries is available, with most reports describing suboptimal care in terms of survivorship needs. Health care providers should implement actions to improve endocrine treatment adherence, referrals for fertility counseling and preservation, contraceptive use compliance, timely body image and sexual function interventions, comprehensive genetic risk assessments, and early quality of life and psychosocial health interventions. While high costs act as a barrier for optimal care in resource-limited settings, improving patient education represents a promising and cost-effective solution to improve patient care. Future research on developing tailored educational resources for YWBC in resource-limited settings should be considered a priority.

Intertumoral Heterogeneity of Primary Breast Tumors and Synchronous Axillary Lymph Node Metastases Reflected in IHC-Assessed Expression of Routine and Nonstandard Biomarkers

Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant healthcare challenge. Routinely, the treatment strategy is determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based assessment of the key proteins such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67. However, it is estimated that over 75% of deaths result from metastatic tumors, indicating a need to develop more accurate protocols for intertumoral heterogeneity assessment and their consequences on prognosis. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was the identification of the expression profiles of routinely used biomarkers (ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67) and additional relevant proteins [Bcl-2, cyclin D1, E-cadherin, Snail+Slug, gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15), programmed death receptor 1 (PD-L1), and phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3)] in breast primary tumors (PTs) and paired synchronous axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases. A total of 67 tissue samples met the inclusion criteria for the study. The expression status of biomarkers was assessed in PTs and ALN metastases using tissue microarrays followed by IHC. In 11 cases, the shift of intrinsic molecular BC subtype was noticed between PTs and paired ALN metastases. Moreover, a significant disproportion in E-cadherin presence (p = 0.0002) was noted in both foci, and the expression status of all proteins except for HER2 demonstrated considerable variance (k = 1, p < 0.0001). Importantly, in around 30% of cases, the ALN metastases demonstrated discordance, i.e., loss/gain of expression, compared to the PTs. Intertumoral synchronous heterogeneity in both foci (primary tumor and node metastasis) is an essential phenomenon affecting the clinical subtype and characteristics of BC. Furthermore, a greater understanding of this event could potentially improve therapeutic efficacy.

Breast Cancer Endocrine Therapy Promotes Weight Gain With Distinct Adipose Tissue Effects in Lean and Obese Female Mice

Breast cancer survivors treated with tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors report weight gain and have an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially if they have obesity. These patient experiences are inconsistent with, preclinical studies using high doses of tamoxifen which reported acute weight loss. We investigated the impact of breast cancer endocrine therapies in a preclinical model of obesity and in a small group of breast adipose tissue samples from women taking tamoxifen to understand the clinical findings. Mature female mice were housed at thermoneutrality and fed either a low-fat/low-sucrose (LFLS) or a high-fat/high-sucrose (HFHS) diet. Consistent with the high expression of Esr1 observed in mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue, endocrine therapy was associated with adipose accumulation and more preadipocytes compared with estrogen-treated control mice but resulted in fewer adipocyte progenitors only in the context of HFHS. Analysis of subcutaneous adipose stromal cells revealed diet- and treatment-dependent effects of endocrine therapies on various cell types and genes, illustrating the complexity of adipose tissue estrogen receptor signaling. Breast cancer therapies supported adipocyte hypertrophy and associated with hepatic steatosis, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose intolerance, particularly in obese females. Current tamoxifen use associated with larger breast adipocyte diameter only in women with obesity. Our translational studies suggest that endocrine therapies may disrupt adipocyte progenitors and support adipocyte hypertrophy, potentially leading to ectopic lipid deposition that may be linked to a greater type 2 diabetes risk. Monitoring glucose tolerance and potential interventions that target insulin action should be considered for some women receiving life-saving endocrine therapies for breast cancer.

Ovarian Function Suppression With Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists for the Treatment of Hormone Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer in Premenopausal Women

Chemotherapy and endocrine therapies are mainstays of treatment for early and advanced hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. In premenopausal women with HR+ tumors, the benefits of adding ovarian function suppression (OFS) to endocrine therapy have been debated. Consequently, for many years, tamoxifen monotherapy has been the standard of care for endocrine treatment in the adjuvant setting. Recent studies have, however, provided new evidence that, in some premenopausal patients, OFS in combination with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) can significantly increase survival versus tamoxifen alone. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (LHRHa), including goserelin, triptorelin, and leuprorelin, achieve OFS through sustained suppression of the release of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone from the pituitary. In turn, this suppresses production and secretion of estradiol, an ovarian hormone that supports cancer cell growth, survival, and proliferation. In this review, we discuss the clinical evidence supporting the addition of LHRHa to adjuvant endocrine therapies, including tamoxifen and AIs, for premenopausal women with breast cancer. We also discuss the role of LHRHa use in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy to preserve ovarian function and fertility in young patients with breast cancer. Finally, we discuss important practical aspects of the use of LHRHa in breast cancer treatment, including side-effects, patient adherence to treatment, and the use of slow-release, long-acting drug formulations.

Interaction Between SNP Genotype and Efficacy of Anastrozole and Exemestane in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are the treatment of choice for hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer in postmenopausal women. None of the third-generation AIs are superior to the others in terms of efficacy. We attempted to identify genetic factors that could differentiate between the effectiveness of adjuvant anastrozole and exemestane by examining single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-treatment interaction in 4,465 patients. A group of SNPs were found to be differentially associated between anastrozole and exemestane regarding outcomes. However, they showed no association with outcome in the combined analysis. We followed up common SNPs near LY75 and GPR160 that could differentiate anastrozole from exemestane efficacy. LY75 and GPR160 participate in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and growth pathways, in both cases with SNP-dependent variation in regulation. Collectively, these studies identified SNPs that differentiate the efficacy of anastrozole and exemestane and they suggest additional genetic biomarkers for possible use in selecting an AI for a given patient.

Longitudinal Trends in Illness Perception and Depression during Adjuvant Breast Cancer Endocrine Therapy: A Prospective Observational Study

This study aimed to identify the changes in the illness perceptions and depression of women with breast cancer, undergoing AET, at three time points (i.e., before initiating AET, 3 months follow-up, and 12 months follow-up). We investigated the interaction effects of their demographic and clinical characteristics on illness perception changes over time. Furthermore, factors including the patient’s characteristics and illness perceptions associated with depressive symptoms 1 year after starting AET were explored. Illness perception and depressive symptoms were assessed with the brief illness perception questionnaire and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, in a prospective study of 150 women. The changes in illness perceptions and depression between the three time points were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. The factors associated with depressive symptoms were identified using regression analysis. Illness perception improved overall over the 12 months. However, more patients perceived their illness as chronic, experienced more symptoms, and developed negative beliefs that treatment could not control their disease. Patients’ depressive symptoms decreased significantly. Depression at the baseline, cancer stage, and the perception of personal control were highly associated with depression after 12 months. These findings suggest that healthcare providers should offer appropriate interventions to patients, for managing symptoms, having a positive belief that treatment can control their disease, and preventing long-term depressive symptoms.

Breast-Conserving Therapy Versus Mastectomy in Young Breast Cancer Patients Concerning Molecular Subtypes: A SEER Population-Based Study

Breast-conserving therapy was once a contraindication in young breast cancer patients (aged ≤40 years). Emerging studies suggest that breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy could achieve similar prognosis in this population. However, the effect of molecular subtype disparity on surgical strategy in these patients remains unclear. Data from 8656 young patients (aged ≤40 years) diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between in 2010 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate subtype-dependent relationships between the surgical method and survival. Of the 8656 patients, 4132 (47.7%) underwent breast-conserving therapy and 4524 (52.3%) underwent mastectomy. The median follow-up period was 30.0 months. Patients in the breast-conserving therapy group demonstrated better overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival than those in the mastectomy group (both p < 0.05). Patients with different molecular subtypes exhibited significant differences in overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival (p < 0.001). Patients with luminal subtypes experienced better overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival than those with the triple-negative subtype. Multivariate analysis revealed that overall mortality risk of the breast-conserving therapy group was lower than that of the mastectomy group among HR(+)HER-2(-) and HR(-)HER-2(-) patients (overall mortality risk of 36.3% [adjusted hazard ratio = 0.637 {95% confidence interval = 0.448-0.905}, p = 0.012] and 36.0% [adjusted hazard ratio = 0.640 {95% confidence interval = 0.455-0.901}, p = 0.010] respectively.) The breast cancer-specific mortality risk was also lower by a percentage similar to that of the overall mortality risk. In the HR(+)HER-2(+) group, the surgical method was an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer-specific survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.275 [95% confidence interval = 0.089-0.849], p = 0.025), while there was a trend that patients with breast-conserving therapy had better overall survival than those with mastectomy (p = 0.056). In the HR(-)HER-2(+) group, no significant difference was observed in overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival (p = 0.791 and p = 0.262, respectively). Breast-conserving therapy resulted in significantly better prognosis in patients with luminal and triple-negative subtypes, while no significant difference was observed in patients with the HER-2 enriched subtype. These results may be helpful in informing clinically precise decision-making for surgery in this population.

Development and Refinement of a Telehealth Intervention for Symptom Management, Distress, and Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy after Breast Cancer

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) prevents recurrence after early stage, hormone sensitive breast cancer; however, adherence to AET is suboptimal, and efficacious interventions are severely lacking. Barriers to adherence are well established; however, interventions, thus, far have failed to produce meaningful changes in adherence and have generally not followed guiding principles of psychosocial intervention development. The purpose of this paper is to describe the iterative development, using the National Institutes of Health Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development, of an evidence-based, patient-centered, telehealth intervention to enhance adherence, improve symptom management, and reduce distress for patients taking AET after breast cancer, with a focus on (1) a small open pilot study which informed modifications and refinement of the intervention based on quantitative and qualitative patient feedback about feasibility and acceptability and (2) the underlying theoretical and empirical rationale for each component of the finalized intervention. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Adjuvant Tamoxifen Treatment of Hormone Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer Among Premenopausal and Perimenopausal Ghanaian Women

OBJECTIVES

Most breast cancer cases in Ghana occur in premenopausal and perimenopausal (PPM) women. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of tamoxifen compared with no tamoxifen for the adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) early breast cancer (EBC) among PPM Ghanaian women.

METHODS

A Markov model was constructed to synthesize data on the effectiveness, costs, and health benefits of tamoxifen. Effectiveness and utility data were sourced from a literature review. Resource use and healthcare costs were estimated from Ghanaian sources. The evaluation was conducted in 2017 from the perspective of the health system over a 15-year time horizon. The financial impact of funding tamoxifen on Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was also estimated.

RESULTS

Adjuvant tamoxifen treatment for women with HR+ EBC was more effective and more costly than no-tamoxifen therapy. The incremental benefit and costs were estimated to be 1.38 quality-adjusted life-years gained and Ghana cedis (GHC) 2338 ($520), respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated to be GHC 1694 ($376). The model was sensitive to the cost of tamoxifen and utility values. The cost of tamoxifen for the treatment of HR+ EBC represents less than 0.01% GHC 96 960 ($21 547) of the current NHIS total claims expenditure.

CONCLUSIONS

Tamoxifen provides additional benefits to PPM Ghanaian women with HR+ EBC and is cost-effective compared with no tamoxifen. These results support the public funding of tamoxifen under the NHIS and provide Ghanaian policy makers with vital information for future budgetary planning.

Brief relaxation training is associated with long-term endocrine therapy adherence among women with breast cancer: post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Despite life-saving potential, many women struggle to adhere to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) for their breast cancer (BCa). Prior research has demonstrated that emotional distress is a barrier to AET adherence. We followed women from a trial to test the long-term effects of two 5-week post-surgical group-based stress management interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and relaxation training versus an attention-matched health education control, on AET adherence.

METHODS

We conducted a long-term follow-up (median = 8 years) of women randomized to CBT, relaxation training, or health education after surgery for stage 0-3 BCa. We measured adherence with the Endocrine Therapy Medication Usage Questionnaire (ETMUQ). First, we established factors on the ETMUQ via confirmatory factor analysis. We then used Bayesian structural equation modeling to regress these factors on study arm, controlling for age and treatments received.

RESULTS

Of those who completed long-term follow-up (n = 59, 44.7%), over half (n = 33; 55.9%) reported problems with adherence generally. Women receiving relaxation training (n = 15) had better adherence than those receiving health education (n = 24) on the Forgetfulness/Inconsistency [B(SE) = 0.25(0.14), p = 0.049] and Intentional Nonadherence [B(SE) = 0.31(0.14), p = 0.018] factors of the ETMUQ. Similar results were observed for those receiving relaxation training compared to CBT (n = 20): Forgetfulness/Inconsistency [B(SE) = - 0.47(0.25), p = 0.031]; Intentional Nonadherence [B(SE) = - 0.31(0.15), p = 0.027].

CONCLUSION

Women receiving relaxation training were less likely to (1) forget to take their AET and (2) intentionally miss doses of AET in the long term compared to women receiving health education or CBT. This is evidence for the need of randomized trials that aim to improve adherence by incorporating theoretically based behavioral change techniques.

TRIAL REGISTRATION AND DATES

Trial 2R01-CA-064710 was registered March 26, 2006.

Endocrine Therapy With or Without CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Women With Hormone-receptor Positive Breast Cancer: What do we Know About the Effects on Cognition?

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) is the cornerstone of treatment for hormone-receptor positive breast cancer. Recently, ET is increasingly combined with "cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6'' (CDK4/6) inhibitors. Given the importance of estrogens in neural processes and the role of cyclin D in hippocampal cell proliferation, it is plausible that these therapies affect cognition, but studies on these potential cognitive effects are sparse. In this review, we summarize existing knowledge on the cognitive effects of ET and CDK4/6 inhibitors in pre-, peri- and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer. We show that several clinical studies support adverse cognitive effects, especially on verbal memory, after ET-induced decrease of estrogen-levels or inactivation of estrogen-receptors. Clinical studies on the cognitive effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors are virtually non-existent and no conclusions can yet be drawn. Longitudinal studies on the cognitive effects of the combined ET-CDK4/6 inhibitors are highly needed to properly inform patients about potential short-term and long-term cognitive side effects. These studies should preferably include cognitive assessments (including a measurement prior to ET), and be designed in such a way that they can account for variables such as type and duration of ET, CDK4/6 inhibition, menopausal status, and other disease- and treatment-related symptoms that can impact cognition, such as fatigue and distress.

Association of human breast cancer CD44-/CD24- cells with delayed distant metastasis

Tumor metastasis remains the main cause of breast cancer-related deaths, especially delayed breast cancer distant metastasis. The current study assessed the frequency of CD44^-/CD24^- breast cancer cells in 576 tissue specimens for associations with clinicopathological features and metastasis and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that higher frequency (≥19.5%) of CD44^-/CD24^- cells was associated with delayed postoperative breast cancer metastasis. Furthermore, CD44^-/CD24^-triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells spontaneously converted into CD44⁺/CD24^-cancer stem cells (CSCs) with properties similar to CD44⁺/CD24^-CSCs from primary human breast cancer cells and parental TNBC cells in terms of stemness marker expression, self-renewal, differentiation, tumorigenicity, and lung metastasis in vitro and in NOD/SCID mice. RNA sequencing identified several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in newly converted CSCs and RHBDL2, one of the DEGs, expression was upregulated. More importantly, RHBDL2 silencing inhibited the YAP1/USP31/NF-κB signaling and attenuated spontaneous CD44^-/CD24^- cell conversion into CSCs and their mammosphere formation. These findings suggest that the frequency of CD44^-/CD24^- tumor cells and RHBDL2 may be valuable for prognosis of delayed breast cancer metastasis, particularly for TNBC.

The Influence of Hormone Therapy on secondary diabetes mellitus in Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Growing evidences have implied that patients with primary breast cancer (BC) were at increased risks of developing diabetes mellitus (DM). However, as a major adjuvant treatment, the influence of hormone therapy (HT) on secondary DM in primary BC remains controversial; we conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies to evaluate the association of hormone therapy and secondary DM.

METHODS

We searched online databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, Scopus, and Google Scholar) for studies exploring the influence of hormone therapy on secondary DM in BC. The summarized effect sizes (ES) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) are calculated by STATA software utilizing fixed-effect or random-effect models, depending on the heterogeneity of the eligible studies.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 7 retrospective publications including a total of 44,524 primary BC patients are eligible in present meta-analysis. HT use significantly increased the risk of developing DM in primary BC patients, whenever compared with NON-HT BC patients (pooled adjusted HR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.19-1.43) or NORMAL participants (HR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.14-1.25). As to specific HT medications, our sub-analysis demonstrates the risk for DM in tamoxifen (TAM) users elevates by 30% than NON-TAM use BC patients (pooled HR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.20-1.40) and by 18% than NORMAL participants (pooled HR 1.18, 95% CI: 1.12-1.24). However, for aromatase inhibitors (AIs) users, the risks for DM do not elevate significantly. Funnel plots and Egger's tests are used to evaluate publication bias and no apparent bias is detected in all analysis.

CONCLUSION

The present study is the first meta-analysis which thoroughly reveals that adjuvant HT is a risk factor of secondary DM in primary female BC patients. As to specific HT medications, TAM use significantly enhances the incidence of secondary DM, while AIs use does not influence the DM incidence significantly. Our results can help clinicians to tailor more appropriate strategies for the therapy and follow-up of primary BC patients.

Validation of the Clinical Treatment Score Post-Five Years in Breast Cancer Patients for Predicting Late Distant Recurrence: A Single-Center Investigation in Korea

Background

Endocrine therapy is administered to hormone-positive breast cancer patients to prevent distant metastasis. It is important to evaluate the risk of recurrence and to determine which patients are viable candidates for such treatment because hormone therapy has side effects that can include postmenopausal symptoms. The Clinical Treatment Score post-five years (CTS5), a simple tool for identifying candidates for endocrine therapy, was recently introduced; however, CTS5 only has been applied in validation studies with postmenopausal women. We aimed to validate CTS5 among premenopausal breast cancer patients.

Methods

We identified patients treated between 1994 and 2014 at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, and followed their treatment outcomes for more than 60 months after surgery using clinicopathologic parameters. According to menopausal status, we divided the study population into two groups: pre- and postmenopausal women. After calculating CTS5 values based on some parameters, we stratified the rate of late distant recurrence (DR) and analyzed the correlation between CTS5 value and late DR by risk.

Results

Among 16,904 patients treated surgically for breast cancer, 2,605 with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who received endocrine therapy were included. Of these, 1,749 (67.14%) patients were premenopausal women, and the median age was 44.00 years. When categorizing study participants according to CTS5-related risk for late DR, 86.79% were categorized as low risk, 5.95% were categorized as intermediate risk, and 7.26% were categorized as high risk. The annual rate of DR was 1.41% for those in the present study and was similar between pre- and postmenopausal participants (1.40 vs. 1.42). Distant metastasis-free survival was not different between the two groups (hazard ratio: 0.817, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.547-1.221). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at 10 years for premenopausal and postmenopausal patients was 61.75 (95% CI: 52.97-70.53) and 72.71 (95% CIs: 63.30-82.12), respectively.

Conclusions

Although CTS5 was able to predict late DR, it should be applied with caution in premenopausal women. A CTS5 calculator for premenopausal women might be needed to not underestimate the risk of recurrence in Korea.

Evidence on Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Medicines Combined Western Medicines Treatment for Breast Cancer With Endocrine Therapy

Background

Breast cancer, a malignant disorder, occurs in epithelial tissue of the breast glands and ducts. Endocrine therapy is commonly applied as an important adjuvant treatment for breast cancer, but it usually induces a variety of side effects. Chinese Medicines (CM) has therapeutic effect on reducing adverse effects of the endocrine therapy in many clinical studies. But strong evidence is still limited on the efficacy and safety of CM combined western medicines (CM-WM) for breast cancer.

Objective

To study the efficacy and safety of CM-WM as an adjuvant treatment for reducing side effects induced by endocrine therapy in breast cancer patients.

Method

We searched relevant clinical studies in PubMed and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to February 28, 2021 and only Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were included. There were no limitations on the languages. We extracted data from the included RCTs, assessed study quality, conducted meta-analyses by RevMan 5.4 and compared the pooled Risk Ratios (RR) or Mean Difference (MD) with 95% CIs.

Results

In total 28 trials involving 1,926 participants were included. Six RCTs compared CM-WM with CM placebo-WM, while 22 RCTs compared CM-WM with WM alone. No study compared CM-WM with no treatment. Meta-analysis showed that CM-WM treatment significantly improved quality of life (MD = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.11–1.35, P = 0.02) when compared with CM placebo-WM treatment. When compared with WM treatment alone, CM-WM treatment significantly improved bone mineral density (MD = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.13–0.35, P <0.0001), TCM syndrome score (MD = −5.39, 95% CI = −8.81 to −1.97, P = 0.0002), Kupperman Scale (MD = 0.24, 95% CI = −2.76 to −1.94, P <0.0001), Karnofsky Performance Scale (MD = 3.76, 95% CI = 1.64–5.88, P = 0.0005), quality of life (MD = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.00–5.02, P = 0.003), and pain relief (MD = 2.10, 95% CI = 0.72–3.48, P <0.0001). Compared with WM, CM-WM significantly decreased incidence of TCM symptoms (nausea, vomiting, fatigue, etc.) (RR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.40–1.84, P <0.0001). For safety, serum calcium, estradiol, ALP, and blood CD3, CD4 and CD8 counts were not significantly difference between two treatments (P >0.05). Serious side effects or reactions were not reported in all included studies.

Conclusion

The adjunctive use of CM reduced the endocrine therapy associated adverse events, including bone mineral density loss, perimenopausal symptoms, poor quality of life, pain and impaired immune function. But large-scale and high quality RCTs are needed to support the application of CM-WM therapy.

Association of Modifiable Risk Factors With Early Discontinuation of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Early discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) is problematic among breast cancer survivors, with previous studies suggesting that up to 50% of women do not adhere to the recommended full 5 years of ET treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the association between early discontinuation of ET in the Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment (TAILORx) and modifiable risk factors, polypharmacy, and types of additional medications such as antidepressants and opioids.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This post hoc analysis includes a subgroup of 954 patients with breast cancer in TAILORx, a randomized clinical trial conducted from April 7, 2006, to October 6, 2010. All participants received a diagnosis of hormone receptor-positive, ERBB2-negative, axillary node-negative breast cancer and started ET within a year of study entry. Analyses were conducted in the intent-to-treat population. Statistical analysis took place from January 15, 2020, to April 6, 2021.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Participants completed measures on cancer-related health-related quality of life including physical well-being and social well-being prior to initiating ET. Early discontinuation of ET was defined as discontinuation less than 4 years from initiation for reasons other than death or recurrence. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate discontinuation, and Cox proportional hazards regression joint prediction models were used to analyze the association between rates of adherence to ET with patient-level factors.

RESULTS

A total of 954 women (mean [SD] age, 56.6 [8.9] years) were included in this analysis. In a joint model, receipt of chemoendocrine therapy (vs receipt of ET only; hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.92; P = .02) and age older than 40 years (vs ≤40 years; HR for 41-50 years, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.85; P = .02; HR for 51-60 years, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.13-0.60; P = .001; HR for 61-70 years, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.18-0.86; P = .02; and HR for >70 years, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07-0.77; P = .02) were associated with a lower probability of early discontinuation of ET. Adjusted for these factors, a history of depression compared with no history of depression (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.19-2.77; P = .005), worse physical well-being compared with better physical well-being (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.30-3.45; P = .002), and worse social well-being compared with better social well-being (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.20-3.13; P = .006) were individually and significantly associated with a higher probability of early discontinuation of ET. Only antidepressant use at study baseline was associated with early discontinuation (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.23-2.84; P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial, baseline patient-reported health-related quality of life components, such as poor social well-being, poor physical well-being, and comorbid depression, were significant risk factors for early discontinuation of endocrine therapies. These results support systematic screening for patient-reported outcomes and depressive symptoms to identify women at risk for discontinuation of ET.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00310180.

Contemporary Cancer Program Practice Profile Report (CP3R) Compliance Rates for Breast Cancer: A National Cancer Database Analysis

INTRODUCTION

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) issues Cancer Program Practice Profile Reports (CP3R) that set standards for high-quality care. Three metrics for breast cancer include radiation within 1 year for women < 70 years of age receiving breast-conserving surgery, radiation within 1 year after mastectomy for women with four or more positive lymph nodes (MASTRT), and hormonal therapy within 1 year of a stage IB-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HT). Our study evaluates national trends in quality metric compliance.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2014 to identify patients who met the criteria for the three quality metrics. National trends in compliance were compared.

RESULTS

Overall, 1,094,264 patients qualified for BCSRT (n = 534,147), MASTRT (n = 66,291), or HT (n = 493,826). In 2014, 91.1% of patients met BCSRT, 88.4% met MASTRT, and 90.7% met HT. BCSRT, MASTRT, and HT compliance rates were lower in community hospitals compared with Integrated Network Cancer Programs (INCP) (BCSRT: 89.0% vs. 92.8%, p < 0.01; MASTRT: 85.5% vs. 90.6%, p < 0.01; HT: 87.3% vs. 93.7%, p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, patients receiving care at an INCP facility [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-1.58] and insured patients (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.54-1.87) had higher odds of BCSRT compliance, and minorities (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.73-0.80) had lower odds. Similar results were seen for MASTRT and HT.

CONCLUSION

In more recent years, overall compliance rates for breast cancer quality metrics of BCSRT and HT by Comprehensive Community Cancer Programs, Academic/Research Programs, and INCPs have increased to meet the 90% CoC standards, while MASTRT has regressed. Community programs were least compliant with meeting the CoC standards.

Young Women With Breast Cancer: Treatment, Care, and Nursing Implications

BACKGROUND

Young women with breast cancer (YWBC) are more likely to have aggressive disease, carry mutations for hereditary cancer genes, and experience higher mortality. They also may face reduced fertility because of the toxicity of chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

This article aims to present a review of YWBC treatments, sequelae of treatment, and psychosocial challenges.

METHODS

The authors performed a review of guideline-supported treatment options, patient resources, and nursing implications.

FINDINGS

Because of high-risk cancers and a lack of specific treatment guidelines, healthcare providers may consider aggressive treatments for younger patients. However, studies indicate that the foundation for treatment decisions for YWBC are best based on disease stage and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines.