Risk-reducing medications for primary breast cancer: a network meta-analysis

Screening and Testing for Homologous Recombination Repair Deficiency (HRD) in Breast Cancer: an Overview of the Current Global Landscape

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD) increases breast cancer susceptibility and influences both prophylactic and active management of breast cancer. This review evaluates HRD testing and the therapeutic implications of HRD in a global context.

RECENT FINDINGS

Ongoing research efforts have highlighted the importance of HRD beyond BRCA1/2 as a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer. However, despite the improved affordability of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the discovery of PARP inhibitors, economic and geographical barriers in access to HRD testing and breast cancer screening do not allow all patients to benefit from the personalized treatment approach they provide. Advancements in HRD testing modalities and targeted therapeutics enable tailored breast cancer management. However, inequalities in access to testing and optimized treatments are contributing to widening health disparities globally.

Body composition changes during breast cancer preventive treatment with anastrozole: Findings from the IBIS-II trial

Background

Uptake to anastrozole for breast cancer prevention is low, partly due to women's concerns about side effects including gains in weight and specifically gains in body fat. Previous evidence does not link anastrozole with gains in weight, but there is a lack of data on any effects on body composition i.e. changes in fat and fat free mass. Here we assess association of anastrozole with body composition changes in a prospective sub-study from the second international breast intervention trial (IBIS-II).

Methods

Participants had DXA scans at baseline and for five years of anastrozole/placebo and beyond (between March 2004 and September 2017. Primary outcomes were changes in body weight, body fat and fat free mass at 9-18 months. A linear model was used to estimate the size of a differential effect in these outcomes by randomised treatment allocation adjusted for baseline value and time since last scan, age, 10-year breast cancer risk, smoking and HRT status.

Results

203 postmenopausal women were recruited (n = 95 anastrozole, n = 108 placebo), mean age 58 years (SD = 5.4), BMI 28.0 kg/m2 (SD = 5.5). There was no evidence of a strong association between anastrozole or placebo and endpoints at 9-18 months; effect size (95 %CI) for anastrozole minus placebo for body weight (per/kg) -0.11 (-1.29-1.08); body fat 0.11 (-0.75-0.96) and fat free mass -0.30 (-0.79-0.19).

Conclusions

There is unlikely to be a clinically significant change to body composition with anastrozole for breast cancer prevention.

How do network meta-analyses address intransitivity when assessing certainty of evidence: a systematic survey

OBJECTIVES

To describe how systematic reviews with network meta-analyses (NMAs) that used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) NMA approach addressed intransitivity when assessing certainty of evidence.

DESIGN

Systematic survey.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from September 2014 to October 2022.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials with aggregate data NMAs that used the GRADE NMA approach for assessing certainty of evidence.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We documented how reviewers described methods for addressing intransitivity when assessing certainty of evidence, how often they rated down for intransitivity and their explanations for rating down.

RESULTS

Of the 268 eligible systematic reviews, 44.8% (120/268) mentioned intransitivity when describing methods for assessing the certainty of evidence. Of these, 28.3% (34/120) considered effect modifiers and from this subset, 67.6% (23/34) specified the effect modifiers; however, no systematic review noted how they chose the effect modifiers. 15.0% (18/120) mentioned looking for differences between the direct comparisons that inform the indirect estimate. No review specified a threshold for difference in effect modifiers between the direct comparisons that would lead to rating down for intransitivity. Reviewers noted rating down indirect evidence for intransitivity in 33.1% of systematic reviews, and noted intransitivity for network estimates in 23.0% of reviews. Authors provided an explanation for rating down for intransitivity in 59.6% (31/52) of the cases in which they rated down. Of the 31 in which they provided an explanation, 74.2% (23/31) noted they detected differences in effect modifiers and 67.7% (21/31) specified in what effect modifiers they detected differences.

CONCLUSIONS

A third of systematic reviews with NMAs using the GRADE approach rated down for intransitivity. Limitations in reporting of methods to address intransitivity proved considerable. Whether the problem is that reviewers neglected to address rating down for transitivity at all, or whether they did consider but not report, is not clear. At minimum systematic reviews with NMAs need to improve their reporting practices regarding intransitivity; it may well be that they need to improve their practice in transitivity assessment. How to best address intransitivity may remain unclear for many reviewers thus additional GRADE guidance providing practical instructions for addressing intransitivity may be desirable.

Management of breast cancer patients with BRCA gene mutations in Jordan: perspectives and challenges

BACKGROUND

This paper explores and discusses local challenges oncologists face for diagnosing and managing breast cancer patients with BRCA gene mutations in Jordan.

METHODS

A task force involving key opinion leaders, experts in the management of breast cancer, and stakeholders in healthcare systems where genetic testing is available in Jordan discussed current evidence and local real-life practice. The task force then formulated recommendations to achieve better patient outcomes and satisfaction based on evidence-based medicine and their clinical experience in BRCA-mutated breast cancer management.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Eligibility of patients for genetic testing, physician acceptance and willingness to integrate genetic testing into routine practice is encouraging but remains restricted by testing availability and financial coverage. Until more data is available, genetic testing should be targeted for breast cancer patients based on tumor subtypes, as well as family and personal history of cancer, as per international guidelines. Whenever possible, genetic testing should aim to detect all actionable genes through a multigene panel including BRCA1/2. Major challenges faced in clinical practice in Jordan include fear of genetic discrimination and social stigmatization, as well as hesitancy toward risk-reducing surgery. Pre-testing counseling is therefore critical to promote acceptance of genetic testing. Since geneticists are in short supply in Jordan, genetic counseling can be offered through a specially trained genetic counselor or through a hybrid system that includes oncologist-based counselling. In addition to cancer prevention, germline genetic testing may assist in the selection of specific anti-cancer therapy, such as PARP inhibitors, in patients with BRCA1/2 mutation. Nationwide initiatives are also needed to ensure access to PARP inhibition therapy and provide financial coverage for genetic screening, mastectomies and reconstructive surgery across Jordan.

Chemoprevention and Lifestyle Modifications for Risk Reduction in Sporadic and Hereditary Breast Cancer

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide. Risk assessment helps to identify women at increased risk of breast cancer and allows the adoption of a comprehensive approach to reducing breast cancer incidence through personalized interventions, including lifestyle modification, chemoprevention, intensified surveillance with breast imaging, genetic counseling, and testing. Primary prevention means acting on modifiable risk factors to reduce breast cancer occurrence. Chemoprevention with tamoxifen, raloxifene, anastrozole, and exemestane has already shown benefits in decreasing breast cancer incidence in women at an increased risk for breast cancer. For healthy women carrying BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants, the efficacy of chemoprevention is still controversial. Adopting chemoprevention strategies and the choice among agents should depend on the safety profile and risk-benefit ratio. Unfortunately, the uptake of these agents has been low. Lifestyle modifications can reduce breast cancer incidence, and the recommendations for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 P/LP germline variant carriers are comparable to the general population. This review summarizes the most recent evidence regarding the efficacy of chemoprevention and lifestyle interventions in women with sporadic and hereditary breast cancer.

FGF/FGFR1 system in paired breast tumor-adjacent and tumor tissues, associations with mammographic breast density and tumor characteristics

Introduction

Mammographic breast density (MBD) is an established breast cancer risk factor, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be deciphered. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) amplification is associated with breast cancer development and aberrant FGF signaling found in the biological processes related to both high mammographic density and breast cancer microenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate the FGF/FGFR1 expression in-between paired tumor-adjacent and tumor tissues from the same patient, and its associations with MBD and tumor characteristics.

Methods

FGFR1 expression in paired tissues from 426 breast cancer patients participating in the Karolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA) cohort study was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. FGF ligand expression was obtained from RNA-sequencing data for 327 of the included patients.

Results

FGFR1 levels were differently expressed in tumor-adjacent and tumor tissues, with increased FGFR1 levels detected in 58% of the tumors. High FGFR1 expression in tumor tissues was associated with less favorable tumor characteristics; high histological grade (OR=1.86, 95% CI 1.00-3.44), high Ki67 proliferative index (OR=2.18, 95% CI 1.18-4.02) as well as tumors of Luminal B-like subtype (OR=2.56, 95%CI 1.29-5.06). While no clear association between FGFR1 expression and MBD was found, FGF ligand (FGF1, FGF11, FGF18) expression was positively correlated with MBD.

Discussion

Taken together, these findings support a role of the FGF/FGFR1 system in early breast cancer which warrants further investigation in the MBD-breast cancer context.

Validation Study on Risk-Reduction Activities after Exposure to a Personalized Breast Cancer Risk-Assessment Education Tool in High-Risk Women in the WISDOM Study

We performed a 318-participant validation study of an individualized risk assessment tool in women identified as having high- or highest-risk of breast cancer in the personalized arm of the Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of risk (WISDOM) trial. Per protocol, these women were educated about their risk and risk reducing options using the Breast Health Decisions (BHD) tool, which uses patient-friendly visuals and 8th grade reading level language to convey risk and prevention options. Prior to exposure to the educational tool, 4.7% of women were already taking endocrine risk reduction, 38.7% were reducing alcohol intake, and 62.6% were exercising. Three months after initial use of BHD, 8.4% of women who considered endocrine risk reduction, 33% of women who considered alcohol reduction, and 46% of women who considered exercise pursued the risk-reducing activities. Unlike lifestyle interventions which are under the control of the patient, additional barriers at the level of the healthcare provider may be impeding the targeted use of endocrine risk reduction medications in women with elevated breast cancer risk.

Use of a convolutional neural network-based mammographic evaluation to predict breast cancer recurrence among women with hormone receptor-positive operable breast cancer

PURPOSE

We evaluated whether a novel, fully automated convolutional neural network (CNN)-based mammographic evaluation can predict breast cancer relapse among women with operable hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women with stage I-III, HR-positive unilateral breast cancer diagnosed at Columbia University Medical Center from 2007 to 2017, who received adjuvant endocrine therapy and had at least two mammograms (baseline, annual follow-up) of the contralateral unaffected breast for CNN analysis. We extracted demographics, clinicopathologic characteristics, breast cancer treatments, and relapse status from the electronic health record. Our primary endpoint was change in CNN risk score (range, 0-1). We used two-sample t-tests to assess for difference in mean CNN scores between patients who relapsed vs. remained in remission, and conducted Cox regression analyses to assess for association between change in CNN score and breast cancer-free interval (BCFI), adjusting for known prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Among 848 women followed for a median of 59 months, there were 67 (7.9%) breast cancer relapses (36 distant, 25 local, 6 new primaries). There was a significant difference in mean absolute change in CNN risk score from baseline to 1-year follow-up between those who relapsed vs. remained in remission (0.001 vs. - 0.022, p = 0.030). After adjustment for prognostic factors, a 0.01 absolute increase in CNN score at 1-year was significantly associated with BCFI, hazard ratio = 1.05 (95% Confidence Interval 1.01-1.09, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

Short-term change in the CNN-based breast cancer risk model on adjuvant endocrine therapy predicts breast cancer relapse, and warrants further evaluation in prospective studies.

Terapia endocrina para la prevención primaria del cáncer de seno: Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis actualizado

Introducción. Debido a que el cáncer de seno es una enfermedad asociada a una significativa tasa de morbilidad y mortalidad cuando se diagnostica en el período sintomático, se han hecho enormes esfuerzos orientados hacia la prevención primaria de esta enfermedad. Métodos. Se realizó una búsqueda de todos los experimentos clínicos aleatorizados que evaluaran la eficacia de la terapia endocrina para la reducción del riesgo de desarrollar cáncer de seno. La calidad metodológica de los estudios seleccionados fue valorada utilizando la herramienta de la Colaboración Cochrane para medir el riesgo de sesgo en ensayos aleatorizados. Se evaluó la heterogeneidad de los estudios primarios elegibles utilizando los estadísticos T², I², H². El sesgo de publicación fue evaluado mediante el test de Harbord y mediante la gráfica de funnel plot. La medida de efecto utilizada en este metaanálisis fue el riesgo relativo (RR) con el cálculo de los intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95%. Resultados. Encontramos doce experimentos clínicos aleatorizados que reclutaron a 68.180 mujeres, las cuales fueron asignadas al azar para recibir algún tipo terapia endocrina para reducir el riesgo de desarrollar cáncer de seno o placebo. La terapia endocrina en conjunto redujo el riesgo proporcional de cáncer de seno (invasivo más in situ) en un 42 %, resultado estadísticamente significativo RR 0,58 (IC95% 0,50 – 0,69). Conclusiones. La terapia endocrina es el manejo estándar de prevención en mujeres sanas con riesgo de desarrollar cáncer de seno no hereditario.

Rapid Reductions in Breast Density following Tamoxifen Therapy as Evaluated by Whole-Breast Ultrasound Tomography

Purpose: Women whose mammographic breast density declines within 12–18 months of initiating tamoxifen for chemoprevention or adjuvant treatment show improved therapeutic responses compared with those whose density is unchanged. We tested whether measuring changes in sound speed (a surrogate of breast density) using ultrasound tomography (UST) could enable rapid identification of favorable responses to tamoxifen. Methods: We evaluated serial density measures at baseline and at 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 12+ months among 74 women (aged 30–70 years) following initiation of tamoxifen for clinical indications, including an elevated risk of breast cancer (20%) and diagnoses of in situ (39%) or invasive (40%) breast carcinoma, enrolled at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Henry Ford Health System (Detroit, MI, USA). For comparison, we evaluated an untreated group with screen negative mammography and frequency-matched on age, race, and menopausal status (n = 150), at baseline and 12 months. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences in UST sound speed over time and between tamoxifen-treated and untreated patients. Results: Sound speed declined steadily over the 12 month period among patients receiving tamoxifen (mean (SD): −3.0 (8.2) m/s; p = 0.001), whereas density remained unchanged in the untreated group (mean (SD): 0.4 (7.1) m/s; p = 0.75 (relative change between groups: p = 0.0009)). In the tamoxifen group, we observed significant sound speed reductions as early as 4–6 months after tamoxifen initiation (mean (SD): −2.1 (6.8) m/s; p = 0.008). Sound speed reductions were greatest among premenopausal patients (P-interaction = 0.0002) and those in the middle and upper tertiles of baseline sound speed (P-interaction = 0.002). Conclusions: UST can image rapid declines in sound speed following initiation of tamoxifen. Given that sound speed and mammographic density are correlated, we propose that UST breast imaging may capture early responses to tamoxifen, which in turn may have utility in predicting therapeutic efficacy.

Low-Dose Tamoxifen for Mammographic Density Reduction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tamoxifen prevents breast cancer in high-risk women and reduces mortality in the adjuvant setting. Mammographic density change is a proxy for tamoxifen therapy response. We tested whether lower doses of tamoxifen were noninferior to reduce mammographic density and associated with fewer symptoms.

Use of Low-Dose Tamoxifen to Increase Mammographic Screening Sensitivity in Premenopausal Women

Increased breast density decreases mammographic sensitivity due to masking of cancers by dense tissue. Tamoxifen exposure reduces mammographic density and, therefore, should improve screening sensitivity. We modelled how low-dose tamoxifen exposure could be used to increase mammographic sensitivity. Mammographic sensitivity was calculated using the KARMA prospective screening cohort. Two models were fitted to estimate screening sensitivity and detected tumor size based on baseline mammographic density. BI-RADS-dependent sensitivity was estimated. The results of the 2.5 mg tamoxifen arm of the KARISMA trial were used to define expected changes in mammographic density after six months exposure and to predict changes in mammographic screening sensitivity and detected tumor size. Rates of interval cancers and detection of invasive tumors were estimated for women with mammographic density relative decreases by 10-50%. In all, 517 cancers in premenopausal women were diagnosed in KARMA: 287 (56%) screen-detected and 230 (44%) interval cancers. Screening sensitivities prior to tamoxifen, were 76%, 69%, 53%, and 46% for BI-RADS density categories A, B, C, and D, respectively. After exposure to tamoxifen, modelled screening sensitivities were estimated to increase by 0% (p = 0.35), 2% (p < 0.01), 5% (p < 0.01), and 5% (p < 0.01), respectively. An estimated relative density decrease by ≥20% resulted in an estimated reduction of interval cancers by 24% (p < 0.01) and reduction in tumors >20 mm at detection by 4% (p < 0.01). Low-dose tamoxifen has the potential to increase mammographic screening sensitivity and thereby reduce the proportion of interval cancers and larger screen-detected cancers.

Melatonin as an Oncostatic Molecule Based on Its Anti-Aromatase Role in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer. In the developmental stages of breast cancer, estrogens are strongly involved. As estrogen synthesis is regulated by the enzyme aromatase, targeting the activity of this enzyme represents a therapeutic option. The pineal hormone melatonin may exert a suppressive role on aromatase activity, leading to reduced estrogen biosynthesis. A melatonin-mediated decrease in the expression of aromatase promoters and associated genes would provide suitable evidence of this molecule’s efficacy as an aromatase inhibitor. Furthermore, melatonin intensifies radiation-induced anti-aromatase effects and counteracts the unwanted disadvantages of chemotherapeutic agents. In this manner, this review summarizes the inhibitory role of melatonin in aromatase action, suggesting its role as a possible oncostatic molecule in breast cancer.

Independent and joint cross-sectional associations of statin and metformin use with mammographic breast density

BACKGROUND

Well-tolerated and commonly used medications are increasingly assessed for reducing breast cancer risk. These include metformin and statins, both linked to reduced hormone availability and cell proliferation or growth and sometimes prescribed concurrently. We investigated independent and joint associations of these medications with mammographic breast density (MBD), a useful biomarker for the effect of chemopreventive agents on breast cancer risk.

METHODS

Using data from a cross-sectional study of 770 women (78% Hispanic, aged 40-61 years, in a mammography cohort with high cardiometabolic burden), we examined the association of self-reported "ever" use of statins and metformin with MBD measured via clinical Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) density classifications (relative risk regression) and continuous semi-automated percent and size of dense area (Cumulus) (linear regression), adjusted for age, body mass index, education, race, menopausal status, age at first birth, and insulin use.

RESULTS

We observed high statin (27%), metformin (13%), and combination (9%) use, and most participants were overweight/obese (83%) and parous (87%). Statin use was associated with a lower likelihood of high density BI-RADS (RR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.80), percent dense area (PD) (β = - 6.56, 95% CI = - 9.05 to - 4.06), and dense area (DA) (β = - 9.05, 95% CI = - 14.89 to - 3.22). Metformin use was associated with lower PD and higher non-dense area (NDA), but associations were attenuated by co-medication with statins. Compared to non-use of either medication, statin use alone or with metformin were associated with lower PD and DA (e.g., β = - 6.86, 95% CI: - 9.67, - 4.05 and β = - 7.07, 95% CI: - 10.97, - 3.17, respectively, for PD) and higher NDA (β = 25.05, 95% CI: 14.06, 36.03; β = 29.76, 95% CI: 14.55, 44.96, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Statin use was consistently associated with lower MBD, measured both through clinical radiologist assessment and continuous relative and absolute measures, including dense area. Metformin use was associated with lower PD and higher NDA, but this may be driven by co-medication with statins. These results support that statins may lower MBD but need confirmation with prospective and clinical data to distinguish the results of medication use from that of disease.

Tamoxifen and Endometrial Cancer: A Janus-Headed Drug

Simple Summary

Tamoxifen, an antiestrogen, is a potent drug to treat and prevent hormone dependent breast cancer. As it has low toxicity and is widely available, tamoxifen has become one of the most frequently prescribed anticancer drugs worldwide. A major side effect of tamoxifen is to increase the risk of uterine corpus cancer (endometrial cancer). This happens after long-term (>2 years) application, especially in postmenopausal women with preexisting pathologies in the uterus. On the other hand, tamoxifen is an efficacious treatment for certain forms of advanced endometrial cancer, thus making it a Janus-headed drug that can support the development of endometrial cancer on one hand and be used as a remedy for this disease on the other. This article reviews the clinical data on these controversial effects of tamoxifen and the possible explanations.

Abstract

Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator used for the treatment and prevention of estrogen receptor (ER)—positive breast cancer. However, tamoxifen increases the risk of endometrial cancer (EC) by about 2–7 fold, and more aggressive types of EC with poor prognoses are observed in tamoxifen users. On the other hand, tamoxifen is an efficacious treatment for advanced or recurrent EC with low toxicity. The differential agonistic or antagonistic effects of tamoxifen on ERα are explained by the tissue-specific expression profiles of co-activators and co-repressors of the receptor. The estrogen-agonistic effect of tamoxifen in endometrial cancers can also be explained by the expression of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER-1), a membrane-bound estrogen receptor for which tamoxifen and other “antiestrogens” are pure agonists.

Hormonal Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder: State of the Art

Major depressive disorder is a common psychiatric disorder associated with marked suffering, morbidity, mortality, and cost. The World Health Organization projects that by 2030, major depression will be the leading cause of disease burden worldwide. While numerous treatments for major depression exist, many patients do not respond adequately to traditional antidepressants. Thus, more effective treatments for major depression are needed, and targeting certain hormonal systems is a conceptually based approach that has shown promise in the treatment of this disorder. A number of hormones and hormone-manipulating compounds have been evaluated as monotherapies or adjunctive treatments for major depression, with therapeutic actions attributable not only to the modulation of endocrine systems in the periphery but also to the CNS effects of hormones on non-endocrine brain circuitry. The authors describe the physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid (HPT), and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes and review the evidence for selected hormone-based interventions for the treatment of depression in order to provide an update on the state of this field for clinicians and researchers. The review focuses on the HPA axis-based interventions of corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists and the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone, the HPT axis-based treatments of thyroid hormones (T₃ and T₄), and the HPG axis-based treatments of estrogen replacement therapy, the progesterone derivative allopregnanolone, and testosterone. While some treatments have largely failed to translate from preclinical studies, others have shown promising initial results and represent active fields of study in the search for novel effective treatments for major depression.