Impact of disease progression on health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer in the PRAEGNANT breast cancer registry

Attrition in the First Three Therapy Lines in Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer in the German Real-World PRAEGNANT Registry

Background With more effective therapies for patients with advanced breast cancer (aBC), therapy sequences are becoming increasingly important. However, some patients might drop out of the treatment sequence due to deterioration of their life status. Since little is known about attrition in the real-world setting, this study assessed attrition in the first three therapy lines using a real-world registry. Methods Patients with information available on the first three therapy lines were selected from the German PRAEGNANT registry (NCT02338167). Attrition was determined for each therapy line using competing risk analyses, with the start of the next therapy line or death as endpoints. Additionally, a simple attrition rate was calculated based on the proportion of patients who completed therapy but did not start the next therapy line. Results Competitive risk analyses were performed on 3988 1st line, 2651 2nd line and 1866 3rd line patients. The probabilities of not starting the next therapy line within 5 years after initiation of 1st, 2nd and 3rd line therapy were 30%, 24% and 24% respectively. Patients with HER2-positive disease had the highest risk for attrition, while patients with HRpos/HER2neg disease had the lowest risk. Attrition rates remained similar across molecular subgroups in the different therapy lines. Conclusion Attrition affects a large proportion of patients with aBC, which should be considered when planning novel therapy concepts that specifically address the sequencing of therapies. Taking attrition into account could help understand treatment effects resulting from sequential therapies and might help develop treatment strategies that specifically aim at maintaining quality of life.

Predictors of Quality of Life Decline in Patients with Oligometastases treated with Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy: Analysis of the Population-Based SABR-5 Phase II Trial

AIMS

Most patients experience stable quality of life (QoL) after stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) treatment for oligometastases. However, a subset of patients experience clinically relevant declines in QoL on post-treatment follow-up. This study aimed to identify risk factors for QoL decline.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The SABR-5 trial was a population-based single-arm phase II study of SABR to up to five sites of oligometastases. Prospective QoL was measured using treatment site-specific tools at pre-treatment baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 30 and 36 months after treatment. The time to persistent QoL decline was calculated as the time from SABR to the first decline in QoL score meeting minimum clinically important difference with no improvement to baseline score on subsequent assessments. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine factors associated with QoL decline.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirty-three patients were included with a median follow-up of 32 months (interquartile range 25-43). Thirty-five patients (26%) experienced a persistent decline in QoL. The median time until persistent QoL decline was not reached. The cumulative incidence of QoL decline at 2 and 3 years were 22% (95% confidence interval 14.0-29.6) and 40% (95% confidence interval 28.0-51.2), respectively. In multivariable analysis, disease progression (odds ratio 5.23, 95% confidence interval 1.59-17.47, P = 0.007) and adrenal metastases (odds ratio 9.70, 95% confidence interval 1.41-66.93, P = 0.021) were associated with a higher risk of QoL decline. Grade 3 or higher (odds ratio 3.88, 95% confidence interval 0.92-16.31, P = 0.064) and grade 2 or higher SABR-associated toxicity (odds ratio 2.24, 95% confidence interval 0.85-5.91, P = 0.10) were associated with an increased risk of QoL decline but did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Disease progression and adrenal lesion site were associated with persistent QoL decline following SABR. The development of grade 3 or higher toxicities was also associated with an increased risk, albeit not statistically significant. Further studies are needed, focusing on the QoL impact of metastasis-directed therapies.

Quality of Life and Treatment-Related Side Effects in Patients With HR+/HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer: Findings From a Multicountry Survey

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QOL) is a critical factor in decision-making for advanced breast cancer (ABC). There is a need to improve how QOL and treatment-related side effects (SEs) that impact it are clinically assessed. We examined healthcare professionals' (HCPs') and patients' perspectives on the importance of QOL discussions and the impact of SEs on QOL in clinical settings.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted (7/2020-5/2021) among oncologists, nurses, and patients with HR+/HER2- ABC in 7 countries.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 502 HCPs and 467 patients. Overall, 88% of oncologists and 49% of patients recalled QOL discussions at follow-up. In the first- through fourth-line (1L, 2L, 3L, and 4L) settings, respectively, 48%, 57%, 79%, and 85% of oncologists reported QOL was very important; 73% and 45% of patients receiving 1L and 2L treatment and 40% receiving 3L+ treatment indicated QOL was important. Patients reported that insomnia, anxiety, back pain, fatigue, diarrhea, hot flashes, low sexual interest, and loss of appetite had a moderate/severe impact on QOL. Of patients experiencing certain SEs, ≥64% did not discuss them with HCPs until there was a moderate/severe impact on QOL. In patients receiving a CDK4/6 inhibitor, SEs, including insomnia, diarrhea, back pain, and fatigue, had a moderate/severe impact on QOL.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey discovered disconnects between HCPs and patients with ABC on the importance of QOL discussions and the impact of SEs on QOL. These data support the use of ABC-specific QOL questionnaires that closely monitor SEs impacting QOL.

Factors Affecting Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

Improving survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), along with symptom relief, is important for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study measured HRQOL and analyzed its influence on sociodemographic and clinical factors in patients with MBC.

METHODS

We interviewed 298 patients with MBC to investigate their sociodemographic characteristics and HRQOL by using EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D) between September and October 2014. We also reviewed medical records to examine the clinical condition of the patients, including disease progression, adverse events, treatments, chronic disease, and metastatic areas. The distribution of the EQ-5D index was compared between different clinical conditions by using the Kruskal-Wallis test. We also conducted multiple regression analyses to identify the factors affecting HRQOL in patients with MBC.

RESULTS

The mean EQ-5D index was 0.79 for all patients surveyed. The mean EQ-5D index score was significantly lower in patients in the progressed state than in those in the progression-free survival state (0.73 vs. 0.80, p = 0.0002). The HRQOL of patients treated with chemotherapy alone was significantly lower than that of patients treated with hormonal or targeted therapy (0.76 vs. 0.82 or 0.85; p = 0.0020). Regression analysis revealed that the clinical factors associated with lower HRQOL were progressed state, chemotherapy, and adverse events, such as hair loss or stomatitis. Finally, young age, high income, and employment were the sociodemographic factors that were positively associated with better HRQOL.

CONCLUSION

This study provides new information on the health utility of MBC patients on the basis of various patient characteristics and offers insights that can assist medical professionals in treating patients with MBC and help policymakers implement cancer strategies. Further research is needed to reflect the changing environment of cancer treatment and enrich available evidence.

Machine learning and patient-reported outcomes for longitudinal monitoring of disease progression in metastatic breast cancer: a multicenter, retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Assessments of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) play an important role in transition to palliative care for women with metastatic breast cancer. We developed machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyse longitudinal HRQoL data and identify patients who may benefit from palliative care due to disease progression.

METHODS

We recruited patients from two institutions and administered the EuroQoL Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) via an online platform over a 6-month period. We trained a regularised regression algorithm using 10-fold cross-validation to determine if a patient was at high or low risk of disease progression based on changes in the EQ-VAS scores using data of one institution and validated the performance on data of the other institution. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the end-point. We conducted Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis adjusted for clinical risk factors.

RESULTS

Of 179 patients, 98 (54.7%) had progressive disease after a median follow-up of 14weeks. Using EQ-VAS scores collected at weeks 1-6 to predict disease progression at week 12, in the validation set (n = 63), PFS was significantly lower in the intelligent EQ-VAS high-risk versus low-risk group: median PFS 7 versus 10weeks, log-rank P < 0.038). Intelligent EQ-VAS had the strongest association with PFS (adjusted hazard ratio 2.69, 95% confidence interval 1.17-6.18, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

ML algorithms can analyse changes in longitudinal HRQoL data to identify patients with disease progression earlier than standard follow-up methods. Intelligent EQ-VAS scores were identified as independent prognostic factor. Future studies may validate these results to remotely monitor patients.

Outcomes of breast reconstruction in patients with stage IV breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with Stage IV breast cancer are living longer but breast reconstruction in this setting remains controversial. There is limited research evaluating the benefits of breast reconstruction in this patient cohort.

STUDY DESIGN

Drawing from the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium (MROC) dataset, a prospective cohort study that involved 11 leading medical centers in the US and Canada, we compared patient-reported outcomes (PROs) assessed utilizing the BREAST-Q, a condition-specific, validated patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for mastectomy reconstruction, as well as complications between a cohort of patients with Stage IV disease undergoing reconstruction and a control group of women with Stage I-III disease also receiving reconstruction.

RESULTS

Among the MROC population, 26 patients with Stage IV and 2613 women with Stage I-III breast cancer underwent breast reconstruction. Preoperatively, the Stage IV cohort reported significantly lower baseline scores for satisfaction with breast (p = 0.004), psychosocial well-being (p = 0.043) and sexual well-being (p = 0.001), compared with Stage I-III women. Following breast reconstruction, Stage IV patients' mean PRO scores improved over baseline and were not significantly different from those of Stage I-III reconstruction patients. There were also no significant differences in overall/any (p = 0.782), major (p = 0.751) or minor complication (p = 0.787) rates between the two groups at two years following reconstruction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings in this study suggest that breast reconstruction offers significant quality-of-life benefits for women with advanced breast cancer with no increase in postoperative complications and thus may be a reasonable option in this clinical setting.

CDK4/6 Inhibitors-Overcoming Endocrine Resistance Is the Standard in Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors can be considered as some of the first targeted therapies. For the past 30 years, they were the endocrine treatment standard in the advanced and early breast cancer setting. CDK4/6 inhibitors, however, are the first substances in almost two decades to broadly improve the therapeutic landscape of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients for the upcoming years. This review is designed to discuss the recent history, current role, future directions and opportunities of this substance class.

RECENT FINDINGS

The CDK4/6 inhibitors abemaciclib, dalpiciclib, palbociclib and ribociclib have all demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival in advanced disease. However, to date, abemaciclib and ribociclib are the only CDK4/6 inhibitors to have shown an improvement in overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Moreover, abemaciclib is the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to also reduce the risk of recurrence in those with early-stage disease. Further CDK inhibitors, treatment combinations with other drugs and different therapy sequences are in development.

SUMMARY

Achieving significant improvements in survival rates in the advanced and early breast cancer treatment setting, CDK4/6 inhibitors have set a new standard of care for patients with advanced breast cancer. It remains important to better understand resistance mechanisms to be able to develop novel substances and treatment sequences.

Health-related quality-of-life analyses from a multicenter, randomized, double-blind phase 2 study of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated with lenvatinib 18 or 24 mg/day

BACKGROUND

In the phase 2 double-blind Study 211, a starting dose of lenvatinib 18 mg/day was compared with the approved starting dose of 24 mg/day in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). Predefined criteria for noninferiority for efficacy in the 18 mg arm were not met; safety was similar in both arms. Impact of lenvatinib treatment on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) was a secondary endpoint of Study 211.

METHODS

Patients with RR-DTC were randomly assigned to a blinded starting dose of lenvatinib 18 mg/day or 24 mg/day. HRQoL was assessed at baseline, every 8 weeks until Week 24, then every 16 weeks, and at the off-treatment visit, using the EQ-5D-3L and FACT-G instruments. Completion and compliance rates, mean change from baseline, and times to first and definitive deterioration were evaluated.

RESULTS

Baseline EQ-5D and FACT-G scores, and overall changes from baseline, were comparable between patients in the lenvatinib 18 mg/day (n = 77) and 24 mg/day arms (n = 75). For the 18 mg versus 24 mg arms, least squares mean differences were -0.42 (95% CI -4.88, 4.03) for EQ-5D-VAS and 0.47 (95% CI -3.45, 4.39) for FACT-G total. Time to first deterioration did not significantly favor either arm; EQ-5D-VAS HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.93 (95% CI 0.61-1.40), EQ-5D-HUI HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.68 (95% CI 0.44-1.05), FACT-G total HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.73 (95% CI 0.48-1.12). Time to definitive deterioration did not significantly favor either arm, though EQ-5D-VAS showed a trend in favor of the 24 mg arm (HR [18 mg/24 mg] 1.72; 95% CI 0.99-3.01); EQ-5D-HUI HR [18 mg/24 mg] was 0.96 (95% CI 0.57-1.63), FACT-G total HR [18 mg/24 mg] was 0.72 (95% CI 0.43-1.21).

CONCLUSIONS

In Study 211, HRQoL for patients in the lenvatinib 18 mg/day arm was not statistically different from that of patients in the 24 mg/day arm. These data further support the use of the approved lenvatinib starting dose of 24 mg/day in patients with RR-DTC.

CLINICALTRIALS

GOV NUMBER

NCT02702388.

PERFORM: a non-interventional study assessing the patients' treatment starting with 1L palbociclib in HR+/HER2- ABC

The prospective, non-interventional PERFORM study describes and analyzes the effectiveness of palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy (aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant) as first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer in the real-world setting in Germany and Austria. PERFORM will reflect current patient characteristics and routine treatment patterns including treatment sequences and time to subsequent (chemo)therapy. Besides, second-line treatment effectiveness and patient-relevant end points such as longitudinal patient-reported outcome measurements beyond disease progression will be analyzed. Accounting for the heterogenous real-world patient population, data on clinicopathologic subgroups underrepresented in clinical trials such as elderly or male will be analyzed. Taken together, PERFORM will close knowledge gaps from clinical trials in real world.

Implementation of CDK4/6 Inhibitors and its Influence on the Treatment Landscape of Advanced Breast Cancer Patients - Data from the Real-World Registry PRAEGNANT

Background Comprehensive data from prospective clinical trials have led to a high level of evidence establishing CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with endocrine treatment (CDK4/6i + ET) as a standard for the treatment of HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive (HER2- HR+) breast cancer patients in the first-line advanced therapy setting. Data on patient populations that have been treated in the real-world setting may provide an insight into changes of patient characteristics and prognosis over time. Methods The data were extracted from the prospective real-world registry PRAEGNANT (NCT02338167). Patients had to have HER2- HR+ advanced breast cancer in the first-line metastatic setting. The chosen therapies were described as well as progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in relation to the given therapies and time periods during which they were indicated. Results CDK4/6 inhibitors have been rapidly implemented since their introduction in November 2016. In recent years (2018 - 2022), about 70 - 80% of the patient population have been treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors, while endocrine monotherapy was given to about 10% and chemotherapy to about 15% of all patients. The prognosis was worst in patients treated with chemotherapy. Recently, mainly patients with a good prognosis are being treated with endocrine monotherapy, and patients who are treated with chemotherapy have an unfavorable prognosis. The PFS and OS of patients treated with CDK4/6i + ET have remained similar over time despite changes in patient characteristics. Conclusion A treatment with CDK4/6i + ET has rapidly become the therapy standard for patients in the first-line advanced breast cancer setting. After the implementation of CDK4/6i + ET, endocrine monotherapy is only given to patients with a very favorable prognosis, while chemotherapy is provided to patients with a rather unfavorable prognosis. These changes in patient characteristics did not seem to influence the prognosis of patients treated with CDK4/6i + ET.

The Impact of Disease Progression on Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Patients with Oligo-Metastatic Disease at 12-Months post Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

INTRODUCTION

There is a paucity of published health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes in patients with oligo-metastatic disease (OMD) who receive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and no available data assessing the impact of disease progression post SBRT on HRQOL in this patient population.

METHODS

Patients with OMD who received SBRT in a phase II single-arm research ethics board approved study were included, HRQOL was a secondary outcome. This study hypothesized that there is a different pattern of change from baseline HRQOL in patients with OMD treated with SBRT that have disease progression by 12-months (progressors) compared to those that do not progress by 12-months (non-progressors) as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 107 patients were included in this analysis, 41 without progression and 66 with progression by 12-months; median time to progression was 7.7 (0.3-57) months. A statistically significant (SS) decline in the mean Global Health/Quality of Life (GHQOL) score (73 (SD 21.8) to 67.2 (SD 27.1), p=0.04) from baseline in the entire population at the 12-month follow-up was found. Mean GHQOL change score in non-progressors were: -0.8; progressors -8.8 (p=0.07). However, only progressors demonstrated a difference between baseline and 12-month mean GHQOL scores (71.2 vs 62.4, p=0.01) which was both statistically and clinically significant (-8.8) in the range of small minimal clinically important difference (MCID). There was a higher proportion of patients who experienced a MCID deterioration in progressors compared to non-progressors (37.4% vs 24.4%, p=0.14).

CONCLUSION

Patients who progress by 12-months do not have a statistical or clinically significant difference in mean GHQOL change score compared to non-progressors. However, there are signals to suggest that patients who progress by 12-months post SBRT experience a different pattern of change compared to non-progressors, which is worse compared to baseline.

Occurrence and characteristics of patients with de novo advanced breast cancer according to patient and tumor characteristics - A retrospective analysis of a real world registry

BACKGROUND

Patients with de novo metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) may have different clinical and pathological characteristics. In studies concerned with first-line metastatic patients, the proportion of these patients without secondary resistance mechanisms may have a large influence ont the study results. The aim of this study was to identify patient and tumor characteristics that are associated with dnMBC vs. recurrent MBC (rMBC).

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected in the PRAEGNANT metastatic breast cancer registry (NCT02338167). Firs line treated patients were eligible. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared with common disease and tumor characteristics relative to de novo metastatic status, as well as early and late recurrences after primary disease without metastases.

RESULTS

Among the 947 patients identified, 355 were included with de novo metastatic disease (37.5%). Older age and HER2-positive disease were significantly associated with a higher frequency of dnMBC. Patients younger than 50, 50-69, or 70 years or older had dnMBC frequencies of 22.7%, 44.0%, and 57.6%, respectively. HER2-positive patients had dnMBC at initial presentation in 49.1% of cases, in comparison with 21.9%, 35.5%, and 37.6% in patients with triple-negative, luminal A-like and luminal B-like breast cancer, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Age and breast cancer subtype are associated with the frequency of first-line MBC patients. Inclusion criteria concerning age or breast cancer subtype can influence the frequency of these patients in a selected patient population and can therefore modify the number of patients with secondary resistance to specific therapies in clinical trials.

Correlation between work productivity loss and EORTC QLQ-C30 and -BR23 domains from the MONALEESA-7 trial of premenopausal women with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer

Background:

The phase III MONALEESA-7 trial (NCT02278120) assessed ribociclib + endocrine therapy (ET) versus ET in premenopausal women with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer (ABC). The relationship between work productivity loss (WPL) and domains of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the breast cancer (BC)-specific module (QLQ-BR23) has not been explored in ABC. In this post hoc analysis (data cutoff, November 30, 2018), we assessed the correlation between the WPL component of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: General Health (WPAI:GH) questionnaire and EORTC QLQ-C30/BR23 domains.

Methods:

We analyzed EORTC and WPAI:GH data from 329 patients in both treatment arms of MONALEESA-7 who were employed during the trial. Separate univariable mixed-model repeated measures (MMRM) regression models were fitted for each domain, with WPL as dependent variable and each EORTC domain score as a single fixed-effect covariate. Linear and quadratic relationships were considered based on the Akaike information criterion. Next, two separate multivariable MMRM regression models were fitted with WPL a dependent variable and all QLQ-C30/BR23 domain scores as fixed-effect covariates. The strength of correlation between WPL and EORTC domains was assessed in terms of minimally important differences for the QLQ-C30/BR23 modules.

Results:

Our univariable analysis showed that greater WPL was statistically significantly associated with lower levels of overall quality of life (QoL) and other functional domains and with higher levels of all symptomatic domains of the QLQ-C30/BR23 modules. Our multivariable analysis determined that this correlation was primarily driven by changes in QoL; physical, role, social, and future perspective domains; and BC-specific symptomatic domains.

Conclusion:

This analysis determined the QoL domains that correlate with WPL in premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2− ABC. These results may inform prognostic tools to identify and characterize patients with greater risk for WPL and help design interventional strategies to minimize WPL.

Implementation of an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome App for Health-Related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: Evaluation and Acceptability Analysis in a Two-Center Prospective Trial

Background

One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer in the course of their life. As systematic palliative treatment has only a limited effect on survival rates, the concept of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was developed for measurement of patient-centered outcomes. Various studies have already demonstrated the reliability of paper-based patient-reported outcome (pPRO) and electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) surveys and that the 2 means of assessment are equally valid.

Objective

The aim of this study was to analyze the acceptance and evaluation of a tablet-based ePRO app for breast cancer patients and to examine its suitability, effort, and difficulty in the context of HRQoL and sociodemographic factors.

Methods

Overall, 106 women with adjuvant or advanced breast cancer were included in a 2-center study at 2 major university hospitals in Germany. Patients were asked to answer HRQoL and PRO questionnaires both on a tablet on-site using a specific eHealth assessment website and on paper. The suitability, effort, and difficulty of the app and self-reported technical skills were also assessed. Only the results of the electronically acquired data are presented here. The results of the reliability of the pPRO data have already been published elsewhere.

Results

Patients regarded the ePRO assessment as more suitable (80/106, 75.5%), less stressful (73/106, 68.9%), and less difficult (69/106, 65.1%) than pPRO. The majority of patients stated that ePRO assessment improves health care in hospitals (87/106, 82.1%). However, evaluation of ePROs depended on the level of education (P=.003) in the dimensions of effort and difficulty (regression analysis). The app was rated highly in all categories. HRQoL data and therapy setting did not show significant correlations with the app’s evaluation parameters.

Conclusions

The results indicate that ePRO surveys are feasible for measuring HRQoL in breast cancer patients and that those patients prefer ePRO assessment to pPRO assessment. It can also be seen that patients consider ePRO assessment to improve hospital health care. However, studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to develop apps that address the needs of patients with lower levels of education and technical skills.

The Impasse on Overall Survival in Oncology Reimbursement Decision-Making: How Can We Resolve This?

Mature overall survival (OS) data are often unavailable at the time of regulatory and reimbursement decisions for a new cancer treatment. For patients with early-stage cancers treated with potentially curative treatments, demonstrating an OS benefit may take years and may be confounded by subsequent lines of therapy or crossover to the investigational treatment. For patients with advanced-stage cancers, mature OS data may be available but difficult to interpret for similar reasons. There are strong opinions about approval and reimbursement in the absence of mature OS data, with concerns over delay in patient access set against concerns about uncertainty in long-term benefit. This position paper reflects our individual views as patient advocate, clinician or health economist on one aspect of this debate. We look at payer decisions in the absence of mature OS data, considering when and how non-OS trial outcomes could inform decision-making and how uncertainty can be addressed beyond the trial, supporting these views with evidence from the literature. We consider when it is reasonable for payers to expect or not expect mature OS data at the initial reimbursement decision (based on criteria such as cancer stage and treatment efficacy) acknowledging that there are settings in which mature OS data are expected. We propose flexible strategies for generating and appraising patient-relevant evidence, including context-relevant endpoints and quality of life measures, when survival rates are good and mature OS data are not expected. We note that fair reimbursement is important; this means valuing patient benefit as shown through prespecified endpoints and reappraising if there is ongoing uncertainty or failure to show a sustained benefit. We suggest that reimbursement systems continue to evolve to align with scientific advances, because innovation is only meaningful if readily accessible to patients. The proposed strategies have the potential to promote thorough assessment of potential benefit to patients and lead to timely access to effective medicines.

Measuring the Time to Deterioration for Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Using a Web-Based Monitoring Application: Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is used to evaluate the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. In a long-term therapy setting, HRQoL can be used as an important benchmark for treatment success. With the help of digital apps, HRQoL monitoring can be extended to more remote areas and be administered on a more frequent basis.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate 3 common HRQoL questionnaires in metastasized breast cancer in terms of TTD in a digital, web-based setting. We further aim to examine the development of the HRQoL in different systemic treatment groups in each of these evaluation instruments.

Methods

A total of 192 patients with metastatic breast cancer were analyzed in this bicentric prospective online cohort study at two German university hospitals. Patients completed questionnaires on HRQoL (EuroQol Visual Analog Scale [EQ-VAS], EuroQol 5 Dimension 5 Level [EQ-5D-5L], European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire–Core 30 item [EORTC QLQ-C30]) via an online platform over a 6-month period. Treatment schedules and medical history were retrieved from medical records. Unadjusted Cox regression analysis on treatment-related factors was performed. We conducted subgroup analyses in regard to TTD events between different treatments.

Results

The EQ-VAS showed a higher rate of deterioration after 8 weeks (84/179, 46.9%) than the EQ-5D-5L (47/163, 28.8%) and EORTC QLQ-C30 (65/176, 36.9%). Unadjusted Cox regression revealed significant connections between known metastases in the liver (P=.03, HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.06-2.52) and pleura (P=.04, HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18-0.96) in the EQ-VAS. Significant relations between EQ-VAS events and single EQ-5D-5L items and the EQ-5D-5L summary score were demonstrated. All treatment groups significantly differed from the CDK4/6 inhibition subgroup in the EQ-VAS.

Conclusions

Compared to the EQ-5D-5L and QLQ-C30, the EQ-VAS showed a higher rate of deterioration after 8 weeks. Significant connections to certain metastatic locations were only detected in the EQ-VAS. The EQ-VAS is capable of reflecting the distinctive HRQoL profiles of different systemic treatments as well as the different aspects of HRQoL presented in the EQ-5D-5L. TTD with the EQ-VAS is an adequate mean of examining longitudinal development of HRQoL among breast cancer patients.

PRO B: evaluating the effect of an alarm-based patient-reported outcome monitoring compared with usual care in metastatic breast cancer patients-study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background

Despite the progress of research and treatment for breast cancer, still up to 30% of the patients afflicted will develop distant disease. Elongation of survival and maintaining the quality of life (QoL) become pivotal issues guiding the treatment decisions. One possible approach to optimise survival and QoL is the use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to timely identify acute disease-related burden. We present the protocol of a trial that investigates the effect of real-time PRO data captured with electronic mobile devices on QoL in female breast cancer patients with metastatic disease.

Methods

This study is a randomised, controlled trial with 1:1 randomisation between two arms. A total of 1000 patients will be recruited in 40 selected breast cancer centres. Patients in the intervention arm receive a weekly request via an app to complete the PRO survey. Symptoms will be assessed by study-specific optimised short forms based on the EORTC QLQ-C30 domains using items from the EORTC CAT item banks. In case of deteriorating PRO scores, an alarm is sent to the treating study centre as well as to the PRO B study office. Following the alarm, the treating breast cancer centre is required to contact the patient to inquire about the reported symptoms and to intervene, if necessary. The intervention is not specified and depends on the clinical need determined by the treating physician. Patients in the control arm are prompted by the app every 3 months to participate in the PRO survey, but their response will not trigger an alarm. The primary outcome is the fatigue level 6 months after enrolment. Secondary endpoints include among others hospitalisations, use of rescue services and overall QoL.

Discussion

Within the PRO B intervention group, we expect lower fatigue levels 6 months after intervention start, higher levels of QoL, less unplanned hospitalisations and less emergency room visits compared to controls. In case of positive results, our approach would allow a fast and easy transfer into clinical practice due to the use of the already nationwide existing IT infrastructure of the German Cancer Society and the independent certification institute OnkoZert.

Trial registration

DRKS (German Clinical Trials Register) DRKS00024015. Registered on 15 February 2021

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05642-6.

A real-world comparison of docetaxel versus abiraterone acetate for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer

Background

Docetaxel (D) or secondary hormonal therapy (SHT) each combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) represent possible treatment options in males with metastasized hormone‐sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Real‐world data comparing different protocols are lacking yet. Thus, our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of abiraterone acetate (AA)+ADT versus D+ADT in mHSPC.

Methods

In a retrospective multicenter analysis including males with mHSPC treated with either of the aforementioned protocols, overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival 1 (PFS1), and progression‐free survival 2 (PFS2) were assessed for both cohorts. Median time to event was tested by Kaplan–Meier method and log‐rank test. The Cox‐proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate regression analyses.

Results

Overall, 196 patients were included. The AA+ADT cohort had a longer PFS1 in the log‐rank testing (23 vs. 13 mos., p < 0.001), a longer PFS2 (48 vs. 33 mos., p = 0.006), and longer OS (80 vs. 61 mos., p = 0.040). In the multivariate analyses AA+ADT outperformed D+ADT in terms of PFS1 (HR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.183–0.623; p = 0.001) and PFS2 (HR = 0.33 95% CI = 0.128–0.827; p = 0.018), respectively, while OS and toxicity rate were similar between both groups.

Conclusions

AA+ADT is mainly associated with a similar efficacy and overall toxicity rate as D+ADT. Further prospective research is required for validation of the clinical value of the observed benefit of AA+ADT for progression‐free end‐points.

Prognostic effect of low-level HER2 expression in patients with clinically negative HER2 status

PURPOSE

Assessment of HER2 overexpression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or in situ hybridisation (ISH) for the detection of HER2 amplifications is standard to identify patients for established HER2-directed treatments. Patients with lower HER2 expression levels have recently also become candidates for novel therapies targeting HER2. This study aimed to assess tumour and patient characteristics and prognosis in patients with advanced breast cancer (aBC), relative to low HER2 expression levels.

METHODS

PRAEGNANT is a prospective aBC registry (NCT02338167), focusing on molecular biomarkers. Patients in all therapy lines receiving any kind of treatment are eligible. This analysis includes patients with conventionally HER2-negative aBC. Clinical outcome was compared in the groups with no (IHC score 0) or with low HER2 expression (IHC 1+, or IHC 2+/ISH negative).

RESULTS

Low HER2 expression levels in triple-negative aBC patients did not influence progression-free survival. Overall survival appeared poorer in patients with IHC 2+ compared with patients with no HER2 expression in the unadjusted analysis (hazard ratio 2.24, 95% confidence interval 0.1.12-4.47). However, this effect was not maintained in the adjusted analysis. In HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive patients, low HER2 expression appeared to have no effect on prognosis, neither progression-free survival nor overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

We could not demonstrate that HER2 expression at a low level and assessed in clinical routine can differentiate patients into prognostic groups. However, the prevalence of patients with a low expression makes this population interesting for clinical trials with potentially active treatments using HER2 as a target.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients With HR+/HER2- Early Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

The goal of this study was to characterize health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients diagnosed with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer.

METHODS

A multinational (United States, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom) study of patients diagnosed with stage I to III HR+/HER2- breast cancer, either receiving adjuvant treatment or under postadjuvant surveillance, was conducted between June and October 2019. Patients were identified by their consulting physician and invited to complete the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) and the EQ-5D-5L pen and paper questionnaires. EQ-5D-5L index scores were derived by using available country-specific health state value sets, where available, and numerically compared with general population scores derived from published normative and population data. Descriptive summary statistics were reported for FACT-B, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) (total and specific subscales), the EQ-5D index scores, and the EQ-VAS scores for each country. Results were stratified according to disease-free treatment status (active adjuvant treatment or postadjuvant surveillance), age (25-44, 45-54, 55-64, or ≥65 years), stage (I, II, or III), and menopausal status at the time of questionnaire completion (pre-/peri-menopausal or postmenopausal).

FINDINGS

Overall, 1110 patients completed the HRQOL questionnaires (mean age, 59 years; 79% active adjuvant treatment, and 21% under surveillance postadjuvant treatment at time of questionnaire administration; 31% stage I, 48% stage II, and 20% stage III at diagnosis). Of these, 1102 completed the FACT-B and 1083 completed the EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. The mean (SD) FACT-B total score was 99.0 (21.9). The mean FACT-G total score was 72.5 (17.8), which was comparable to the published normative score. The mean EQ-5D index and EQ-VAS scores for each country were similar to corresponding population means; EQ-5D index scores ranged from 0.842 (0.098) in Japan to 0.916 (0.109) in France, and EQ-VAS scores from 68.0 (18.4) in Germany to 78.6 (16.4) in the United States. In addition, mean scores were comparable between the active adjuvant treatment and postadjuvant surveillance groups for the FACT-B total (99.4 [22.5] and 97.7 [19.7], respectively), FACT-G total (72.8 [18.3] and 71.3 [16.0]), EQ-5D index score (0.868 [0.135] and 0.869 [0.142]), and EQ-VAS (74.9 [17.2] and 74.4 [16.1]).

IMPLICATIONS

Patient-reported HRQOL among patients with HR+/HER2- early breast cancer who were disease-free was high, with reported scores comparable to normative scores. These results improve our understanding of HRQOL among patients with early disease and may facilitate future studies examining the potential impact of adjuvant treatment and disease recurrence, including metastasis.

Preservation of quality of life in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer treated with tucatinib or placebo when added to trastuzumab and capecitabine (HER2CLIMB trial)

AIMS

In HER2CLIMB, tucatinib significantly improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer. We evaluated the impact of tucatinib on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in HER2CLIMB.

METHODS

Patients were randomised 2:1 to tucatinib or placebo combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine. Starting with protocol version 7, the EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire and EQ visual analogue scale (VAS) were administered at day 1 of cycle 1, every two cycles during cycles 3-9, every three cycles during cycle 12 and thereafter and at each patient's 30-day follow-up visit.

RESULTS

Among 364 patients eligible for HR-QoL assessment, 331 (91%) completed ≥1 assessment. EQ-VAS scores were similar for both arms at baseline and maintained throughout treatment. EQ-5D-5L scores were similar between the treatment arms, stable throughout therapy and worsened after discontinuing treatment. Risk of meaningful deterioration (≥7 points) on EQ-VAS was reduced 19% in the tucatinib vs. placebo arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55, 1.18); the median (95% CI) time to deterioration was not reached in the tucatinib arm and was 5.8 months (4.3, -) in the placebo arm. Among patients with brain metastases (n = 164), risk of meaningful deterioration on EQ-VAS was reduced 49% in the tucatinib arm (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.28, 0.93); the median (95% CI) time to deterioration was not reached in the tucatinib arm and was 5.5 months (4.2, -) in the placebo arm.

CONCLUSIONS

HR-QoL was preserved for patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer who were treated with tucatinib added to trastuzumab and capecitabine and maintained longer with tucatinib therapy than without it among those with brain metastases.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02614794.

Measuring Quality of Life Using Patient-Reported Outcomes in Real-World Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients: The Need for a Standardized Approach

Simple Summary

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains incurable despite treatment improvements. The health-related quality of life is a multidimensional entity which covers physical, psychological and social dimensions. It is an important outcome particularly in patients with metastatic disease, as the primary goal of therapy is no longer curation, but to provide the best possible quality of life weighted against treatment risks and adverse symptoms. Patient-reported outcomes reflecting the quality of life are usually measured with validated questionnaires to evaluate treatment strategies based on symptom burden and to improve care delivery. This review shares insights into the role of patient-reported outcome measurements in MBC patients and describes the heterogeneity of current questionnaires. We conclude that an up-to-date and standardized outcome set is needed, containing relevant domains referring to individual needs to improve the quality of life assessment among MBC patients. This is a prerequisite to learn about how they could impact the clinical care pathway.

Abstract

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients are almost always treated to minimize the symptom burden, and to prolong life without a curative intent. Although the prognosis of MBC patients has improved in recent years, the median survival after diagnosis is still only 3 years. Therefore, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) should play a leading role in making treatment decisions. Heterogeneity in questionnaires used to evaluate the HRQoL in MBC patients complicates the interpretability and comparability of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) globally. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of PRO instruments used in real-world MBC patients and to discuss important issues in measuring HRQoL. Routinely collecting symptom information using PROs could enhance treatment evaluation and shared decision-making. Standardizing these measures might help to improve the implementation of PROs, and facilitates collecting and sharing data to establish valid comparisons in research. This is a prerequisite to learn about how they could impact the clinical care pathway. In addition, the prognostic value of intensified PRO collection throughout therapy on survival and disease progression is promising. Future perspectives in the field of PROs and MBC are described.

Update Breast Cancer 2020 Part 5 - Moving Therapies From Advanced to Early Breast Cancer Patients

In recent years, significant progress has been made in new therapeutic approaches to breast cancer, particularly in patients with HER2-positive and HER2-negative/hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. In the case of HER2-positive tumours, these approaches have included, in particular, treatment with pertuzumab, T-DM1, neratinib and, soon, also tucatinib and trastuzumab deruxtecan (neither of which has yet been authorised in Europe). In patients with HER2-/HR+ breast cancer, CDK4/6 inhibitors and the PIK3CA inhibitor alpelisib are of particular importance. Further novel therapies, such as Akt kinase inhibitors and oral SERDs (selective estrogen receptor down regulators), are already being investigated in ongoing clinical trials. These therapeutic agents are not only being introduced into curative, (neo-)adjuvant therapeutic settings for HER2-positive tumours; a first favourable study on abemaciclib as an adjuvant therapy has now also been published. In patients with triple-negative breast cancer, after many years of negative study results with the Trop-2 antibody drug conjugate (ADC) sacituzumab govitecan, a randomised study has been published that may represent a significant therapeutic advance. This review describes the latest developments in breast cancer subsequent to the ESMO Congress 2020.

Associations of Skeletal Muscle With Symptom Burden and Clinical Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With Advanced Cancer

BACKGROUND

Low muscle mass (quantity) is common in patients with advanced cancer, but little is known about muscle radiodensity (quality). We sought to describe the associations of muscle mass and radiodensity with symptom burden, healthcare use, and survival in hospitalized patients with advanced cancer.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with advanced cancer from September 2014 through May 2016. Upon admission, patients reported their physical (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]) and psychological (Patient Health Questionnaire-4 [PHQ-4]) symptoms. We used CT scans performed per routine care within 45 days before enrollment to evaluate muscle mass and radiodensity. We used regression models to examine associations of muscle mass and radiodensity with patients' symptom burden, healthcare use (hospital length of stay and readmissions), and survival.

RESULTS

Of 1,121 patients enrolled, 677 had evaluable muscle data on CT (mean age, 62.86 ± 12.95 years; 51.1% female). Older age and female sex were associated with lower muscle mass (age: B, -0.16; P<.001; female: B, -6.89; P<.001) and radiodensity (age: B, -0.33; P<.001; female: B, -1.66; P=.014), and higher BMI was associated with higher muscle mass (B, 0.58; P<.001) and lower radiodensity (B, -0.61; P<.001). Higher muscle mass was significantly associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.97; P<.001). Notably, higher muscle radiodensity was significantly associated with lower ESAS-Physical (B, -0.17; P=.016), ESAS-Total (B, -0.29; P=.002), PHQ-4-Depression (B, -0.03; P=.006), and PHQ-4-Anxiety (B, -0.03; P=.008) symptoms, as well as decreased hospital length of stay (B, -0.07; P=.005), risk of readmission or death in 90 days (odds ratio, 0.97; P<.001), and improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.97; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although muscle mass (quantity) only correlated with survival, we found that muscle radiodensity (quality) was associated with patients' symptoms, healthcare use, and survival. These findings underscore the added importance of assessing muscle quality when seeking to address adverse muscle changes in oncology.

Quality of life in a real-world cohort of advanced breast cancer patients: a study of the SONABRE Registry

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) using the European Quality of Life Five-Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) in a real-world cohort of Dutch advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients. Secondary, we reported differences in QoL between subgroups of patients based on age, comorbidity, tumor-, and treatment characteristics, and assessed the association of duration of metastatic disease and time to death with QoL.

METHODS

ABC patients who attended the outpatient clinic between October 2010 and May 2011 were asked to fill out the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Patient-, disease-, and treatment characteristics were obtained from the medical files. Health-utility scores were calculated. Subgroups were described and compared for utility scores by parametric and non-parametric methods.

RESULTS

A total of 92 patients were included with a median utility score of 0.691 (Interquartile range [IQR] 0.244). Patients ≥ 65 years had significantly worse median utility scores than younger patients; 0.638 versus 0.743, respectively (p = 0.017). Moreover, scores were significantly worse for patients with versus those without comorbidity (medians 0.620 versus 0.725, p = 0.005). Utility scores did not significantly differ between subgroups of tumor type, type of systemic treatment, number of previous palliative treatment(s), or number or location of metastatic site(s). The remaining survival was correlated with utility scores (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.260, p = 0.0252), especially in the subgroup < 65 years (r = 0.340, p = 0.0169), whereas there was no significant correlation with time since metastatic diagnosis (r = - 0.106, p = 0.3136).

CONCLUSION

Within this real-world cross-sectional study, QoL was significantly associated with age, comorbidity, and remaining survival duration. The observation of a lower QoL in ABC patients, possibly indicating the last period of life, may assist clinical decision-making on timing of cessation of systemic antitumor therapy.

Optimizing care for younger women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

Treatment strategies for hormone receptor-positive (HR⁺ ), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2^- ) metastatic breast cancer in young women (<40 years at diagnosis) have traditionally been extrapolated from data obtained from trials conducted either exclusively or predominantly in the postmenopausal setting. These young patients are usually treated with ovarian function suppression (OFS) + endocrine therapy (ET) ± targeted therapy, except if there is a concern about endocrine resistance or a need to gain rapid disease control due to the onset of visceral crisis. This review examines evidence that supports the use of a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, in combination with OFS and ET, when treating premenopausal or perimenopausal women with HR⁺ /HER2^- metastatic breast cancer. This includes data from the MONALEESA-7 study (treating only premenopausal/perimenopausal women in the first-line setting), and the results of subgroup analyses from the PALOMA-3 and MONARCH-2 trials. We also consider a number of age-specific challenges that younger breast cancer patients can face, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to ongoing care.

Heregulin (HRG) assessment for clinical trial eligibility testing in a molecular registry (PRAEGNANT) in Germany

BACKGROUND

Eligibility criteria are a critical part of clinical trials, as they define the patient population under investigation. Besides certain patient characteristics, clinical trials often include biomarker testing for eligibility. However, patient-identification mostly relies on the trial site itself and is often a time-consuming procedure, which could result in missing out on potentially eligible patients. Pre-selection of those patients using a registry could facilitate the process of eligibility testing and increase the number of identified patients. One aim with the PRAEGNANT registry (NCT02338167) is to identify patients for therapies based on clinical and molecular data. Here, we report eligibility testing for the SHERBOC trial using the German PRAEGNANT registry.

METHODS

Heregulin (HRG) has been reported to identify patients with better responses to therapy with the anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody seribantumab (MM-121). The SHERBOC trial investigated adding seribantumab (MM-121) to standard therapy in patients with advanced HER2-negative, hormone receptor-positive (HR-positive) breast cancer and HRG overexpression. The PRAEGNANT registry was used for identification and tumor testing, helping to link potential HRG positive patients to the trial. Patients enrolled in PRAEGNANT have invasive and metastatic or locally advanced, inoperable breast cancer. Patients eligible for SHERBOC were identified by using the registry. Study aims were to describe the HRG positivity rate, screening procedures, and patient characteristics associated with inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Among 2769 unselected advanced breast cancer patients, 650 were HER2-negative, HR-positive and currently receiving first- or second-line treatment, thus potentially eligible for SHERBOC at the end of current treatment; 125 patients also met further clinical eligibility criteria (e.g. menopausal status, ECOG). In the first/second treatment lines, patients selected for SHERBOC based on further eligibility criteria had a more favorable prognosis than those not selected. HRG status was tested in 38 patients, 14 of whom (36.8%) proved to be HRG-positive.

CONCLUSION

Using a real-world breast cancer registry allowed identification of potentially eligible patients for SHERBOC focusing on patients with HER3 overexpressing, HR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. This approach may provide insights into differences between patients eligible or non-eligible for clinical trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials, NCT02338167 , Registered 14 January 2015 - retrospectively registered.

Treatment Landscape and Prognosis After Treatment with Trastuzumab Emtansine

Purpose Pertuzumab and T-DM1 are two efficient anti-HER2 treatments for patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. While pertuzumab is usually given in first-line treatment and T-DM1 in second-line treatment, standard therapy options seem to be exhausted up to now after the treatment of patients with these two therapy options. Therefore, it is important to have data that describes the therapy situation and prognosis after T-DM1 treatment. Methods The PRAEGNANT metastatic breast cancer registry (NCT02338167) is a prospective registry for breast cancer patients with a focus on molecular biomarkers. Patients of all therapy lines with any kind of treatment are eligible. Collected data comprises therapies, adverse events, quality of life and other patient reported outcomes. Here we report on the patient characteristics and descriptive prognostic data for HER2-positive patients who have completed a treatment with T-DM1. Therapy patterns after T-DM1 and progression-free survival are reported as well as overall survival. Results A total of 85 patients were identified for the study who were prospectively observed during therapy after the termination of T-DM1. The main reason for T-DM1 termination was progress. Following T-DM1, lapatinib, trastuzumab and chemotherapy were the main therapy choices. Median progression-free survival was 4.8 months (95% CI: 3.2 - 6.3) and median overall survival was 18.4 months (95% CI: 15.5 - 21.3). Conclusions Therapy options after T-DM1 in a real-world setting seem to exhibit a relevant clinical efficacy, supporting the concept of continuous anti-HER2 treatments in the advanced therapy setting for breast cancer patients. Novel therapies are needed to improve the rather short median progression-free survival.

Progression-Free Survival and Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Treated with Trastuzumab Emtansine (T-DM1) after Previous Treatment with Pertuzumab

The approval of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) was conducted without pertuzumab as previous therapy. Efficacy data on T-DM1 following pertuzumab treatment are therefore limited. This study explores this issue in a real-world setting. Within the prospective PRAEGNANT (Prospective Academic Translational Research Network for the Optimization of the Oncological Health Care Quality in the Advanced Setting) metastatic breast cancer registry (NCT02338167), patients in all therapy lines receiving any kind of treatment were eligible for inclusion. This report describes patient characteristics and progression-free survival (PFS) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive patients receiving T-DM1 after pertuzumab treatment. Seventy-six patients were identified, 39 of whom received T-DM1 as second-line therapy, 25 as third-line, and 12 as fourth-line therapy or higher. Pertuzumab was mostly administered as a first-line treatment (n = 61; 80.3%). The median PFS in all patients was 3.5 months (95% CI: 2.8-7.8); in second-line treatment, 7.7 months (95% CI: 2.8-11.0); in third-line, 3.4 months (95% CI: 2.3-not reached (NR)); and in fourth-line therapy or higher, 2.7 months (95% CI: 1.2-NR). T-DM1 was mainly administered second-line after pertuzumab, but also in more heavily pretreated patients. The PFS in higher therapy lines appears to be shorter than in second-line.

Ribociclib plus fulvestrant for advanced breast cancer: Health-related quality-of-life analyses from the MONALEESA-3 study

Purpose

In the MONALEESA-3 Phase III trial of patients with hormone receptor–positive human epidermal growth factor receptor–negative advanced breast cancer, ribociclib plus fulvestrant significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Here, we present patient-reported outcomes from the trial, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

Patients were randomized (2:1) to receive ribociclib plus fulvestrant or placebo plus fulvestrant. Time to definitive 10% deterioration (TTD) from baseline in HRQOL (global health status [GHS] from the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire) and pain (BPI-SF questionnaire) were assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates; a stratified Cox regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CIs.

Results

Deterioration ≥10% in the EORTC-QLQ-C30 GHS was observed in 33% of patients in the ribociclib group vs 34% of patients in the placebo (reference) group (HR for TTD ≥ 10% = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.62–1.1]). Similar findings were noted for TTD ≥5% (HR = 0.79 [95% CI, 0.61–1.0]) and TTD ≥15% (HR = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.60–1.08]). TTD ≥10% in emotional functioning (HR = 0.76 [95% CI, 0.57–1.01]) trended in favor of the ribociclib group, whereas results for fatigue and pain were similar between arms. TTD ≥10% in BPI-SF pain severity index score (HR = 0.77 [95% CI, 0.57–1.05]) and worst pain item score (HR = 0.81 [95% CI, 0.58–1.12]) trended in favor of ribociclib vs placebo.

Conclusions

In addition to significantly prolonging PFS and OS compared with placebo plus fulvestrant, adding ribociclib to fulvestrant maintains HRQOL.

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Ribociclib + fulvestrant allowed maintenance of global health status (GHS).

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Time to deterioration (TTD) by 10% can convey duration until worsening of QOL.

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TTD ≥10% was delayed with ribociclib in GHS and emotional functioning.

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Ribociclib also demonstrated trends toward delayed TTD vs placebo in pain outcomes.

[DNVF Memorandum Health Services Research in Oncology]

Health services research in oncology deals with all situations which cancer patients face. It looks at the different phases of care, i. e. prevention / early detection, prehabilitation, diagnostics, therapy, rehabilitation and palliative care as well as the various actors, including those affected, the carers and self-help. It deals with healthy people (e. g. in the context of prevention / early detection), patients and cancer survivors. Due to the nature of cancer and the existing care structures, there are a number of specific contents for health services research in oncology compared to general health services research while the methods remain essentially identical. This memorandum describes the subject, illustrates the care structures and identifies areas of health services research in oncology. This memorandum has been prepared by the Oncology Section of the German Network for Health Services Research and is the result of intensive discussions.

Psychosocial aspects and life project disruption in young women diagnosed with metastatic hormone-sensitive HER2-negative breast cancer

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis in young women negatively impacts on quality of life (QoL) and daily activities, disrupting their life project and forcing them to face new psychosocial challenges. The recently published results on the improvement of the overall survival of pre- or perimenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative MBC treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors plus endocrine therapy, while preserving, and in some items improving their QoL, will change the landscape of the management of this patient population. Their extended survival and potential improvement in QoL will, therefore, modify their specific needs in terms of psychosocial support.

The complexity of the care of young women with MBC is described herein, based on an extensive literature review. Further research about the specific psychosocial requirements of these women and a new multidisciplinary holistic approach is paramount to properly address their concerns and preferences. The communication with and support of their partners, parents and children is an important factor affecting the QoL of these patients. Altogether, a multidisciplinary care, open communication and personalized support is required to address the psychosocial implications of the new prognostic expectations on these patients with the incorporation of new targeted therapies.

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Life project disruption in young women with metastatic breast cancer.

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Scarce research and lack of specific QoL questionnaires.

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Multidisciplinary holistic approach key to address concerns of young MBC patients.

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New therapies extend survival and improve quality of life of MBC patients.

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Psychosocial support needs to be adapted to these new prognostic expectations.

Quality of life of women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

To identify the main affected domains of quality of life of hospitalized women with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer; and to analyze the association between the level of quality of life and stage of cancer.

METHOD

This was a cross-sectional quantitative, study conducted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between March and July 2017. Interviews were performed with 199 women. The researchers administered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30, with analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software and the Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS

Mean global health status was 32.04. On the functional scales, cognitive functioning scored the highest (60.47), while role functioning scored the lowest (12.48). Fatigue presented the highest mean (69.57). The scores for global health status and the functional scales (with the exception of the social functioning) decreased as staging progressed.

CONCLUSION

The stage of cancer affects the quality of life of the studied sample of women.

Association of Disease Progression With Health-Related Quality of Life Among Adults With Breast, Lung, Pancreatic, and Colorectal Cancer

IMPORTANCE

Mortality, morbidity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are patient-relevant end points generally considered in the early benefit assessments of new cancer treatments. Progression-related end points, such as time to progression or progression-free survival, are not included, although patients and physicians testify to the detrimental association of disease progression with HRQoL.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of disease progression and HRQoL in 4 prevalent solid-cancer entities in routine clinical practice.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study evaluated data from 4 prospective, nonintervention, multicenter registries collected between 2011 and 2018 in 203 centers in Germany. Patients' HRQoL was assessed regularly for up to 5 years. The change in HRQoL scores after disease progression was examined with linear mixed models, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. Patients with metastatic breast, pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer were recruited at the start of systemic first-line treatment. Data analysis was performed from February 2019 to April 2019.

EXPOSURES

All patients received systemic, palliative first-line treatment according to their physician's choice.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was deterioration of HRQoL associated with disease progression, as measured by 4 validated questionnaires: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General version 4, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 version 3.0, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C15-PAL version 1, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

RESULTS

More than 8000 questionnaires from 2314 patients with 2562 documented disease progressions were analyzed. In total, 464 patients had breast cancer (464 [100.0%] female; median [range] age, 61.6 [26.4-90.1] years), 807 patients had pancreatic cancer (352 [43.6%] female; median [range] age, 70.0 [39.0-93.0] years), 341 patients had lung cancer (118 [34.6%] female; median [range] age, 65.9 [28.4-88.2] years), and 702 patients had colorectal cancer (248 [35.3%] female; median [range] age, 66.9 [26.9-92.1] years). The first disease progression was associated with a statistically significant worsening of 37 of 45 HRQoL scales; for 17 of these scales, the worsening was clinically meaningful. Scale scores for appetite loss (pancreatic cancer, 10.2 points [95% CI, 6.8-13.5 points]; lung cancer, 10.8 points [95% CI, 5.4-16.2 points]; colorectal cancer, 8.8 points [95% CI, 5.5-12.2]; all P < .001), physical functioning (pancreatic cancer, 6.2 points [95% CI, 3.8-8.5 points]; lung cancer, 8.4 points [95% CI, 5.4-11.5 points]; colorectal cancer, 5.0 points [95% CI, 3.0-7.0 points]; all P < .001), and fatigue (pancreatic cancer, 5.5 points [95% CI, 3.0-7.9 points]; lung cancer, 7.7 points [95% CI, 4.3-11.1]; colorectal cancer, 4.5 points [95% CI, 2.1-6.9 points]; all P < .001) were most affected, irrespective of the type of cancer. The association with global HRQoL was most pronounced in lung cancer (6.7 points [95% CI, 3.5-9.9 points]; P < .001) and pancreatic cancer (5.4 points [95% CI, 3.3-7.5 points]; P < .001) and less in colorectal cancer (3.5 points [95% CI, 1.3-5.7 points]; P = .002) and breast cancer (2.4 points [95% CI, 1.0-3.9 points]; P = .001). The second progression was associated with an even larger decrease in HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that disease progression is associated with a deterioration in HRQoL among patients with metastatic breast, pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer. This evidence highlights the importance of progression-related end points, such as time to progression and progression-free survival, as additional patient-relevant end points when evaluating the benefit of new treatments for patients with metastatic cancer.

Surrogate threshold effect based on a meta-analysis for the predictive value of progression-free survival for overall survival in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

PURPOSE

Clinical trials investigating therapies for metastatic breast cancer (mBC) generally use progression-free survival (PFS) as primary endpoint, which is not accepted as patient-relevant outcome within the German benefit assessment. Hence a validation of PFS as surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) is needed, e.g., in the indication of HR+, HER2-negative mBC.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted. RCT were included if at least one study arm investigated fulvestrant, letrozole, tamoxifen, exemestane, or anastrozole. Additionally, hazard ratios reported for OS/PFS including confidence interval or standard error were mandatory. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to estimate the relation of surrogate endpoint PFS and patient-relevant outcome OS as well as the surrogate threshold effect (STE) which is used to determine thresholds for the estimate of the surrogate endpoint.

RESULTS

16 studies with 5324 patients in total were included in the analyses. The correlation between hazard ratios of PFS and OS was statistically significant (r = 0.72, 95% CI 0.35-0.90) representing a positive linear relationship. STE analysis was applied. The meta-regression model revealed a STE for HR_PFS of 0.60 and sensitivity analyses underlined robustness of the results.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the derived STE, it is possible to draw conclusions on a significant effect in OS for a hypothetical trial demonstrating an upper confidence limit of HR_PFS < 0.60 in PFS. However, only final OS results are able to confirm if a clinical relevant difference in survival time can be achieved.

Update Breast Cancer 2019 Part 2 - Implementation of Novel Diagnostics and Therapeutics in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients in Clinical Practice

The treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer has developed further in recent years. In addition to therapeutic progress in the established subgroups (hormone receptor and HER2 status), there are now therapies which are geared to individual molecular characteristics, such as PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA-mutated patients. In addition to this, tests are being developed which are intended to establish additional markers within subgroups in order to predict the efficacy of a therapy. PI3K mutation testing in HER2-negative, hormone-receptor-positive tumours and PD-L1 testing of immune cells in triple-negative tumours are expected to become established in clinical practice in order to select patients for the respective therapies. With new therapeutic approaches, new adverse effects also appear. The management of these adverse effects, just as those of classical therapy (supportive therapy), is essential with the introduction of new treatments in order to preserve patients' quality of life. Knowledge regarding measures to preserve and improve quality of life has significantly increased in recent years. Lifestyle factors should be taken into account, as should modern therapeutic methods. This review summarises the latest studies and publications and evaluates them in regard to the relevance for clinical practice.

Association of quality of life with disease characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with advanced gastric cancer: Exploratory analysis of RAINBOW and REGARD phase III trials

BACKGROUND

Inadequate understanding of interpretation of quality of life (QoL) instruments leads to unsatisfactory data reporting and clinical decision-making, including in gastric cancer care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pooled QoL data from two phase III studies of ramucirumab with or without paclitaxel in previously treated patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer were used to explore associations with clinical attributes, including tumour response, disease measurability and performance status (PS). The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 was used in both studies. Changes in QLQ-C30 scores from baseline to week 6 as a predictor of clinical outcomes and impacts of changes in clinical status on QoL were estimated by multivariate logistic regression and analyses of variance, respectively.

RESULTS

Baseline QoL data were available for 989 patients. Fatigue, pain and appetite loss were prominent baseline symptoms. Disease progression resulted in worse QoL in all functional scales (p < 0.0001 to p = 0.0306), global QoL (p = 0.0011) and symptom scales (fatigue, p < 0.0001; nausea/vomiting, p = 0.0007; pain, p = 0.0052; appetite loss, p = 0.0061). Similar trends were seen with deterioration of PS on QoL. A 15- to 20-point change in global QoL and functional scale scores predicted change in tumour status as did change in fatigue, pain and appetite loss scores. Smaller QoL changes (5-15 points) predicted PS change. Results were similar in patients regardless of baseline disease measurability.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study underscores the importance of disease control for maintaining or improving QoL. These data could improve future trial design and routine clinical care for patients receiving therapy for previously treated gastric cancer. NCT00917384, NCT01170663.

Therapy Landscape in Patients with Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: Data from the PRAEGNANT Real-World Breast Cancer Registry

This study presents comprehensive real-world data on the use of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapies in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Specifically, it describes therapy patterns with trastuzumab (H), pertuzumab + trastuzumab (PH), lapatinib (L), and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). The PRAEGNANT study is a real-time, real-world registry for MBC patients. All therapy lines are documented. This analysis describes the utilization of anti-HER2 therapies as well as therapy sequences. Among 1936 patients in PRAEGNANT, 451 were HER2-positive (23.3%). In the analysis set (417 patients), 53% of whom were included in PRAEGNANT in the first-line setting, 241 were treated with H, 237 with PH, 85 with L, and 125 with T-DM1 during the course of their therapies. The sequence PH → T-DM1 was administered in 51 patients. Higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores, negative hormone receptor status, and visceral or brain metastases were associated with more frequent use of this therapy sequence. Most patients received T-DM1 after treatment with pertuzumab. Both novel therapies (PH and T-DM1) are utilized in a high proportion of HER2-positive breast cancer patients. As most patients receive T-DM1 after PH, real-world data may help to clarify whether the efficacy of this sequence is similar to that in the approval study.

Update Breast Cancer 2018 (Part 4) - Genomics, Individualized Medicine and Immune Therapies - in the Middle of a New Era: Treatment Strategies for Advanced Breast Cancer

New therapeutic developments aimed at treating women with advanced breast cancer currently focus both on identifying patients eligible for targeted therapeutic concepts and on the continuing development of immune therapies. The data on CDK4/6 inhibitors are now complete and consistent in this class of substances (palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib). Further pathways under investigation are PI3K and AKT signalling pathways along with diverse approaches to their inhibition. Initial study results were also presented recently on both mechanisms of action. Insights into the PARP inhibitors, moreover, are increasing; studies in this respect are also examining in which population they can be used most effectively. This review offers a summary of the recent studies and an outline of the latest developments.

Update Breast Cancer 2018 (Part 2) - Advanced Breast Cancer, Quality of Life and Prevention

The treatment of metastatic breast cancer has become more complicated due to increasing numbers of new therapies which need to be tested. Therapies are now being developed to treat special clinical or molecular subgroups. Even though intrinsic molecular subtypes play a major role, more and more new therapies for subgroups and histological subtypes are being developed, such as the use of PARP inhibitors to treat patients with BRCA mutations (breast and ovarian cancer). Supportive therapies are also evolving, allowing problems such as alopecia or nausea and vomiting to be treated more effectively. Treatment-related side effects have a direct impact on the prognosis of patients with metastatic breast cancer, and supportive therapy can improve compliance. Digital tools could be useful to establish better patient management systems. This overview provides an insight into recent trials and how the findings could affect routine treatment. Current aspects of breast cancer prevention are also presented.