Selection of adjuvant chemotherapy for treatment of node-positive breast cancer

Mitigating aging and doxorubicin induced bone loss in mature mice via mechanobiology based treatments

Aging leads to a reduced anabolic response to mechanical stimuli and a loss of bone mass and structural integrity. Chemotherapy agents such as doxorubicin exacerbate the degeneration of aging skeleton and further subject older cancer patients to a higher fracture risk. To alleviate this clinical problem, we proposed and tested a novel mechanobiology-based therapy. Building upon prior findings that i) Yoda1, the Piezo1 agonist, promoted bone growth in young adult mice and suppressed bone resorption markers in aged mice, and ii) moderate tibial loading protected bone from breast cancer-induced osteolysis, we hypothesized that combined Yoda1 and moderate loading would improve the structural integrity of adult and aged skeletons in vivo and protect bones from deterioration after chemotherapy. We first examined the effects of 4-week Yoda1 (dose 5 mg/kg, 5 times/week) and moderate tibial loading (4.5 N peak load, 4 Hz, 300 cycles for 5 days/week), individually and combined, on mature mice (∼50 weeks of age). Combined Yoda1 and loading was found to mitigate age-associated cortical and trabecular bone loss better than individual interventions. As expected, the non-treated controls experienced an average drop of cortical polar moment of inertia (Ct.pMOI) by -4.3 % over four weeks and the bone deterioration occurred in the majority (64 %) of the samples. Relative to no treatment, loading alone, Yoda1 alone, and combined Yoda1 and loading increased Ct.pMOI by +7.3 %, +9.5 %, +12.0 % and increased the % of samples with positive Ct.pMOI changes by +32 %, +26 %, and +43 %, respectively, suggesting an additive protection of aging-related bone loss for the combined therapy. We further tested if the treatment efficacy was preserved in mature mice following two weeks (six injections) of doxorubicin at the dose of 2.5 or 5 mg/kg. As expected, doxorubicin increased osteocyte apoptosis, altered bone remodeling, and impaired bone structure. However, the effects induced by DOX were too severe to be rescued by Yoda1 and loading, alone or combined, although loading and Yoda1 individually, or combined, increased the number of mice showing positive responsiveness by 0 %, +15 %, and +29 % relative to no intervention after doxorubicin exposure. Overall, this study supported the potentials and challenges of the Yoda1-based strategy in mitigating the detrimental skeletal effects caused by aging and doxorubicin.

"The protective effect of nano curcumin supplementation on doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients; a randomized, double-blind clinical trial"

BACKGROUND

Anthracycline drugs play a fundamental role in breast cancer treatment; however, the cardiotoxicity side effects obscure the advantages of treatment. Curcumin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we investigated the effect of nanocurcumin supplementation on Doxorubicin induced Cardiotoxicity. In this randomized clinical trial, a week before starting the doxorubicin regimen for breast cancer patients, the control group received placebo and curcumin group received 80 mg daily dosage of nano curcumin capsules for six months. Echocardiography parameter changes before chemotherapy and after six months were evaluated.

RESULTS

46 patients were included. Left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction significantly decreased and LV end diastolic volume significantly increased in control group but no significant changes were observed in the curcumin group (LVEF: 2.62 ± 59.35 to 4.23 ± 56.85, p-value: 0.014 vs 59.55 ± 1.91 to 58.46 ± 3.41, p-value:0.135; LVEDV: 77.09 ± 15.33 to 80.65 ± 14.54, p-value:0.023 vs 72.41 ± 15.34 74.00 ± 14.25, p-value: 0.294). Additionally, LVEF, LV end systolic diameter (LVESD), and end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) insignificantly more decreased in control group versus curcumin group (LVEF: 4.13 ± 2.50- vs 3.36 ± 1.08-, p-value: 0.223; LVESD: 0.27 ± 0.06-vs 0.120.45 ±, p-value:0.110; LVEDD: -0.44 ± 0.33 vs 0.070.33 ±, p-value:0.269). Furthermore, symptomatic cardiomyopathy and ejection fraction ratio less than 53% were not observed. The LVEF reduction >15% was observed was also high in the control group, (p-value = 0.020).

CONCLUSION

This study shows the possible effect of nanocurcumin capsules to reduce the cardiotoxicity of anthracycline chemotherapy medications.

Is Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction on Breast Cancer Patients Oncologically Safe? A Preliminary Study

Background

In breast cancer patients receiving axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) with lymphovenous anastomosis is an emerging technique for reducing the risk of arm lymphedema. However, the oncologic safety of surgically diverting lymphatic ducts directly into venules in a node-positive axilla is still a concern of inadvertently inducing metastasis of remaining cancer cells. This study aimed to assess the oncologic safety of ILR.

Methods

From January 2020 to January 2022, 95 breast cancer patients received ALND, and 45 of them also received ILR. Patients with recurrent cancer, with follow-up less than 12 months, and with missed data were excluded. Variables were compared between ILR and non-ILR groups, and the outcome of interest was the rate of distant recurrence after follow-up for at least 1 year.

Results

Thirty-four patients in the ILR group and 32 patients in the non-ILR group fulfilled the inclusion criteria for analysis. No statistically significant difference was noted between groups in terms of age, body mass index, type of breast surgery, pathologic cancer staging, histologic type and grade of breast cancer, molecular subtypes, frequency of axillary lymph node metastasis, or adjuvant therapy. For the patients receiving follow-up for at least 1 year, no statistically significant difference was found in terms of distant recurrence rates between ILR and non-ILR groups (P = 0.44).

Conclusion

For breast cancer patients receiving ALND, ILR with lymphovenous anastomosis is oncologically safe, within an average follow-up period of 21 months.

Molecular Biology Mechanisms and Emerging Therapeutics of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that is conventionally characterized by the absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), accounting for approximately 15-20% of all breast cancers. Compared to other molecular phenotypes, TNBC is typically associated with high malignancy and poor prognosis. Cytotoxic agents have been the mainstay of treatment for the past few decades due to the lack of definitive targets and limited therapeutic interventions. However, recent developments have demonstrated that TNBC has peculiar molecular classifications and biomarkers, which provide the possibility of evolving treatment from basic cytotoxic chemotherapy to an expanding domain of targeted therapies. This review presents a framework for understanding the current clinical experience surrounding molecular biology mechanisms in TNBC (Figure 1). Including immunotherapy, polymerase (PARP) and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and androgen receptor (AR) blockade. Additionally, the role of miRNA therapeutics targeting TNBC and potential strategies targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) are discussed and highlighted. As more and more treatments arise on the horizon, we believe that patients with TNBC will have a new sense of hope.

Cardiovascular Complications of Pan-Cancer Therapies: The Need for Cardio-Oncology

It is more likely that a long-term survivor will have both cardiovascular disease and cancer on account of the progress in cancer therapy. Cardiotoxicity is a well-recognized and highly concerning adverse effect of cancer therapies. This side effect can manifest in a proportion of cancer patients and may lead to the discontinuation of potentially life-saving anticancer treatment regimens. Consequently, this discontinuation may adversely affect the patient's survival prognosis. There are various underlying mechanisms by which each anticancer treatment affects the cardiovascular system. Similarly, the incidence of cardiovascular events varies with different protocols for malignant tumors. In the future, comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment and clinical monitoring should be considered for cancer treatments. Baseline cardiovascular evaluation risk should be emphasized prior to initiating clinical therapy in patients. Additionally, we highlight that there is a need for cardio-oncology to avoid or prevent cardiovascular side effects. Cardio-oncology service is based on identifying cardiotoxicity, developing strategies to reduce these toxicities, and minimizing long-term cardiotoxic effects.

Autophagy and Breast Cancer: Connected in Growth, Progression, and Therapy

Despite an increase in the incidence of breast cancer worldwide, overall prognosis has been consistently improving owing to the development of multiple targeted therapies and novel combination regimens including endocrine therapies, aromatase inhibitors, Her2-targeted therapies, and cdk4/6 inhibitors. Immunotherapy is also being actively examined for some breast cancer subtypes. This overall positive outlook is marred by the development of resistance or reduced efficacy of the drug combinations, but the underlying mechanisms are somewhat unclear. It is interesting to note that cancer cells quickly adapt and evade most therapies by activating autophagy, a catabolic process designed to recycle damaged cellular components and provide energy. In this review, we discuss the role of autophagy and autophagy-associated proteins in breast cancer growth, drug sensitivity, tumor dormancy, stemness, and recurrence. We further explore how autophagy intersects and reduces the efficacy of endocrine therapies, targeted therapies, radiotherapy, chemotherapies as well as immunotherapy via modulating various intermediate proteins, miRs, and lncRNAs. Lastly, the potential application of autophagy inhibitors and bioactive molecules to improve the anticancer effects of drugs by circumventing the cytoprotective autophagy is discussed.

A non-coding GWAS variant impacts anthracycline-induced cardiotoxic phenotypes in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes

Anthracyclines, widely used to treat breast cancer, have the potential for cardiotoxicity. We have previously identified and validated a germline single nucleotide polymorphism, rs28714259, associated with an increased risk of anthracycline-induced heart failure. We now provide insights into the mechanism by which rs28714259 might confer increased risk of cardiac damage. Using hiPSC-derived cardiomyocyte cell lines with either intrinsic polymorphism or CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of rs28714259 locus, we demonstrate that glucocorticoid receptor signaling activated by dexamethasone pretreatment prior to doxorubicin exposure preserves cardiomyocyte viability and contractility in cardiomyocytes containing the major allele. Homozygous loss of the rs28714259 major allele diminishes dexamethasone's protective effect. We further demonstrate that the risk allele of rs28714259 disrupts glucocorticoid receptor and rs28714259 binding affinity. Finally, we highlight the activation of genes and pathways involved in cardiac hypertrophy signaling that are blocked by the risk allele, suggesting a decreased adaptive survival response to doxorubicin-related stress.

Chitosan/Gamma-Alumina/Fe3O4@5-FU Nanostructures as Promising Nanocarriers: Physiochemical Characterization and Toxicity Activity

Today, cancer treatment is an important issue in the medical world due to the challenges and side effects of ongoing treatment procedures. Current methods can be replaced with targeted nano-drug delivery systems to overcome such side effects. In the present work, an intelligent nano-system consisting of Chitosan (Ch)/Gamma alumina (γAl)/Fe3O4 and 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was synthesized and designed for the first time in order to influence the Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cell line in the treatment of breast cancer. Physico-chemical characterization of the nanocarriers was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM analysis revealed smooth and homogeneous spherical nanoparticles. The high stability of the nanoparticles and their narrow size distribution was confirmed by DLS. The results of the loading study demonstrated that these nano-systems cause controlled, stable, and pH-sensitive release in cancerous environments with an inactive targeting mechanism. Finally, the results of MTT and flow cytometry tests indicated that this nano-system increased the rate of apoptosis induction on cancerous masses and could be an effective alternative to current treatments.

Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale may reduce medical visits in patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended in high-risk breast cancer. However, no universally accepted guidelines exist on pre-chemotherapy assessment. In particular, the number and frequency of medical visits vary according to each institution’s policy. We hypothesised that the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) may have a favourable impact on the pre-treatment assessment in candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.

AIM

To investigate whether the ESAS can be used to safely reduce the number of medical visits in women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

In a retrospectively prospective matched-pair analysis, 100 patients who completed the ESAS questionnaire before administration of adjuvant chemotherapy (ESAS Group) were compared with 100 patients who underwent chemotherapy according to the traditional modality, without ESAS (no-ESAS Group). Patients of the ESAS Group received additional visits before treatment if their ESAS score was > 3. The primary endpoint was the total number of medical visits during the entire duration of the chemotherapy period. The secondary endpoints were the occurrence of severe complications (grade 3-4) and the number of unplanned visits during the chemotherapy period.

RESULTS

The study variables did not statistically differ between patients of the ESAS Group and no-ESAS Group (age P = 0.880; breast cancer stage P = 0.56; cancer histology P = 0.415; tumour size P = 0.258; lymph node status P = 0.883; immunohistochemical classification P = 0.754; type of surgery P = 0.157), except for premenopausal status (P = 0.015). The study variables did not statistically differ between patients of the ESAS Group and no-ESAS Group regarding age, cancer stage, histology, tumour size, lymph node status, immunohistochemical classification, and type of surgery. Unplanned visits during the entire duration of chemotherapy were 8 in the ESAS Group and 18 in the no-ESAS Group visits (P = 0.035). Grade 3-4 toxicity did not differ between the study groups (P = 0.652). Forty-eight patients of the ESAS Group received additional visits due to an ESAS score > 3. The mean number of medical visits was 4.38 ± 0.51 in the ESAS Group and 16.18 ± 1.82 in the no-ESAS group (P < 0.001). With multivariate analysis, women of the ESAS group were more likely to undergo additional visits for an ESAS score > 3 if they were aged 60 or older, received a mastectomy, or had tumour stage II/III.

CONCLUSION

The ESAS score may safely reduce the number of medical visits in candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer. Our results suggest that the ESAS score may be used for selecting a group of breast cancer patients for whom it is safe to reduce the number of medical visits in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy. This may translate into several advantages, such as a more rational utilization of human resources and a possible reduction of coronavirus pandemic infection risk in oncologic patients.

Improvement of survival in Korean breast cancer patients over a 14-year period: A large-scale single-center study

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chronological changes over 14 years in the survival of Korean patients with breast cancer. We also sought to investigate the factors that may have influenced the changes in survival rate.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively analyzed 17,776 breast cancer patients who were treated at Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2013. Patient information was collected from the Asan database, including age at diagnosis, clinical manifestation, pathology report, types of treatment and modality, types of recurrence, and follow-up period. We classified the patients into two cohorts according to the year of their surgery (P1: 2000–2007 and P2: 2008–2013) and compared survival and recurrence between both cohorts.

Results

We observed that patients treated more recently had better survival outcomes. The 5-year breast cancer-specific survival increased from 94.0% in P1 to 96.6% in P2 (p<0.001), and the 5-year disease-free survival increased from 87.9% in P1 to 91.2% in P2 (p<0.001). When analyzed by type of recurrence, distant metastasis-free survival increased to a significant degree. In subgroup analysis by the subtypes of breast cancer, the survival rates improved in all of the subtypes except triple negative breast cancer, and the improvement was more prominent in subtypes with overexpressed human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.

Conclusion

This study showed improvement in breast cancer survival over the succeeding years, which is consistent with the advancement in systemic therapy.

Increased chemosensitivity via BRCA2-independent DNA damage in DSS1- and PCID2-depleted breast carcinomas

Breast cancer, the most common malignancy among women, is closely associated with mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BRCA. DSS1, a component of the TRanscription-EXport-2 (TREX-2) complex involved in transcription and mRNA nuclear export, stabilizes BRCA2 expression. DSS1 is also related to poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer owing to the induction of chemoresistance. Recently, BRCA2 was shown to be associated with the TREX-2 component PCID2, which prevents DNA:RNA hybrid R-loop formation and transcription-coupled DNA damage. This study aimed to elucidate the involvement of these TREX-2 components and BRCA2 in the chemosensitivity of breast carcinomas. Our results showed that compared with that in normal breast tissues, DSS1 expression was upregulated in human breast carcinoma, whereas PCID2 expression was comparable between normal and malignant tissues. We then compared patient survival time among groups divided by high or low expressions of DSS1, BRCA2, and PCID2. Increased DSS1 expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis in recurrence-free survival time, whereas no differences were detected in the high and low BRCA2 and PCID2 expression groups. We performed in vitro analyses, including propidium iodide nuclear staining, single-cell gel electrophoresis, and clonogenic survival assays, using breast carcinoma cell lines. The results confirmed that DSS1 depletion significantly increased chemosensitivity, whereas overexpression conferred chemoresistance to breast cancer cell lines; however, BRCA2 expression did not affect chemosensitivity. Similar to DSS1, PCID2 expression was also inversely correlated with chemosensitivity. These results strongly suggest that DSS1 and PCID2 depletion is closely associated with increased chemosensitivity via BRCA2-independent DNA damage. Together with the finding that DSS1 is not highly expressed in normal breast tissues, these results demonstrate that DSS1 depletion confers a druggable trait and may contribute to the development of novel chemotherapeutic strategies to treat DSS1-depleted breast carcinomas independent of BRCA2 mutations.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Mountain Yet to Be Scaled Despite the Triumphs

Metastatic progression and tumor recurrence pertaining to TNBC are certainly the leading cause of breast cancer-related mortality; however, the mechanisms underlying TNBC chemoresistance, metastasis, and tumor relapse remain somewhat ambiguous. TNBCs show 77% of the overall 4-year survival rate compared to other breast cancer subtypes (82.7 to 92.5%). TNBC is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, with chemotherapy being the major approved treatment strategy. Activation of ABC transporters and DNA damage response genes alongside an enrichment of cancer stem cells and metabolic reprogramming upon chemotherapy contribute to the selection of chemoresistant cells, majorly responsible for the failure of anti-chemotherapeutic regime. These selected chemoresistant cells further lead to distant metastasis and tumor relapse. The present review discusses the approved standard of care and targetable molecular mechanisms in chemoresistance and provides a comprehensive update regarding the recent advances in TNBC management.

Targeting triple-negative breast cancer with an aptamer-functionalized nanoformulation: a synergistic treatment that combines photodynamic and bioreductive therapies

Background

Areas of hypoxia are often found in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), it is thus more difficult to treat than other types of breast cancer, and may require combination therapies. A new strategy that combined bioreductive therapy with photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed herein to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. Our design utilized the characteristics of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) molecules that reacted and consumed O₂ at the tumor site, which led to the production of cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). The low microenvironmental oxygen levels enabled activation of a bioreductive prodrug, tirapazamine (TPZ), to become a toxic radical. The TPZ radical not only eradicated hypoxic tumor cells, but it also promoted therapeutic efficacy of PDT.

Results

To achieve the co-delivery of PpIX and TPZ for advanced breast cancer therapy, thin-shell hollow mesoporous Ia3d silica nanoparticles, designated as MMT-2, was employed herein. This nanocarrier designed to target the human breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231 was functionalized with PpIX and DNA aptamer (LXL-1), and loaded with TPZ, resulting in the formation of TPZ@LXL-1-PpIX-MMT-2 nanoVector. A series of studies confirmed that our nanoVectors (TPZ@LXL-1-PpIX-MMT-2) facilitated in vitro and in vivo targeting, and significantly reduced tumor volume in a xenograft mouse model. Histological analysis also revealed that this nanoVector killed tumor cells in hypoxic regions efficiently.

Conclusions

Taken together, the synergism and efficacy of this new therapeutic design was confirmed. Therefore, we concluded that this new therapeutic strategy, which exploited a complementary combination of PpIX and TPZ, functioned well in both normoxia and hypoxia, and is a promising medical procedure for effective treatment of TNBC.

The beneficial effects of reducing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the cardiotoxicity and the anti-cancer effects of doxorubicin

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a powerful broad-spectrum anti-neoplastic anthracycline antibiotic. However, DOX may cause a dose-dependent cardiotoxicity that can eventually progress to congestive heart failure and death. Numerous molecular mechanisms have been implicated in the cardiotoxic effect of DOX including topoisomerase IIβ and generation of free radicals. However, targeting these pathways appears to be insufficient to mitigate the cardiotoxic effects of DOX and/or ultimately reduces the anti-tumor activity of DOX. Thus, there remains a crucial need to identify novel pharmacological targets that can alleviate the cardiotoxic effects of DOX without reducing its anti-tumor activity. Recent studies have suggested that the Nucleotide-Binding Domain-Like Receptor Protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is implicated in tumor progression and the chemoresistance of cancer cells to DOX. Of interest, reducing NLRP3 inflammasome activity alleviates DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Therefore, we postulate that strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome can help mitigate the cardiotoxic effects of DOX while maintaining and/or even enhancing its anti-cancer activity. Herein, we review the current knowledge about the potential implication of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the anti-cancer and cardiotoxic effects of DOX.

Triple-negative breast cancer molecular subtyping and treatment progress

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a specific subtype of breast cancer that does not express estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), has clinical features that include high invasiveness, high metastatic potential, proneness to relapse, and poor prognosis. Because TNBC tumors lack ER, PR, and HER2 expression, they are not sensitive to endocrine therapy or HER2 treatment, and standardized TNBC treatment regimens are still lacking. Therefore, development of new TNBC treatment strategies has become an urgent clinical need. By summarizing existing treatment regimens, therapeutic drugs, and their efficacy for different TNBC subtypes and reviewing some new preclinical studies and targeted treatment regimens for TNBC, this paper aims to provide new ideas for TNBC treatment.

Proteomic Analysis of Breast Cancer Resistance to the Anticancer Drug RH1 Reveals the Importance of Cancer Stem Cells

Antitumor drug resistance remains a major challenge in cancer chemotherapy. Here we investigated the mechanism of acquired resistance to a novel anticancer agent RH1 designed to be activated in cancer cells by the NQO1 enzyme. Data show that in some cancer cells RH1 may act in an NQO1-independent way. Differential proteomic analysis of breast cancer cells with acquired resistance to RH1 revealed changes in cell energy, amino acid metabolism and G2/M cell cycle transition regulation. Analysis of phosphoproteomics and protein kinase activity by multiplexed kinase inhibitor beads showed an increase in the activity of protein kinases involved in the cell cycle and stemness regulation and downregulation of proapoptotic kinases such as JNK in RH1-resistant cells. Suppression of JNK leads to the increase of cancer cell resistance to RH1. Moreover, resistant cells have enhanced expression of stem cell factor (SCF) and stem cell markers. Inhibition of SCF receptor c-KIT resulted in the attenuation of cancer stem cell enrichment and decreased amounts of tumor-initiating cells. RH1-resistant cells also acquire resistance to conventional therapeutics while remaining susceptible to c-KIT-targeted therapy. Data show that RH1 can be useful to treat cancers in the NQO1-independent way, and targeting of the cancer stem cells might be an effective approach for combating resistance to RH1 therapy.

miR-135b-5p enhances doxorubicin-sensitivity of breast cancer cells through targeting anterior gradient 2

BACKGROUND

The pro-oncogenic anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) is involved in tumor growth and drug resistance of breast cancer. Mechanisms that regulate expression of AGR2 still need to be elucidated.

METHODS

In this study, expression levels of AGR2 and miR-135b-5p were analyzed in different breast cancer cell lines as well as in clinical breast cancer tissues. The in vitro and in vivo functional effect of AGR2 and miR-135b-5p were also investigated. A luciferase reporter assay was applied to confirm the interaction between miR-135b-5p and AGR2 mRNA.

RESULTS

We identified AGR2 as a target of miR-135b-5p. Expression of AGR2 was up-regulated in doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells. AGR2 mediated doxorubicin-sensitivity of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. miR-135b-5p negatively regulated AGR2-expression of breast cancer cells increasing doxorubicin-sensitivity. However, miR-135b-5p was down-regulated in doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells as well as during treatment with doxorubicin, which might be a probable reason for over-expression of AGR2. Up-regulation of miR-135b-5p increased doxorubicin-sensitivity of breast cancer cells in vivo. In addition, levels of AGR2 negatively correlated with levels of miR-135b-5p in clinical breast cancer tissue samples.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight the potential of miR-135b-5p as a target for treating AGR2-expressing breast cancer with doxorubicin-resistance.

The clinical utility of baseline cardiac assessments prior to adjuvant anthracycline chemotherapy in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiac assessment with multi-gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or echocardiography (ECHO) is commonly employed prior to adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy (AA). However, the clinical utility of routine baseline cardiac assessments prior to AA for early-stage breast cancer (EBC) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To determine: (i) the clinical utility of routine baseline cardiac assessments prior to AA for EBC and (ii) identify patients in whom baseline cardiac assessments may not be warranted.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify all relevant studies that met predefined criteria. The clinical utility was defined by: (i) the rates of abnormal baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and (ii) the rates of change in chemotherapy decisions prompted by baseline LVEF results.

RESULTS

Eight studies met our criteria, of whom six (n = 2545) reported rates of abnormal LVEF and six (n = 1713) reported rates of change in chemotherapy decision. Overall, 2.5% (95% CI 2.0-4.0%) of patients had abnormal baseline LVEF and 1.6% (95% CI 1.0-3.0%) had a change in chemotherapy decision. In subset analyses, the underlying imaging modality (ECHO vs. MUGA) or inclusion of patients with metastatic disease (YES vs. NO) did not significantly affect these rates. There were no consistently identified underlying predictors of abnormal baseline LVEF across studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine baseline cardiac assessments prior to AA in all EBC patients have low yield and infrequently affect clinical management. Future studies should further examine potential predictors of abnormal cardiac functions in an attempt to identify low risk patients in whom routine baseline LVEF assessment may not be warranted and prevent delay in chemotherapy administration.

Hypomethylation of mismatch repair genes MLH1 and MSH2 is associated with chemotolerance of breast carcinoma: Clinical significance

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to understand the importance of mismatch repair genes MLH1 and MSH2 in chemotolerance and prognosis of breast carcinoma (BC).

METHODS

First, the alterations (deletion/methylation/expression) of MLH1 and MSH2 were analyzed in 45 neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)-treated and 133 pretherapeutic BC samples. The chemotolerant BC cells were characterized by treating two BC cell lines MCF-7 and MDA MB 231 with two anthracycline antitumor antibiotics, doxorubicin and nogalamycin.

RESULTS

The deletion frequencies were 32% to 38% in MLH1/MSH2 genes and promoter methylation frequencies were 49% to 62% in MLH1 and 41% to 51% in MSH2 in both NACT-treated and pretherapeutic samples. The overall alteration of MLH1 and MSH2 was 58% to 71% in the samples. Reduced messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression were found in both the genes and it showed concordance with the molecular alterations. NACT-treated patients showed better prognosis. The chemotherapeutic drug induced increased mRNA/protein expression of the genes in BC cell lines was due to their promoter hypomethylation, as analyzed by quantitative methylation assay. This phenomenon was also evident in NACT-treated BC samples.

CONCLUSION

MLH1/MSH2 genes play a critical role in the development of BC. Hypomethylation of MLH1/MSH2 genes might be important in chemotolerance of the disease.

Adjuvant Anthracyclines in Breast Cancer: What Is Their Role?

Anthracyclines have been a mainstay of breast cancer therapy for decades, with strong evidence demonstrating their impact on breast cancer survival. However, concerns regarding rare but serious long-term toxicities including cardiotoxicity and hematologic malignancies have driven interest in alternative adjuvant therapy options with more favorable toxicity profiles. This article provides an update of data that help inform clinicians of the role anthracyclines should play in adjuvant breast cancer therapy. Two recently reported large randomized trials-the Anthracycline in Early Breast Cancer and Western German Study Plan B studies-compared a taxane and cyclophosphamide regimen with an anthracycline, taxane, and cyclophosphamide regimen. Although the studies had conflicting results, together these studies suggest that the benefit of adjuvant anthracycline therapy over a nonanthracycline taxane-containing regimen is modest at best and may be primarily seen in patients with especially high-risk disease (i.e., triple-negative breast cancer, involvement of multiple lymph nodes). A third study-the MINDACT study-compared an anthracycline-based regimen to a nonanthracycline regimen, with similar outcomes in both groups. Despite the toxicities, no adjuvant breast cancer regimen has been shown to be superior to an anthracycline-taxane regimen in high-risk patients. These data can directly inform clinical decision-making in determining which patients warrant use of adjuvant anthracycline therapy. Future research may focus on confirming subgroups for whom it is reasonable to forgo adjuvant anthracyclines and validating predictive biomarkers or scores for anthracycline benefit.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

In patients with early breast cancer, the choice of adjuvant chemotherapy should be based on its effectiveness in reducing breast cancer recurrences and its short- and long-term toxicities. Although adjuvant anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy has the most data supporting its effectiveness, anthracyclines carry a small but important increased risk for cardiotoxicity and leukemia. Two recent clinical trials help describe the degree of benefit with adjuvant anthracycline therapy compared with taxane therapy alone. They suggest that in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and limited lymph node involvement, nonanthracycline taxane-based adjuvant therapy may be adequate.

Chronologically changing patterns in the survival of korean patients with breast cancer and related clinical factors: a nationwide registry-based study

PURPOSE

Advances in breast cancer treatment have contributed to marked improvements in patient outcomes over the past three decades. This study aims to chronologically evaluate the survival of patients with breast cancer and investigate the observed changes over time.

METHODS

Statistics from the Korean National Cancer Registry, based on all 60,571 patients with invasive breast cancer during the 21 year period, were analyzed. We divided the study interval into four periods (P1: 1988-1992, P2: 1993-1997, P3: 1998-2002, P4: 2003-2008).

RESULTS

The patients treated during P4 showed significantly better 5-year overall survival (OS) than did those treated during P1 (5Y OS; P1 = 79.0 vs. P4 = 92.2, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analyses, younger age, mastectomy, high stage, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, and hormone receptor negativity were poor prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis demonstrated that diagnosis periods significantly and independently associated with OS in the overall group of patients. In our analysis of age-period-interaction models, the hazard ratio (HR) for death for patients who were under 35 years of age, compared to those who were older, tended to decrease over time (HR of age < 35 vs. 35 ~ 50; P1 = 0.739, p = 0.007; P2 = 0.744, p < 0.001; P3 = 0.886, p = 0.041; P4 = 0.983, p = 0.813). The survival rate of patients who underwent breast conserving surgery (BCS) has recently gotten better than that of mastectomy (HR of mastectomy vs. BCS; P1 = 0.957, p = 0.790; P2 = 0.542, p < 0.001; P3 = 0.543, p < 0.001; P4 = 0.425, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical factors related to the changes in breast cancer survival have improved and increased patient OS over the past 20 years in Korea. In addition, we provided new insights into the effects of age and surgery methods on prognosis in each period.

Chronological Improvement in Survival of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Large-Scale, Single-Center Study

Purpose

This study aimed to chronologically evaluate survival of patients with breast cancer in Korea and investigate the observed changes during the last 20 years. We also sought to determine factors that may influence outcomes and changes in the duration of survival over time.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed a total of 10,988 patients with breast cancer who were treated at our institution between January 1993 and December 2008. We divided the study period into three periods (P1, 1993–1997; P2, 1998–2002; and P3, 2003–2008). We retrospectively reviewed the collected data from the Asan database, including age at diagnosis, clinical manifestations, pathology report, surgical methods, types of adjuvant treatment modalities, type of recurrence, and follow-up period.

Results

At a median follow-up of 8.2 years, we observed that survival outcomes have improved recently. The 5-year breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rate also increased from 82.8% in P1 to 92.6% in P3 (p<0.001). The survival rate in patients with tumors at each stage increased in similar patterns in all patients, and, remarkably, there was a significant survival improvement in patients with stage III breast cancer (P1 vs. P3: 5-year BCSS, 57.4% vs. 80.0%, p<0.001). The time period was a significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (P1 vs. P2: hazard ratio [HR], 0.83, p=0.035; P1 vs. P3: HR, 0.75, p=0.015).

Conclusion

The study results suggest an improvement in breast cancer survival in Korea, which is consistent with the development of treatments and early detection.

Effect of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase single nucleotide polymorphisms on prognosis of breast cancer patients with chemotherapy

Defining biomarkers that predict therapeutic effects and adverse events is a crucial mandate to guide patient selection for personalized cancer treatments. DPD (dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, encoded by DPYD gene) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme of metabolic pathway of fluoropyrimidines, and fluoropyrimidines are common used drug therapies for breast cancer. Previous studies on DPYD polymorphism were mainly focused on its association with fluoropyrimidines toxicity. In our present study, 5 DPYD single nucleotide polymorphisms status was detected from tumor tissues of 331 invasive breast cancer patients using standard techniques. We for the first time investigated the prognostic significance of DPYD polymorphisms in breast cancer. We demonstrated non-luminal breast cancer patients carrying DPYD c.1627A>G AG/GG treated with fluoropyrimidine-based regimen presented a shorter overall survival and progression-free survival than carriers treated with non-fluoropyrimidine regimen. However, non-luminal DPYD c.1627A>G AG/GG carriers treated with TE (taxane and anthracycline)-based regimen showed a better prognosis compared with carriers treated with non-TE regimen. Our results suggested TE-based chemotherapy was a suitable regimen for non-luminal patients with DPYD c.1627A>G AG/GG genotype and fluoropyrimidine-based regimen should not be recommended for those patients. Our findings provided a novel strategy, which will guide clinicians to choose more precise chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer patients.

Frequent alterations of homologous recombination repair pathway in primary and chemotolerant breast carcinomas: clinical importance

Aim: To understand the importance of homologous recombination repair pathway in development of breast carcinoma (BC), alterations of some key regulatory genes like BRCA1, BRCA2, FANCC and FANCD2 were analyzed in pretherapeutic/neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)-treated BC samples. Materials & methods: Alterations (deletion/methylation/expression) of the genes were analyzed in 118 pretherapeutic and 41 NACT-treated BC samples. Results: High deletion/methylation (29–68%) and 64–78% overall alterations of the genes were found in the samples. Concordance was evident between alteration and protein expression of the genes. Estrogen/progesterone receptor-negative tumors showed significantly high alterations even in NACT-treated samples having low CD44 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Pretherapeutic patients with alterations showed poor prognosis. Conclusion: Alterations of homologous recombination repair pathway genes are needed for the development of BC.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Anthracycline-Induced Congestive Heart Failure

PURPOSE

Anthracycline-induced congestive heart failure (CHF) is a rare but serious toxicity associated with this commonly employed anticancer therapy. The ability to predict which patients might be at increased risk prior to exposure would be valuable to optimally counsel risk-to-benefit ratio for each patient. Herein, we present a genome-wide approach for biomarker discovery with two validation cohorts to predict CHF from adult patients planning to receive anthracycline.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

We performed a genome-wide association study in 3,431 patients from the randomized phase III adjuvant breast cancer trial E5103 to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes associated with an increased risk of anthracycline-induced CHF. We further attempted candidate validation in two independent phase III adjuvant trials, E1199 and BEATRICE.

RESULTS

When evaluating for cardiologist-adjudicated CHF, 11 SNPs had a P value <10^-5, of which nine independent chromosomal regions were associated with increased risk. Validation of the top two SNPs in E1199 revealed one SNP rs28714259 that demonstrated a borderline increased CHF risk (P = 0.04, OR = 1.9). rs28714259 was subsequently tested in BEATRICE and was significantly associated with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (P = 0.018, OR = 4.2).

CONCLUSIONS

rs28714259 represents a validated SNP that is associated with anthracycline-induced CHF in three independent, phase III adjuvant breast cancer clinical trials. Clin Cancer Res; 23(1); 43-51. ©2016 AACR.

Over-using chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting

Avoidance of unnecessary or ineffective treatment should be one of the main goals in adjuvant breast oncology today. Unfortunately, both patients and doctors hunt for tiny statistical differences in survival curves. This search could not only lead to an oncological approach of unlimited addition that we will not be able to afford, but would also end inevitably in indeterminate overtreatment with substantial risks of unexpected toxic effects eating away whatever progress we might make. "Do not harm" remains the main principle in medicine. To be able to follow this rule, we need to better understand the biology of breast cancer. The mistake of "one treatment fits all" can only be changed when we critically review trial designs of adjuvant breast oncology. The risk of overtreatment is there and selection of precisely defined cohorts for phase 3 trials is necessary, despite pressure of scientific ambition, pragmatism, and demands of industry. The "add on" clinical trial design model accepts the inability to confirm that standard therapy is still necessary if a positive result from the addition of the new therapy is obtained. The same model can be applied to "extended" adjuvant treatments in breast cancer subtypes. Addition of "miraculin" to the standard of care should generate a new standard. Such trials that show a modest benefit on average at a population level take us a step away from refining care for the individual, and might support the use of multiple and costly interventions with potential short and long term side effects. It is essential to escalate treatment when necessary and to de-escalate when un-necessary.

Molecular Classification of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Tumor heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been the main barrier in conquering breast cancer. To dissect the molecular diversity of TNBC and discover therapeutic targets for TNBC, the molecular classification of TNBC is a prioritized issue in research area. Accordingly, recent studies have been successful in classifying TNBC into several distinct subtypes with specific biologic pathways. Despite the different methodologies used and varied number of final subtypes, these studies identically suggested that TNBC consists of four major subtypes: basal-like, mesenchymal, luminal androgen receptor, and immune-enriched. By reviewing these methods of classifications of TNBC, we highlight the unmet need to develop a molecular classifier suited for TNBC.

Breast Cancer Survivorship and Cardiovascular Disease: Emerging Approaches in Cardio-Oncology

OPINION STATEMENT

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and breast cancer cause substantial morbidity and mortality in women and are major public health concerns in the USA. While aggressive screening and targeted, advanced treatment for breast cancer have had a measurable impact on breast cancer survival, treatment is not without significant cardiotoxic effects. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy can lead to left ventricular dysfunction and failure, as well as a decline in exercise tolerance and cardio-pulmonary reserve despite preserved ejection fraction. Trastuzumab, a newer monoclonal antibody targeting the Her2 receptor used in the treatment of Her2+ cancer, is also linked to left ventricular dysfunction, although the long-term cardiac effects are presently unclear. Radiation treatment particularly for left-sided breast cancer has been associated with increased rates of ischemic heart disease. As women have increasing survival and cure rates from early breast cancer, long-term consequences on the heart that are secondary to therapy are a major concern. These need to be identified, treated, and avoided when possible. Further research and clear surveillance guidelines are needed to aid the practicing clinician in CVD prevention in breast cancer survivors.

An open-label, randomized, multicenter dose-finding study of once-per-cycle pegfilgrastim versus daily filgrastim in Chinese breast cancer patients receiving TAC chemotherapy

A chemotherapy regimen of docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC) has been accepted as a standard care because of their superior clinical benefit in early-stage breast cancer patients, but with a higher risk of neutropenia. Pegfilgrastim is a once-per-cycle therapy for prophylactic neutrophil support and neutropenia prevention. There was still a lack of direct evidences for finding an optimal fixed dose of pegfilgrastim in Chinese breast cancer patients receiving TAC regimen. An open-label, randomized, phase II study was designed to compare the effects of pegfilgrastim with filgrastim. Eighteen centers in China enrolled 171 eligible female breast cancer patients with cycles of TAC chemotherapy treatment, randomized into four arms, received a single subcutaneous injection of pegfilgrastim (60, 100 or 120 µg/kg) per chemotherapy cycle or daily subcutaneous injections of filgrastim 5 µg/kg 24 h after chemotherapy. Efficacy and safety were analyzed. In ITT population, the mean duration of grade 3+ neutropenia (neutrophil count <1.0 × 10(9)/l) was 2.09, 1.53 and 1.73 days in patients who received pegfilgrastim 60, 100 and 120 µg/kg/cycle, respectively, and 1.69 days in patients who received 5 µg/kg/day filgrastim (P = 0.043). The incidence of grade 3+ neutropenia was 76, 83 and 74 % for doses of pegfilgrastim and 90 % for filgrastim (P = 0.409). The results for febrile neutropenia, time to neutrophil recovery and neutrophil profile were also not significantly different between arms. The safety profiles of pegfilgrastim and filgrastim were similar. A single dose of 100 µg/kg once-per-cycle administration of pegfilgrastim provided neutrophil support and a safety profile comparable to daily subcutaneous injections of filgrastim in Chinese breast cancer patients receiving TAC chemotherapy.

Optimal systemic therapy for early breast cancer in women: a clinical practice guideline

The Breast Cancer Disease Site Group of Cancer Care Ontario identified the need for new guidelines for the adjuvant systemic therapy of early-stage breast cancer. The specific question to be addressed was "What is the optimal adjuvant systemic therapy for female patients with early-stage operable breast cancer, when patient and disease factors are considered?" A systematic review was prepared based on literature searches conducted using the medline and embase databases for the period January 2008 to March 5, 2012, and updated to May 12, 2014. Guidelines were located from that search, from the Standards and Guidelines Evidence directory of cancer guidelines, and from the Web sites of major guideline organizations. The literature located was subdivided into the broad categories of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and therapy targeted to her2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). Although several of the systemic therapies discussed in this guideline can be considered in the neoadjuvant setting, the review focused on trials with rates of disease-free and overall survival as endpoints and thus excluded several trials that used pathologic complete response as a primary endpoint. Based on the systematic review, the working group drafted recommendations on the use of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therapy; based on their professional experience, they also drafted recommendations on patient and disease characteristics and recurrence risk. The literature review and draft recommendations were circulated to a consensus panel of medical oncologists who had expertise in breast cancer and who represented the regions of Ontario. Items without initial consensus were discussed at an in-person consensus meeting held in Toronto, November 23, 2012. The final recommendations are those for which consensus was reached before or at the meeting. Some of the key evidence was revised after the updated literature search. Evidence reviews for systemic chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and targeted therapy for her2-positive disease are reported in separate articles in this supplement. The full three-part 1-21 evidence-based series, including complete details of the development and consensus processes, can be found on the Cancer Care Ontario Web site at https://www.cancercare.on.ca/toolbox/qualityguidelines/diseasesite/breast-ebs.

Long-term survival analysis of korean breast cancer patients at a single center: improving outcome over time

PURPOSE

The prognosis of breast cancer has been consistently improving. We analyzed our cohort of breast cancer patients with a long-term follow up at a single center over time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1889 patients with known cancer stages were recruited and analyzed between January 1991 and December 2005. Patients were classified according to the time periods (1991-1995; 1996-2000; 2001-2005). To determine intrinsic subtypes, 858 patients whose human epidermal growth receptor-2 status and Ki67 were reported between April 2004 and December 2008 were also analyzed.

RESULTS

At a median follow up of 9.1 years, the 10-year overall survival (OS) rate was 80.5% for the entire cohort. On multivariate analysis for OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS), the time period was demonstrated to be a significant factor independent of conventional prognostic markers. In the survival analysis performed for each stage (I to III), OS and RFS significantly improved according to the time periods. Adoption of new agents in adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy was increased according to the elapsed time. In the patients with known subtypes, OS and RFS significantly differed among the subtypes, and the triple-negative subtype showed the worst outcome in stages II and III.

CONCLUSION

In the Korean breast cancer cohort with a long-term follow up, our data show an improved prognosis over the past decades, and harbor the contribution of advances in adjuvant treatment. Moreover, we provided new insight regarding comparison of the prognostic impact between the tumor burden and subtypes.

Optimal adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: selection of agents

Historically, the selection of the most effective adjuvant regimen for breast cancer patients was based on tumor size and nodal status but this approach took into account the stage only, without considering that the biology of the tumor matters as well, as breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease at the molecular level. In the present manuscript we will attempt to address the issue of selecting the most appropriate cytotoxic agents for adjuvant programs in the clinically and biologically distinct subgroups of endocrine responsive (luminal A and luminal B), HER2 positive and triple negative breast cancer patients.

The role of anthracyclines in the treatment of early breast cancer

We review the use of anthracyclines, their associated cardiotoxicity, and the role of taxanes in the treatment of early breast cancer. The efficacy of anthracyclines has been proven in multiple large cohort trials and meta-analyses. The addition of a taxane to an anthracycline-based regimen in the adjuvant setting has improved the disease-free survival and overall survival in patients with early breast cancer. The use of the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab combined with an anthracycline and taxane regimen has had significant benefit both in disease-free survival and overall survival in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)–positive disease. However, the development of significant cardiotoxicity related to anthracyclines and the emergence of newer agents that appear to limit the cardiotoxicity but with similar anticancer efficacy have called the role of anthracyclines into doubt. Taxane/trastuzumab-based chemotherapy without anthracyclines is now a widely accepted adjuvant regimen in patients with HER2–positive early breast cancer. Indeed, the use of taxanes in early breast cancer has overtaken the use of anthracyclines, particularly in women with HER2–positive breast cancer. Concerns regarding anthracycline cardiotoxicity and positive data from taxane-based regimens likely have contributed to this change in practice. Ongoing trials will determine whether taxane-based chemotherapy has equivalent efficacy to anthracycline-based regimens in adjuvant therapy of HER2–negative early breast cancer. Moving forward, the use of anthracyclines as initial chemotherapy in early breast cancer may continue to be replaced by taxane-based and novel regimens in the future.

Assessment of microtubule-associated protein (MAP)-Tau expression as a predictive and prognostic marker in TACT; a trial assessing substitution of sequential docetaxel for FEC as adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer

The TACT trial is the largest study assessing the benefit of taxanes as part of adjuvant therapy for early breast cancer. The goal of this translational study was to clarify the predictive and prognostic value of Tau within the TACT trial. Tissue microarrays (TMA) were available from 3,610 patients. ER, PR, HER2 from the TACT trial and Tau protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry on duplicate TMAs. Two parallel scoring systems were generated for Tau expression ('dichotomised' vs. 'combined' score). The positivity rate of Tau expression was 50 % in the trial population (n = 2,483). Tau expression correlated positively with ER (p < 0.001) and PR status (p < 0.001); but negatively with histological grade (p < 0.001) and HER2 status (p < 0.001). Analyses with either scoring systems for Tau expression demonstrated no significant interaction between Tau expression and efficacy of docetaxel. Contrary to the hypothesis that taxane benefit would be enriched in Tau negative/low patients, the only groups with a suggestion of a reduced event rate in the taxane group were the HER2-positive, Tau positive subgroups. Tau expression was seen to be a prognostic factor on univariate analysis associated with an improved DFS, independent of the treatment group (p < 0.001). It had no prognostic value in ER-negative tumours and the weak prognostic effect of Tau in ER-positive tumours (p = 0.02) diminished, when considering ER as an ordinal variable. On multivariable analyses, Tau had no prognostic value in either group. In addition, no significant interaction between Tau expression and benefit from docetaxel in patients within the PR-positive and negative subsets was seen. This is now the second large adjuvant study, and the first with quantitative analysis of ER and Tau expression, failing to show an association between Tau and taxane benefit with limited utility as a prognostic marker for Tau in ER-positive early breast cancer patients.

Dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel as adjuvant chemotherapy in node-positive breast cancer

Background. Adding taxanes to anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy has shown significant improvement particularly in node-positive patients, but optimal dose and schedule remain undetermined. Objectives. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel in node-positive breast cancer. Methods. All Patients first received 4 cycles of epirubicin (100 mg/m²) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m²) at 2-week interval then followed by docetaxel (100 mg/m²) at 2-week interval for 4 cycles, with daily Pegfilgrastim (G-CSF) that was administered in all patients on days 3–10 after each cycle of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide infusion. Results. Fifty-eight patients with axillary lymph node-positive breast cancer were enrolled in the study, of whom 42 (72.4%) completed the regimen. There were two toxicity-related deaths, one patient due to grade 4 febrile neutropenia and the other due to congestive heart failure. Grade 3/4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were 13.8% and 5.1%. The most common grade 3/4 nonhematological complications were as follows: skin-nail disorders (48.3%), hand-foot syndrome (34.4%), paresthesia (38%), arthralgia (27.5%), and paresis (24.1%). Conclusions. Dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel with G-CSF support are not feasible, and it is not recommended for further investigation.

Chemotherapy regimens in early breast cancer: major controversies and future outlook

The addition of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer improves overall survival by approximately 10%. Recommendations favor the use of anthracyclines and taxanes in patients with luminal B disease, while the use of an anthracycline, taxane and alkylating agent is recommended in triple-negative disease. In luminal B disease, the addition of chemotherapy to endocrine treatment depends on estrogen receptor expression and overall risk. Chemotherapy is not recommended in most patients with luminal A (highly hormone-sensitive and low proliferation) breast cancer. A major controversy is the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy to endocrine treatment in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. In some of these patients, multigene signatures such as the 21-gene recurrence score may be a useful addition to histopathology. The introduction of molecular subtypes and gene signatures improves the complexity of early breast cancer treatment, and individual institutes have to find their policy based on their histopathological information and the availability of gene signatures.

Effectiveness and complications of anthracycline and taxane in the therapy of breast cancer: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy and safety between anthracycline & taxane and anthracycline in the treatment of breast cancer.

METHODS

Computer-assisted literature search was performed with PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR) to identify pertinent literatures. Software RevMan 5.0 was used for statistical analysis. The measurement of interest outcomes included severe neurotoxicity, death without breast cancer recurrences, leukemia, venous thrombus and severe cardiotoxicity.

RESULTS

A total of 10 randomized controlled trial studies (RCTs) containing 18,198 cases were selected in this meta-analysis. Of which, 9,902 cases were treated with anthracycline & taxane and 8,296 cases treated with anthracycline alone as control. Anthracycline & taxane showed lower risks of incident leukemia (RR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.18, 0.90), venous thrombus (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.84) and severe cardiotoxicity (RR = 0.41, 95%CI: 0.26, 0.66), but higher risks of incident severe neurotoxicity (RR = 5.97; 95% CI: 1.72, 20.65) and non-recurrent death (RR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.06, 3.04), compared to anthracycline alone.

CONCLUSION

Clinically important differences exist for general safety in favour of the anthracycline & taxane rather than anthracycline alone. However, as a result of tumor recurrent rate, anthracycline might be superior to anthracycline & taxane. A longer duration of follow-up and a larger number of cases are required to better assess the efficacy and safety profile of the treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer survivorship issues

Survivors of breast cancer are confronted with a plethora of cancer treatment-related long-term symptoms, the most common being fatigue, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, arthralgias, neuropathy, and cognitive dysfunction. Survivors of breast cancer also face cancer treatment-related disease states, such as osteoporosis, cardiac dysfunction, obesity, infertility, and secondary cancers. Evidence-based recommendations for screening, prevention, and early intervention should be implemented to improve quality of life and decrease comorbidities in this population.

Prognostic significance of ESR1 gene amplification, mRNA/protein expression and functional profiles in high-risk early breast cancer: a translational study of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG)

BACKGROUND

Discrepant data have been published on the incidence and prognostic significance of ESR1 gene amplification in early breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks were collected from women with early breast cancer participating in two HeCOG adjuvant trials. Messenger RNA was studied by quantitative PCR, ER protein expression was centrally assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ESR1 gene copy number by dual fluorescent in situ hybridization probes.

RESULTS

In a total of 1010 women with resected node-positive early breast adenocarcinoma, the tumoral ESR1/CEP6 gene ratio was suggestive of deletion in 159 (15.7%), gene gain in 551 (54.6%) and amplification in 42 cases (4.2%), with only 30 tumors (3%) harboring five or more ESR1 copies. Gene copy number ratio showed a significant, though weak correlation to mRNA and protein expression (Spearman's Rho <0.23, p = 0.01). ESR1 clusters were observed in 9.5% (57 gain, 38 amplification) of cases. In contrast to mRNA and protein expression, which were favorable prognosticators, gene copy number changes did not obtain prognostic significance. When ESR1/CEP6 gene ratio was combined with function (as defined by ER protein and mRNA expression) in a molecular classifier, the Gene Functional profile, it was functional status that impacted on prognosis. In univariate analysis, patients with functional tumors (positive ER protein expression and gene ratio normal or gain/amplification) fared better than those with non-functional tumors with ESR1 gain (HR for relapse or death 0.49-0.64, p = 0.003). Significant interactions were observed between gene gain/amplification and paclitaxel therapy (trend for DFS benefit from paclitaxel only in patients with ESR1 gain/amplification, p = 0.066) and Gene Functional profile with HER2 amplification (Gene Functional profile prognostic only in HER2-normal cases, p = 0.029).

CONCLUSIONS

ESR1 gene deletion and amplification do not constitute per se prognostic markers, instead they can be classified to distinct prognostic groups according to their protein-mediated functional status.

Both aerobic exercise and resveratrol supplementation attenuate doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury in mice

Because doxorubicin (DOX)-containing chemotherapy causes left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and remodeling that can progress to heart failure, strategies to alleviate DOX cardiotoxicity are necessary to improve health outcomes of patients surviving cancer. Although clinical evidence suggests that aerobic exercise training (ET) can prevent cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing DOX chemotherapy, the physiological mechanisms involved have not been extensively studied, nor is it known whether compounds [such as resveratrol (RESV)] have similar beneficial effects. With the use of a murine model of chronic DOX exposure, this study compared the efficacy of modest ET to RESV treatment on exercise performance, LV remodeling, and oxidative stress resistance. Mice were divided into four groups that received saline, DOX (8 mg/kg ip, one time per week), DOX + RESV (4 g/kg diet, ad libitum), and DOX + ET (45 min of treadmill exercise, 5 days/wk) for 8 wk. LV function and morphology were evaluated by in vivo echocardiography. DOX caused adverse LV remodeling that was partially attenuated by modest ET and completely prevented by RESV. These effects were paralleled by improvements in exercise performance. The cardioprotective properties of ET and RESV were associated with reduced levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and the lipid peroxidation by-product, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. In addition, ET and RESV increased the expression of cardiac sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase 2a, superoxide dismutase, mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, and mitofusin-1 and -2 in mice administered DOX. Compared with modest ET, RESV more effectively prevented DOX-induced LV remodeling and was associated with the reduction of DOX-induced oxidative stress. Our findings have important implications for protecting patients against DOX-associated cardiac injury.

Cardiomyocyte specific adipose triglyceride lipase overexpression prevents doxorubicin induced cardiac dysfunction in female mice

OBJECTIVES

Anthracyclines such as doxorubicin are an effective class of antineoplastic agents. Despite its efficacy in the treatment of a variety of cancers, the clinical use of doxorubicin is limited by cardiac side effects. While it has been suggested that doxorubicin alters myocardial fatty acid metabolism, it is poorly understood whether this is the case and whether variations in myocardial triacylglycerol (TAG) metabolism contribute to doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity. Since TAG catabolism in the heart is controlled by adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), this study examined the influence of doxorubicin on cardiac energy metabolism and TAG values as well as the consequence of forced expression of ATGL in the setting of doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Wild type (WT) mice and mice with cardiomyocyte specific ATGL overexpression were divided into two groups per genotype that received a weekly intraperitoneal injection of saline or doxorubicin for 4 weeks.

RESULTS

Four weeks of doxorubicin administration significantly impaired in vivo systolic function (11% reduction in ejection fraction, p<0.05), which was associated with increased lung wet to dry weight ratios. Furthermore, doxorubicin induced cardiac dysfunction was independent of changes in glucose and fatty acid oxidation in WT hearts. However, doxorubicin administration significantly reduced myocardial TAG content in WT mice (p<0.05). Importantly, cardiomyocyte specific ATGL overexpression and the resulting decrease in cardiac TAG accumulation attenuated the decrease in ejection fraction (p<0.05) and thus protected mice from doxorubicin induced cardiac dysfunction.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our data suggest that chronic reduction in myocardial TAG content by cardiomyocyte specific ATGL overexpression is able to prevent doxorubicin induced cardiac dysfunction.