Pyrotinib plus capecitabine for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases (PERMEATE): a multicentre, single-arm, two-cohort, phase 2 trial

Efficacy and safety of pyrotinib-based regimens in HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer: A retrospective real-world data study

OBJECTIVE

Pyrotinib is a novel irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has shown efficacy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study explored the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in the treatment of HER2-positive MBC patients in the real world.

METHODS

From September 2018 to February 2022, 137 female patients with HER2-positive MBC treated in this center were enrolled in this study. The follow-up period ended on January 12, 2023. The primary endpoint of this study was progression-free survival (PFS). Overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), central nervous system (CNS)-PFS, CNS-ORR, CNS-CBR, CNS-DCR, and adverse event (AE) were the secondary endpoints.

RESULTS

The ORR, DCR and CBR were 41.98 % (55/131), 87.79 % (115/131) and 44.27 % (58/131) in this cohort, respectively. The median PFS for this cohort was 10.37 months [95 % confidence interval (CI): 9.205-11.535] and the median OS was 37.53 months (not reached). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that trastuzumab sensitivity was an independent predictor of improved PFS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.579 (0.371-0.904, p=0.016)] and improved OS [0.410 (0.213-0.790, p=0.008)]. Patients treated with a pyrotinib-based regimen as second-line and third-or-post-line therapy had poorer PFS [second-line: 3.315 (1.832-6.000, p<0.001); third-or-post-line: 3.304 (1.749-6.243, p<0.001)] and OS [second-line: 4.631 (1.033-20.771, p=0.045); third-or-post-line: 5.738 (1.212-27.174, p=0.028)]. There were 38 brain metastases (BM) patients in this study, the CNS-mPFS [14.37 months (7.815-20.925) vs. 7.83 months (7.047-8.613), p=0.375] and mOS [not reached vs. 36.40 months (18.551-54.249), p=0.034] were better in brain radiotherapy (BRT) group than NBRT group. 18.98 % (26/137) of patients experienced grade 3 or higher diarrhea. No AE-related death was reported.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the promising antitumor activity and acceptable safety of real-world pyrotinib-based regimens for the treatment of HER2-positive MBC patients, particularly those who are trastuzumab-sensitive and who are receiving pyrotinib-based regimens as advanced first-line therapy. It has also been demonstrated that these regimens combined with BRT, provide better intracranial responses and long-term survival benefits for these patients with BM.

A comprehensive clinical evaluation of HER2-TKIs in patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (HER2-TKIs) have been extensively utilized for treating HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC), with numerous clinical trial reports available. We aim to systematically perform a comprehensive clinical evaluation on HER2-TKIs, provide a reference for the clinical rational use of drugs, and serve for the decision-making of the national drug policy. We performed comprehensive clinical evaluation in six dimensions including safety, effectiveness, economy, suitability, accessibility, and innovation through meta-analysis, literature review, drug administration websites, and other relevant medication data to analyze HER2-TKIs in treating HER2-positive MBC. For safety, the risk of ≥ grade 3 adverse events among pyrotinib, lapatinib, and neratinib is not significantly different. Furthermore, pyrotinib and neratinib were found to be higher in the risk of ≥ grade 3 diarrhea than lapatinib, however the risk could be reversed and prevented with loperamide. Regarding effectiveness and economy, pyrotinib was confirmed to have the best efficacy and cost-utility value, neratinib the second, and lapatinib the third. As regards innovation and suitability, pyrotinib showed better than other HER2-TKIs. In addition, pyrotinib received a higher recommendation than other HER2-TKIs in patients with HER2-positive MBC. The accessibility of pyrotinib was found to be the best with better urban, rural, and national affordability and lower annual treatment costs. Pyrotinib is more valuable in clinics with better safety, effectiveness, economy, suitability, accessibility, and innovation in HER2-positive MBC. This study could provide references for the clinical application of HER2-TKIs in treating HER2-positive MBC.

Efficacy of first-line dual oral pyrotinib plus capetabine therapy in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: A real-world retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The combination of dual-targeted human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapy and chemotherapy is the standard first-line regimen for recurrent/metastatic breast cancer (mBC). However, the toxicity of such combination therapy can lead to some patients being unable to tolerate adverse events or bear treatment costs. As a novel irreversible pan-ErbB receptor TKI (pyrotinib), can the dual oral administration of pyrotinib plus capetabine (PyroC) provide first-line survival benefits and serve as a more affordable treatment option?

METHODS

This real-world retrospective study included patients diagnosed with HER2-positive mBC who received PyroC as a first-line treatment at West China Hospital between May 2018 and July 2023. The survival data and toxicity profiles were reported in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 64 patients received PyroC as first-line therapy. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 19.6 months (95% CI 15.0-27.2), while overall survival (OS) has not yet been reached. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that age (≥60, p = 0.03) and metastasis sites (p = 0.004) were related to poor efficacy of PyroC, while there was no relationship between effectiveness and menstrual status, hormone receptor (HR) status or previous treatment with anti-HER2 therapy. Furthermore, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 79.7% and 98.4%, respectively. Of the patients, 78.1% reported treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). The predominant adverse events were diarrhea (n = 46, 71.9%) and hand-foot syndrome (n = 10, 15.6%).

CONCLUSION

The dual oral administration regimen (PyroC) has a promising ORR or PFS in HER2-positive mBC patients, with an acceptable safety profile and convenience.

Safety and efficacy of pyrotinib for HER‑2‑positive breast cancer in the neoadjuvant setting: A systematic review and meta‑analysis

As a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), pyrotinib can irreversibly block dual pan-ErbB receptors and has been used in the treatment of advanced or metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. However, there are limited data on the use of pyrotinib in early breast cancer. Therefore, the present meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pyrotinib in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with early-stage or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Online databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library) were comprehensively searched for eligible prospective clinical trials on August 17, 2023. The primary endpoint was the treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), and the secondary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. In total, seven trials with a total enrolment of 407 patients were included. A total of seven studies evaluated pyrotinib in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting. The median age ranged from 47-50 years. The most common TRAEs were diarrhea [98% of patients; 95% confidence interval (CI): 92-100%], followed by anemia (71%; 95% CI: 55-89%), vomiting (69%; 95% CI: 55-82%), and leucopenia (66%; 95% CI: 35-91%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. The pooled pCR rate was 57% (95% CI: 47-68%). It was concluded that pyrotinib-containing neoadjuvant therapy could be an effective treatment strategy in patients with early-stage or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer; however, the management of adverse events should be a key consideration. The management of adverse events should be paid great attention to, during pyrotinib therapy, although pyrotinib-contained neoadjuvant therapy could be an effective treatment for patients with early-stage or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Head-to-head randomized clinical trials are warranted to further confirm the benefits and risks associated with pyrotinib therapy in patients with breast cancer.

Effectiveness and Safety of Pyrotinib-Based Therapy in the Treatment of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases: A Multicenter Real-World Study

BACKGROUND

Approximately 30% to 50% of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer develop brain metastasis (BMs). Pyrotinib has shown promising efficacy in these patients. However, real-world evidence supporting its use is scarce. Therefore, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib-based regimens in the real world.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled patients with BMs from various healthcare facilities in China's Shandong region and used an updated breast-graded prognostic assessment (breast-GPA) to predict survival outcomes.

RESULTS

Efficacy and toxicity were assessed in 101 patients. Overall, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 11.0 months (95% CI, 7.6-14.4 months). PFS was shorter in patients with a breast-GPA of 0 to 2.0 (P< .001). Previous treatment with pertuzumab plus trastuzumab (P = .039) and varying numbers of BMs (P = .028) had a significant positive correlation with PFS. Additionally, radiotherapy (P = .033) for BMs, especially pyrotinib concurrent with radiotherapy (P = .013), significantly prolonged the PFS. In patients with a breast-GPA of 0 to 2.0, a significant difference in PFS was observed depending on whether the brain was the first metastatic site (P< .001). Furthermore, a breast-GPA (0-2.0 vs. 2.5-4.0), and radiotherapy for BMs were found to be independent predictors of PFS. Overall, the objective response rate was 42.6%, while the disease control rate was 88.1%. Diarrhea emerged as the most common adverse event.

CONCLUSION

Pyrotinib-based therapy is effective and tolerable in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer with BMs. Patients who underwent radiotherapy for BMs, particularly those who received pyrotinib concurrently with radiotherapy, exhibited a more favorable prognosis.

Comparison of the prognostic effect of pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy different lines therapy in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of pyrotinib, trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy with different lines therapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2- (HER2-) positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) and analyze the factors affecting the prognosis. A total of 84 patients with median age of 49 year-old. The mPFS of patients receiving first-line pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy was the longest (11 months) compared with second- and third line patients (p = 0.106). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the total population were 33.3% and 82.1% respectively. Subgroup analysis suggested that using pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and Albumin-bound paclitaxel was not inferior to combine with Vinorelbine in regards of PFS. Histological grade (OR: 0.233[0.069 ∼ 0.781], p = 0.018) and tumor location (OR: 0.286[0.087 ∼ 0.942], p = 0.040) were independent factors influencing the ORR. Multivariate cox analysis showed that Ki-67 was independently associated with increased risk of progression (HR: 1.843[1.044-3.254], p = 0.035). The most common adverse events were diarrhea (17.9%) and neutropenia (11.9%). In the first-, second- and third-line treatment, pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy is effective and safe. Pyrotinib and trastuzumab combined with Albumin-bound paclitaxel may be a potential ideal treatment plan for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

Why does HER2-positive breast cancer metastasize to the brain and what can we do about it?

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women. However, in the middle and late stages, some people develop distant metastases, which considerably lower the quality of life and life expectancy. The brain is one of the sites where metastasis frequently happens. According to epidemiological research, brain metastases occur at a late stage in 30-50% of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, resulting in a poor prognosis. Additionally, few treatments are available for HER2-positive brain metastatic breast cancer, and the mortality rate is remarkable owing to the complexity of the brain's anatomical structure and physiological function. In this review, we described the stages of the brain metastasis of breast cancer, the relationship between the microenvironment and metastatic cancer cells, and the unique molecular and cellular mechanisms. It involves cancer cells migrating, invading, and adhering to the brain; penetrating the blood-brain barrier; interacting with brain cells; and activating signal pathways once inside the brain. Finally, we reviewed current clinically used treatment approaches for brain metastasis in HER2-positive breast cancer; summarized the traditional treatment, targeted treatment, immunotherapy, and other treatment modalities; compared the benefits and drawbacks of each approach; discussed treatment challenges; and emphasized the importance of identifying potential targets to improve patient survival rates and comprehend brain metastasis in breast cancer.

Brain Radiotherapy With Pyrotinib and Capecitabine in Patients With ERBB2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer and Brain Metastases: A Nonrandomized Phase 2 Trial

Importance

The potential benefit of combining intracranial effective systemic therapy with radiotherapy for patients with breast cancer with brain metastases remains unclear.

Objective

To assess the activity and safety of combining radiotherapy with pyrotinib and capecitabine in patients with ERBB2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a single-arm, single-center, phase 2 nonrandomized clinical trial with a safety run-in phase. Between January 2020 and August 2022, patients with ERBB2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases were enrolled. The data cutoff date was February 1, 2023.

Interventions

Patients received either fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy or whole-brain radiotherapy. Treatment with pyrotinib (400 mg, once daily) and capecitabine (1000 mg/m2, twice daily, on days 1-14 of each 21-day cycle) was initiated from the first day of radiotherapy to the seventh day after the completion of radiotherapy and continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxic effects.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary end point was 1-year central nervous system (CNS) progression-free survival (PFS) rate. Secondary end points included CNS objective response rate (ORR), PFS, overall survival (OS), safety, and changes in neurocognitive function.

Results

A total of 40 female patients (median age, 50.5 years [IQR, 46-59 years]) were enrolled and received treatment, including 3 patients in safety run-in phase. With a median follow-up of 17.3 months (IQR, 10.3-26.9), the 1-year CNS PFS rate was 74.9% (95% CI, 61.9%-90.7%), and the median CNS PFS was 18.0 months (95% CI, 15.5 to not reached). The 1-year PFS rate was 66.9% (95% CI, 53.1%-84.2%), and the median PFS was 17.6 months (95% CI, 12.8-34.1). The CNS objective response rate was 85% (34 of 40). Median overall survival was not reached. The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event was diarrhea (7.5%). Asymptomatic radiation necrosis was identified in 4 of 67 lesions (6.0%) treated with fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy. Most patients maintained neurocognitive function, as evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination at different points.

Conclusions and Relevance

The results of this trial suggest that radiotherapy combined with pyrotinib and capecitabine is associated with long intracranial survival benefit in patients with ERBB2-positive advanced breast cancer and brain metastases with an acceptable safety profile. This combination deserves further validation.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04582968.

Efficacy of Pyrotinib With/Without Trastuzumab in Treatment-Refractory, HER2-Positive Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Result From a Prospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a promising therapeutic target in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib alone or pyrotinib with trastuzumab in patients with HER2-positive mCRC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this prospective observational study, patients with HER2 positive, Ras Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (RAS) wild type mCRC who received at least one standard treatment of palliative chemotherapy were enrolled. Patients were treated with oral pyrotinib alone or pyrotinib with trastuzumab. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), confirmed objective response rate (ORR), and safety. This trial is registered with chitcr.org, number ChiCTR2100046381.

RESULTS

From February 15, 2021, to January 10, 2023, 32 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty (62.5%) patients were treated with pyrotinib, while 12 (37.5%) received pyrotinib and trastuzumab. As of June 24, 2023, with a median follow-up of 11.0 months, the median PFS was 5.7 months (95%CI 4.5-10.2), while OS was not evaluable (NE), ORR and disease control rate (DCR were 34.4% and 87.5%. Patients' PFS in the pyrotinib plus trastuzumab subgroup and pyrotinib monotherapy group were 8.6 and 5.5 months, OS was not evaluable (NE) and 10.9 months, ORR was 50.0% and 25.0%, respectively. Most treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were grade 1-2, diarrhea was the most frequent TRAE (81.3%, 26/32). Grade 3 TRAEs occurred in 11 patients: 9 for diarrhea, 1 for nausea, and 1 for oral mucositis.

CONCLUSION

Pyrotinib with or without trastuzumab showed promising anti-tumor activity and acceptable toxicities in treatment-refractory, HER2-positive mCRC.

Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic applications of huaier in breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is one of the most common female malignant tumors today and represents a serious health risk for women. Although the survival rate and quality of life of patients with breast cancer are improving with the continuous development of medical technology, metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance of breast cancer remain a significant problem. Huaier, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) fungus, is a type of Sophora embolism fungus growing on old Sophora stems. The polysaccharides of Trametes robiniophila Murr (PS-T) are the main active ingredient of Huaier. There is increasing evidence that Huaier has great potential in breast cancer treatment, and its anti-cancer mechanism may be related to a variety of biological activities, such as the inhibition of cell proliferation, metastasis, tumor angiogenesis, the promotion of cancer cell death, and regulation of tumor-specific immunity. There is growing evidence that Huaier may be effective in the clinical treatment of breast cancer. This review systematically summarizes the basic and clinical studies on the use of Huaier in the treatment of breast cancer, providing useful information to guide the clinical application of Huaier and future clinical studies.

Real-world data of triplet combination of pyrotinib, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: a multicenter, retrospective study

Background

Pyrotinib, an irreversible pan-human epidermal growth (HER) inhibitor, has proven its antitumor efficacy as a second-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+ MBC) when combined with capecitabine. However, real-world data concerning the pyrotinib, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy (PyroHC) combination remains scarce.

Objectives

Our study is to report the treatment patterns, efficacy, and safety of the PyroHC combination in a real-world setting.

Design

This study enrolled patients with HER2+ MBC from five institutions in China, treated with PyroHC between June 2017 and January 2023 (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05839288).

Methods

We evaluated progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), toxicity profile, and utilized treatment regimens.

Results

Of the 135 patients in our cohort, 91.9% had prior trastuzumab exposure and 52.2% underwent at least two systematic therapy lines before receiving PyroHC. The most prevalent chemotherapies paired with PyroH were capecitabine (36.3%). Patients receiving PyroHC achieved a median PFS of 8.67 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.84-10.51] and an ORR of 51.3% (95% CI: 42.1-61.5%). The first-line treatment with PyroHC led to a median PFS of 14.46 months (95% CI: 6.35-22.56). Patients with brain metastases showed a median PFS of 9.03 months (95% CI: 6.56-11.50), achieving an ORR of 52.17% (95% CI: 51.74-83.39). Longer previous trastuzumab (⩾6.37 months) or lapatinib (⩾10.05 months) therapies could indicate improved PFS, while prior pyrotinib exposure negatively influenced PFS. Notably, the most common grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhea (37.8%), which were generally manageable.

Conclusion

PyroHC shows promising efficacy and a satisfactory safety profile for treating HER2+ MBC, both as a first-line option and for heavily treated patients, including those with brain metastasis. Our findings suggest the duration and history of anti-HER2 therapy as potential predictors for PyroHC efficacy in advanced settings.

MNX1 Promotes Anti-HER2 Therapy Sensitivity via Transcriptional Regulation of CD-M6PR in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Although targeted therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer has significantly prolonged survival time and improved patients' quality of life, drug resistance has gradually emerged. This study explored the mechanisms underlying the effect of the motor neuron and pancreatic homeobox 1 (MNX1) genes on drug sensitivity in HER2-positive breast cancer. From July 2017 to 2018, core needle biopsies of HER2-positive breast cancer were collected from patients who received paclitaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab neoadjuvant therapy at our center. Based on treatment efficacy, 81 patients were divided into pathological complete response (pCR) and non-pCR groups. High-throughput RNA sequencing results were analyzed along with the GSE181574 dataset. MNX1 was significantly upregulated in the pCR group compared with the non-pCR group in both sequencing datasets, suggesting that MNX1 might be correlated with drug sensitivity in HER2-positive breast cancer. Meanwhile, tissue array results revealed that high MNX1 expression corresponded to a good prognosis. In vitro functional tests showed that upregulation of MNX1 significantly increased the sensitivity of HER2-positive breast cancer cells to lapatinib and pyrotinib. In conclusion, MNX1 may serve as a prognostic marker for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, and its expression may facilitate clinical screening of patients sensitive to anti-HER2-targeted therapy.

Neoadjuvant pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy for HER2-positive breast cancer: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

This prospective study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib (P) combined with 4 cycles of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by 4 cycles of taxane and trastuzumab (P + EC-TH) regimen as neoadjuvant therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer and to investigate the predictive value of p53, p63, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status for neoadjuvant efficacy.

METHODS

A total of 138 HER2-positive breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant therapy and underwent surgery were included. Case group: 55 patients received P + EC-TH regimen.

CONTROL GROUP

83 patients received EC-TH regimen. The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis were applied. The primary endpoint was total pathologic complete response (tpCR), and the secondary endpoints were breast pathologic complete response (bpCR), overall response rate (ORR), and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

In the case group, the tpCR rate was 63.64% (35/55), the bpCR rate was 69.09% (38/55), and the ORR was 100.00% (55/55). In the control group, the tpCR rate was 39.76% (33/83), the bpCR rate was 44.58% (37/83), and the ORR was 95.18% (79/83). The case group had significantly higher tpCR and bpCR rates than those of the control group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in ORR (P > 0.05). The tpCR was associated with the status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and androgen receptor (AR), and the patients with any negative ER, PR, AR, or combined, were more likely to achieve tpCR than those with positive results (P < 0.05). The p53-positive patients were more likely to achieve tpCR and bpCR than p53-negative patients (P < 0.05). The incidence of hypokalemia and diarrhea in the case group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The AEs developed were all manageable, and no treatment-related death occurred.

CONCLUSION

The efficacy and safety of the P + EC-TH regimen were verified by this study. The HER2-positive breast cancer patients treated with the EC-TH neoadjuvant regimen were more likely to achieve tpCR or bpCR if pyrotinib was administered simultaneously.

Pyrotinib plus docetaxel as first-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: the PANDORA phase II trial

The role of pyrotinib in the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has been well-established. This multicenter, single-arm phase II trial (NCT03876587) aimed to assess the benefit of pyrotinib plus docetaxel as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive MBC. Women with HER2-positive MBC who had not undergone HER2 blockade or chemotherapy for metastatic disease were enrolled in the study and received daily oral pyrotinib 400 mg plus intravenous docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DoR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), overall survival (OS) and safety. From June 2019 to June 2021, 79 patients were enrolled. The confirmed ORR was 79.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70.8-88.6), and the CBR was 87.3% (95%CI, 80.0-94.6) in the intention-to-treat population. The pre-specified primary endpoint was met. The median DoR was 15.9 months (interquartile range, 8.3-19.5); the median PFS was 16.0 months (95% CI, 11.2-20.8), and the median OS was not reached. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events observed were leukopenia (29.1%), neutropenia (27.8%), and diarrhea (21.5%). This study demonstrates that pyrotinib plus docetaxel show an acceptable safety profile and promising antitumor activity as a first-line treatment option for patients with HER2-positive MBC.

Comparing pyrotinib with trastuzumab and pertuzumab with trastuzumab for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: a retrospective, multicenter analysis

Objective

Pyrotinib and pertuzumab are effective treatment options for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2+ MBC). Our study was to directly compare the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib plus trastuzumab (PyroH) and pertuzumab plus trastuzumab (HP) in patients with HER2+ MBC.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective examination of HER2+ MBC patients who received PyroH plus chemotherapy or HP plus chemotherapy between 2017 and 2022 at five institutions in China. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

This study involved 333 patients, among which 161 received PyroH and 172 received HP. The utilization of PyroH as a first-line therapy for MBC was more prevalent among older patients, those with a shorter duration of disease-free interval, or those who had previously been treated with trastuzumab. Although in the first-line advanced treatment HP cohort showed numerically longer PFS (median PFS: 14.46 vs. 22.90 months, p=0.057), in the second-line or later treatments, there was no significant difference in PFS between the PyroH and HP groups (median PFS: 8.67 vs. 7.92 months, p=0.286). Despite HP showing a longer PFS in the overall cohort (median PFS: 9.30 vs. 13.01 months, p=0.005), it did not serve as an independent predictor of PFS in the multivariate analysis (HR 1.134, 95% CI 0.710-1.811, p=0.598). Without taxane, PyroH demonstrated a longer PFS than HP (median PFS: 10.12 vs. 8.15 months, p=0.017). PyroH group displayed a numerically longer median PFS in patients with brain metastases compared to the HP group, though not statistically significant (median PFS: 9.03 vs. 8.15 months, p=0.976). PyroH had higher incidence of grade 3/4 diarrhea (34.3% vs. 3.0%) but similar overall adverse events.

Conclusion

In conclusion, PyroH is comparable in second-line or later treatment and during brain metastasis, even having superior efficacy without taxane in real-world setting. Toxicities were tolerable in both groups. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05572645).

Management of Brain Metastases: A Review of Novel Therapies

Brain metastases (BMs) represent the most common intracranial tumors in adults, and most commonly originate from lung, followed by breast, melanoma, kidney, and colorectal cancer. Management of BM is individualized based on the size and number of brain metastases, the extent of extracranial disease, the primary tumor subtype, neurological symptoms, and prior lines of therapy. Until recently, treatment strategies were limited to local therapies, like surgical resection and radiotherapy, the latter in the form of whole-brain radiotherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery. The next generation of local strategies includes laser interstitial thermal therapy, magnetic hyperthermic therapy, post-resection brachytherapy, and focused ultrasound. New targeted therapies and immunotherapies with documented intracranial activity have transformed clinical outcomes. Novel systemic therapies with intracranial utility include new anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors like brigatinib and ensartinib; selective "rearranged during transfection" inhibitors like selpercatinib and pralsetinib; B-raf proto-oncogene inhibitors like encorafenib and vemurafenib; Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene inhibitors like sotorasib and adagrasib; ROS1 gene rearrangement (ROS1) inhibitors, anti-neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase agents like larotrectinib and entrectinib; anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/epidermal growth factor receptor exon 20 agent like poziotinib; and antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab-emtansine and trastuzumab-deruxtecan. This review highlights the modern multidisciplinary management of BM, emphasizing the integration of systemic and local therapies.

Analysis of clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of breast cancer brain metastasis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) has become the most common malignancy in women. The incidence and detection rates of BC brain metastasis (BCBM) have increased with the progress of imaging, multidisciplinary treatment techniques and the extension of survival time of BC patients. BM seriously affects the quality of life and sur-vival prognosis of BC patients. Therefore, clinical research on the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of BCBM is valuable. By analyzing the clinicopathological parameters of BCBM patients, and assessing the risk factors and prognostic indicators, we can perform hierarchical diagnosis and treatment on the high-risk population of BCBM, and achieve clinical benefits of early diagnosis and treatment.

AIM

To explore the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of BCBM, and provide references for diagnosis, treatment and management of BCBM.

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 68 BCBM patients admitted to the Air Force Medical Center, Chinese People's Liberation Army (formerly Air Force General Hospital) from 2000 to 2022 were collected. Another 136 BC patients without BM were matched at a ratio of 1:2 based on the age and site of onset for retrospective analysis. Categorical data were subjected to χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability test, and the variables with P < 0.05 in the univariate Cox proportional hazards model were incorporated into the multivariate model to identify high-risk factors and independent prognostic factors of BCBM, with a hazard ratio (HR) > 1 suggesting poor prognostic factors. The survival time of patients was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and overall survival was compared between groups by log-rank test.

RESULTS

Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with stage III/IV tumor at initial diagnosis [HR: 5.58, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.99-15.68], lung metastasis (HR: 24.18, 95%CI: 6.40-91.43), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing BC and triple-negative BC were more prone to BM. As can be seen from the prognostic data, 52 of the 68 BCBM patients had died by the end of follow-up, and the median time from diagnosis of BC to the occurrence of BM and from the occurrence of BM to death or last follow-up was 33.5 and 14 mo, respectively. It was confirmed by multivariate Cox regression analysis that patients with neurological symptoms (HR: 1.923, 95%CI: 1.005-3.680), with bone metastasis (HR: 2.011, 95%CI: 1.056-3.831), and BM of HER2-overexpressing and triple-negative BC had shorter survival time.

CONCLUSION

HER2-overexpressing, triple-negative BC, late tumor stage and lung metastasis are risk factors of BM. The presence of neurological symptoms, bone metastasis, and molecular type are influencing prognosis factors of BCBM.

Efficacy and Safety of Radiotherapy Combined with Pyrotinib in the Treatment of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer with Brain Metastases

Purpose

To explore the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib combined with different radiotherapy modes in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) patients with brain metastasis (BM).

Patients and Methods

This study is a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with BM who underwent treatment with pyrotinib between November 2018 and April 2023. A total of 66 patients were administered radiotherapy in conjunction with pyrotinib (Group A), while 26 patients received pyrotinib as a standalone treatment (Group B). Within Group A, 18 patients underwent conventional fractionated radiotherapy (2Gy/F), while 48 patients received hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) (≥3Gy/F). The primary endpoints were intracranial progression-free survival (IC-PFS) and overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR).

Results

The ORR of Group A was 54.5% (36/66), while the ORR of Group B was 34.6% (9/26) (P= 0.047). The CBR of Group A was 89.4% (59/66) and that of Group B was 69.2% (18/26) (P= 0.041). The IC-PFS between Group A and Group B were 12 months and 8 months, respectively (P< 0.001), and the OS were 20 months and 16 months, respectively (P= 0.065). In Group A, the IC-PFS and OS between the conventional fractionation radiotherapy group and the HFRT group were 10 months and 12 months, respectively (P= 0.001) and 16 months and 24 months, respectively (P< 0.001). No serious adverse reactions were observed in Group A and Group B.

Conclusion

For HER2-positive BC patients with BM, it is recommended to adopt the treatment mode of HFRT combined with pyrotinib, which can improve the local control and survival of patients.

Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes of pyrotinib-based therapy in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (PRETTY): A nationwide, prospective, observational study

Pyrotinib, an irreversible pan-ErbB inhibitor, has been approved for treating HER2-positive advanced breast cancer in China. We conducted a nationwide, prospective observational study to examine the real-world data of pyrotinib-based therapy in this population. Patients from 61 sites across China were included. Pyrotinib-based regimens were prescribed at local physician's discretion. Demographics, treatment patterns, prognosis and safety were evaluated. The primary outcome was real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS). Of 1129 patients, pyrotinib-based therapy was prescribed as first-, second- and third- or later-line treatment in 437 (38.7%), 476 (42.2%) and 216 (19.1%) patients, respectively. Median rwPFS (mrwPFS) was 14.3 (95% CI, 13.3-15.2) months in the total population, with the longest mrwPFS of 17.8 (95% CI, 15.2-24.9) months in the first-line setting, followed by 14.4 (95% CI, 12.9-15.3) months in the second-line setting. Patients with third- or later-line treatment also achieved a mrwPFS of 9.3 (95% CI, 8.4-11.8) months. Patients with trastuzumab- or trastuzumab-pertuzumab-treated disease achieved a mrwPFS of 14.3 and 13.6 months, respectively. Dual HER2 blockade with pyrotinib plus trastuzumab showed a mrwPFS of 16.2 months in the total population, with data not mature in the first-line setting. For patients with baseline brain metastases, the mrwPFS was 11.7 months. The most common adverse event was diarrhea (any grade, 73.5%; grade ≥ 3, 15.3%). In real world, pyrotinib-based therapy shows promising effectiveness in the first-, as well as second- and later-line treatment, with acceptable tolerability. Further investigations regarding front-line use or novel combinations of pyrotinib might facilitate to maximize its anti-tumor potential.

The History and Development of HER2 Inhibitors

HER2 is highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors and affects the prognosis of patients, making it a highly sensitive target for cancer therapy. Since the approval of the first HER2 inhibitor, trastuzumab, in 1998, HER2-targeted drugs have rapidly evolved. Currently, targeting HER2 drugs mainly include monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). This article reviews the development of HER2 inhibitors for various tumors over the past 20 years.

Dalpiciclib and pyrotinib in women with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a single-arm phase II trial

CDK4/6 inhibitors have shown a synergistic effect with anti-HER2 therapy in hormone receptor (HR)-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). In this phase 2 study (NCT04293276), we aim to evaluate a dual-oral regimen of CDK4/6 inhibitor dalpiciclib combined with HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor pyrotinib as front-line treatment in women with HER2-positive advanced BC (n = 41) including those with HR-negative disease. The primary endpoint is the objective response rate, and secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. With a median follow-up of 25.9 months, 70% (28/40) of assessable patients have a confirmed objective response, meeting the primary endpoint. The median PFS is 11.0 months (95% CI = 7.3-19.3), and OS data are not mature. The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events (AEs) are decreased white blood cell count (68.3%), decreased neutrophil count (65.9%), and diarrhea (22.0%). Most AEs are manageable, and no treatment-related deaths occur. These findings suggest that this combination may have promising activity and manageable toxicity. Further investigation is needed.

Pyrotinib-based therapeutic approaches for HER2-positive breast cancer: the time is now

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) is a highly aggressive subtype associated with poor prognosis. The advent of HER2-targeted drugs, including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and antibody-drug conjugates, has yielded improved prognosis for patients. Compared with widely used monoclonal antibodies, small-molecule TKIs have unique advantages including oral administration and favorable penetration of blood-brain barrier for brain metastatic BC, and reduced cardiotoxicity. Pyrotinib is an irreversible TKI of the pan-ErbB receptor, and has recently been shown to be clinically effective for the treatment of HER2-positive BC in metastatic and neoadjuvant settings. This review highlights the development on the application of pyrotinib-based therapeutic approaches in the clinical settings of HER2-positive BC.

Appraisal of Systemic Treatment Strategies in Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer-A Literature Review

BACKGROUND

The overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer phenotypes. Even after the completion of the standard combination of chemotherapy and trastuzumab, relapse events occur in approximately 15% of cases. The neoadjuvant approach has multiple benefits that include the potential to downgrade staging and convert previously unresectable tumors to operable tumors. In addition, achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) following preoperative systemic treatment is prognostic of enhanced survival outcomes. Thus, optimal evaluation among the suitable strategies is crucial in deciding which patients should be selected for the neoadjuvant approach.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted in the Embase, Medline, and Cochrane electronic libraries.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of tumor and LN staging and, hence, stratifying BC recurrence risk are decisive factors in guiding clinicians to optimize treatment decisions between the neoadjuvant versus adjuvant approaches. For each individual case, it is important to consider the most likely postsurgical outcome, since, if the patient does not obtain pCR following neoadjuvant treatment, they are eligible for adjuvant T-DM1 in the case of residual disease. This review of HER2-positive female BC outlines suitable neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic treatment strategies for guiding clinical decision making around the selection of an appropriate therapy.

Pyrotinib plus capecitabine for trastuzumab-resistant, HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (PICTURE): a single-arm, multicenter phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer and primary resistance to trastuzumab have a poor clinical outcome and lack good evidence to inform clinical decision. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib plus capecitabine in this population.

METHODS

This phase 2 trial was conducted at 16 sites in China. Patients received oral pyrotinib 400 mg once daily and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice a day on days 1-14 of each 21-day cycle until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Between June 2019 and September 2021, 100 patients were enrolled with a median age of 51 years (range, 24-69). All patients had been treated with trastuzumab and 21 (21.0%) patients had prior use of pertuzumab. As of August 31, 2022, the median follow-up duration was 20.1 months (range, 1.3-38.2). The median PFS was 11.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.4-15.1), which crossed the pre-specified efficacy boundary of 8.0 months. The objective response rate was 70.0% (70/100), with a median duration of response of 13.8 months (95% CI, 10.2-19.3). The disease control rate was 87.0% (87/100). The median overall survival was not reached. The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse event was diarrhea (24 [24.0%]). No treatment-related deaths occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Pyrotinib plus capecitabine can be considered to be a treatment option in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer patients who have shown primary resistance to trastuzumab. Even in the era of modern anti-HER2 treatments, this clinical setting warrants more investigations to meet unmet needs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04001621. Retrospectively registered on June 28, 2019.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Small tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) show activity against breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive subtype. This meta-analysis aimed to objectively explore the efficacy and safety of TKIs.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched for relevant clinical trials. We conducted a pairwise meta-analysis, pooled analysis, and estimated summary survival curves to compare survival outcomes following TKIs therapy for BCBM patients using Stata version 16.0 or R x64 4.0.5.

RESULTS

Thirteen clinical trials involving 987 HER2-positive BCBM patients were analyzed. A trend of longer progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in the TKI-containing arm compared to the non-TKI-containing arm (hazard ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35-1.15, p = 0.132), although the difference is not statistically significant. Summary survival curves reported the summary median PFS and overall survival were 7.9 months and 12.3 months. Subgroup analysis revealed that TKIs combined with capecitabine (TKI + Cap) regimens resulted in improved survival outcomes. Tucatinib may be more effective in BCBM patients. The main grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) were diarrhea (22%, 95% CI: 14%-32%), neutropenia (11%, 95% CI: 5%-18%), hepatic toxicity (7%, 95% CI: 1%-16%), and sensory neuropathy (6%, 95% CI: 2%-12%).

CONCLUSION

TKIs therapy improved the survival outcomes of HER2-positive BCBM patients, especially when combined with capecitabine and tolerable AEs. We also identified the clinical value of tucatinib, which appears to be the most favorable TKI drug for BCBM patients.

Molecular signaling network and therapeutic developments in breast cancer brain metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women worldwide. It has surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death. Breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is becoming a major clinical concern that is commonly associated with ER-ve and HER2+ve subtypes of BC patients. Metastatic lesions in the brain originate when the cancer cells detach from a primary breast tumor and establish metastatic lesions and infiltrate near and distant organs via systemic blood circulation by traversing the BBB. The colonization of BC cells in the brain involves a complex interplay in the tumor microenvironment (TME), metastatic cells, and brain cells like endothelial cells, microglia, and astrocytes. BCBM is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and presents a challenge to developing successful cancer therapy. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanism of BCBM and novel therapeutic strategies for patients with brain metastatic BC.

​Efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in combination with albumin‑bound paclitaxel for the treatment of HER2‑positive advanced breast cancer: A real‑world study

The present study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC). A total of 48 patients diagnosed with HER2-positive ABC were included in the present study, and these patients were prescribed a combination of pyrotinib and albumin-bound paclitaxel in routine clinical practice. During a 21-day cycle, the standard dosage of pyrotinib was 400 mg single dose/day, which was administered orally, and 130 mg/m²/day albumin-bound paclitaxel on days 1, 8 and 15, which was administered by intravenous drip. The primary efficacy endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and the secondary efficacy endpoint was overall response rate (ORR), which was defined as the percentage of patients with complete remission or partial remission. Safety indicators were also observed in the present study. The results of the present study demonstrated that the median PFS (mPFS) was 8.1 months for all patients, ranging from 3.3-10.6 months. Patients receiving pyrotinib as second-line therapy exhibited a longer mPFS of 8.5 months compared with those receiving it as third- or higher-line therapy (mPFS, 5.9 months). In 17 patients with brain metastases, mPFS was 7.3 months, ranging from 4.8-10.1 months. The results of the present study also demonstrated that the ORR for the 48 patients was 33.3%. Notably, diarrhea was the most common grade 3-4 adverse event, occurring in 22.9% of patients, followed by neutropenia (6.3%), leukopenia (4.2%) and anemia (4.2%). Collectively, the results of the present study indicated that pyrotinib-based treatment is effective for patients with HER2⁺ ABC, including those who have previously been treated with trastuzumab. Thus, the combination of pyrotinib with albumin-bound paclitaxel is recommended due to high levels of efficacy, convenience and tolerability.

Favorable prognosis of breast cancer brain metastases patients with limited intracranial and extracranial metastatic lesions

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) are highly heterogenous with widely differing survival. The prognosis of the oligometastatic breast cancer (BC) patients with brain metastases (BM) has not been well studied. We aimed to investigate the prognosis of BCBM patients with limited intracranial and extracranial metastatic lesions.

METHODS

Four hundred and forty-five BCBM patients treated between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2018 at our institute were included. Clinical characteristics and treatment information were obtained from patient's medical records. The updated breast Graded Prognostic Assessment (Breast GPA) was calculated.

RESULTS

The median OS after diagnosis of BM were 15.9 months. Median OS for patients with GPA 0-1.0, 1.5-2, 2.5-3 and 3.5-4 were 6.9, 14.2, 21.8, 42.6 months respectively. The total number of intracranial and extracranial metastatic lesions, in addition to the Breast GPA, salvage local therapy and systemic therapy (anti-HER2 therapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy) were demonstrated to be associated with prognosis. One hundred and thirteen patients (25.4%) had 1-5 total metastatic lesions at BM diagnosis. Patients with 1-5 total metastatic lesions had a significantly longer median OS of 24.3 months compared to those with greater than 5 total metastatic lesions with a median OS of 12.2 months (P < 0.001; multivariate HR 0.55, 95% CI, 0.43-0.72). Among the patients with 1-5 metastatic lesions, median OS for GPA 0-1.0 was 9.8 months, compared to 22.8, 28.8 and 71.0 for GPA 1.5-2.0, 2.5-3.0 and 3.5-4.0 respectively, which is much longer than the corresponding patients with greater than 5 total metastatic lesions, with medium OS of 6.8, 11.6, 18.6 and 42.6 months respectively for GPA 0-1.0, 1.5-2.0, 2.5-3.0 and 3.5-4.0.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with 1-5 total metastatic lesions demonstrated better OS. The prognostic value of the Breast GPA and the survival benefit of salvage local therapy and continuation of systemic therapy after BM were confirmed.

Real-world data of pyrotinib-based therapy for patients with brain metastases of HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a single-center retrospective analysis and molecular portraits

Introduction

Pyrotinib is a novel irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, real-world data of pyrotinib-containing therapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and developing brain metastases (BMs) are limited, and the genomic profile of this subpopulation is almost undefined.

Methods and materials

Patients with BM of HER2-positive MBC (n = 35) treated with pyrotinib-containing therapy were enrolled in this analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity profiles were evaluated. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for disease progression were estimated using the Cox proportional hazards models. Targeted next-generation sequencing of 618 cancer-relevant genes was performed on plasma and primary breast tumors from patients with BM and without BM.

Results

The median PFS time was 8.00 (95% CI, 5.98-10.017) months, and the median OS time was 23 (95% CI, 10.412-35.588) months. The ORR was 45.7%, and the DCR was 74.3%. In the Cox multivariate analysis, prior exposure to brain radiotherapy (HR = 3.268), received pyrotinib as third- or higher-line treatment (HR = 4.949), subtentorial brain metastasis (HR = 6.222), and both supratentorial and subtentorial brain metastases (HR = 5.863) were independently associated with increased risk of progression. The frequent grade 3-4 adverse event was increased direct bilirubin (14.3%), and two patients suffered from grade 3-4 diarrhea. In the exploratory genomic analysis, altered frequencies of FGFR3, CD276, CDC73, and EPHX1 were higher in the BM group. The consistency of mutated profiles of plasma and primary lesion in the BM group was significantly lower (30.4% vs. 65.5%; p = 0.0038).

Conclusions

Pyrotinib-containing therapy shows favorable effectiveness and tolerable safety in patients with BM of HER2-positive MBC, particularly in a population that is brain radiotherapy-naïve, received pyrotinib as first- or second-line treatment, and developed supratentorial brain metastasis. In the exploratory genomic analysis, patients with BM showed distinct genomic features from patients without BM.

Research trends and prospects on brain metastasis from breast cancer: A bibliometric analysis

Introduction

Brain metastasis is the terminal event of breast cancer with poor prognoses. Therefore, this article aimed to provide an updated summary on the development, hotspots, and research trends of brain metastasis from breast cancer based on bibliometric analysis.

Method

Publications on breast cancer with brain metastasis retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and other online bibliometric analysis platforms were used to analyze and visualize the result.

Result

In totality, 693 researchers from 3,623 institutions across 74 counties and regions published a total of 2,790 papers in 607 journals. There was a noticeable increase in publications in 2006. The United States was the dominant country with the most publications followed by China. University Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was the most productive institution, while Dana Farber Cancer Institution was the most cited. Journal of Neuro-Oncology published the most papers, while Journal of Clinical Oncology ranked first based on cocited analysis. Nancy U. Lin was the most productive and cited author with high influence. There was a focus on basic research, clinical trials, local therapy, treatment optimization, and epidemiological studies regarding brain metastases from breast cancer. References focused on pathogenesis, prevention, treatment, and prognosis were cited most frequently, among which the clinical trial of novel treatment attracted most attention from researchers. Reference citation burst detection suggested that new therapies such as the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor and antibody–drug conjugate may lead the research trends in the future.

Conclusion

High-income countries contributed more to the field of breast cancer with brain metastasis, while developing countries like China developed quickly. Furthermore, the success of novel therapies in recent years may lead to the new era of treatment of breast cancer with brain metastasis in the future.

Molecular landscape and emerging therapeutic strategies in breast cancer brain metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Advanced BC with brain metastasis (BM) is a major cause of mortality with no specific or effective treatment. Therefore, better knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies and improving clinical outcomes. In this review, we focused on the latest advances and discuss the contribution of the molecular subtype of BC, the brain microenvironment, exosomes, miRNAs/lncRNAs, and genetic background in BCBM. The blood–brain barrier and blood–tumor barrier create challenges to brain drug delivery, and we specifically review novel approaches to bypass these barriers. Furthermore, we discuss the potential application of immunotherapies and genetic editing techniques based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology in treating BCBM. Emerging techniques and research findings continuously shape our views of BCBM and contribute to improvements in precision therapies and clinical outcomes.

Epidemiology, clinical outcomes, and unmet needs of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing need for developing effective therapies for managing intracranial disease in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2 +) metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases (BM), as this population is growing and has historically been excluded from large clinical trials. In this systematic literature review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, unmet needs, and global treatment landscape for patients with HER2 + metastatic breast cancer and BM, with a particular focus on heterogeneity across clinical trial designs in this setting.

METHODS

We conducted literature searches of PubMed and select congress websites up to March 2022 and filtered for publications with a significant focus on epidemiology, unmet needs, or treatment outcomes in patients with HER2 + metastatic breast cancer and BM.

RESULTS

Key clinical trials of HER2-targeting treatments for HER2 + metastatic breast cancer had varying eligibility criteria relating to BM, with only two trials-HER2CLIMB and DEBBRAH-including patients with both active and stable BM. We also observed variance across assessed central nervous system (CNS)-focused endpoints (CNS objective response rate vs CNS progression-free survival vs time to CNS progression) and robustness of statistical analysis (prespecified vs exploratory).

CONCLUSIONS

There is an unmet need for standardization of clinical trial design for patients with HER2 + metastatic breast cancer and BM, to aid the interpretation of the global treatment landscape and ensure patients with all types of BM can access effective treatments.

Current Situation of Diagnosis and Treatment of HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients in China: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey of Doctors

BACKGROUND

The Advanced Breast Cancer Alliance conducted a nationwide investigation to understand the current situation of the diagnosis and treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

METHODS

In 2019, electronic questionnaires including basic information about respondents, characteristics of patients, and the present status of diagnosis and treatment were sent to 495 doctors from 203 medical centers covering 28 provinces.

RESULTS

The factors that influenced treatment plans included the disease process, the performance status, and the economic status of patients. Regimens and response to neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy were important factors in the decision of the first-line treatment. Overall, 54% of doctors retained trastuzumab and replaced chemotherapy drugs in second-line treatment regimens for patients with progression-free survival (PFS) ≥ 6 months in the first-line setting, while 52% of participants chose pyrotinib plus capecitabine for patients with PFS < 6 months. Economic factors played an important role in doctors' decision-making and the varying treatment options for respondents in first-tier, second-tier, and other cities.

CONCLUSIONS

This large-scale survey regarding the diagnosis and treatment of HER2-positive MBC patients revealed that clinical decisions made by Chinese doctors followed the guidelines, but their choices were constrained by economic factors.

HER2-Directed Therapy in Advanced Breast Cancer: Benefits and Risks

Around 20% of breast cancers are associated with amplification or overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). In this setting, anti-HER2-targeted agents are the cornerstone of cancer therapeutic strategies. This includes monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and, recently, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). With the advent of these new alternatives, the decision-making process has become more complex, especially with regard to the treatment sequence possibilities. In spite of the fact that overall survival has significantly improved accordingly, resistance to treatment remains a challenge in HER2-positive breast cancer. The introduction of new agents has created awareness regarding new potential specific adverse events, and consequently, their increasing application pose major challenges in daily patient care. This review describes the therapeutic landscape for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) and evaluates its benefits and risks in the clinical setting.

Trastuzumab emtansine vs lapatinib and capecitabine in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer brain metastases: A real-world study

BACKGROUND

Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) has demonstrated improvements in survival and neurological symptoms in patients with breast cancer with brain metastases (BCBM). This real-world study investigated the effectiveness of T-DM1 versus lapatinib plus capecitabine (LC) in patients with BCBM.

METHODS

This retrospective, observational study evaluated patients with HER2-positive BCBM using a real-world database. Eligible patients had initiated T-DM1 or LC with a prior diagnosis of brain metastasis and ≥1 prior metastatic breast cancer treatment. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); secondary endpoints were time to next relevant treatment or death (TTNT) and real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS). An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approach was used to account for differences in potential baseline characteristics between treatment groups. Outcomes were described using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the average treatment effect of initiating T-DM1 versus LC was estimated using weighted Cox proportional hazard models and hazard ratio (HR).

RESULTS

A total of 214 patients were available for analysis (T-DM1, n = 161; LC, n = 53). Demographics and baseline characteristics were generally well-balanced between treatment groups after weighting. After weighting, median OS was 17.7 (T-DM1) versus 9.6 (LC) months (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.34-0.89]; P=0.013). Median TTNT was 9.0 (T-DM1) versus 6.0 (LC) months (HR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.36-0.85]; P = 0.005). After weighting, median rwPFS was 6.0 (T-DM1) versus 4.0 (LC) months (HR, 0.50 [95% CI, 0.36-0.69]; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the superior effectiveness and clinical relevance of T-DM1 versus LC in patients with HER2-positive BCBM in the real world.

Systemic treatments for breast cancer brain metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in females and BC brain metastasis (BCBM) is considered as the second most frequent brain metastasis. Although the advanced treatment has significantly prolonged the survival in BC patients, the prognosis of BCBM is still poor. The management of BCBM remains challenging. Systemic treatments are important to maintain control of central nervous system disease and improve patients' survival. BCBM medical treatment is a rapidly advancing area of research. With the emergence of new targeted drugs, more options are provided for the treatment of BM. This review features currently available BCBM treatment strategies and outlines novel drugs and ongoing clinical trials that may be available in the future. These treatment strategies are discovered to be more efficacious and potent, and present a paradigm shift in the management of BCBMs.

Treatment options for patients with human epidermal growth factor 2-positive breast cancer brain metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

Many systemic treatment options are available for patients with human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer brain metastases. However, it is unclear which pharmacological treatment option is the most beneficial.

Methods

We searched databases, such as PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and conference abstracts according to keywords. We extracted progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) data, and overall response rate (ORR) from randomized controlled trials and single-arm studies of HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis treatment for meta-analysis and analyzed different drug-related adverse events (AEs).

Results

Three randomized controlled trials and seven single-arm clinical studies with 731 patients with HER2-positive brain metastases from breast cancer involving at least seven drugs were included. In randomized controlled trials, our results showed that trastuzumab deruxtecan significantly improved PFS and OS in patients and was superior to other drug regimens. In the single-arm study, the ORR was more pronounced for the trastuzumab deruxtecan and pyrotinib plus capecitabine regimens (ORR, 73.33%; 95% confidence intervals [CI], 44.90%-92.21%; ORR, 74.58%; 95% CI, 61.56%-85.02%, respectively). We found that the main AEs of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) were nausea and fatigue, while the main AE of small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs and large monoclonal antibodies was diarrhea.

Conclusions

Trastuzumab deruxtecan was shown to be the most significant in improving survival in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases in network meta-analysis, and in single-arm study, patients with HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan and pyrotinib plus capecitabine regimen had the highest ORR. The main AEs associated with ADC, large monoclonal antibodies, and TKI drugs were nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea, respectively.

The role of irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of HER2-Positive metastatic breast cancer

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women. For patients with HER2-positive MBC, after the failure of multiple lines of treatment, there is no optimal line of therapy. A series of clinical trials confirmed that treatment with irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in combination with chemotherapy significantly improves patients' survival outcomes. This review focuses on the pathogenesis of HER2-positive breast cancer, current standard treatments, mechanisms of approved irreversible TKIs, and key clinical trials. The available findings suggest that irreversible pan-HER TKIs, such as pyrotinib and neratinib, in combination with chemotherapy, represent a beneficial salvage therapy for patients with HER2-positive MBC with manageable toxicity. However, further studies are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy.

Pyrotinib combining with radiotherapy on breast cancer with brain metastasis

With the extensive application of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) targeted therapy, the prognosis of HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) has been improved greatly. Due to the lack of prospective randomized controlled studies; however, the treatment of active brain metastasis (BM) remains a difficulty in clinic. Based upon the retrospective studies, an effective approach of radiotherapy combined with pyrotinib in HER2-positive BCBM treatment was investigated in present research. In all, 29 patients who had active BM in HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) and underwent whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) combined with pyrotinib from January 2019 to May 2021 were enrolled. The progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), objective response rate (ORR), and drug-related adverse events (AEs) were analyzed among patients undergoing WBRT combined with concurrent or sequence pyrotinib + capecitabine. After the systematic treatments using WBRT combined with pyrotinib + capecitabine, the mPFS and mOS of BM patients were 6.5 months and 15.5 months, respectively. PFS (7.2 vs 6.2 months, p = 0.038) and OS (19.0 vs 14.0 months, p = 0.014) were longer after sequence treatments than those after concurrent treatment. The central nervous system (CNS) ORR of sequence treatment was superior to that of concurrent treatment (80.4% vs 58.6%, p < 0.05). Vomiting (17.2%) and diarrhea (10.3%) were the most common adverse reactions ⩾ grade 3. WBRT combined with pyrotinib is safe and effective for the treatments of active BM in HER2-positive BC. WBRT combined with sequence pyrotinib + capecitabine is more effective and less toxic than concurrent treatment. Therefore, sequence treatment is potentially a preferred regimen for patients with active BM in HER2-positive BC. The size and number of BM lesions, presence or absence of hepatic metastasis, and combination mode of radiotherapy and targeted therapy are independent risk factors for active BM prognosis.

Breast cancer brain metastasis: Current evidence and future directions

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths after lung cancer. Metastasis of the central nervous system is a terrible event for breast cancer patients, affecting their survival and quality of life. Compared with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer patients, brain metastases are more likely to affect patients with triple-negative breast cancer and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer. The treatment of breast cancer has improved greatly in the last two decades. However, brain metastases from breast cancer remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with breast cancer brain metastasis have been in an inferior position due to the lack of clinical research in this field, and they are often explicitly excluded from almost all clinical trials. The occurrence and progression of brain metastases will result in severe cognitive impairment and adverse physical consequences, so we must have a good understanding of the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer brain metastasis. In this article, we have retrieved the latest literature of molecules and pathways associated with breast cancer brain metastasis, summarized common therapy strategies, and discussed the prospects and clinical implications of targeting the molecules involved.

Real-World Outcome and Prognostic Factors Among HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Pyrotinib-Based Therapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

Purpose

To explore the efficacy, safety, and potential factors influencing efficacy and outcome of pyrotinib-based therapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in complex clinical practice.

Methods

Real-world data for HER2-positive MBC patients treated with pyrotinib-based regimens from 6 hospitals in Northern Anhui, China, from September 2018 to February 2022, were retrospectively collected, and clinicopathological features, efficacy, prognosis, and safety were analyzed. Potential influencing factors including baseline serum vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) for evaluating pyrotinib's treatment response and outcome were also explored.

Results

A total of 169 patients with HER2-positive MBC were enrolled. The objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and median progression-free survival (mPFS) of the overall cohort were 65.1%, 87.6%, and 12.4 months, respectively. Pyrotinib is highly beneficial as different treatment lines and appears to be a feasible strategy both in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs and alone. The mPFS values were 16.5 months, 12.4 months, and 9.3 months in the first, second, and third-or-higher lines of anti-HER2 therapy, respectively (P=0.027). The most common adverse event (AE) was diarrhea (88.2%), and patients with < grade 3 diarrhea achieved a longer mPFS than patients with ≥ grade 3 diarrhea (13.3 months vs 6.9 months, P=0.007). Among the patients with available baseline VEGF-A data, the ORR was 43.5% in patients with a high level of VEGF-A, compared to 81.5% in patients with a low level of VEGF-A (P=0.005). Moreover, patients in the VEGF-A-high group exhibited a shorter mPFS time than those in the VEGF-A-low group (7.8 months vs 19.1 months, P=0.004). Further analysis demonstrated AE of diarrhea and VEGF-A at baseline to be independent prognostic factors for PFS.

Conclusion

Pyrotinib-based regimens showed promising efficacy, with manageable tolerance, and AE occurrence of severe diarrhea and baseline level of serum VEGF-A are helpful in predicting the treatment outcome of pyrotinib in HER2-positive MBC.

Pyrotinib for Elderly Patients with Advanced HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Introduction

According to the latest global cancer data released by WHO in 2020, the incidence of breast cancer (BC) has been the most prevalent, and the mortality rate of female malignant tumor ranks the first.

Methods

To evaluate toxicity and efficacy regarding oral Pyrotinib for elderly patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) in Xinjiang, 45 elderly patients having advanced HER2-positive BC with age ≥65 years and receiving Pyrotinib-based combined therapy from January 2019 to May 2021 in Xinjiang were enrolled in this study. PFS, CBR, ORR and drug-related adverse events (AE) of oral Pyrotinib in the patients were retrospectively analyzed. All 45 patients completed the efficacy evaluation.

Results

Total ORR and CBR of the whole group was 37.8% and 77.8%, respectively. There were 14 patients with brain metastases (31.1%), with a median PFS of 6.8 months (95% CI: 5.4~9.8). In terms of the number of treatment lines, mPFS for line 1-2 was 8.3 months (95% CI: 6.3~11.4), and mPFS for line ≥3 was 3.3 months (95% CI: 2.7~5.1). At the final maintenance dose, mPFS at standard doses of 400mg, 320mg and 240mg were 9.1 months (95% CI: 4.1~9.5), 8.3 months (95% CI: 4.3~12.2) and 4.8 months (95% CI: 2.1~7.5), respectively.

Discussion

Applying Pyrotinib in elderly patients, the main adverse reaction was diarrhea, accounting for 88.9% (40/45). Pyrotinib is safe and effective for elderly patients with advanced HER2 positive BC.

Pyrotinib-based treatments in HER2-positive breast cancer patients with brain metastases

OBJECTIVES

Extensive application of anti-HER2 targeted therapy improves significantly the HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (BC) prognosis, however, it is still difficult to treat brain metastasis. In current study, we explored effective approaches via combining pyrotinib to treat brain metastasis in patients with HER2-positive advanced BC based upon clinical data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Current study included 61 HER2-positive BC patients with brain metastases (BM) who were treated by pyrotinib-based regimens. The systemic regimens included pyrotinib combined with capecitabine, pyrotinib combined with nab-paclitaxel, and pyrotinib combined with vinorelbine. Patients' progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR) and objective response rate (ORR), as well as drug-related adverse events (AEs) in regard of each combination regimen were analyzed.

RESULTS

Pyrotinib-based systemic therapy resulted in 8.6 months median PFS (mPFS) and 18.0 months median OS (mOS) among the BM patients. Regarding different regimens, the combination of pyrotinib with nab-paclitaxel was superior to the combination with capecitabine and vinorelbine with respect to PFS and OS. The central nervous system (CNS) ORR did not showcase significant difference among 3 regimens, however, nab-paclitaxel combined regimen obtained the best peripheral ORR (84.6%) (p ≤ .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Pyrotinib-based combination therapy is safe for HER2-positive brain metastasis treatment. Compared with vinorelbine or capecitabine, pyrotinib combined with nab-paclitaxel is more effective with less toxicity, which is the preferable regimen for HER2-positive brain metastasis.KEY MESSAGESPresent investigation investigated effective methods through combining pyrotinib to treat brain metastasis with HER2-positive advanced brain cancer. The outcomes verified that pyrotinib-based combination therapy was safe and efficient to treat HER2-positive brain metastasis. Therefore, it is effective to treat brain metastasis applying anti-HER2 targeted therapies although pyrotinib showcases efficiency regarding its treatments for the metastasis.

Systemic Therapy for Patients with HER2-Positive Breast Cancer and Brain Metastases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIM

Patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) develop brain metastases (BM) in up to 30% of cases. Treatment of patients with BM can consist of local treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy) and/or systemic treatment. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of different systemic therapies in patients with HER2+ mBC and BM.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in the databases PubMed, Embase.com, Clarivate Analytics/Web of Science Core Collection and the Wiley/Cochrane Library. Eligible articles included prospective or retrospective studies reporting on the effect of systemic therapy on objective response rate (ORR) and/or median progression free survival (mPFS) in patients with HER2+ mBC and BM. The timeframe within the databases was from inception to 19 January 2022. Fixed-effects meta-analyses were used. Quality appraisal was performed using the ROBINS-I tool.

RESULTS

Fifty-one studies were included, involving 3118 patients. Most studies, which contained the largest patient numbers, but also often carried a moderate-serious risk of bias, investigated lapatinib and capecitabine (LC), trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) or pyrotinib. The best quality data and/or highest ORR were described with tucatinib (combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine, TTC) and trastuzumab-deruxtecan (T-DXd). TTC demonstrated an ORR of 47.3% in patients with asymptomatic and/or active BM. T-DXd achieved a pooled ORR of 64% (95% CI 43-85%, I² 0%) in a heavily pretreated population with asymptomatic BM (3 studies, n = 96).

CONCLUSIONS

Though our meta-analysis should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneity of included studies and a related serious risk of bias, this review provides a comprehensive overview of all currently available systemic treatment options. T-Dxd and TTC that appear to constitute the most effective systemic therapy in patients with HER2+ mBC and BM, while pyrotinib might be an option in Asian patients.

Advances in the Management of Central Nervous System Metastases from Breast Cancer

Central nervous system (CNS) metastases are common in breast cancer (BC) patients and are particularly relevant as new treatments for BC are prolonging survival. Here, we review advances in the treatment of CNS metastases from BC, including radiotherapy, systemic therapies, and the evolving role of immunotherapy. The use of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment for CNS metastases. However, new targeted therapies have recently been developed, including anti-HER2 agents and antibody-drug conjugates that have presented promising results for the treatment of these patients.

Update on the Management of Brain Metastasis

Brain metastases occur in almost one-third of adult patients with solid tumor malignancies and lead to considerable patient morbidity and mortality. The rising incidence of brain metastases has been ascribed to the development of better imaging and screening techniques and the formulation of better systemic therapies. Until recently, the multimodal management of brain metastases focused primarily on the utilization of neurosurgical techniques, with varying combinations of whole-brain radiation therapy and stereotactic radio-surgical procedures. Over the past 2 decades, in particular, the increment in knowledge pertaining to molecular genetics and the pathogenesis of brain metastases has led to significant developments in targeted therapies and immunotherapies. This review article highlights the recent updates in the management of brain metastases with an emphasis on novel systemic therapies.

Systemic Therapy Approaches for Breast Cancer Brain and Leptomeningeal Metastases

OPINION STATEMENT

Brain metastasis arising from breast cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. Various systemic chemotherapy and targeted therapies which are effective against breast cancer often fail to provide benefits against brain metastasis. This is mainly due to limited penetration of the therapies across the blood-brain barrier, and divergent evolution of brain metastasis compared to the primary tumor. Thus, brain metastasis is typically treated upfront with local therapies, such as surgery and radiation, followed by systemic therapies. Systemic therapies with CNS permeability are favored in patients with brain metastasis. This paper reviews various systemic therapy options for breast cancer brain metastasis.

Breast cancer: an up-to-date review and future perspectives

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. The occurrence of breast cancer is associated with many risk factors, including genetic and hereditary predisposition. Breast cancers are highly heterogeneous. Treatment strategies for breast cancer vary by molecular features, including activation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), hormonal receptors (estrogen receptor [ER] and progesterone receptor [PR]), gene mutations (e.g., mutations of breast cancer 1/2 [BRCA1/2] and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha [PIK3CA]) and markers of the immune microenvironment (e.g., tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte [TIL] and programmed death-ligand 1 [PD-L1]). Early-stage breast cancer is considered curable, for which local-regional therapies (surgery and radiotherapy) are the cornerstone, with systemic therapy given before or after surgery when necessary. Preoperative or neoadjuvant therapy, including targeted drugs or immune checkpoint inhibitors, has become the standard of care for most early-stage HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer, followed by risk-adapted post-surgical strategies. For ER-positive early breast cancer, endocrine therapy for 5-10 years is essential. Advanced breast cancer with distant metastases is currently considered incurable. Systemic therapies in this setting include endocrine therapy with targeted agents, such as CDK4/6 inhibitors and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors for hormone receptor-positive disease, anti-HER2 targeted therapy for HER2-positive disease, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and immunotherapy currently for part of triple-negative disease. Innovation technologies of precision medicine may guide individualized treatment escalation or de-escalation in the future. In this review, we summarized the latest scientific information and discussed the future perspectives on breast cancer.

Efficacy and Safety of Pyrotinib in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Real-World Study

Purpose

Pyrotinib, a novel human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), has led to remarkable survival outcomes in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) in clinical trials and was approved for second-line standards of treatment for HER2+ ABC in China. However, the clinical trials could not fully reflect reality of clinical practice, and predictive factors were still lacking. This study aimed to assess the actual efficacy and safety of pyrotinib in HER2+ ABC in real-world setting.

Patients and Methods

In this multicenter, retrospective, observational real-world study, we analyzed 171 patients with HER2+ ABC, who received pyrotinib-based treatment from November 2017 to November 2020. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR) and safety.

Results

Up to November 30, 2021, the median PFS (mPFS) was 12.0 months for all patients. One hundred and sixty-two patients (94.7%) with measurable lesions had been included in efficacy assessment. The ORR and CBR were 45.1% and 81.5%, respectively. A significantly longer PFS was reported in patients who received pyrotinib as first-line treatment, had the ECOG-PS of 0–1, as well as those who were lapatinib-naive. In addition, multivariable analysis indicated that ECOG-PS of 2–4, positive hormone receptor (HR) status, and presence of visceral metastasis were independent negative predictors of PFS. As far as we know, this study first reported the survival outcome of pyrotinib cross-line treatment, with a mPFS of 5.0 months. All grades of adverse events (AEs) occurred in 171 patients (100%), and the most common AE was diarrhea (86.5%).

Conclusion

This study further demonstrated the outstanding efficacy and safety of pyrotinib and reported the potential predictors of survival in HER2+ ABC.

Risk Factors of Brain Metastasis and Prognosis in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Single-Institution Retrospective Analysis from China

Background

Brain metastasis (BM) frequently occurs in HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) patients, but the risk factors of BM in this type of patients are still unknown. Our study aims to assess the risk factors of BM and prognostic analysis in HER2-positive BC patients.

Methods

Univariate analysis used t-test, chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test to find out the risk factors for BM, and multivariable analysis was done with stepwise logistic regression analysis. Prognostic data analysis was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

A total of 228 HER2-positive BC patients were included, of whom 214 patients were postoperative metastatic patients and 14 patients were de novo stage IV patients. Through comparing the stratified variables between 51 postoperative metastatic patients with BM and 163 postoperative metastatic patients without BM, the multivariate analysis showed that age ≤40 years (OR 2.321, 95% CI: 1.089 to 4.948) and first metastatic site with lung metastasis (OR 2.168, 95% CI: 1.099 to 4.274) were independent risk factors for BM in HER2-positive BC patients. Prognostic data of all 65 HER2-positive BC patients with BM showed that the time from the diagnosis of BC to the development of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) was 36.3 months (95% CI: 30.0 to 42.1 months). The time from the diagnosis of first recurrence and metastasis stage to the diagnosis of BCBM was 11.35 months (95% CI: 7.1 to 18.4 months). The time from the diagnosis of BCBM to the time of follow-up was 24.1 months (95% CI: 13.9 to 37.5 months). Up until the time of follow-up data, a total of 38 patients had died, and the time from the diagnosis of BM of these 38 patients to death was 11.0 months (95% CI: 9.0 to 20.4 months).

Conclusion

The prognosis of HER2-positive BC patients with BM was poor due to the lack of effective treatments for BM. Age ≤40 years and first metastatic site with lung metastasis were the independent risk factors for BM in HER2-positive BC patients. Future research about pre-emptive medical interventions may help to improve the prognosis of HER2-positive BC patients with high risk to develop BM.