Impact of palbociclib plus letrozole on pain severity and pain interference with daily activities in patients with estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer as first-line treatment

A systematic review of health-related quality of life outcomes in patients with advanced breast cancer treated with palbociclib

Aim: To evaluate the impact of palbociclib treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor 2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2- aBC) or metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in both the clinical and real-world setting. Materials & methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify clinical trials and real-world evidence studies up to June 2023 that reported HRQoL outcomes in patients with HR+/HER2- aBC or mBC treated with Palbociclib. Results: 15 unique studies reported across 35 records were identified. Of these, seven were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), three were single-arm clinical trials and five were real-world evidence (RWE) studies. HRQoL was generally found to be maintained in patients with HR+/HER2- aBC or mBC across RCTs, single-arm clinical trials and RWE studies. HRQoL measures across instruments, study types and line of therapy, were largely reported to be at least maintained if not improved from baseline among patients treated with palbociclib and were observed to be comparable or better in the palbociclib group versus monotherapy control arm in RCTs. Similar results were seen for treatment-related outcomes (e.g., sexual functioning, upset by hair loss, systemic therapy side effects etc.), and important individual patient outcomes, including pain, fatigue and physical functioning. Findings were also consistent across key clinical characteristics (visceral metastases, neutropenia), as well as patient populations often underrepresented in clinical trials (Asian patients, older adults). Conclusion: Overall, current evidence suggests that HRQoL is largely preserved with the addition of palbociclib to endocrine therapy in patients with HR+/HER2- aBC or mBC across study types and populations.

Treatment of Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review

CONTEXTUALIZATION

One of the biggest problems regarding the treatment of cancer patients is pain, whether due to the cancer or the treatment itself. Therefore, there is a search for treatments that aims to promote an effective treatment in this sense.

PURPOSE

This article aims to verify which are the recent methods used to treat pain in cancer patients in a multidisciplinary sense, and to evaluate their effectiveness.

METHODOLOGY

Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and randomized clinical trials utilizing the LILACS, NCBI, and MEDLINE platforms of the last 5 years were included. The descriptors were pain treatment in oncology, pain management, complementary therapies, and other synonyms, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. This included any technique that was effective in the treatment of cancer pain.

RESULTS

The initial search found 2246 articles, of which 22 were included in the systematic review. Most of these are acupuncture treatments, opioids versus anti-inflammatories versus analgesics, radiotherapy, behavioral therapies, among others. Most articles suggest benefits with these therapies, improved quality of life for patients and tolerable side effects.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the current methods used in the treatment of pain in cancer patients so that professionals in the area can have more options for treating cancer pain. Despite the important limitations, the guideline for further research and the situations in which treatments have shown effectiveness are present in it.

CDK4/6 Inhibitors in the First-Line Treatment of Postmenopausal Women with HR+/HER2- Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Updated Network Meta-Analysis and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

(1) Background: This study aimed to conduct a NMA and CEA combined study to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different CDK4/6 inhibitors (Abem, Palbo, and Ribo) plus NSAI with placebo plus NSAI in the first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- ABC from the perspective of payers in China. (2) Methods: Studies which evaluated CDK4/6 inhibitors plus NSAI for HR+/HER2- ABC were searched. A Bayesian NMA was carried out and the main outcomes were the hazard ratios (HRs) of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The costs and efficacy of first-line therapies for HR+/HER2- ABC were evaluated using the Markov model. The main outcomes in the CEA were incremental cost-utility ratios (ICURs), incremental monetary benefit (INMB), and incremental net-health benefit (INHB). The robustness of the model was assessed by one-way, three-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Then, we further simulated the impact of different prices of CDK4/6 inhibitors on the results. (3) Results: Seven studies involving 5347 patients were included in the NMA. The three first-line CDK4/6 inhibitors plus NSAI groups provided significant PFS and OS superiority to NSAI alone. Abem + NSAI represented a significant statistical advantage onPFS (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.90, p = 0.009) and indicated a trend of being the best OS benefit compared to the placebo + NSAI group (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.72-1.08). The Abem + NSAI, Palbo + NSAI, and Ribo + NSAI groups resulted in additional costs of $12,602, $20,391, and $81,258, with additional effects of 0.38, 0.31, and 0.30 QALYs, respectively, leading to an ICUR of $33,163/QALY, $65,777/QALY, and $270,860/QALY. Additional pairwise comparisons showed that Abem + NSAI was the only cost-effective option in three CDK4/6 inhibitors plus NSAI groups at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $38,029/QALY. The sensitivity analyses showed that the proportion of receiving subsequent CDK4/6 inhibitors and the cost of Abem significantly influenced the results of Abem + NSAI compared with placebo + NSAI. (4) Conclusion: From the perspective of Chinese payers, Abem + NSAI was a cost-effective treatment option compared with placebo + NSAI at the WTP of $38,029/QALY, since only the ICUR of $33,163/QALY of Abem + NSAI was lower than the WTP of $38,029/QALY in China (2022). The Palbo + NSAI and Ribo + NSAI groups were not cost-effective unless drug prices were adjusted to 50% or 10% of current prices ($320.67 per cycle or $264.60 per cycle). (5) Others: We have prospectively registered the study with the PROSPERO, and the PROSPERO registration number is CRD42023399342.

Health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among cancer patients has gained an increasing importance and is now a key determinant of anticancer treatments' value. HR-QoL has been assessed in trials testing cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) in breast cancer (BC), using various questionnaires at different timepoints. HR-QoL reports from BC patients treated with CDK4/6i in the real-world setting are also available.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed the literature, searching for full-length articles, and selected conference abstracts reporting data on HR-QoL in BC patients at any stage and of any molecular subtype treated with abemaciclib, palbociclib or ribociclib.

RESULTS

A total of 533 full-length articles and 143 abstracts were retrieved. After screening for eligibility, 38 records were included (31 clinical trials; 7 real-world reports). Assessment methods were heterogeneous across studies in terms of questionnaires, evaluation timepoints and endpoints. Overall, adding CDK4/6i to endocrine therapy did not worsen patients' HR-QoL, with a positive trend towards pain improvement. Gastrointestinal scores (diarrhea, nausea and appetite loss) statistically favored the control arm among metastatic BC patients receiving abemaciclib, whereas they were superimposable in the early setting. The combination of palbociclib and endocrine therapy showed similar HR-QoL outcomes compared with endocrine therapy alone, but determined better scores compared with chemotherapy. HR-QoL was specifically assessed in premenopausal patients treated with ribociclib, showing similar scores compared with postmenopausal patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite methodological heterogeneity does not allow a proper comparison, HR-QoL was generally maintained with CDK4/6i. However, differences between abemaciclib, palbociclib and ribociclib exist and mainly rely on the distinct safety profiles of the compounds. These differences should be acknowledged and taken into account in the clinical practice.

Spiritual Perspectives on Pain in Advanced Breast Cancer: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present review was to characterize how pain and spirituality have been conceptualized, assessed, and addressed and how these concepts may be related among women with advanced breast cancer.

DESIGN

A scoping review was conducted including publications of various methodologies.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, OpenGrey, OAIster, and a large university library database (published 2006-2018).

REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS

Research questions and criteria were formulated at the outset, followed by identification of publications, charting data, and collating results.

RESULTS

Forty-two publications met the inclusion criteria. Most (n = 33) focused exclusively on pain, five pain and spirituality, and four exclusively spirituality. Conceptual definitions were not explicitly provided but were implied. Most assessments used the 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (pain) and qualitative methods (spirituality). Pain management primarily focused on radiotherapy and pharmaceuticals, and two publications identified spiritual interventions. No publications directly examined the impact of spirituality on pain. Findings of qualitative studies including both concepts suggest the potential value of spirituality as a mechanism to cope with pain.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified significant unmanaged pain in women with advanced breast cancer. Women identified dimensions of spirituality as important for coping with their disease. A gap in understanding spirituality and its potential influence on pain in this population was identified.

Palbociclib and ribociclib in breast cancer: consensus workshop on the management of concomitant medication

Drug-drug interactions are of significant concern in clinical practice in oncology, particularly in patients receiving Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors, which are typically exposed to long-term regimens. This article presents the highlights from the 'First Workshop on Pharmacology and Management of CDK4/6 Inhibitors: Consensus about Concomitant Medications'. The article is structured into two modules. The educational module includes background information regarding drug metabolism, corrected QT (QTc) interval abnormalities, management of psychotropic drugs and a comprehensive review of selected adverse effects of palbociclib and ribociclib. The collaborative module presents the conclusions of the five working groups, each of which comprised five experts from different fields. From these conclusions positive lists of drugs for treating common comorbid conditions that can be safely administered concomitantly with palbociclib and/or ribociclib were developed.

Statistical analysis of patient-reported outcome data in randomised controlled trials of locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review

Although patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as health-related quality of life, are important endpoints in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), there is little consensus about the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of these data. We did a systematic review to assess the variability, quality, and standards of PRO data analyses in advanced breast cancer RCTs. We searched PubMed for English language articles published in peer-reviewed journals between Jan 1, 2001, and Oct 30, 2017. Eligible articles were those that reported PRO results from RCTs of adult patients with advanced breast cancer receiving anti-cancer treatments with reported sample sizes of at least 50 patients-66 RCTs met the selection criteria. Only eight (12%) RCTs reported a specific PRO research hypothesis. Heterogeneity in the statistical methods used to assess PRO data was observed, with a mixture of longitudinal and cross-sectional techniques. Not all articles addressed the problem of multiple testing. Fewer than half of RCTs (28 [42%]) reported the clinical significance of their findings. 48 (73%) did not report how missing data were handled. Our systematic review shows a need to improve standards in the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of PRO data in cancer RCTs. Lack of standardisation makes it difficult to draw robust conclusions and compare findings across trials. The Setting International Standards in the Analyzing Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Data Consortium was set up to address this need and develop recommendations on the analysis of PRO data in RCTs.

Addressing physician barriers to administering cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors in first-line treatment of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer

Combination therapy with a cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor and an aromatase inhibitor (AI) for first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) has demonstrated improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) over AI monotherapy without adding substantial toxicity. However, CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy is not uniformly used as first-line therapy for ABC, indicating that barriers to CDK4/6 inhibitor use exist. Such barriers may include the following perceptions: patients with bone-only metastases, with a long disease-free interval, or who are older may respond to AI monotherapy and may not benefit from a CDK4/6 inhibitor; tumor response rates may be lower and delayed with CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy than chemotherapy; the increased incidence of adverse events with CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy outweighs benefits; and the cost of CDK4/6 inhibitors may be prohibitive. Some of these barriers are addressed with data from follow-up analyses of CDK4/6 inhibitor trials, which have shown a PFS benefit of combination therapy in all subgroups assessed, including older patients, those with bone-only metastatic disease, and those with a long disease-free interval. Tumor response rates with CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy are comparable to those with first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy. Finally, adverse events associated with CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy are manageable and occur with decreasing severity during treatment, with similar reports of quality of life to those with AI monotherapy. These data support CDK4/6 inhibitor plus AI therapy as the standard of care in first-line treatment of ABC.

Palbociclib: A Review in HR-Positive, HER2-Negative, Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

Oral palbociclib (Ibrance®) is a first-in-class, highly selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (i.e. a CDK4/6 inhibitor). It is indicated for the treatment of women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer, in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy, and in combination with fulvestrant (with or without a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist) in those previously treated with endocrine therapy. In clinical trials, palbociclib in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy in postmenopausal women (PALOMA-1 and PALOMA-2), or in combination with fulvestrant in pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal women with disease progression after endocrine therapy (PALOMA-3), significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and improved clinical benefit response (CBR) rates. Neutropenia was the most commonly reported any-grade and grade ≥ 3 adverse event. It was infrequently associated with febrile neutropenia (<2%) and generally manageable with a palbociclib dose delay, interruption or reduction, without the routine use of growth factors, and without affecting efficacy. In conclusion, oral palbociclib combination therapy is a valuable emerging option for use in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Management of QT prolongation induced by anti-cancer drugs: Target therapy and old agents. Different algorithms for different drugs

The side effects of anticancer drugs still play a critical role in survival and quality of life. Although the recent progresses of cancer therapies have significantly improved the prognosis of oncologic patients, side effects of antineoplastic treatments are still responsible for the increased mortality of cancer survivors. Cardiovascular toxicity is the most dangerous adverse effect induced by anticancer therapies. A survey conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination, showed that 1807 cancer survivors followed up for seven years: 51% died of cancer and 33% of heart disease (Vejpongsa and Yeh, 2014). Moreover, the risk of cardiotoxicity persists even with the targeted therapy, the newer type of cancer treatment, due to the presence of on-target and off-target effects related to this new class of drugs. The potential cardiovascular toxicity of anticancer agents includes: QT prolongation, arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia, stroke, hypertension (HTN), thromboembolism, left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure (HF). Compared to other cardiovascular disorders, the interest in QT prolongation and its complications is fairly recent. However, oncologists have to deal with it and to evaluate the risk-benefit ratio before starting the treatment or during the same. Electrolyte abnormalities, low levels of serum potassium and several drugs may favour the acquired QT prolongation. Treatment of marked QT prolongation includes cardiac monitoring, caution in the use or suspension of cancer drugs and correction of electrolyte abnormalities (hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypocalcaemia). Syndrome of QT prolongation can be associated with potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias and its treatment consists of intravenous administration of magnesium sulphate and the use of electrical cardioversion.

Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Endocrine Monotherapy and in Combination with Targeted Therapy on Quality of Life of Postmenopausal Women with HR+/HER2- Advanced Breast Cancer

INTRODUCTION

A major treatment goal for advanced breast cancer (ABC) is to maintain or ideally improve patient quality of life (QoL). Given the changing disease landscape, this systematic literature review (SLR) aims to assess the impact of endocrine therapies (ET), including ET monotherapy (ET mono) and ET combined with targeted therapy (ET + TT), on QoL of women with HR+/HER2- ABC.

METHODS

A SLR was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the following criteria: (1) included ET mono or ET + TT, (2) reported QoL outcomes, (3) focused on women with HR+/HER2- ABC, and (4) published after 2007 (when standardized HER2 testing became available). The databases searched included MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and key conference proceedings from 2013 to 2016. QoL outcomes for ET mono, ET + TT, and comparisons between the two were summarized from the identified trials.

RESULTS

A total of 11 studies (representing 6 RCTs) were identified. The study populations included first-line (5 studies) and ET-failure settings (6 studies). Across settings, global health status (GHS) maintained or deteriorated slightly on these treatments during the trial period. Time to deterioration (TTD) in QoL measured by GHS was analyzed in 6 studies and 4 RCTs. In the first-line setting, reported median TTD in GHS was similar between ET mono and ET + TT (7.2-13.8 months in ET mono; 11.1 months in ET + TT). In the ET-failure setting, ET + TT showed significantly longer TTD vs. ET mono in GHS (median 5.6-8.4 months in ET mono and 8.3-11.7 months in ET + TT) and some additional domains.

CONCLUSIONS

ET + TT users experienced similar QoL in the first-line and ET-failure setting relative to patients on ET mono. Moreover, ET + TT users experienced better QoL outcomes in some domains in the ET-failure setting relative to ET mono users.

FUNDING

Novartis.

Identification of cell cycle-targeting microRNAs through genome-wide screens

By performing nine genome-wide microRNA (miRNA) screens, we recently uncovered a new class of miRNAs, which target multiple cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Systemic delivery of selected cell cycle-targeting miRNAs to mouse xenograft models resulted in potent anti-tumorigenic effects without affecting animals' health. Here, we provide an in-depth description of our miRNA screening methodology, analyses of selected cell cycle-targeting miRNAs, and discuss why miRNA therapy might be a viable therapeutic option for cancer patients.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors in breast cancer: palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib

PURPOSE

The cyclin D-cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6-inhibitor of CDK4 (INK4)-retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression and its dysregulation is an important contributor to endocrine therapy resistance. CDK4/6 inhibitors trigger cell cycle arrest in Rb protein (pRb)-competent cells. Recent years have seen the development of selective CDK4/6 inhibitors, which have delivered promising results of efficacy and manageable safety profiles. The main objective of this review is to discuss preclinical and clinical data to date, and ongoing clinical trials with palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib in breast cancer.

METHODS

A literature search of above topics was carried out using PubMed and data reported at international oncology meetings and clinicaltrials.gov were included.

RESULTS

The highly selective oral CDK4/6 inhibitors have been tested in combination with endocrine therapy in Phase III studies in metastatic breast cancer. Results led to the US Food and Drug Administration approval of palbociclib (PD0332991) and ribociclib (LEE011), and abemaciclib (LY2835219) is in development. Studies of these agents, in combination with endocrine therapy, are also underway in ER-positive early breast cancer in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Moreover, they are also being investigated with other agents in the advanced setting and in triple negative breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

After having demonstrated impressive activity in ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, currently CDK4/6 inhibitors are in further development. It is obvious that this class of agents with their efficacy, low and easily manageable toxicity, and oral dosage is a very important treatment option for breast cancer patients.

Progress with palbociclib in breast cancer: latest evidence and clinical considerations

Deregulation of the cell cycle is a hallmark of cancer, and research on cell cycle control has allowed identification of potential targets for anticancer treatment. Palbociclib is a selective inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6), which are involved, with their coregulatory partners cyclin D, in the G1-S transition. Inhibition of this step halts cell cycle progression in cells in which the involved pathway, including the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and the E2F family of transcription factors, is functioning, although having been deregulated. Among breast cancers, those with functioning cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb-E2F are mainly hormone-receptor (HR) positive, with some HER2-positive and rare triple-negative cases. Deregulation results from genetic or otherwise occurring hyperactivation of molecules subtending cell cycle progression, or inactivation of cell cycle inhibitors. Based on results of randomized clinical trials, palbociclib was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy for metastatic disease in postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, and was approved for use in combination with fulvestrant in women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with disease progression following endocrine therapy. This review provides an update of the available knowledge on the cell cycle and its regulation, on the alterations in cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb-E2F axis in breast cancer and their roles in endocrine resistance, on the preclinical activity of CDK4/6 inhibitors in breast cancer, both as monotherapy and as partners of combinatorial synergic treatments, and on the clinical development of palbociclib in breast cancer.