A multicentre, randomised trial comparing schedules of G-CSF (filgrastim) administration for primary prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia in early stage breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The optimal duration of filgrastim as primary febrile neutropenia (FN) prophylaxis in early breast cancer patients is unknown, with 5, 7 or 10 days being commonly prescribed. This trial evaluates whether 5 days of filgrastim was non-inferior to 7/10 days.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this randomised, open-label trial, early breast cancer patients who were to receive filgrastim as primary FN prophylaxis were randomly allocated to 5 versus 7 versus 10 days of filgrastim for all chemotherapy cycles. A protocol amendment in November 2017 allowed subsequent patients (N = 324) to be randomised to either 5 or 7/10 days. The primary outcome was a composite of either FN or treatment-related hospitalisations. Secondary outcomes included chemotherapy dose reductions, delays and discontinuations. Analyses were carried out by per protocol (primary) and intention-to-treat, and the non-inferiority margin was set at 3% for the risk of having FN and/or hospitalisation per cycle of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Patients (N = 466) were randomised to receive 5 (184, 39.5%), or 7/10 (282, 60.5%) days of filgrastim. In our primary analysis, the difference in risk of either FN or treatment-related hospitalisation per cycle was -1.52% [95% confidence interval (CI): -3.22% to 0.19%] suggesting non-inferiority of a 5-day filgrastim schedule compared with 7/10-days. The difference in events per cycle for FN was 0.11% (95% CI: -1.05 to 1.27) while for treatment-related hospitalisations it was -1.68% (95% CI: -2.73% to -0.63%). The overall proportions of patients having at least one occurrence of either FN or treatment-related hospitalisation were 11.8% and 14.96% for the 5- and 7/10-day groups, respectively (risk difference: -3.17%, 95% CI: -9.51% to 3.18%).

CONCLUSION

Five days of filgrastim was non-inferior to 7/10 days. Given the cost and toxicity of this agent, 5 days should be considered standard of care. CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV REGISTRATION

NCT02428114 and NCT02816164.

Abstract P3-15-02: Treat ER+ight Canadian prospective observational study in HR+ advanced breast cancer: 2nd interim analysis

Treat ER+ight is the 1st prospective observational study in Canadian postmenopausal women with HR+ HER2– advanced breast cancer currently receiving endocrine therapy (ET) alone or in combination with targeted therapy (TT) (NCT02753686).

Methods: This pre-planned interim analysis describes baseline characteristics, treatment sequence, monitoring patterns, patient-reported quality-of-life (QoL) and resource utilization of patients enrolled in ET and ET+TT cohorts within the 1st 3 months of therapy. At data cut-off (13Mar'17), 100 patients were enrolled from 24 sites since Mar'16.

Results:

Baseline Patient and Disease Characteristics ET (n=42)ET + TT (n=58)Median age, years (range)70 (37-88)63 (39-80)ECOG 0-1, (%)6072Median time since primary BC diagnosis, years (range)4.5 (0-37)5 (0-25)Median time with advanced BC diagnosis, years (range)1 (0-16)1 (0-7)Sites of metastases (%)  Bone only3829Visceral only3338Bone + visceral2924Last prior line of therapy included but not limited to (%)  Letrozole4131Anastrozole1219Tamoxifen1214Exemestane122Palbociclib+Fulvestrant07Line (L) of metastatic therapy (%)  1L19222L38433L4335

Enrollment therapy (%): everolimus+exemestane (35), fulvestrant (15), palbociclib + letrozole (15), tamoxifen (14), exemestane (7), palbociclib+fulvestrant (7), letrozole (4) and palbociclib+exemestane (1). Follow-up visits with physician after therapy initiation ET, ET+TT (%): week 2 (5, 47), month 1 (71, 67), month 3 (43, 31). Numerical differences were observed in EORTC QLQ C30 and BR23 global health status/QoL, functional and symptom scale scores between ET and ET+TT cohorts. Mean changes in transformed scores from baseline to month 3 were generally similar between cohorts however 'therapy side effects' symptom item worsened in ET+TT cohort (P = 0.031, Wilcoxon rank sum). Resource utilization in between scheduled visits during 1st 3 months of therapy was similar between cohorts for physician/radiology, hospitalizations and ER visits however patient calls to supportive care nurse was increased in ET+TT cohort (P = 0.008, Fisher's exact). Treatment discontinuation rate (20%) was similar between cohorts with progression as predominant reason for initiating next therapy. Chemotherapy (CT) was the most frequent subsequent therapy and represented 1st line metastatic CT for majority of patients.

Conclusions:

ET+TT patients were younger, had better ECOG, more visceral disease and 60% received everolimus+exemestane with <10% receiving prior CDK4/6 therapy. Half of patients in ET+TT cohort returned for a follow-up visit with oncologist within 2 weeks of therapy initiation (compared to minority in ET cohort) and called the supportive care nurse in between scheduled visits. Patient-reported QoL within 1st 3 months of therapy was generally similar between cohorts. Therapy-related AEs impacted the patient-reported experience in ET+TT cohort however AEs did not lead to therapy discontinuation in over 85% of cases. These results highlight the importance of: (1) proactive AE patient education/management upon ET+TT initiation and at subsequent follow-up visits, (2) week 2 visit and (3) additional nursing telephone support in between visits.

Citation Format: Dent S, Califaretti N, Doyle C, Ferrario C, Chouinard E, Kulkarni S, Roy J-A, Perri SR, Chia S. Treat ER+ight Canadian prospective observational study in HR+ advanced breast cancer: 2nd interim analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-15-02.

Physician preferences for bone metastasis drug therapy in Canada

BACKGROUND

Currently in Canada, several bone-targeted agents (btas) with varying characteristics are available for the prevention of skeletal-related events (sres) in patients with bone metastasis secondary to solid tumours. In the present study, we evaluated the preferences of physicians in Canada for the various attributes of the available btas.

METHODS

Physicians treating patients with bone metastasis from solid tumours were invited to complete an online discrete-choice experiment. Respondents were asked to choose between pairs of hypothetical medications for virtual patients. Each hypothetical medication was described based on predefined key attributes: time until first sre, time until worsening of pain, medication-related annual risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (onj), medication-related annual risk of renal impairment, and mode of administration. A random-parameters logit model was used to analyze the choices between hypothetical medications and thus infer physician preferences for medication attributes.

RESULTS

Responses from the 200 physicians who completed the discrete-choice experiment suggested that months until first sre, risk of renal impairment, and months until worsening of pain were considered the most important attributes affecting choice of bta. The annual risk of onj was considered the least important attribute.

CONCLUSIONS

When making treatment decisions about the choice of bta for patients with bone metastasis from solid tumours, delaying sres and worsening of pain, and reducing the risk of renal impairment are primary considerations for physicians in Canada.

Novel agents and associated toxicities of inhibitors of the pi3k/Akt/mtor pathway for the treatment of breast cancer

The pi3k/Akt/mtor (phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/ Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin) signalling pathway is an established driver of oncogenic activity in human malignancies. Therapeutic targeting of this pathway holds significant promise as a treatment strategy. Everolimus, an mtor inhibitor, is the first of this class of agents approved for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer. Everolimus has been associated with significant improvements in progression-free survival; however, it is also associated with increased toxicity related to its specific mechanism of action.

METHODS

A comprehensive review of the literature conducted using a focused medline search was combined with a search of current trials at http://ClinicalTrials.gov/. Summary tables of the toxicities of the various classes of pi3k/Akt/mtor inhibitors were created. A broad group of Canadian health care professionals was assembled to review the data and to produce expert opinion and summary recommendations for possible best practices in managing the adverse events associated with these pathway inhibitors.

RESULTS

Differing toxicities are associated with the various classes of pi3k/Akt/mtor pathway inhibitors. The most common unique adverse events observed in everolimus clinical trials in breast cancer include stomatitis (all grades: approximately 60%), noninfectious pneumonitis (15%), rash (40%), hyperglycemia (15%), and immunosuppression (40%). To minimize grades 3 and 4 toxicities and to attempt to attain optimal outcomes, effective management of those adverse events is critical. Management should be interdisciplinary and should use approaches that include education, early recognition, active intervention, and potentially prophylactic strategies.

DISCUSSION

Everolimus likely represents the first of many complex oral targeted therapies for the treatment of breast cancer. Using this agent as a template, it is essential to establish best practices involving and integrating multiple disciplines for the management of future pi3k/Akt/mtor signalling pathway inhibitors.

Long-term outcome after intensive therapy with etoposide, melphalan, total body irradiation and autotransplant for acute myeloid leukemia

Intensive therapy and autologous blood and marrow transplantation (ABMT) is an established post-remission treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), although its exact role remains controversial and few data are available regarding longer-term outcomes. We examined the long-term outcome of patients with AML transplanted at a single center using uniform intensive therapy consisting of etoposide, melphalan and TBI. In all, 145 patients with AML underwent ABMT: 117 in first remission, 21 in second remission and seven beyond second remission. EFS and OS were significantly predicted by remission status (P<0.0001). For transplantation in first remission, 8 year EFS and OS were 55% (95% CI, 44-64%) and 62% (95% CI, 50-72%), respectively. By multivariate analysis, only age (P=0.04) and cytogenetic risk group (P=0.006) influenced OS. For patients transplanted in second remission, 8 year EFS and OS were 30% (95% CI, 9-55%) and 36% (95% CI, 13-60%), respectively. No pre-transplant variables significantly predicted outcome. None of the seven patients who underwent ABMT beyond second remission or in early relapse were long-term survivors. ABMT can provide long-term antileukemic control for patients with AML in first remission. For patients in second remission approximately 30% can achieve cure with ABMT, and this option may be preferable to alternate donor allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Tracheobronchial constriction in asthmatics induced by isocapnic hyperventilation with dry cold air

Although it is well known that isocapnic hyperventilation (IHV) with dry cold air produces airway constriction in asthmatic subjects, the site of airway narrowing is nuclear. To address this issue, we have quantified the tracheal and bronchial response to IHV with dry cold air in 15 patients with mild asthma and 7 healthy control subjects. We employed the acoustic reflection technique to evaluate changes in airway cross-sectional areas caused by IHV with dry cold air. Airway areas were measured during tidal breathing before and 5 to 10, 30, 60, and 90 min following cold air challenge. For analysis purposes, airway areas were divided into three anatomic segments: extrathoracic tracheal segment, intrathoracic tracheal segment, and main bronchial segment. These segments were assessed at a fixed volume below total lung capacity. Maximal and partial expiratory flow-volume curves were also obtained before each set of area measurements. In normal subjects, IHV with dry cold air caused no significant changes in FEV1, flow at 30% of the vital capacity in the partial curve (V30p), or airway areas. In asthmatics, at 5 to 10 min after challenge, we found that FEV1 decreased by 22 +/- 5% (mean +/- SEM) (p < 0.0001), V30p by 33 +/- 8% (p < 0.003), intrathoracic tracheal area by 10.7% +/- 2% (p < 0.03), and main bronchial area by 14 +/- 3% (p < 0.003). At 30 min, tracheal and main bronchial areas were returned to baseline levels; however, FEV1 and V30p were still significantly decreased, by 13 +/- 3% and 16 +/- 4%, respectively. We conclude that in asthmatics, IHV with dry cold air causes both tracheal and bronchial constriction, and that recovery seems to occur first in the central airways.