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Background In the KATHERINE study (NCT01772472), patients with residual invasive early breast cancer (EBC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) plus human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy had a 50% reduction in risk of recurrence or death with adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) versus trastuzumab. Here, we present additional exploratory safety and efficacy analyses. Patients and methods KATHERINE enrolled HER2-positive EBC patients with residual invasive disease in the breast/axilla at surgery after NACT containing a taxane (± anthracycline, ± platinum) and trastuzumab (± pertuzumab). Patients were randomized to adjuvant T-DM1 (n = 743) or trastuzumab (n = 743) for 14 cycles. The primary endpoint was invasive disease-free survival (IDFS). Results The incidence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) was similar regardless of neoadjuvant taxane type. Irrespective of treatment arm, baseline PN was associated with longer PN duration (median, 105-109 days longer) and lower resolution rate (∼65% versus ∼82%). Prior platinum therapy was associated with more grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in the T-DM1 arm (13.5% versus 3.8%), but there was no grade ≥3 hemorrhage in these patients. Risk of recurrence or death was decreased with T-DM1 versus trastuzumab in patients who received anthracycline-based NACT [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38-0.67], non-anthracycline-based NACT (HR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.22-0.82), presented with cT1, cN0 tumors (0 versus 6 IDFS events), or had particularly high-risk tumors (HRs ranged from 0.43 to 0.72). The central nervous system (CNS) was more often the site of first recurrence in the T-DM1 arm (5.9% versus 4.3%), but T-DM1 was not associated with a difference in overall risk of CNS recurrence. Conclusions T-DM1 provides clinical benefit across patient subgroups, including small tumors and particularly high-risk tumors and does not increase the overall risk of CNS recurrence. NACT type had a minimal impact on safety.

Background Anthracycline (ANT) chemotherapy is associated with cardiotoxicity. Prevention with β-blockers remains controversial. Objectives This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study sought to evaluate the role of carvedilol in preventing ANT cardiotoxicity. Methods The authors randomized 200 patients with HER2-negative breast cancer tumor status and normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) referred for ANT (240 mg/m2) to receive carvedilol or placebo until chemotherapy completion. The primary endpoint was prevention of a ≥10% reduction in LVEF at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were effects of carvedilol on troponin I, B-type natriuretic peptide, and diastolic dysfunction. Results Primary endpoint occurred in 14 patients (14.5%) in the carvedilol group and 13 patients (13.5%) in the placebo group (p = 1.0). No differences in changes of LVEF or B-type natriuretic peptide were noted between groups. A significant difference existed between groups in troponin I levels over time, with lower levels in the carvedilol group (p = 0.003). Additionally, a lower incidence of diastolic dysfunction was noted in the carvedilol group (p = 0.039). A nonsignificant trend toward a less-pronounced increase in LV end-diastolic diameter during the follow-up was noted in the carvedilol group (44.1 ± 3.64 mm to 45.2 ± 3.2 mm vs. 44.9 ± 3.6 mm to 46.4 ± 4.0 mm; p = 0.057). Conclusions In this largest clinical trial of β-blockers for prevention of cardiotoxicity under contemporary ANT dosage, the authors noted a 13.5% to 14.5% incidence of cardiotoxicity. In this scenario, carvedilol had no impact on the incidence of early onset of LVEF reduction. However, the use of carvedilol resulted in a significant reduction in troponin levels and diastolic dysfunction. (Carvedilol Effect in Preventing Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity [CECCY]; NCT01724450)

Background Novel targeted agents and combinations have become available in multiple lines of treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In this context, alternatives to the lapatinib (L) and capecitabine (C) regimen, evaluating L combined with other cytotoxic drugs, are warranted. Patients and Methods In the present phase II, multicenter study, patients with HER2+ MBC with progression after taxane were randomized between L, 1250 mg, combined with C, 2000 mg/m2 on days 1 to 14 (LC), vinorelbine (V), 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 (LV), or gemcitabine (G), 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 (LG), every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate. Results A total of 142 patients were included from 2009 to 2012. No differences were found in the patient baseline characteristics. The median age was 51 years, 69% were postmenopausal, 32% had liver metastasis, 57% were hormone receptor negative, and 48% had been previously treated with trastuzumab. The overall response rate was 49% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.8%-63.4%), 56% (95% CI, 40%-70.4%), and 41% (95% CI, 27%-56.8%) in the LC, LV, and LG groups, respectively. The median progression-free survival was 9 months in the LC arm and 7 months in the other 2 arms (P = .28). The most common grade 3 and 4 adverse events were hand-foot syndrome (18%), diarrhea (6%), and increased alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (4%) in the LC arm; neutropenia (36%), diarrhea (9%), and febrile neutropenia (6%) in the LV arm; and neutropenia (47%), alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (13%), and rash (4%) in the LG arm. Conclusion LV and LG seem to be active combinations in patients with HER2+ MBC after taxane failure. The overall toxicity was manageable in all regimens.

Background We analyzed KATHERINE trial (NCT01772472) data to assess TCP, PN and CNS recurrence, key considerations in anti-HER2 treatment of BC pts. Methods Pts received 14 cycles of post-neoadjuvant T-DM1 (3.6 mg/kg IV q3w) or H (6 mg/kg IV q3w). Safety (per NCI CTCAE v4.0; all pts receiving ≥1 dose of study drug) and CNS recurrence (intent-to-treat population) were assessed. Results Baseline (BL) neuropathy was well balanced between arms (T-DM1 22.7%; H 21.4%). In both arms, BL neuropathy was not associated with higher PN incidence (T-DM1 36.3% H 17.5% vs T-DM1 31.1% H 16.8%) however it was associated with longer median PN duration and lower resolution rate (352–337 days [d] 66–64% vs 243–232 d 81–83%). PN incidence was similar, irrespective of prior taxane (docetaxel T-DM1 32%; H 18%; paclitaxel T-DM1 32%; H 17%). In the T-DM1 arm, prior platinum was associated with higher TCP incidence (mostly grade 1–2) (36% vs 27%) while median duration and resolution rate of grade 3–4 TCP were similar regardless of prior platinum (33 d vs 29 d; 95% vs 96%). In the H arm, TCP rate was only 2.4% precluding further analysis. The numerically higher rate of CNS recurrence as first IDFS event for T-DM1 may be explained by competing risk, as observed in H adjuvant trials. T-DM1 was not associated with an increased overall risk of CNS recurrence and there was no evidence of subsequent overall survival (OS) detriment (Table). Table: LBA19 . CNS recurrence analysis CNS recurrence T-DM1 (n = 743) H (n = 743) Pts with CNS recurrence, n (%) 45 (6.1) 40 (5.4) As first IDFS eventa 44 (5.9) 32 (4.3) After first IDFS eventb 1 (0.1) 8 (1.1) Pts with CNS as only eventc 36 (4.8) 21 (2.8) Median time to CNS recurrence, m 17.5 11.9 OS post CNS recurrence T-DM1 (n = 45) H (n = 40) Pts with OS event, n (%) 26 (57.8) 21 (52.5) Pts without OS event, n (%) 19 (42.2) 19 (47.5) Median time to event (95% CI), m 12.5 (8.6–26.6) 14.3 (7.6–29.8) Unstratified HR (95% CI) 1.07 (0.60–1.91) 3-year event-free rate, % (95% CI) 24.2 (5.05–43.3) 25.4 (6.81–44.0) CNS recurrence withina or afterb 61 days of first IDFS event cAny time; m, months Conclusions BL neuropathy may impact duration and resolution of PN with T-DM1 or H, but PN incidence was not affected by BL neuropathy or type of prior taxane. Prior platinum was associated with higher TCP incidence in the T-DM1 arm. The numerical difference in CNS recurrence as first IDFS event for T-DM1 vs H may be explained by competing risk and had no detrimental effect on OS. Clinical trial identification NCT01772472. Editorial acknowledgement Medical writing support was provided by Ify Sargeant of Twist Medical LLC and funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Legal entity responsible for the study F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Funding F. Hoffmann-La Roche. Disclosure M. Untch: Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: AbbVie; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Amgen GmbH; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: BMS; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Celgene GmbH; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Daiji Sankyo; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Eisai GmbH; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Janssen Cilag/ JJ Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Lilly Deutschland/ Lilly Int.; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: MSD Merck; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Mundipharma; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Myriad Genentics; Honoraria (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Odonate; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Pfizer GmbH; Honoraria (institution): PUMA Biotechnology; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Riemser; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Roche Pharma AG; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Sanofi Aventis Deutschland GmbH; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies: Sividon Diagnostics; Honoraria (institution), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Same disclosures for Novartis: TEVA Pharmaceuticals Ind Ltd. C.E. Geyer: Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Medical writing support, travel/hotel expenses for non-compensated advisory board attendance: Genentech/Roche; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Travel/hotel expenses for Steering Committee activities: AstraZeneca; Non-remunerated activity/ies, Non-financial support, medical writing support : AbbVie; Advisory / Consultancy, Advisory Board: Celgene. C. Huang: Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy: Eli Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pfizer; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Novartis; Honoraria (self): EirGenix; Honoraria (self): OBI Pharma; Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): MSD; Honoraria (self): Daiichi Sankyo. S. Loibl: Honoraria (institution): Roche; Honoraria (institution): AbbVie; Honoraria (institution): Amgen; Honoraria (institution): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (institution): Celgene; Honoraria (institution): Novartis; Honoraria (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (institution): Seattle Genetics; Honoraria (institution): Teva; Honoraria (institution): Vifor; Honoraria (institution): PRIME; Honoraria (institution): Daiichi; Licensing / Royalties: EP14153692.0 pending. M.S. Mano: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Roche; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Pfizer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Oncologica Brasil; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Hypera; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Fleury; Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options: Biotoscana. G. von Minckwitz: Honoraria (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (self), Honoraria (institution): Amgen; Honoraria (self), Honoraria (institution): Roche; Honoraria (institution): Celgene; Honoraria (institution): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (institution): Myriad Genetics; Honoraria (institution): AbbVie; Honoraria (self): Vifor Pharma. A. Brufsky: Advisory / Consultancy: Eisai; Advisory / Consultancy: Myriad Pharmaceuticals; Advisory / Consultancy: Merck; Advisory / Consultancy: Bioarray Therapeutics; Advisory / Consultancy: Puma Biotechnology; Advisory / Consultancy: Genomic Health; Advisory / Consultancy: NanoString Technologies; Advisory / Consultancy: BioTheranostics; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: Celgene; Advisory / Consultancy: Agendia; Advisory / Consultancy: Genentech/Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Pfizer. B. Kaufman: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Roche; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Pfizer; Advisory / Consultancy: AZ; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis. T. Boulet: Research grant / Funding (institution): Genentech. H. Liu: Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment: Roche/Genentech. C. Song: Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment: Roche/Genentech. E.P. Mamounas: Honoraria (self): Genentech/Roche; Honoraria (self): Genomic Health, Inc.; Honoraria (self): Biotheranostics; Honoraria (self): Merck; Honoraria (self): Daiichi Sankyo. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Summary Background mTOR inhibition reverses trastuzumab resistance via the hyperactivated PIK/AKT/mTOR pathway due to PTEN loss, by sensitising PTEN-deficient tumours to trastuzumab. The BOLERO-1 study assessed the efficacy and safety of adding everolimus to trastuzumab and paclitaxel as first-line treatment for patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. Methods In this phase 3, randomised, double-blind trial, patients were enrolled across 141 sites in 28 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, with locally assessed HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0–1, who had not received previous trastuzumab or chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer within 12 months of randomisation, had measurable disease as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) or bone lesions in the absence of measurable disease, without previous systemic treatment for advanced disease except endocrine therapy. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) with an interactive voice and web response system to receive either 10 mg everolimus once a day orally or placebo plus weekly trastuzumab intravenously at 4 mg/kg loading dose on day 1 with subsequent weekly doses of 2 mg/kg of each 4 week cycle plus paclitaxel intravenously at a dose of 80 mg/m 2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 4 week cycle. Randomisation was stratified according to previous use of trastuzumab and visceral metastasis. Patients and investigators were masked to the assigned treatments. Identity of experimental treatments was concealed by use of everolimus and placebo that were identical in packaging, labelling, appearance, and administration schedule. The two primary objectives were investigator-assessed progression-free survival in the full study population and in the subset of patients with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer at baseline; the latter was added during the course of the study, before unmasking based on new clinical and biological findings from other studies. All efficacy analyses were based on the intention-to-treat population. Enrolment for this trial is closed and results of the final progression-free survival analyses are presented here. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00876395. Findings Between Sept 10, 2009, and Dec 16, 2012, 719 patients were randomly assigned to receive everolimus (n=480) or placebo (n=239). Median follow-up was 41·3 months (IQR 35·4–46·6). In the full population, median progression-free survival was 14·95 months (95% CI 14·55–17·91) with everolimus versus 14·49 months (12·29–17·08) with placebo (hazard ratio 0·89, 95% CI 0·73–1·08; p=0·1166). In the HR-negative subpopulation (n=311), median progression-free survival with everolimus was 20·27 months (95% CI 14·95–24·08) versus 13·08 months (10·05–16·56) with placebo (hazard ratio 0·66, 95% CI 0·48–0·91; p=0·0049); however, the protocol-specified significance threshold (p=0·0044) was not crossed. The most common adverse events with everolimus were stomatitis (314 [67%] of 472 patients in the everolimus group vs 77 [32%] of 238 patients in the placebo group), diarrhoea (267 [57%] vs 111 [47%] patients), and alopecia (221 [47%] vs 125 [53%]). The most frequently reported grade 3 or 4 adverse events in the everolimus group versus the placebo group were neutropenia (117 [25%] vs 35 [15%]), stomatitis (59 [13%] vs three [1%]), anaemia (46 [10%] vs six [3%]) and diarrhoea (43 [9%] vs 10 [4%]) On-treatment adverse event-related deaths were reported in 17 (4%) patients in the everolimus group and none in the placebo group. Interpretation Although progression-free survival was not significantly different between groups in the full analysis population, the 7·2 months prolongation we noted with the addition of everolimus in the HR-negative, HER2-positive population warrants further investigation, even if it did not meet prespecified criteria for significance. The safety profile was generally consistent with what was previously reported in BOLERO-3. Proactive monitoring and early management of adverse events in patients given everolimus and chemotherapy is crucial. Funding Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) during or in sequence with chemotherapy improves overall survival in metastatic and early HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. In this paper we systematically review neoadjuvant clinical trial data in HER2-positive breast cancer and discuss key unanswered clinical questions. All trials of HER2-targeted neoadjuvant therapy were identified through non-date-limited searches of PubMED® and Biosis® and congress abstract book searches from 2000-2011. Eligible trials were prospective, had at least 10 patients and a clear definition of pathological complete response (pCR) rate. A total of 50 trials fulfilled the eligibility criteria; 41 single-arm phase II studies were identified, 37 with trastuzumab and 4 with lapatinib, with significant variability in baseline tumour characteristics and pCR rates (range 12-66.7%). Of 9 randomised phase II/III trials, 4 assessed the addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy and a further 5 randomised trials assessed different HER2-targeting approaches. Four of these studies assessed dual HER2-targeting approaches, which universally increased pCR at the expense of increased non-cardiac toxicity when lapatinib, but not pertuzumab, was added to trastuzumab. Significant advances have been made in HER2 targeting, resulting in a marked increase in the number of breast cancer patients experiencing tumour pCR. Mature data from randomised neoadjuvant and adjuvant studies are awaited for survival outcomes with combination targeted approaches. Unanswered questions centre on the individualisation of therapy and include; which, if any, chemotherapy backbone should be used, and which patients need dual HER2 blockade?

Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, are overtaking infectious disease as the leading health-care threat in middle-income and low-income countries. Latin American and Caribbean countries are struggling to respond to increasing morbidity and death from advanced disease. Health ministries and health-care systems in these countries face many challenges caring for patients with advanced cancer: inadequate funding; inequitable distribution of resources and services; inadequate numbers, training, and distribution of health-care personnel and equipment; lack of adequate care for many populations based on socioeconomic, geographic, ethnic, and other factors; and current systems geared toward the needs of wealthy, urban minorities at a cost to the entire population. This burgeoning cancer problem threatens to cause widespread suffering and economic peril to the countries of Latin America. Prompt and deliberate actions must be taken to avoid this scenario. Increasing efforts towards prevention of cancer and avoidance of advanced, stage IV disease will reduce suffering and mortality and will make overall cancer care more affordable. We hope the findings of our Commission and our recommendations will inspire Latin American stakeholders to redouble their efforts to address this increasing cancer burden and to prevent it from worsening and threatening their societies.

Her2 and topoisomerase-IIalpha (T2A) gene amplification are separate events, although the latter is more frequently seen in Her2 amplified (34-90%) than in Her2 non-amplified (5-10%) tumours. There is a better correlation between Her2 amplification and protein overexpression in breast cancer (BC) than in other tumour types. This marker is also considered a powerful prognostic factor in BC, with similar data emerging in other solid tumours such as bladder, ovarian, endometrial, gastro-oesophageal and non-small cell lung cancer. Her2 amplification and/or overexpression are highly predictive of response to HER2-targeted compounds such as trastuzumab and lapatinib but have been inconsistent predictors of response to cytotoxic chemotherapy. There is also evidence that these tumours are relatively resistant to anti-oestrogen therapy (tamoxifen) but not to oestrogen deprivation (e.g. with aromatase inhibitors). T2A aberrations are uncommon events in solid tumours, with an overall prevalence of approximately 10%. T2A amplification has shown inconsistent correlation with T2A protein expression in preclinical and clinical studies, mainly because non-genetic events such as proliferation rate can also affect protein expression. Expression of T2A protein has not been shown to reliably predict response to T2A inhibitors, despite the fact that this enzyme is the direct target for these compounds. In BC, T2A amplification appears to be a good predictor of response to anthracyclines, but these data are still in the process of validation. The significance of T2A deletions is currently under investigation, but contrary to what was previously thought, it may also predict benefit from treatment with T2A inhibitors. The prognostic significance of T2A aberrations is currently unknown.

Vinorelbine is a semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid that has been shown active in many tumour types and is currently registered for the treatment of advanced breast cancer (ABC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This agent has a generally favourable safety profile, and may be suitable for use in special populations such as the elderly and/or frail patient. However, with the taxanes firmly established as standard second line treatment for ABC after failure of an anthracycline, vinorelbine has been generally relegated for use as third line therapy, in competition with the oral compound capecitabine. More recently, the exciting results observed with the combination of vinorelbine and trastuzumab in patients with Her-2 overexpressing/amplified tumours, as well as the development of a reliable formulation and revised schedule of oral vinorelbine with proven activity in ABC appear to have revived the interest in this compound in the management of this disease. There are still a number of unanswered questions that will have to be addressed by properly designed, adequately powered randomised clinical trials.

The liver is a common site of metastases in breast cancer. Although the development of liver metastases has long been associated with a poor prognosis in this disease, this dogma has been challenged by more recent data, perhaps reflecting some treatment and other technological advances achieved in the last decade. Nevertheless, the specific population of breast cancer patients presenting with liver disease and associated liver dysfunction remain poorly studied. These women still seem to have a poor prognosis as compared to other patients with liver metastases. This is further complicated by the fact that the most active cytotoxic agents in breast cancer have significant hepatic metabolism and/or biliary excretion. Unfortunately, since these patients have been most of the time excluded from clinical trials, there are currently no clear recommendations for the management of such dramatic presentations. With some exceptions, recommendations for dose adjustments have also been largely empirical. In this paper, we review the optimal doses of cytotoxics used in this clinical situation and provide some tips on the management of these patients, based on the limited data currently available in the literature.

In recent years, strategy in cancer therapy in general, and breast cancer in particular, has been the use of maximum tolerated doses of toxic non-specific agents as well as the investigation of a range of new agents that specifically target tumor-related molecules, in a variety of biological pathways. The trial of chemotherapy (CT) versus chemotherapy+trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER-2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer (MBC) was one of the first to use a biological agent in combination with chemotherapy with success and, together with some trials of taxanes in anthracycline-resistance patients one of the few to demonstrate an overall survival (OS) advantage in MBC. Five main molecular pathways are of particular interest in terms of new drug development in breast cancer: the estrogen receptor (ER) pathway, the tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathway, the cell cycle regulation pathway, the apoptosis pathway and the angiogenesis pathway. This review will focus on new agents, cytotoxic, hormonal and molecular-targeted, which are in advanced clinical stages of development for the treatment of MBC.

Background Alkylating agents and topoisomerase-II inhibitors have been associated with the occurrence of secondary leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Conversely, data on the occurrence of second solid malignancies in this setting are scarce. Patients and methods This study retrospectively evaluates the occurrence of second hematological and solid malignancies in the context of a prospective multicenter phase III trial comparing epirubicin–cyclophosphamide at intermediate doses (EC), or at full doses (HEC), with classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) in 777 patients with early breast cancer. Results At a median follow-up of 73 months, the following 8-year actuarial rates of second solid primaries were observed: CMF 5.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5% to 9.5%], EC 4.1% (95% CI 0.1% to 8.1%), and HEC 7.2% (95% CI 3.2% to 11.2%) (P = 0.79 by log rank test). Three secondary acute myeloid leukemias (AML) were reported, all in the HEC arm (incidence = 1.2%, 95% CI 0.0% to 2.5%), which by a three arm comparison allows us to conclude that HEC is statistically different (borderline significance) from CMF and EC (P = 0.05). Conclusions HEC, as delivered in this trial, cannot be recommended in clinical practice because of the lack of superiority over classic CMF and because of the increased risk of AML observed in this arm. Prolongation of conventional anthracycline-based treatment beyond the current standard of four to six cycles is not recommended in clinical practice.

Summary The use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) for high risk pregnancy has exposed millions of mothers to an increased risk of breast cancer, and also resulted in a generation of women with genital tract abnormalities, such as vaginal adenosis. It is still too early to say that exposure to DES will also result in an increased risk of breast cancer in the offspring, though there is some preliminary evidence to support this. The employment of optimal hormonal therapy (for breast cancer) in this special population may be hampered by the fact that agents with oestrogen agonistic activity (such as tamoxifen) may be contraindicated. Though some of the newer hormonal agents, such as the pure anti-oestrogen Fulvestrant and the aromatase inhibitors, could be considered interesting alternatives for postmenopausal patients, their safety in this population has never been evaluated. Finally, the prevalence prenatal exposure to DES may have been underestimated patients diagnosed with breast cancer, though this information might have major implications in their management. We report on the interesting example of a young woman with a history of vaginal adenosis, who was also diagnosed with early breast cancer.

Background Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone required for proper folding and activation of many cancer-promoting proteins. Several Hsp90 clients are oncoproteins known to play a key role in the pathobiology of breast cancer, including HER2, p95-HER2, EGFR, ER, PI3K, AKT, and VEGFR. The inactivation of these oncoproteins by Hsp90 inhibition is a promising approach for breast cancer therapy. Ganetespib is an Hsp90 inhibitor which has shown anti-tumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with lung, breast, and other cancers. Ganetespib is well tolerated without severe liver or common ocular toxicities. In a phase 2 trial, 22 breast cancer patients who had received up to 3 prior lines of chemotherapy including trastuzumab were treated with ganetespib monotherapy. In patients with HER2+ disease, the objective response rate (ORR) was 15% (2/13) and the SD rate was 46% (6/13). Only 3 patients presented with TNBC; one of those patients achieved SD with substantial tumor shrinkage on treatment. Methods This is a single arm international open-label Phase 2 study in patients with HER2 amplified, or triple negative breast cancer. Patients must not have received any prior therapy in the metastatic setting. Prior adjuvant therapy is allowed. Primary endpoint: ORR. Main secondary endpoints include disease control rate, and progression free survival. Additionally, fresh biopsies and serum samples are collected from all patients for determination of predictors of response and mechanisms of resistance to treatment. Patients are treated with ganetespib 150 mg/m2 is given twice weekly of a 4-week cycle for up to 12 weeks. A total of 70 patients are planned for accrual. At the time of submission, the study is receiving IRB approvals in several centers. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

We report on the case of a patient with a diagnosis of an uncommon breast tumour, namely a radiation-induced angiosarcoma, which was primarily refractory to anthracycline-based chemotherapy, but highly sensitive to docetaxel. Although the sarcomas in general tend to be relatively refractory to taxanes, there is some evidence that the angiosarcomas may be sensitive to these agents. This is particularly well documented with paclitaxel, but may also be the case with docetaxel.

Background Trastuzumab-associated cardiotoxicity (TAC) has been established in the context of clinical trials. However, when newly registered agents are used in a broader patient population, their safety profile does not always mirror that of the pivotal trials. Trastuzumab (T) only became available in the Brazilian public sector in 2008 and herein we report our off-trial experience so far. Methods Retrospective, single center cohort of HER-2 positive breast cancer patients (pts) treated with (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and T from July 2008 to March 2012. 95.3% were treated according to local protocol (11.4% TCH; 83.9% AC-TH). Major cardiac event (MCE) was defined as a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) drop of 10% and absolute drop to Results 237 women were identified: median age 53 y (27-83), 99.6% ECOG-PS 0-1, median body mass index 27.4 kg/m2 (17 – 46), 30.4% had hypertension (HTN), 8.8% had diabetes mellitus (DM), 5.9% had previous cardiopathy. 54.8% had ER-positive tumors; 40.7% received neoadjuvant T; most were stage II or III (22.3% and 37.1%). Median number of ECHO assessments was 2.7 (0-6); 136 pts (57.2%) completed T as planned. 20.2% had MCE (13.9% discontinued T). 3.8% discontinued T due to symptomatic HF and 5% for non-cardiac reasons. 41.6% of MCE pts recovered cardiac function. Median initial LVEF was 64.83 ± 1.5 % (no event) vs 64.81 ± 1.5 % (MCE) p = 0.26; median 3-month LFVE was 64.67 ± 4 % (no event) vs 56.12 ± 3 % (MCE) p = 0.0036. HTN, DM, obesity, age, radiotherapy, use of anthracycline and previous cardiopathy were not significantly associated with TAC. Conclusions Our results suggest that TAC in our routine practice is slightly higher than reported in literature (6 to 17%), possibly reflecting selection bias in clinical trials. Symptomatic TAC was as expected for AC-TH (4%). We failed to identify risk factors for TAC, possibly due to the low number of events. Cardiac function must be closely monitored during T treatment and careful pt selection is crucial. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background The Oncotype Dx® recurrence score (RS) assay quantifies the risk of distant recurrence (rDR) and its use has increased despite the lack of prospective studies. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients (PTS) from our Institution with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer (IBC) who underwent surgery with curative intent and in whom Oncotype Dx (ODx) was performed. The main objectives were to compare (1) the predicted rDR by RS and Adjuvant! (2) Risk allocation by RS and St Gallen Criteria and (3) the agreement between histological grading (HG) and RS. Results From October/2006 to April/2012, 105 PTS with ER positive IBC were evaluated. Median age: 55y. Sixty-eight (64.8%) were EC IA; axillary lymph node involvement was seen in 25 PTS (14 micro and 11 macrometastasis). The rDR by RS was low in 64 PTS (60.9%), intermediate in 34 (32.4%) and high in 7 (6.7%). According to Saint Gallen, 12 (12%), 68 (68%) and 20 PTS (20%) were classified as low, intermediate and high risk, respectively, among 100 classifiable PTS. There was no statistically significant agreement between risk allocation by RS and Saint Gallen criteria (Kappa coefficient = -0.043; p = 0.401). Ki-67 data was available for 89 PTS: Conclusions We found no statistically significant agreement between Oncotype Dx®, the Saint Gallen criteria, Adjuvant!Online, or Ki-67. However, a potential association between HG and RS was noted. The rDR may be overestimated by clinicopathological-based classifications Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.