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Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is well known for its more aggressive course and poorer prognosis compared to other BC subtypes. RegistEM study provides real world data to understand the distribution of BC subtypes in the advanced setting, being its primary objective. Biological samples collection is part of its procedures. This is a non-interventional cohort study and 1,907 patients (pts) have been enrolled up to now (females and males) with advanced BC (ABC), diagnosed from Jan-2016 to Dec-2019, either after recurrence or as first BC diagnosis, in 38 Spanish sites. These pts will be followed for at least 5 years. Methods: In the current analysis (cut-off date 08/April/2022, database ongoing), we describe characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes, including comparison between recurrent and de novo disease, of 157 pts with advanced TNBC included in the RegistEM study. Those pts represent the 10% of pts available in the database at the cut-off date and with ABC diagnosis up to December 2018 (n=1559). The BC clinical subtypes were histologically confirmed on the most recent tumor lesion (metastatic [M] or primary BC) before starting with the 1st-line therapy. Results: At first ABC diagnosis, 73% pts had recurrent early BC (EBC), 26% de novo MBC and 1% unresectable locally ABC (ULABC). Median age was 57 years (range 30-88), all pts were women, 98% Caucasian and 65% postmenopausal. Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 37% pts, and a hereditary-risk genetic test was performed in 59 of 147 pts. Germline BRCA1/2 and TP53 were the most frequently mutated genes, 21% (6/28) and 47% (8/17) pts, respectively. Visceral involvement was present in 69% pts (similar between recurrent EBC and de novo ABC, although brain metastases were only present in the recurrent EBC group), and ≤ 2 metastatic locations in 59%. In 61% (70/115) pts with recurrent EBC, the subtype was assessed in metastatic lesions, and 39 pts of them also had TN subtype in primary BC. In terms of the most frequent therapies by line: 1) 1st-line: chemotherapy (CT) (60%) and CT/biological therapy (BT) (39%). Of the 87 pts with CT alone, monotherapy was the preferred option in 57% pts (capecitabine 25%, taxanes 16%, and eribulin or vinorelbine, 5% each). Bevacizumab was the most frequent BT (79%) combined with CT (single agent in 56% pts, mostly taxanes and capecitabine). Progressive disease (PD) was reported in 85% pts (similar in pts with both recurrent and de novo MBC or ULABC); 2) 2nd-line: CT (79%) (monotherapy capecitabine, eribulin, taxanes) and CT/BT (17%) (CT-containing bevacizumab 82%). Progression was reported in 92% pts; 3) 3rd-line: CT (90%) (eribulin 33%, platinum-based 25%) and CT/BT (9%) (CT-containing bevacizumab 67%). Progression was reported in 88% pts. At database cut-off date, death was reported in 133 (85%) pts, mainly because of PD. Overall survival (OS) was similar between both groups, recurrent and de novo MBC. Conclusion: In this population of Spanish TNBC pts with ABC, three quarters had recurrent disease. De novo ABC pts had a higher proportion of non-visceral metastases, with absence of brain involvement at the first diagnosis. Single-agent CT and CT plus bevacizumab were the most frequent therapies, and OS was similar between recurrent and de novo MBC pts, although numerically higher in the later group. Citation Format: Silvia Antolin Novoa, César A Rodríguez, Josefina Cruz, Sara López-Tarruella, Ariadna Tibau, Encarna Adrover, Ana Miguel, Mireia Margelí, Purificación Martínez, María Hernández, Antonio Antón, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Catalina Falo, Isabel Álvarez, Diego Malón, Raquel Andrés, José L Alonso-Romero, César Gómez, J. José Illaramendi, Ruth Campo, Juan José Miralles, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Angel Guerrero-Zotano. Treatment strategies for advanced triple negative breast cancer patients as per routine clinical practice: analysis from the observational study GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-45.

Background: HER2-low breast cancer (BC) is a new therapeutic entity, but it is uncertain if this subgroup of BC differs from HER2-negative tumors in clinical characteristics, prognosis, and response to therapy. The objective is to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 422 patients (pts) with HER2-low BC documented before 1st line, having been diagnosed with advanced BC (ABC) before 2019 and included in the RegistEM study (n=1,663). Methods: In this analysis (cut-off date 08/April/2022; database is ongoing), two subgroups of pts have been considered based on HER2 results: HER2-low (n=422) (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 1+ or IHC 2+ and in situ hybridization [ISH] negative) and HER2-IHC 0 (n=590), as reference. Hormone Receptor (HR) expression has also been considered for subgroup analysis. Results: At first ABC diagnosis, < 1% pts had unresectable locally advanced BC (ULABC) in both groups, 31% de novo metastatic BC in HER2-low and 20% in HER2-IHC0 groups. Less than 1% were male, 99% Caucasian and ~71% postmenopausal. Median age was 60 years, being similar between both groups (range 26-96). Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 32% pts in HER2-low and 29% in HER2-IHC0. Germline BRCA1/2 mutation was higher in HER2-low (14/40=35%) in reference to HER2-IHC0 (14/64=22%) (p=0.14). Relevant information summarized by HR expression and HER2 status are detailed in the table below. Visceral disease was similar in both total groups (58% in HER2-low vs HER2-IHC0 56%), but slightly higher in HR- HER2-low pts (81% vs 64%), and 84% and 90% pts had ≤3 metastatic locations, in HER2-low and HER2-IHC0 groups, respectively. Distribution of 1st-line therapies was also similar between both groups, being endocrine therapy (ET) plus biological therapy (BT) (HER2-low 39% vs HER2-IHC0 36%) and ET (HER2-low 30% vs HER2-IHC0 28%), while chemotherapy (CT) (HER2-low 13% vs HER2-IHC0 16%) and CT plus BT (HER2-low 9% vs HER2-IHC0 10%) were more frequent in HR- pts. A 2nd-line therapy was reported in 70% HER2-low pts and 67% HER2-IHC0 pts. The median time to progression (TTP) at 1st-line therapy in HER2-low pts was 11 mo (0-66), being similar in HER2-IHC0 pts, but the higher difference was observed in relation to HR expression. Treatments in 2nd-line were similar in both groups, CT and ET/BT were the most frequent totally. Median duration of 2nd-line therapy was ~6 mo; progressive disease (PD) was reported in 85% pts. A 3rd-line therapy was reported in 74% HER2-low and 69% HER2-IHC0 pts. The median time to progression (TTP) to 3rd-line therapy was 6 mo, being similar in HER2-low and HER2-IHC0 pts .The most frequent 3rd-line therapies were CT and ET/BT in both groups, as in 2nd-line. Median duration of 3rd-line therapy was 4 mo; PD was reported in 84% HER2-low pts and 82% HER2-IHC0 pts. Median (95% confidence interval [CI]) PFS at 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines (mo) were 14 (12-16), 6 (5-7) and 6 (5-6) in HER2-low pts, being similar in HER2-IHC0. OS was comparable in all soubgroups analyzed, however, differences were observed regarding HR status. Conclusions: Our results show that HER2-low BC pts have similar characteristics than HER2-IHC0 BC pts. There are differences in therapy outcomes in terms of survival and prognosis, particularly in HR- tumors, being better in HER2-low BC pts. It could be related to the fact that these tumors have a specific biology, but more evidence is needed. Citation Format: Isabel Álvarez, Angel Guerrero-Zotano, Ariadna Tibau, Catalina Falo, María Hernández, Ana Miguel, Raquel Andrés, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Miguel Corbellas, Sara López-Tarruella, Purificación Martínez, Cesar A Rodríguez, Diego Malón, María Marin, Mª José Echarri, Antonio Antón, Josefina Cruz, Diana Moreno, J. Ignacio Chacón, Ruth Campo, Andrea Blasco, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Silvia Antolin. Features and survival outcomes of HER2-low patients from a prospective registry of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-30.

Background: Over the last years, the treatment of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) patients (pts) has been changing because of the development of new anti-HER2 agents. In the current analysis, we describe the features, treatment patterns, progression-free survivall (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes of BC pts with HER2 + (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or IHC 2+ and in situ hybridization [ISH]+), following ASCO/CAP 2018 guidelines in the most recent tumor lesion before the 2nd-line. Methods: The RegistEM study is an ongoing BC registry study that is providing prospective data from around 1900 pts diagnosed with advanced BC (ABC) between 01/Jan/2016 and 31/Dec/2019, in 38 Spanish institutions from GEICAM network. In this analysis, 296 HER2+ BC pts have been included, representing the 18% of pts available in the database at the cut-off date (08/Apr/2022), with ABC diagnosis before 2019 (n=1559). Results: At first ABC diagnosis, 58% (n=173) pts had recurrent disease (>36 months [mo] from initial BC diagnosis in 62%), 41% (n=120) de novo metastatic BC and 1% (n=3) unresectable locally ABC (ULABC); the median age was 58 years, 68% were postmenopausal and there was only 1 male pt. From total 296 pts, 66% had hormone receptor expression [HR+]; the BC subtype was assessed in tumor tissue from the breast (58%) or a metastatic lesion (34%), and in 8% pts, HER2 positivity was observed after the 1st-line. Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 28% pts, and a hereditary-risk genetic test was performed in 26% pts (n=74/282). Germline BRCA1/2 and TP53 genetic testing were reported in 14 and 26 pts respectively, being mutated in 3/14 (21%) and 5/26 (19%) pts. Bone (50%), lymph nodes (49%), liver (35%), lung (31%), soft tissue (8%) and central nervous system (CNS), mostly in brain (8%), were the main metastatic sites. One hundred pts were diagnosed with CNS metastases: 24 at baseline, 48 during the 1st-line and 28 in subsequent lines. Additional data according to HR status and type of ABC are detailed in the table below, showing a worse prognosis in absence of HR expression. In HR- pts, bone metastases were less frequent and lymph nodes metastases more frequent compared to HR+ pts. Visceral disease was present in 69% (66% in HR+ and 74% in HR-; non-statistically significant) pts and ≈80% had ≤3 (54%, ≤2) locations involved. The most common therapies by line were: 1) 1st-line: Chemotherapy (CT) + biological therapy (BT) (38%), CT + BT+ endocrine therapy (ET) (35%), and ET + BT [11%]; 2) 2nd-line: BT (55%), CT + BT (20%) and ET + BT (15%); 3) 3rd-line: CT + BT (49%) and BT (31%). The median (95% confidence interval [CI]) progression-free survival (PFS) on 1st, 2nd and 3rd line was 18 (15-22), 8 (7-9) and 6 (5-8) mo, respectively. The median (95% CI) overall survival (OS) from ABC diagnosis was 43 (40-49) mo. These survival outcomes were higher in HR+ pts, however, the differences were only statistically significant in OS (p=0.006; log-rank). At database cut-off date, death was reported in 47% pts. Conclusions: In spite of the anti-HER2 therapies administered in the advanced setting, the HR expression is a relevant prognostic factor, with a clinically and statistically significant impact in OS, improving the outcomes of HR+ pts. Citation Format: Sara López-Tarruella, Angel Guerrero-Zotano, Josefina Cruz, Silvia Antolin Novoa, Purificación Martínez, María Hernández, César A Rodríguez, J. Ignacio Chacón, Ariadna Tibau, Catalina Falo, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Mireia Margelí, Sonia Servitja, Raquel Andrés, María Galán-Gramaje, Encarna Adrover, Ana Miguel, Rafael Villanueva, Silvia Varela, Ruth Campo, Mª José Escudero, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Isabel Álvarez. Real-world data of Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) patients with HER2-positivity before the second-line therapy: data from the observational study GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-07-38.

Background: The RegistEM study is a non-interventional study that is providing prospective data from around 1900 ABC pts (females and males) diagnosed with advanced disease between 01/Jan/2016 and 31/Dec/2019, either after recurrence or at 1st diagnosis, in 38 Spanish sites representative of the national territory and whose investigators are GEICAM members. Methods: In the current analysis (cut-off date 10/May/2021, ongoing database), we describe the features of 279 pts included in the RegistEM study, with HER2+ (immunohistochemistry [IHQ] 3+, IHQ 2+ and in situ hybridization [ISH]+) tumors at any time of their ABC (5% after the 1st-line therapy). This subgroup has been evaluated because of the interest from a clinical perspective. Multivariate Cox analysis aiming to identify factors associated with overall survival (OS) were built. Results: 279 pts were identified, representing the 15% pts available in the database at the cut-off date. At first ABC diagnosis, 48% pts had recurrent BC (>12 months [mo] from initial BC diagnosis in 93%), 51% de novo metastatic BC and 1% unresectable locally advanced BC (ULABC). The median age was 59 years, 98% were white , 71% postmenopausal and only 1 male was part of this subset. Considering the BC subtype assessed in the most recent tumor lesion before the 1st-line therapy, 264 pts wereHER2 positive (67% with hormone receptor [HR]+). Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 31% pts, and an hereditary-risk genetic test was performed in 25% (66/267 pts). BRCA1/2 and TP53 mutations were reported in 4/20 and 4/19 pts, respectively, and p53 overexpression in 20/46 pts. Lymph nodes (56%), bone (49%), liver (34%), lung (33%), soft tissue (10%) and brain (8%) were the main metastatic sites. Additional data according to HR status and type of ABC are detailed in the table below. In HR- pts, bone metastases were less frequent and lymph nodes metastases more frequent compared to HR+ pts. Visceral disease was present in 68% pts and ≈75% had ≤3 (47% ≤2) locations involved. The most common therapies by line were: 1) 1st-line: CT + dual anti-HER2 blockade (3%), chemotherapy (CT) (almost in all pts taxane-based)+dual anti-HER2 blockade + endocrine therapy (ET) (mainly aromatase inhibitors) (35%), and ET + anti-HER2 blockade or ET + cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 inhibitors (11%); 2) 2nd-line: anti-HER2 blockade (56%) [mostly an antibody-drug conjugate (90%)], CT + anti-HER2 blockade (18%) and ET + anti-HER2 blockade (14%); 3) 3rd-line: CT + anti-HER2 blockade (55%) and anti-HER2 blockade (22%). The median time-to-progressions to 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-line were 14, 5, and 4 mo, respectively. A 4th-line therapy was reported in 52% of pts who received a 3rd-line. At database cut-off date, death was reported in 34% of pts. The median OS of this subset of pts was 41 mo (36-49). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, the following variables were significantly related with worse survival (from ABC diagnosis): Brain (HR=2.62; 95% CI, 1.02-6.73) and Visceral no Brain involvement (HR=2.15; 95% CI, 1.02-4.53) compare to only soft tissue lesions; early stage at first diagnosis (HR=1.77; 95% CI, 1.15-2.73); HR- (HR=1.70; 95% CI, 1.11-2.60) and age (HR=1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.07). Conclusions: In this cohort of HER2+ pts with advanced disease, half of them had de novo ABC which was associated with better OS. The median PFS in 1st- and 3rd-line were slightly better in HR+ pts, and in 2nd-line was similar between HR+ and HR- cohorts. HR+181 (67%)HR- 91 (33%)Recurrent EBC134 (48%)ULABC or de novo M1 145 (52%)Time to recurrence >12 mo in EBC pts., n8435125NALocation of metastaticsites, nBoneBrainLiverLungLymph nodesSoft tissue104 10 62 57 90 1829 9 3232 64 1059 15 36 47 51 2278 6 59 46 1056Líne123123123123n180935690492613385521446333Deaths, n211112111161715141584Therapies by line, nET/BT261922101910212100ET12441011022323CT/BT/ET935031038305830CT/BT4017307581552182366924CT3572353711211BT6431373651145143385The most frequent therapies, nCT + dual anti-HER2 blockade + ET8623331551CT + single-agent HER2 blockade + ET522CT + dual anti-HER2 blockade3493644391016252CT + single-agent HER2 blockade4825641588211521CT5573354711411ET*22105212162644ET + HER2 blockade1213411662782Anti-HER2 blockade6431073651145143382Median duration of treatment, mo125585310441064TTP (mo), median (range)15(1-47)5(1-32)5(0-18)11(2-38)5(1-27)4(2-12)12 (1-47)5(1-26)4(0-17)17(2-45)7(1-32)4(1-18)Median PFS, mo14561154------HR: hormone receptor; EBC: early breast cancer; ULABC: unresectable locally advanced breast cancer; M1: metastatic; mo: month; ET: endrocrine therapy; BT: biological therapy; CT: chemotherapy; TTP: time-to-progression; PFS: progression-free survival. *ET includes aromatase inhibitors or selective estrogen receptor degraders, as single-agents or combined with cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6 inhibitors. Citation Format: Isabel Álvarez, Ángel Guerrero-Zotano, Josefina Cruz, Purificación Martínez, María Hernández, César A Rodríguez, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Silvia Antolín, Encarna Adrover, Raquel Andrés, Catalina Falo, Jose Ignacio Chacón, Ana Miguel, Sonia Servitja, Maria Galán Gramaje, Mireia Margelí Vila, César Gómez Raposo, María Jose Echarri, Rafael Villanueva, Ariadna TIbau Martorell, Silvia Varela Ferreiro, Ruth Campo, Juan Jose Miralles, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Sara López-Tarruella. Features of HER2+ metastasic patients (pts) from a prospective registry of advanced breast cancer (ABC), GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-15-04.

Purpose:This phase II study determined the efficacy of lacnotuzumab added to gemcitabine plus carboplatin (gem-carbo) in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).Patients and Methods:Female patients with advanced TNBC, with high levels of tumor-associated macrophages not amenable to curative treatment by surgery or radiotherapy were enrolled. Lacnotuzumab was dosed at 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks, ± a dose on cycle 1, day 8. Gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2) and carboplatin (dose in mg calculated by area under the curve [mg/mL/min] × (glomerular filtration rate [mL/min] + 25 [mL/min]) were dosed every 3 weeks. Treatment continued until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or discontinuation by physician/patient.Results:Patients received lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo (n = 34) or gem-carbo (n = 15). Enrollment was halted due to recruitment challenges owing to rapid evolution of the therapeutic landscape; formal hypothesis testing of the primary endpoint was therefore not performed. Median progression-free survival was 5.6 months [90% confidence interval (CI), 4.47–8.64] in the lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo arm and 5.5 months (90% CI, 3.45–7.46) in the gem-carbo arm. Hematologic adverse events were common in both treatment arms; however, patients treated with lacnotuzumab experienced more frequent aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and creatine kinase elevations. Pharmacokinetic results showed that free lacnotuzumab at 10 mg/kg exhibited a typical IgG pharmacokinetic profile and target engagement of circulating colony-stimulating factor 1 ligand.Conclusions:Despite successful target engagement and anticipated pharmacokinetic profile, lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo showed comparable antitumor activity to gem-carbo alone, with slightly poorer tolerability. However, the data presented in this article would be informative for future studies testing agents targeting the CSF1–CSF1 receptor pathway in TNBC.

Background It has been suggested that the results from fragile trials are less likely to translate into benefit in routine clinical practice. Methods We searched the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) archives to identify drug approvals for solid organ malignancies between 2010 and 2019. We calculated the Fragility Index (FI) supporting each approval, using methods to account for time‐to‐event. We compared FI and trial and approval characteristics using Mann‐Whitney U and Kruskal‐Wallis test. Using logistic regression, we examined study characteristics associated with withdrawal of consent or lost to follow‐up (WCLFU) exceeding the calculated FI. Results The median FI among 125 included studies was 23 (range 1–322). The FI was ≤10 in 35 studies (28%), 11–20 in 21 (17%), and >20 in 69 (55%). The median FI/Nexp was 7.7% (range 0.1–51.7%). The median FI was significantly lower among approvals processed through the accelerated vs regular pathway (5.5 vs 25, p = 0.001), but there was no difference in median FI/Nexp. The WCLFU exceeded FI in 42% of studies. Overall survival endpoints were more likely to have a WCLFU exceeding FI (OR 3.16, p = 0.003). WCLFU exceeding FI was also associated with a lesser magnitude of effect (median HR 0.69 vs 0.55, p FI. Conclusion The median FI among all trials was 23, and WCLFU exceeded FI in 42%. Comparative trials in solid tumors supporting approval through the accelerated pathway are more fragile compared to trials approved through the regular pathway, an observation likely explained by a lower sample size in the experimental arm., Trials in solid tumors supporting accelerated approval are more fragile compared to regular approvals. This finding supports the need for post‐marketing trials or real‐world analyses to ensure the benefit observed in clinical trials is robust and reproducible.

Contains fulltext : 241226.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Olaparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, has previously been shown to extend progression-free survival versus placebo when given to patients with relapsed high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancer who were platinum sensitive and who had a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation, as part of the SOLO2/ENGOT-Ov21 trial. The aim of this final analysis is to investigate the effect of olaparib on overall survival. METHODS: This double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial was done across 123 medical centres in 16 countries. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status at baseline of 0-1, had histologically confirmed, relapsed, high-grade serous or high-grade endometrioid ovarian cancer, including primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer, and had received two or more previous platinum regimens. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive olaparib tablets (300 mg in two 150 mg tablets twice daily) or matching placebo tablets using an interactive web or voice-response system. Stratification was by response to previous chemotherapy and length of platinum-free interval. Treatment assignment was masked to patients, treatment providers, and data assessors. The primary endpoint of progression-free survival has been reported previously. Overall survival was a key secondary endpoint and was analysed in all patients as randomly allocated. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one treatment dose. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01874353, and is no longer recruiting patients. FINDINGS: Between Sept 3, 2013 and Nov 21, 2014, 295 patients were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either olaparib (n=196 [66%]) or placebo (n=99 [34%]). One patient, randomised in error, did not receive olaparib. Median follow-up was 65·7 months (IQR 63·6-69·3) with olaparib and 64·5 months (63·4-68·7) with placebo. Median overall survival was 51·7 months (95% CI 41·5-59·1) with olaparib and 38·8 months (31·4-48·6) with placebo (hazard ratio 0·74 [95% CI 0·54-1·00]; p=0·054), unadjusted for the 38% of patients in the placebo group who received subsequent PARP inhibitor therapy. The most common grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse event was anaemia (which occurred in 41 [21%] of 195 patients in the olaparib group and two [2%] of 99 patients in the placebo group). Serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 50 (26%) of 195 patients receiving olaparib and eight (8%) of 99 patients receiving placebo. Treatment-emergent adverse events with a fatal outcome occurred in eight (4%) of the 195 patients receiving olaparib, six of which were judged to be treatment-related (attributed to myelodysplastic syndrome [n=3] and acute myeloid leukaemia [n=3]). INTERPRETATION: Olaparib provided a median overall survival benefit of 12·9 months compared with placebo in patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed ovarian cancer and a BRCA1/2 mutation. Although statistical significance was not reached, these findings are arguably clinically meaningful and support the use of maintenance olaparib in these patients. FUNDING: AstraZeneca and Merck.

Background: There is limited prospective data for advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients (pts), both unresectable locally (ULABC) or metastatic (MBC) treated as per clinical practice. RegistEM study will provide epidemiological, pathological and clinical data, including treatments for different disease settings. Understanding the real distribution of BC subtypes is the primary objective. This is a non-interventional cohort study that will enroll around 1,867 pts (males or females) with ABC diagnosed from January 2016 to December 2019, either after recurrence or as first diagnosis, in 38 Spanish sites. Triple negative (TN) subtype histologically confirmed in the primary tumor (PT) and/or in a metastatic tumor lesion (M1) and recurrent disease from early stage, has been identified as an interesting group from a clinical perspective for detailed analysis. Methods: In this analysis, we describe the characteristics of 131 pts with TN subtype by local evaluation at any disease stage [in PT only (PT group), in M1 only (M1 group) and in both PT and M1 (group PT/M1)] until progressive disease (PD) at first-line and data of therapeutic options at second-line. Results: Distribution of 131 pts within the groups; PT, M1 and PT/M1, was 45.8%, 27.5% and 26.7%, respectively. To date, 32.1% pts have shown a change of subtype along their BC evolution, >50% of those changes was between TN and Luminal B HER2-. Median time from early BC (EBC) diagnosis until recurrent disease in terms of MBC or ULABC was 33.4 months (mo) (PT and PT/M1-26.0 mo; M1-60.2 mo), with the majority of pts recurring >12 mo (91.6%). Median age at diagnosis of ABC was 58 years (range 31-84), most pts were Caucasian (96.9%), female (99.2%) and postmenopausal (65.6%). Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 41.2% pts, a hereditary-risk genetic test was performed in 21.4% pts (8 pts with BRCA1/2 mutation). Lung (40.5%), lymph nodes (35.9%), bone (35.9%) and liver (20.6%) were the most frequent metastatic locations; central nervous system metastases were developed by 12.2% pts. The rate of visceral involment (60-70% pts) was similar among the 3 subgroups. The most frequent first-line therapies were chemotherapy (CT) (51.1%) and CT/biological therapy (BT) (32.8%). Most pts (68.7%) received CT in monotherapy (capecitabine 50%, taxanes 26.1%). Bevacizumab was the most frequent BT within the CT/BT combination (76.7%). Median duration of first line therapy was 4 mo (range 0.2-20.0). Progression to the first-line CT +/- bevacizumab was reported in 51.1% pts with a median time to progression (TTP) of 4.7 mo (range 0.8-19.0) in the whole group, being similar in pts with TN in and PT and PT/M1 (4.4 mo), and higher in pts with TN in M1 (7.1 mo), no statistically significant difference (p=0.38). A second-line therapy was reported in 57.3% pts and the most frequent therapies were CT (78.7%) (eribulin 33.9%, capecitabine 22.0%, platinum-based 22.0%) and CT/BT (12.0%) (CT-containing bevacizumab 77.8%). Median duration of second-line therapy was 3 mo (range 0.03-15.8) and PD has been reported in 80.0% pts. Third-line therapy was reported in 35.9% pts of this subset. Conclusion: In this subset of pts with TN ABC due to recurrent disease, lung, lymph nodes and bone are the most frequent metastatic locations. The main first- and second-line therapies were CT in monotherapy. Progression to the first-line conventional therapy (CT +/- bevacizumab) was reported in 51.1% pts with a median TTP of 4.7 mo (range 0.8-19.0) in the whole group, being similar in pts with TN in PT and PT/M1 (4.4 mo), and higher in pts with TN in M1 (7.1 mo), no statistically significant difference. 36% of the initial subset of pts reported to be treated in the third-line setting. Pts with TN only in M1 seem to have a longer time to progression from EBC. Citation Format: Carlos Jara, César A. Rodríguez, Isabel Alvarez, Catalina Falo, Purificación Martínez, Raquel Andrés, Josefina Cruz, Marta Mori, Encarna Adrover, Ariadna Tibau, Silvia Antolin, Mireia Margeli, Jose L. Alonso, Bella I. Pajares, M. Carmen Camara, J. Jose Miralles, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Sara López-Tarruella, Angel Guerrero- Zotano. Geicam/2014-03 (RegisTEM): A prospective registry of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: Characteristics of a subset of patients with triple negative subtype [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-25.

Background: The RegistEM study is a non-interventional cohort study that will provide prospective data from >1,800 advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients (pts), either after recurrence or as first diagnosis in 38 Spanish sites. Primary objective is the distribution of BC subtypes. A new nomenclature has been proposed for those cases with immunohistochemistry (IHC) 1+ or 2+ and negative in situ hybridization (ISH), HER2-low BC. In clinical practice these tumors are reported as HER2 negative. This subpopulation has been identified as an interesting group from a clinical perspective. Methods: In this analysis (cut-off date 01/April/2020; database is ongoing) we describe the characteristics of 229 pts with hormone receptor (HR)+/HER2-low BC documented in a metastatic lesion after early disease recurrence and who received adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET). Three subgroups of pts have been considered for this analysis based on HER2 results: HER2 IHC 0, HER2-low, and HER2 ISH- (without IHC). Biological samples collection is part of study procedures. Results: The distribution of HER2 IHC 0, HER2-low, and HER2 ISH- subgroups was 52.4%, 42.8% and 4.8%, respectively. The median time to advance disease was 98.6, 88.8 and 106.9 mo in each group. Almost all pts were female and Caucasian (99%), and at ABC diagnosis, 75.5% were postmenopausal. Median age was 59 years (range 33-88). Fourteen (6.1%) pts had HER2+ (IHC 3+ or ISH amplified) BC subtype during their disease. Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 31.4% pts, an hereditary-risk genetic test was performed in 11.4% (n=26) pts in total and BRCA2 gene mutation (n=6) was the only one reported. The most frequent metastases are included in Table 1. Visceral disease was present in 63.3% pts and 76% pts had ≤2 locations. The most frequent 1st-line therapies were ET/biological therapy (BT) (46.7%) and ET (28.8%), and were equal distributed in the 3 subgroups. The most common ET/BT regimens were aromatase inhibitor (AI)/cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDKi) (49.1%/48.9%/42.9% in each subgroup) and fulvestrant (FUL)/CDKi (35.8%/27.7%/28.6%); AIs (50%/64%/66.7%) and FUL (31.6%/20%/0%) were also the most common drugs for monotherapy ET. A 2nd-line therapy was reported in ~53% pts in HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low, and in 36% pts in HER2 ISH-. The median time to progression (TTP) to 1st-line therapy was 11.4 mo (1.2-37.0), being similar in pts with HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low (~11 mo), and higher in pts with HER2 ISH- (16 mo). The most frequent 2nd-line therapies were ET/BT (~34% in HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low, and 25% in HER2 ISH-) [FUL/CDKi (36.4%/47.1%/100%), AI/CDKi (36.4%/23.5%/0%)], chemotherapy as monotherapy (17 pts out of 63 in HER2 IHC 0, 17 pts out of 53 in HER2-low and 1 pt (capecitabine) out of 4 in HER2 FISH-) (capecitabine 29.4%/52.9% in HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low). Median duration of 2nd-line therapy was ~5 mo in HER2 IHC 0 and ~8 mo in HER2-low and HER2 ISH-; disease progression was reported in 52.4%/62.3%/50% pts, respectively. Conclusions: In this population of HR+ tumors, the proportion of HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low groups was similar. Time to advance relapse and the distribution of distant metastases were similar among the groups. The most common first- and second-line therapy was the ET/BT combination, with AI/CDKi and FUL/CDKi, respectively. Table 1Location of metastatic lesionsIHC 0HER2-lowISH- non IHCN=120 N (%)N=98 N (%)N=11 N (%)Bone74 (61.7)55 (56.1)6 (54.5)Liver36 (30.0)37 (37.8)3 (27.3)Lung27 (22.5)21 (21.4)5 (45.5)Lymph Node27 (22.5)21 (21.4)2 (18.2)Soft Tissue6 (5.0)11 (11.2)0CNS3 (2.5)4 (4.1)0Other43 (35.8)31 (31.6)5 (45.5) Citation Format: Isabel Álvarez, Angel Guerrero, Sara López-Tarruella, Purificación Martínez, Marta Mori, Catalina Falo, Silvia Antolín, César A Rodríguez, Mireia Margeli, Isabel Garau, Ariadna Tibau, Diana Moreno, Josefina Cruz, María José Echarri, Antonio Antón, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, María José Escudero, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Carlos Jara. Characteristics of HR+/HER2- patients with recurrent disease by HER2 expression from a prospective registry of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-24.

Background: The RegistEM study will provide prospective data from advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients (pts). Understanding the real distribution of BC subtypes is its primary objective. A new nomenclature has been proposed for those cases with HER2 1+ or 2+ by immunohistochemistry and negative in situ hybridization, HER2-low BC. In clinical practice, these tumors are reported as HER2 negative. Methods: This is a non-interventional study that will enroll approximately 1,867 pts with ABC diagnosed from January 2016 to December 2019, either after recurrence or as 1st diagnosis, in 38 Spanish sites. Biological samples (primary and/or metastatic tumor lesions, and blood) collection is part of its procedures. In this analysis (cut-off date 01/April/2020, database ongoing), we describe the characteristics of pts with Triple Negative (TN) subtype and HER2-low expression (as mentioned above). Biomarkers, including HER2, were determined in either primary tumor (PT), M1 or in both, PT and M1. Results: This subset of pts make up 37.4% (n=49) of TN pts considered for this analysis (n=131). Their distribution within the three groups (PT, M1 and PT/M1), was 46.9% (n=23), 42.9% (n=21) and 10.2% (n=5), respectively. These pts were diagnosed with early BC (EBC) and at recurrence, 91.7% presented distant metastases. Median time from EBC diagnosis until recurrent disease in terms of ABC was 29.8 months (mo), with the majority of pts recurring at >12 mo (95.9%), similar to the whole TN subset. Most pts were Caucasian (98%), and at diagnosis of ABC, the median age was 60 years (range 31-84) and 65.3% were postmenopausal. A change of BC subtype was documented in 15/49 (30.6%) pts, with the higher rate in M1 group (52.4%); as opposed to the TN subset, a change to HER2+ disease was reported in 6/15 (40.0%) pts and just after the TN subtype in all cases. Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 42.9% pts and any genetic test to assess the hereditary risk was performed in 30.6% pts. Similarly to TN subset, lung (36.7%), lymph nodes and bone (34.7% each) and liver (24.5%) were the most frequent metastatic locations; central nervous system metastases were developed by 14.3% pts. Visceral involvement was present in 66.7% pts, being this rate lower in M1 compared to PT and PT/M1 groups. The most frequent 1st-line therapies were chemotherapy (CT) (44.9%) and CT/biological therapy (BT) (36.7%). Type of CT mainly included capecitabine (36.4%), taxanes (27.3%), eribulin (13.6%) and platinum-based combinations (13.6%). Most pts received CT as monotherapy (86.4%). Bevacizumab (BVZ) was the most frequent BT associated to CT (77.8%), mainly with capecitabine and/or paclitaxel (72.2%). Progressive disease to 1st-line therapy in the whole group was reported in 73.5% pts (higher than in TN subset), with a median time to progression (TTP) of 5.7 mo (range 1.7-15.0); PT was the group with a higher PD rate. A 2nd-line therapy was reported in 63.3% pts. Similarly to 1st-line setting, the most frequent 2nd-line therapies were CT (74.2%) and CT/BT (12.9%) (with BVZ in 75.0% pts). CT in monotherapy was reported in 69.6% pts (capecitabine 31.3%, eribulin 25.0%). Median duration of this line therapy was 3.0 mo (range 0.6-15.8), PD has been reported in 96.8% pts (similar between groups), and 3rd-line therapy in 25/49 (51.0%) pts. Conclusions: In TN/HER2-low ABC pts, lung, lymph nodes and bone were the most frequent metastatic locations. As opposed to TN subset, HER2+ disease is part of the subtype changes reported. Although the main 1st- and 2nd-line therapies were CT and CT/BT, similarly to TN subset, the rate of pts with PD to 1st- and 2nd-line therapies is higher, and also those pts treated in the 3rd-line setting. Citation Format: Carlos Jara, Isabel Álvarez, César A Rodríguez, Purificación Martínez, Raquel Andrés, Álvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Diego Malón, Jose Luis Alonso, Encarna Adrover, María José Echarri, Mireia Margeli, Ariadna Tibau, Judith Ramírez, Silvia Antolín, Ruth Campo, Juan José Miralles, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Sara López-Tarruella, Angel Guerrero-Zotano. Geicam/2014-03 (registem): A prospective registry of advanced breast cancer: A subset of triple negative breast cancer patients with her2 low expression [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-35.

Purpose: This phase II study determined the efficacy of lacnotuzumab added to gemcitabine plus carboplatin (gem-carbo) in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients and Methods: Female patients with advanced TNBC, with high levels of tumor-associated macrophages not amenable to curative treatment by surgery or radiotherapy were enrolled. Lacnotuzumab was dosed at 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks, ± a dose on cycle 1, day 8. Gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2) and carboplatin (dose in mg calculated by area under the curve [mg/mL/min] × (glomerular filtration rate [mL/min] + 25 [mL/min]) were dosed every 3 weeks. Treatment continued until unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or discontinuation by physician/patient. Results: Patients received lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo (n = 34) or gem-carbo (n = 15). Enrollment was halted due to recruitment challenges owing to rapid evolution of the therapeutic landscape; formal hypothesis testing of the primary endpoint was therefore not performed. Median progression-free survival was 5.6 months [90% confidence interval (CI), 4.47–8.64] in the lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo arm and 5.5 months (90% CI, 3.45–7.46) in the gem-carbo arm. Hematologic adverse events were common in both treatment arms; however, patients treated with lacnotuzumab experienced more frequent aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and creatine kinase elevations. Pharmacokinetic results showed that free lacnotuzumab at 10 mg/kg exhibited a typical IgG pharmacokinetic profile and target engagement of circulating colony-stimulating factor 1 ligand. Conclusions: Despite successful target engagement and anticipated pharmacokinetic profile, lacnotuzumab + gem-carbo showed comparable antitumor activity to gem-carbo alone, with slightly poorer tolerability. However, the data presented in this article would be informative for future studies testing agents targeting the CSF1–CSF1 receptor pathway in TNBC.

Background: Most anticancer drugs are approved by regulatory agencies based on surrogate measures. This article explores the variables associated with overall survival (OS), quality of life (QoL), and substantial clinical benefit among anticancer drugs at the time of approval and in the postmarketing period. Methods: Anticancer drugs approved by the FDA between January 2006 and December 2015 and with postmarketing follow-up until April 2019 were identified. We evaluated trial-level data supporting approval and any updated OS and/or QoL data. We applied the ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) and the ASCO Value Framework (ASCO-VF) to initial and follow-up studies. Results: We found that 58 drugs were approved for 96 indications based on 96 trials. At registration, approval was based on improved OS in 39 trials (41%) and improved QoL in 16 of 45 indications (36%). Postmarketing data showed an improvement in OS for 28 of 59 trials (47%) and in QoL for 22 of 48 indications (46%). At the time of approval, 25 of 94 (27%) and 26 of 80 scorable trials (33%) met substantial benefit thresholds using the ESMO-MCBS and ASCO-VF, respectively. In the postmarketing period, 37 of 69 (54%) and 35 of 65 (54%) trials met the substantial benefit thresholds. Drugs with companion diagnostics and immune checkpoint inhibitors were associated significantly with substantial clinical benefit. Conclusions: Compared with the time of approval, more anticancer drugs showed improved OS and QoL and met the ESMO-MCBS or ASCO-VF thresholds for substantial benefit over the course of postmarketing time. However, only approximately half of the trials met the threshold for substantial benefit. Companion diagnostic drugs and immunotherapy seemed to be associated with greater clinical benefit.

IMPORTANCE The high cost of cancer medicines is a public health challenge. Policy makers in the US and Europe are debating reforms to drug pricing that would cover both the prices of new medicines when entering the market and price increases after they are launched. OBJECTIVE To assess launch prices, postlaunch price changes, and clinical benefit of cancer drugs in the US compared with 3 European countries (England, Germany, and Switzerland). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This economic evaluation identified all new drugs that were approved for use in the US, England, Germany, and Switzerland with initial indications for treatment of adult solid tumor and hematologic cancers. Analysis included drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2019, and by the European Medicines Agency and Swissmedic until December 31, 2019. Prices were adjusted for currency and inflation. Clinical benefit of drugs indicated for solid tumors was assessed using the American Society of Clinical Oncology Value Framework and European Society for Medical OncologyMagnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale. Using Spearman rank correlation coefficients, correlations between clinical benefit and launch prices and postlaunch price changes for each country were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Launch prices, postlaunch price changes, and clinical benefit of cancer drugs. RESULTS The cohort included 65 drugs: 47 (72%) approved for solid tumors and 18 (28%) for hematologic cancers. In all countries, the lowest median monthly treatment costs at launch were greater in 2018-2019 vs 2009-2010: $14 580 vs $5790 in the US, $5888 vs $4289 in Germany, $6593 vs $5784 in Switzerland, and $6867 vs $3939 in England. Between 2009 and 2019, 48 of 65 (74%) cancer drugs had price increases in the US that were greater than inflation. Only 1 of 62 (2%) drugs in England, 0 of 60 drugs in Germany, and 7 of 56 drugs (13%) in Switzerland had a median price increase greater than inflation. There were no associations between launch prices or postlaunch price changes and clinical benefit in any assessed country. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE During this economic evaluation study period, launch prices of cancer drugs were substantially higher in the US than in the assessed similar high-income European countries, a gap that increased in the years after approval. Cancer drug prices frequently increased faster than inflation in the US but decreased on inflation-adjusted terms in Europe. Price changes were not associated with clinical benefit in any country.

Background It is unknown to what extent cancer drugs approved in Switzerland by the Swissmedic fulfil criteria of clinical benefit according to the European Society of Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale version 1.1 (ESMO-MCBS), the American Society of Clinical Oncology Value Framework version 2 (ASCO-VF) and the Swiss OLUtool v2 (OLUtool). Patients and methods An electronic search identified studies that led to marketing authorisations in Switzerland 2010–2019. Studies were evaluated according to ESMO-MCBS, ASCO-VF and OLUtool. Substantial benefit for ESMO-MCBS, was defined as a grade A or B for (neo)adjuvant intent and 4 or 5 for palliative intent. For ASCO-VF and OLUtool clinical benefit was defined as score ≥45 and A or B, respectively. Concordance between the frameworks was calculated with Cohen’s Kappa (κ). Factors associated with clinical benefit were evaluated by logistic regression. Results In the study period, 48 drugs were approved for 92 evaluable indications, based on 100 studies. Ratings for ESMO-MCBS, ASCO-VF and OLUtool could be performed for 100, 86, and 97 studies, respectively. Overall, 39 (39%), 44 (51%), 45 (46%) of the studies showed substantial clinical benefit according to ESMO-MCBS v1.1, ASCO-VF, OLUtool criteria, respectively. There was fair concordance between ESMO-MCBS and ASCO-VF in the palliative setting (κ = 0.31, P = 0.004) and moderate concordance between ESMO-MCBS and OLUtool (κ = 0.41, PP = 0.12). Factors associated with substantial clinical benefit in multivariable analysis were HRQoL benefit reported as secondary outcome for ESMO-MCBS and the ASCO-VF and blinded studies for OLUtool. Conclusions At the time of approval, only around half of the trials supporting marketing authorisation of recently approved cancer drugs in Switzerland meet the criteria for substantial clinical benefit when evaluated with ESMO-MCBS, ASCO-VF or OLUtool. There was at best only moderate concordance between the grading systems.

Objective To investigate whether US Food and Drug Administration approval of new drugs without randomization or an active drug comparator is associated with more postmarketing safety-related label modifications. Methods We searched Drugs@FDA for new drugs approved from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2014. Drugs approved without supporting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were matched to between 1 and 2 controls from similar therapeutic categories approved with supporting RCTs within 3 years of the reference drug. Study characteristics, regulatory pathways, and label modifications up to December 2017 were collected from drug labels. Differences in postmarketing safety modifications between cases and controls were assessed using conditional logistic regression. Results The study cohort included 52 drugs approved without supporting RCTs and 91 matched controls. Drug approvals not supported by RCTs were associated with lower sample size (odds ratio [OR] per 100 patients, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.87) and were more likely to receive orphan drug designation (OR, 5.10; 95% CI, 2.23-11.69), fast-track designation (OR, 4.80; 95% CI, 2.25-10.23), and accelerated approval (OR, 7.00; 95% CI, 3.14-15.60). Drugs approved without supporting RCTs were associated with more modifications in black box warnings (28.8% vs 13.2%; OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.13-6.27), warnings and precautions (73.1% vs 52.7%; OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.16-5.09), and common adverse reactions (48.1% vs 23.1%; OR, 3.09; 95% CI, 1.49-6.41). Conclusion Food and Drug Administration approval of new drugs without supporting RCTs is associated with more postmarketing safety-related label modifications than drugs approved with supporting RCTs. Robust postmarketing studies are required for drugs approved without supporting RCTs. Health care professionals should be vigilant for unrecognized adverse effects when prescribing these drugs.

Background The clinical benefit and pricing of breakthrough-designated cancer drugs are uncertain. This study compares the magnitude of the clinical benefit and monthly price of new and supplemental breakthrough-designated and non-breakthrough-designated cancer drug approvals. Methods A cross-sectional cohort comprised approvals of cancer drugs for solid tumors from July 2012 to December 2017. For each indication, the clinical benefit from the pivotal trials was scored via validated frameworks: the American Society of Clinical Oncology Value Framework (ASCO-VF), the American Society of Clinical Oncology Cancer Research Committee (ASCO-CRC), the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS), and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Evidence Blocks. A high clinical benefit was defined as scores ≥ 45 for the ASCO-VF, overall survival gains ≥ 2.5 months or progression-free survival gains ≥ 3 months for all cancer types for the ASCO-CRC criteria, a grade of A or B for trials of curative intent and a grade of 4 or 5 for trials of noncurative intent for the ESMO-MCBS, and scores of 4 and 5 and a combined score ≥ 16 for the NCCN Evidence Blocks. Monthly Medicare drug prices were calculated with Medicare prices and DrugAbacus. Results This study identified 106 trials supporting approval of 52 drugs for 96 indications. Forty percent of these indications received the breakthrough designation. Among the included trials, 33 (43%), 46 (73%), 35 (34%), and 67 (69%) met the thresholds established by the ASCO-VF, ASCO-CRC, ESMO-MCBS, and NCCN, respectively. In the metastatic setting, there were higher odds of clinically meaningful grades in trials supporting breakthrough drugs with the ASCO-VF (odds ratio [OR], 3.69; P = .022) and the NCCN Evidence Blocks (OR, 5.80; P = .003) but not with the ASCO-CRC (OR, 3.54; P = .11) or version 1.1 (v1.1) of the ESMO-MCBS (OR, 1.22; P = .70). The median costs of breakthrough therapy drugs were significantly higher than those of nonbreakthrough therapies (P = .001). Conclusions In advanced solid cancers, drugs that received the breakthrough therapy designation were more likely than nonbreakthrough therapy drugs to be scored as providing a high clinical benefit with the ASCO-VF and the NCCN Evidence Blocks but not with the ESMO-MCBS v1.1 or the ASCO-CRC scale.

Background Modifications of primary outcome measures after trial initiation can undermine their scientific validity. We aimed to quantify these changes and to characterize potential predictors in clinical drug trials published in high impact factor general medicine journals. Methods The study cohort included all prospective, adult drug clinical trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and Lancet between June 2017 and May 2018. The matching ClinicalTrials.gov entries effective at trial initiation were compared with those effective on July 2018, thereby identifying amendments to primary outcome definitions and assessment timeframes and the planned sample size (defined as >10% change). The primary publications were reviewed for reporting of these amendments. Associations between identified changes and trial characteristics were explored using logistic regression. Results Of the 147 included trials, modifications to primary outcome measures were identified in 80 (54%). Primary outcome definitions, outcome assessment timeframes and the planned sample size were modified in 28 (19%), 12 (8%) and 65 (45%) of registry entries, respectively; of which 21 (75%), 11 (92%), and 33 (51%), respectively, were not reported in the related publications. There were no significant associations between modifications in registry entries and study characteristics. Conclusions Approximately half of trials published in influential medical journals present changes to the design while patient accrual is ongoing, and two thirds of them are unreported. Justification for such modifications should be reported more clearly. Reviewers, editors and readers should consult ClinicalTrials.gov for a more comprehensive report of the evolution of key study methods.

Background: There is limited prospective data for advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients (pts), unresectable locally or metastatic, treated as per clinical practice. RegistEM, an academic study conducted by a non-profit collaborative group, will provide epidemiological, pathological and clinical data as per routine practice, including treatments for different disease settings, collected from pts’ medical records. Understanding the real distribution of BC subtypes is the primary objective. This is a non-interventional cohort study that will enroll approximately 1,867 pts with advanced disease diagnosed from January 2016 to December 2019, either after recurrence or as first diagnosis (de novo), in 38 Spanish sites representative of the whole country geography and whose investigators are GEICAM members. Biological samples (primary and/or metastatic tumor tissue, and blood) collection is part of study procedures. Methods: In this analysis we describe the characteristics of 229 pts with HR+/HER2- BC documented in a metastatic tumor lesion after disease recurrence and who received adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET). This subpopulation has been identify as an interesting group from a clinical perspective for detailed analysis. Three subgroups of pts have been considered for this analysis based on their disease-free interval (DFI) since the diagnosis of early disease: 50% pts recurring at ≥84 mo and only 1.3% pts at ≤12 mo. Most pts were Caucasian (99.1%) and female (99.6%), and at ABC diagnosis, 75.5% were postmenopausal and their median age was 59 years (33-88); median age was higher in pts with DFI ≥60 mo. Family history of BC and/or ovarian cancer was reported in 31.4% pts, with a slightly higher percentage in pts with DFI 50% pts recurred at ≥84 mo. Bone is the most frequent metastatic location in all DFI subgroups. The most common 1st- and 2nd-line therapies were the ET/BT combination, with AI/CDKi and FUL/CDKi, respectively. The median TTP to 1st-line therapy was superior in pts with DFI ≥60 mo. Citation Format: Isabel Alvarez, Angel Guerrero- Zotano, Sara López-Tarruella, Purificación Martínez, Marta Mori, Catalina Falo, Silvia Antolin, Cesar A. Rodríguez, Mireia Margeli, Isabel Garau, Ariadna Tibau, Diana Moreno, Josefina Cruz, M. Jose Echarri, Juan Lao, Alvaro Rodríguez-Lescure, Juan Jose Miralles, Susana Bezares, Federico Rojo, Carlos Jara. Characteristics of HR+/HER2- patients with recurrent disease from a prospective registry of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: GEICAM/2014-03 (RegistEM) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-08.

Background: It is uncertain whether drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have clinically meaningful benefit as determined by validated scales such as the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS). Methods: We searched the Drugs@FDA website for applications of anticancer drugs from January 2006 to December 2016. Study characteristics, outcomes, and regulatory pathways were collected from drug labels and reports of registration trials. For randomized controlled trials (RCTs), ESMO-MCBS grades were applied. Meaningful benefit was defined as a grade of A or B for (neo)adjuvant intent and 4 or 5 for palliative intent. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: We identified 63 individual drugs for 118 indications. These were supported by 135 studies, among which were 105 RCTs for which ESMO-MCBS could be applied. Only 46 (43.8%) met the ESMO-MCBS meaningful benefit threshold (100% of (neo)adjuvant trials and 38.8% of palliative trials). In palliative therapy trials, meaningful ESMO-MCBS grades were associated with phase III trials (compared with phase II; odds ratio [OR] = 38.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.27 to 452.00, P = .004), those with overall survival as their primary end point (compared with intermediate end points; OR = 8.28, 95% CI = 2.49 to 27.50, P = .001) and trials of targeted drugs with companion diagnostics (OR = 11.62, 95% CI = 2.95 to 45.78, P < .001). Over time, there has been an increase in the number of trials meeting the ESMO-MCBS threshold (P-trend = .04). There were insufficient (neo)adjuvant studies to perform statistical analysis. Conclusions: The number of trials meeting the ESMO-MCBS threshold for clinical benefit has improved over time. However, fewer than half of RCTs supporting FDA approval meet the threshold for clinically meaningful benefit.

This study describes sources of initial safety signals that that preceded US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug safety communications and examines their associations with drug characteristics and subsequent label changes.

Background Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are crucial to the practice of evidence-based medicine. Declared author financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) are common in CPGs and have been associated with endorsement of treatment. Less is known about undeclared FCOIs. Methods The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) website was searched to identify all CPGs for systemic therapy published between August 2013 and June 2018. Data on self-reported author FCOIs and funding sources were extracted. The Open Payments database was then searched to identify compensation to CPG authors. Concordance between declared and undeclared but verified FCOIs was assessed with Cohen's kappa. Results For 26 CPGs, 314 nonduplicate authors were identified; 184 of these authors (59%) disclosed FCOIs. Among the remaining 130 authors, data in Open Payments were unavailable for 71 authors (non-US residents or authors affiliated with a nonprofit organization). Among the 59 authors who declared no FCOIs and for whom Open Payments data were available, 55 (93%) had received payment from industry. The kappa value for agreement between disclosed and verified FCOIs was 0.092. Among the 243 authors with FCOIs verifiable via Open Payments, 239 (98%) received payment from industry. Thirty-four authors (62%) received more than $1000 in nonresearch funding, and 19 (35%) received more than $5000. Among the 52 first and last authors, 44 (85%) received payment from industry; 14 of these payments (32%) were not declared. Conclusions FCOIs among authors of ASCO CPGs are common and are not disclosed by a substantial proportion of authors with Open Payments data. Improved transparency of FCOIs should become standard practice among CPG authors. Professional societies and journal editors need to create a mechanism to verify self-reported FCOIs.

Purpose Modifications in cancer drug indications, dosing, and related toxicities after Food and Drug Administration approval are common. It is unclear whether drug approval without a supporting randomized controlled trial (RCT) influences the probability of such modifications. Methods We searched the Drugs@FDA Web site for new drug indications for solid tumors approved between January 2006 and December 2016. Study characteristics, regulatory pathways, and label modifications from approval to October 2017 were collected from drug labels. Label modifications were considered to be major if defined as such in the drug label. Indications approved with and without supporting RCTs were compared using logistic regression. The Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate method was used to adjust for multiplicity. Results We identified 59 individual drugs for 109 solid tumor indications. Of these, 17 indications (15.6%) were not supported by an RCT, with no change over time. Indications not supported by RCTs were more likely to require companion diagnostic tests (odds ratio [OR], 3.90; P = .02), to include surrogate end points as primary outcomes (OR, 7.88; P < .001), and to receive breakthrough therapy designation (OR, 7.62; P = .006) or accelerated approval (OR, 17.67; P < .001). Indications not supported by RCTs were associated with significantly higher odds of postapproval modifications in common adverse events (71% v 29%; OR, 5.78; P = .002). A nonsignificantly higher odds of postapproval major modifications in warnings and precautions was also observed (88% v 62%; OR, 4.61; P = .051). Postapproval major modifications in indication and usage, dosing and administration, boxed warnings, and contraindications were comparable in the two groups. Conclusion Cancer drug indications not supported initially by RCTs are associated with more postmarketing safety-related label modifications. Health care professionals should be vigilant for unrecognized adverse effects when prescribing drugs approved without a supporting RCT.

This study uses the European Society of Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale to evaluate the clinical benefit of anticancer drugs that gained approval by the US Food and Drug Administration based on single-arm rather than randomized clinical trials.

[Background]: Companion diagnostics permit the selection of patients likely to respond to targeted anticancer drugs; however, it is unclear if the drug development process differs between drugs developed with or without companion diagnostics. Identification of differences in study design could help future clinical development. [Patients and Methods]: Anticancer drugs approved for use in solid tumors between 28 September 2000 and 4 January 2014 were identified using a search of the US FDA website. Phase III trials supporting registration were extracted from the drug label. Each published study was reviewed to obtain information about the phase I and II trials used for the development of the respective drug. [Results]: We identified 35 drugs and 59 phase III randomized trials supporting regulatory approval. Fifty-three phase I trials and 47 phase II trials were cited in the studies and were used to support the design of these phase III trials. The approval of drugs using a companion diagnostic has increased over time (p for trend 0.01). Expansion cohorts were more frequently observed with drugs developed with a companion diagnostic (62 vs. 20%; p = 0.005). No differences between drugs developed with or without a companion diagnostic were observed for the design of phase I and II studies. [Conclusions]: The approval of drugs developed with a companion diagnostic has increased over time. The availability of a companion diagnostic was associated with more frequent use of phase I expansion cohorts comprising patients selected by the companion diagnostic., Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI16/01121), ACEPAIN; Diputación de Albacete and CRIS Cancer Foundation (to AO); Beca Ampliación de Estudios (BAE) to AO for his stay at Yale University; Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain (BFU2012–39151 and BFU2015-71371-R), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the Spanish Cancer Centers Network Program (RD12/0036/0003) and the CIBERONC, the scientific foundation of the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC) and the CRIS Foundation (to AP). The work carried out in the Spanish laboratories receives support from the European Community through the regional development funding program (FEDER).

Background Olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, has previously shown efficacy in a phase 2 study when given in capsule formulation to all-comer patients with platinum-sensitive, relapsed high-grade serous ovarian cancer. We aimed to confirm these findings in patients with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation using a tablet formulation of olaparib. Methods This international, multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial evaluated olaparib tablet maintenance treatment in platinum-sensitive, relapsed ovarian cancer patients with a BRCA1/2 mutation who had received at least two lines of previous chemotherapy. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status at baseline of 0–1 and histologically confirmed, relapsed, high-grade serous ovarian cancer or high-grade endometrioid cancer, including primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer. Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to olaparib (300 mg in two 150 mg tablets, twice daily) or matching placebo tablets using an interactive voice and web response system. Randomisation was stratified by response to previous platinum chemotherapy (complete vs partial) and length of platinum-free interval (6–12 months vs ≥12 months) and treatment assignment was masked for patients, those giving the interventions, data collectors, and data analysers. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival and we report the primary analysis from this ongoing study. The efficacy analyses were done on the intention-to-treat population; safety analyses included patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01874353, and is ongoing and no longer recruiting patients. Findings Between Sept 3, 2013, and Nov 21, 2014, we enrolled 295 eligible patients who were randomly assigned to receive olaparib (n=196) or placebo (n=99). One patient in the olaparib group was randomised in error and did not receive study treatment. Investigator-assessed median progression-free survival was significantly longer with olaparib (19·1 months [95% CI 16·3–25·7]) than with placebo (5·5 months [5·2–5·8]; hazard ratio [HR] 0·30 [95% CI 0·22–0·41], p

Background Given rising cancer drug costs, US Medicare recently proposed to tie some drug prices to average prices paid by comparable countries. To understand the potential scope of this policy, we assessed differences in cancer drug prices in the US and European countries. We also evaluated the correlation between drug prices and their clinical benefit, as measured by two value frameworks: the American Society of Clinical Oncology Value Framework v2 (ASCO VF) and the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale v1.1 (ESMO-MCBS). Methods We identified all new drugs for adult solid and hematologic cancers, approved by the FDA from 2009-2017 and that have also been approved by the EMA by December 31, 2018. US average sales prices (and if not available, wholesale acquisition costs) were extracted as of February 1, 2019, and compared to comparable currency-adjusted ex-factory drug costs in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland. ASCO VF and ESMO-MCBS scores were assessed for pivotal trials supporting solid tumor drugs; in case of multiple trials, we focused on the highest score. Consistent with the developers of the rating scales, “high benefit” was defined as scores of A-B (neo/adjuvant setting) and 4-5 (palliative setting) on the ESMO-MCBS scale and scores ≥45 on the ASCO VF. Linear regression models and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and were used to assess the association between drug prices and benefit scores. Results The study cohort included 63 drugs approved by the FDA and the EMA during the study period. 46 (73%) were approved for solid tumors, and 17 (27%) were approved for hematologic malignancies. Overall, median cancer drug prices in Europe were 52% (interquartile range: 37-72%) lower than US prices. There was no association between monthly treatment cost and ASCO-VF or ESMO-MCBS scores in any country. There was also no association between price differential between US and median European drug prices and either ASCO-VF (P = 0.599) or ESMO-MBCS (P = 0.321) scores. Conclusions Drug prices of cancer drugs were not associated with clinical benefit in the US or in European countries. Cancer drug prices in the US were significantly higher than in the compared European countries. Legal entity responsible for the study University of Zurich. Funding Swiss Cancer League. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Background Clinical trials supporting approval for new drugs often evaluate surrogate endpoints, and data on meaningful outcomes like OS or QoL may not be available. Here, we evaluated changes in the magnitude of clinical benefit, OS and QoL after approval. Methods We examined data on pivotal trials supporting FDA accelerated (AA) and regular (RA) cancer drug approvals between January 2006, and December 2015. For AA drugs, if conversion to RA was granted, only the confirmatory trial was analysed. To determine any new evidence on OS and QoL in the postmarketing period (PMP) we performed a systematic search of Pubmed and ClinicalTrials.gov. European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) grades were applied for trials at approval and in the PMP. Substantial clinical benefit was defined as a grade of A or B for trials of curative intent and 4 or 5 for those of palliative intent. Results We identified 96 pivotal trials supporting the approval of 47 drugs for 94 solid tumour indications. Of these indications, 22 (23%) were granted AA and 21 (22%) were converted to RA. At time of approval, 45 (48%) trials showed improved OS, 15 (16%) improved QoL and 33 (34%) had substantial clinical benefit. With a median PMP of 3.7 years, 50 (52%) trials reported OS data and 27 (28%) on QoL. Of these, 48 could be graded by the ESMO-MCBS. Of the updated 51 trials approved based on surrogate endpoints, only 7 (14%) showed an improvement in OS. In advanced disease, out of 74 trials for which there was no evidence on QoL at the time of approval, 12 (16%) showed improved QoL subsequently. Updated results led to changes in clinical benefit in 11 trials (10 upgrades, 1 downgrade) with 30 (62%) showing substantial clinical benefit. Among all trials, 52 (54%) showed improved OS, 27 (28%) improved QoL and 42 (44%) met the threshold for substantial clinical benefit. Conclusions After 3.7 years of post-marketing time, 54% of FDA approved cancer drugs showed statistically significant improvement in OS and 28% in QoL. Less than a half of trials supporting FDA approval met the threshold for substantial clinical benefit using ESMO-MCBS. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure E. Amir: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Genentech/Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Apobiologix; Advisory / Consultancy: Agendia; Advisory / Consultancy: Myriad Genetics. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

This study matches entries in ClinicalTrials.gov for cancer drug trials at initiation of the trial with later entries and with journal reports of the trials to assess modifications in trial design, external factors associated with such modifications, and transparency in reporting them.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1, a member of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptor family, has been implicated in the progression of certain tumors; but it remains unclear whether it plays a role in infiltrating ductal breast carcinomas. We studied a series of 81 ductal breast tumors to determine the correlation of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein I overexpression with clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics associated with prognosis. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein I overexpression was identified in 14% (11/81) of tumors and was correlated with a high nuclear grade (P = .043), high mitotic index (P = .006), and Ki-67 greater than 20% (P = .047). Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 expression was associated with aggressive carcinomas (triple-negative tumors [21%, 7/33] and Her-2/neu tumors [17%, 4/24]) but not with hormone-dependent carcinomas (0%, 0/24)(P = .040). There was no correlation between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 expression and survival, but a trend was found between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 overexpression and tumor recurrence. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 overexpression was related to proliferation and invasiveness in Her-2/neu and triple-negative breast carcinoma. Moreover, patients with low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1-positive tumors had higher cholesterol levels (62.5%, 5/8) than those with low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1-negative tumors (40%, 19/47). Nevertheless, the correlation between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 and hypercholesterolemia was not statistically significant; but cholesterol levels were higher in patients with triple-negative breast carcinoma (60%, 15/25) and Her-2/neu carcinomas (40%, 6/15) than in luminal-A carcinomas (20%, 3/15) (P = .046). These findings suggest a relationship between hypercholesterolemia and aggressiveness of ductal breast carcinomas. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.