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Background: Breast and prostate cancers are the most common malignancies diagnosed in women and men respectively, and present with great clinical heterogeneity, even in tumors with the same histology and same site of origin. Somatic and germline molecular alterations in DNA may have prognostic and predictive impact, influencing response to therapies and overall survival. Our aim is to characterize the somatic and germline genomic landscape of women with locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer and men with metastatic prostate cancer in Brazil. Secondarily, we aim to identify genetic variants associated with tumor prognosis and treatment response, identify patients carrying pathogenic alterations in cancer-predisposing genes, and characterize the genetic ancestry of the population included in the study. Methods: This observational multicenter cohort study will include 550 adult patients from the five macro-regions of Brazil, divided into two arms: 1) breast cancer and 2) prostate cancer. Clinical and pathological data will be collected, as well as DNA samples from peripheral blood and tumor samples. In arm 1, the inclusion criteria are a histological diagnosis of breast carcinoma with overexpression of HER-2, clinical stage II or III, and current neoadjuvant treatment with chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. In arm 2, the criterion is a histological diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma, clinical stage IV. Wholeexome sequencing (WES) will be performed to identify variants that may be drivers and/or actionable in a specific patient or tumor. These variants will be interpreted and classified according to their population frequencies, in silico predictors, functional studies, and literature data, following international guidelines proposed by expert societies. Discussion: This trial will contribute to the construction of a robust database that should provide a better understanding of the genomic profile of patients with breast and prostate cancer in Brazil. Considering the miscegenation of the Brazilian population, knowledge generated from these data will have implications for future studies of this specific population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The use of trastuzumab is associated with an increased survival rate in HER2 positive breast cancer patients. However, it is related to different levels of cardiotoxicity leading to treatment discontinuation, which can deprive patients of the benefits of this therapy. Objective This study aimed to identify the incidence of trastuzumab induced cardiotoxicity (TIC) and the rate of discontinuation of trastuzumab in clinical practice. Possible factors associated with TIC were also investigated. Setting This study was conducted in the General Hospital of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients without distant metastasis that started trastuzumab between 2007 and 2011 in the tertiary hospital. TIC was defined as symptomatic heart failure or a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by ≥10 % compared to the first echocardiography measurement or to <50 % at any time. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and their respective 95 % confidence intervals for TIC associated with variables such as age, body mass index, smoking history, cardiac risks, type of surgery, presence of positive lymph nodes, chemotherapy regimen and epirubicin cumulative dose. Main outcome measure The incidence and factors associated with TIC and the rate of discontinuation of trastuzumab in clinical practice. Results We analyzed the records of 79 patients. TIC developed in 26 (32.9 %) patients, being the LVEF decline by ≥10 % observed in 21 (26.6 %), a decreased to <50 % in four (5.1 %) and one (1.2 %) was symptomatic without LVEF decline. Thirteen (16.4 %) patients discontinued permanently the treatment, three (3.8 %) discontinued temporarily and 10 (12.6 %) finished it without interruption. None of the covariates influenced on the incidence of TIC in this population. Conclusion Although most patients finished their treatment, TIC led to trastuzumab discontinuation in a significant proportion of patients suggesting the need of a closer cardiac monitoring. None of the covariates influenced on the incidence of TIC, which can be due to the relatively small sample. Thus, larger scale studies should be conducted in order to establish which specific factors are associated with the development of TIC in order to avoid it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab for HER2 positive breast cancers has brought considerable benefits to disease-free survival and overall survival., Objective: To conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the treatment of patients with early and locally advanced HER2 positive breast cancer, within the scope of the Brazilian public health system, comparing adjuvant chemotherapy with and without trastuzumab, for 1 year of treatment., Methods: A 4-state Markov model was developed to estimate strategy costs and outcomes., Results: Based on the proposed model, we verified an incremental benefit of trastuzumab therapy compared to treatment without trastuzumab with 0.84 quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and 1.16 life years gained (LYG). The use of adjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab has an ICER of US$19,599.26 for each quality-adjusted life year and US$14,180.68 for each life year gained in relation to chemotherapy without trastuzumab., Conclusion: In Brazil, adjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab may be considered cost-effective only if a cost-effectiveness threshold is stipulated with the value starting at three times the Brazilian GDP per capita for QALY or two times the Brazilian GDP per capita for LYG, from health system perspective.

HER2-targeted therapy was a paradigm shift for breast cancer. However, the optimal duration of adjuvant trastuzumab remain unknown. This issue is important in lower and middle-income countries such as Brazil where financial resources are scarce. The aim of this study is to determine which patients will benefit most with the addition of Pertuzumab to trastuzumab [T+P], trastuzumab for 12 months [T12] or trastuzumab for 6 months [T6]. Individual data meta-analysis was performed using 5 studies (Persephone, Phare, Horg, Aphinity and Katherine) for the intention to treat (ITT) population. Through pooled analyzes of the Persephone, Phare and Horg studies, we compared 12 months and 6 months of trastuzumab. The comparison between T+P and T6 was performed through an indirect comparison using Bayesian methodology. For cost-effectiveness analysis, we compared the treatment lining up in pairs exclusively considering the data from the Aphinity (T+P vs T12), Persephone (T12 vs T6) and Katherine (T12 vs T-DM1), setting a 30 years period of time and costs of adjuvant treatments and after progression in the Brazilian perspective. Individual data were analyzed from 12,753 patients. Patients who progressed in a 4-year period were 7.1% for T + P, 10.2% for T12 (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.63) and 12.9% for T6 (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.45-2.06). Regarding DFS in the N+ subgroup, T+P showed HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.62-0.96) and 0.74 (95% CI 0.49-1.11) compared to T12 and T6, respectively. Among patients N-, T+P compared to T12 showed a HR 1.13 (95%CI 0.68-1.86) and compared to T6 HR 0.83 (95%CI 0.45-1.52). ER+ patients, T+P showed HR 0.86 (95%CI 0.66-1.13) compared to T12 and HR 0.74 (95%CI 0.49-1.11) to T6. Among ER-, the values were HR 0.76 (95%CI 0.56-1.04) and HR 0.59 (95%CI 0.41-0.85), respectively. In the cost-effectiveness analysis, T+P demonstrated an ICER of $ 332,903 compared to T12, while T12 set side by side of T6 resulted in $ 42,774. In the subgroup N+, T+P presented $ 308,019 when compared to T12. T-DM1 was considered a cost-effective treatment with $ 3,031 compared to T12. The combination T+P presented an benefit in the subgroup N+, but it was not considered cost-effective. T6 may be considered a therapeutic option in low budget scenarios for patients HR+/N-. The authors. Has not received any funding. All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]