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Purpose: Review of utilization and efficacy of eribulin in Australian metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive MBC patients treated with eribulin in tertiary Australian BC centers. Key inclusion criteria included eribulin administration in nonclinical trial setting from October 2014 onwards, known duration of MBC systemic treatments administered and known follow‐up date after eribulin. Cox regression model was used to assess survival. Results: Study population comprised 266 patients from eight centers treated between October 2014 and May 2018. Median age at time of MBC diagnosis was 54 years with 18% of patients having de novo MBC. Seventy‐six percent had hormone receptor positive (HRp) disease, 19% triple negative (TN) and 5% HER2‐positive. CNS involvement was present in 36% of patients. Eribulin was most frequently given as third‐line chemotherapy (36%), with no prior anthracycline exposure in 14% of total population. Eribulin was given more frequently as ≤third‐line chemotherapy than > third‐line in patients with TN disease, ≥ two metastatic sites or CNS disease. Median overall survival (OS) from eribulin administration was 9.2 (95% CI [8.0, 10.3]) months. Conclusion: Similar efficacy was demonstrated for eribulin when given in the first‐line to beyond the fifth line of chemotherapy in all subtypes of MBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major barrier to Victorians with a terminal illness accessing voluntary assisted dying is the Commonwealth Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) 2005 (the Code), which prohibits the use of any electronic forms of communication when discussing suicide. The proliferation of telehealth as a means of access to medical practitioners as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the anachronistic prohibition of such communication in relation to voluntary assisted dying, particularly in Victoria, as the federal law arguably prohibits its use. In this paper we explore the definition of suicide and its application to voluntary assisted dying and argue for a revision of the Code, to enable equitable and timely access to voluntary assisted dying for people of Victoria. What is known about the topic? The Commonwealth Criminal Code Amendment (Suicide Related Material Offences) 2005 (the Code) prohibits Victorian voluntary assisted dying (VAD) trained medical practitioners from using telehealth to conduct their consultations with terminally ill individuals wishing to access VAD. What does this paper add? This paper provides a perspective on the current Code from the viewpoint of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Victoria Board and its secretariat. What are the implications for practitioners? Currently, Victorian VAD trained medical practitioners could be prosecuted for discussing their terminally ill patient's wishes to seek out VAD using any means of electronic form of communication. This paper urges the federal government to review the Code urgently to allow equitable access to VAD in Victoria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Review of utilization and efficacy of eribulin in Australian metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients., Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive MBC patients treated with eribulin in tertiary Australian BC centers. Key inclusion criteria included eribulin administration in nonclinical trial setting from October 2014 onwards, known duration of MBC systemic treatments administered and known follow-up date after eribulin. Cox regression model was used to assess survival., Results: Study population comprised 266 patients from eight centers treated between October 2014 and May 2018. Median age at time of MBC diagnosis was 54 years with 18% of patients having de novo MBC. Seventy-six percent had hormone receptor positive (HRp) disease, 19% triple negative (TN) and 5% HER2-positive. CNS involvement was present in 36% of patients. Eribulin was most frequently given as third-line chemotherapy (36%), with no prior anthracycline exposure in 14% of total population. Eribulin was given more frequently as ≤third-line chemotherapy than > third-line in patients with TN disease, ≥ two metastatic sites or CNS disease. Median overall survival (OS) from eribulin administration was 9.2 (95% CI [8.0, 10.3]) months., Conclusion: Similar efficacy was demonstrated for eribulin when given in the first-line to beyond the fifth line of chemotherapy in all subtypes of MBC., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)