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Background We report long-term efficacy and cardiac safety outcomes in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant pertuzumab plus trastuzumab with anthracycline-containing or anthracycline-free chemotherapy. Methods Descriptive efficacy analyses were conducted in patients randomised to group A (cycles 1–6: trastuzumab [8 mg/kg loading dose and 6 mg/kg maintenance] plus pertuzumab [840 mg loading dose and 420 mg maintenance], plus 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide [FEC] [cycles 1–3; 500 mg/m 2 5-fluorouracil/100 mg/m 2 epirubicin/600 mg/m 2 cyclophosphamide] then docetaxel [cycles 4–6; 75 mg/m 2 , escalated to 100 mg/m 2 if well tolerated]), B (cycles 1–3: FEC, cycles 4–6: trastuzumab plus pertuzumab plus docetaxel as mentioned previously) or C (cycles 1–6: trastuzumab plus pertuzumab plus docetaxel [75 mg/m 2 , without dose escalation], and carboplatin [AUC 6]), five years after randomisation of the last patient. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00976989 . Results Three-year Kaplan–Meier survival estimates for disease-free survival (DFS) were 87% (95% confidence interval: 79–95), 88% (80–96) and 90% (82–97) in groups A–C, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 89% (81–96), 89% (81–96) and 87% (80–95). DFS hazard ratio for total pathological complete response (tpCR) versus no tpCR was 0.27 (0.11–0.64). During post-treatment follow-up, 2/72 (2.8%), 3/75 (4.0%) and 4/76 (5.4%) patients in groups A–C had any-grade left ventricular systolic dysfunction; eight (11.1%), 12 (16.0%) and nine (11.8%) patients experienced left ventricular ejection fraction declines ≥10% from baseline to <50%. Conclusions Long-term DFS and PFS were similar between groups. Patients who achieved tpCR had improved DFS. No new safety signals were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ExteNET showed that neratinib, an irreversible pan-HER tyrosine kinase inhibitor, given for 1 year after trastuzumab-based therapy significantly improved invasive disease-free survival in women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. We report the final analysis of overall survival in ExteNET. In this international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial, women aged 18 years or older with stage 1–3c (amended to stage 2–3c) HER2-positive breast cancer who had completed neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to oral neratinib 240 mg/day or placebo for 1 year. Randomisation was stratified according to hormone receptor (HR) status (HR-positive vs. HR-negative), nodal status (0, 1–3 or 4+), and trastuzumab regimen (sequentially vs. concurrently with chemotherapy). Overall survival was analysed by intention to treat. ExteNET is registered (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00878709) and is complete. Between July 9, 2009, and October 24, 2011, 2840 women received neratinib (n = 1420) or placebo (n = 1420). After a median follow-up of 8.1 (IQR, 7.0–8.8) years, 127 patients (8.9%) in the neratinib group and 137 patients (9.6%) in the placebo group in the intention-to-treat population had died. Eight-year overall survival rates were 90.1% (95% CI 88.3–91.6) with neratinib and 90.2% (95% CI 88.4–91.7) with placebo (stratified hazard ratio 0.95; 95% CI 0.75–1.21; p = 0.6914). Overall survival in the extended adjuvant setting was comparable for neratinib and placebo after a median follow-up of 8.1 years in women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. • Neratinib improves iDFS after trastuzumab in early HER2+ breast cancer. • We report the final analysis of overall survival from the phase 3 ExteNET trial. • At 8 years' follow-up, OS in the ITT population was similar with neratinib vs placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) plays a critical role in DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Recent studies have shown potential for serum TK1 activity (sTKa) as a prognostic marker and indicator of early response to endocrine therapy in advanced breast cancer. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between sTKa and patient outcome. The Evaluation of Faslodex versus Exemestane Clinical Trial (EFECT) was a double-blind, double-dummy, randomised trial of fulvestrant versus exemestane after progression on non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor therapy, in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Retrospective analyses of serum archived from EFECT were conducted. sTKa was assessed using the DiviTum® assay on samples collected at baseline, after three and six months of endocrine therapy, and at disease progression. The median time to progression (mTTP) for patients with low baseline sTKa levels was 5.03 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.91–5.89) versus 2.57 months (95% CI: 2.04–3.52) in patients with high sTKa baseline levels (P < 0.0001). On treatment, patients whose sTKa increased from baseline had a significantly shorter mTTP (3.39 months, 95% CI: 2.14–4.11) than those without an sTKa increase (5.39 months, 95% CI: 4.01–6.68) (P = 0.0045). Similar results were observed in the separate EFECT treatment arms. After adjusting for major prognostic factors, sTKa remained an independent marker. sTKa is a potential circulating prognostic marker in patients with advanced breast cancer treated with endocrine therapy. It may also represent a tool for upfront identification of endocrine therapy resistance and early positive response to therapy. Independent validation of these results is warranted. • Retrospective analyses of sera from the Evaluation of Faslodex versus Exemestane Clinical Trial to assess the association between serum thymidine kinase 1 activity (sTKa) and outcome. • Low baseline sTKa correlated with longer median time to progression (mTTP). • Stable or decreased sTKa while on endocrine treatment correlated with longer mTTP. • After adjusting for prognostic factors, sTKa remained an independent marker. • sTKa may identify early endocrine resistance and monitor response in sensitive disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Buparlisib, a pan-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, plus fulvestrant in the BELLE-2 study significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer. Patients and methods In this phase III study, patients were randomised 1:1 to buparlisib (100 mg/day; continuously in 28-day cycles) or placebo, plus fulvestrant (500 mg on cycle 1 day 15, and day 1 of subsequent cycles). Overall survival (OS) was assessed in the overall population and patients with known PI3K pathway status (both had shown significant PFS improvements). OS by PIK3CA status in circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) was an exploratory end-point. Results A total of 2025 patients were screened for eligibility between 7th September 2012 and 10th September 2014, and 1178 received fulvestrant (500 mg) during a run-in phase; 31 discontinued. Of 1147 patients (median age 62 years), 98% had the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤1, and 59% had visceral disease. Median follow-up from randomisation to data cut-off (23rd December 2016) was 37.6 months. Median OS trended in favour of the buparlisib arm in the overall population (33.2 versus 30.4 months; P = 0.045) and among patients with known PI3K pathway status (30.9 versus 28.9 months; P = 0.144); neither outcome was statistically significant. Median OS also trended in favour of buparlisib among patients with PIK3CA -mutant ctDNA (26.0 versus 24.8 months). Grade III/IV adverse events with ≥10% difference between the buparlisib versus placebo arms were elevated alanine aminotransferase (26% versus 1%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase (18% versus 3%) and hyperglycemia (15% versus <1%). Conclusions OS results were in favour of buparlisib plus fulvestrant versus placebo plus fulvestrant; however, there is no statistical significance and more frequent grade III/IV adverse events were reported. Use of more selective PI3K inhibitors might provide the greatest clinical benefit and tolerable safety profile in this setting. Further evaluation of the predictive benefit of PIK3CA -mutant ctDNA is warranted. Trial registration number NCT01610284. Highlights • In this phase III study, median overall survival trended in favour of buparlisib plus fulvestrant versus placebo plus fulvestrant. ○ In the overall population (1147 patients), median OS was 33.2 versus 30.4 months; 1-sided P = 0.045. ○ In patients with known PI3K pathway status (851 patients), median OS was 30.9 versus 28.9 months; 1-sided P = 0.144. • Both outcomes were not statistically significant and more frequent grade III/IV adverse events were reported. • Investigation of selective PI3K inhibitors is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]