"Positioning of tucatinib in the new clinical scenario of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: An Italian and Spanish consensus paper".

Introduction: Advancements in monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have notably enhanced outcomes for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Despite the expanding treatment options and clinical complexities, determining the optimal sequence of HER2-targeted therapies remains partly uncertain, influenced by various factors.

Methods: To refine HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer management, particularly regarding tucatinib's position, a Steering Committee of leading oncologists in breast cancer care devised a panel of statements via a Delphi approach, focusing on five key topics: general clinical management, therapeutic approaches for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases, treatment sequence, and tucatinib's safety and efficacy.

Type does matter. Use VIRGIN olive oil as your preferred fat to reduce your risk of breast cancer: case-control EpiGEICAM study.

The Epi-GEICAM study comprises 1017 invasive BC cases matched with controls of similar age (49 ± 9 years) and residence. Diet and OO consumption were collected through a validated food frequency questionnaire. 75% of women referred OO, common (refined) or virgin, as the main fat source.

Early Imaging and Molecular Changes with Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab in Stage II/III Breast Cancer.

This prospective, phase II study evaluated novel biomarkers as predictors of response to bevacizumab in patients with breast cancer (BC), using serial imaging methods and gene expression analysis. Patients with primary stage II/III BC received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg (cycle 1; C1), then four cycles of neoadjuvant docetaxel doxorubicin, and bevacizumab every 3 weeks (C2-C5). Tumour proliferation and hypoxic status were evaluated using F-fluoro-3'-deoxy-3'-L-fluorothymidine (FLT)- and F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO)-positron emission tomography (PET) at baseline, and during C1 and C5.

Independent Validation of the PAM50-Based Chemo-Endocrine Score (CES) in Hormone Receptor-Positive HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Treated with Neoadjuvant Anti-HER2-Based Therapy.

Purpose: We do not yet have validated biomarkers to predict response and outcome within hormone receptor-positive/HER2-positive (HR+/HER2+) breast cancer. The PAM50-based chemo-endocrine score (CES) predicts chemo-endocrine sensitivity in hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer. Here, we evaluate the relationship of CES with response and survival in HR+/HER2+ breast cancer.

CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Current Practice and Knowledge.

Treatment paradigms in advanced hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer were substantially transformed with cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) approval. The addition of these drugs to endocrine treatment profoundly improved progression-free and overall survival. Additionally, other important endpoints, such as the response rate, time to chemotherapy, and a delay in quality of life deterioration, were positively impacted by CDK4/6 inhibitors' addition to the treatment of advanced HR-positive breast cancer.

Abemaciclib, a CDK4 and CDK6 inhibitor for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

The addition of CDK4 and 6 inhibitors (abemaciclib, palbociclib or ribociclib) to endocrine therapy, as first-line treatment or following progression after initial endocrine therapy, significantly increased progression-free survival, objective response rates and in some trials overall survival, compared with endocrine therapy alone in HR+ and HER2- breast metastatic breast cancer. These CDK4 and 6 inhibitors are now approved in this context and have become a new standard of care. A hypothesis-generating exploratory analysis suggested that the addition of abemaciclib to endocrine therapy showed the largest effects in subgroups of women with indicators of poor prognosis, although these data require confirmation.

Contextualizing pertuzumab approval in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

The use of adjuvant pertuzumab in HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer has recently been approved by the EMA on the basis of data from the APHINITY trial. Accordingly, we have produced this opinion article with the aim of putting the study data in perspective against other add-on therapeutic strategies, to clarify methodological or statistical doubts about the study, and to define the population of high-risk patients with hormone receptor-negative breast cancer that we agree, in general, should be treated. With this approval, physicians must be well prepared to place the APHINITY study data in context.

Phase III Trial of Adjuvant Capecitabine After Standard Neo-/Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (GEICAM/2003-11_CIBOMA/2004-01).

Purpose: Operable triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) have a higher risk of relapse than non-TNBCs with standard therapy. The GEICAM/2003-11_CIBOMA/2004-01 trial explored extended adjuvant capecitabine after completion of standard chemotherapy in patients with early TNBC.

Patients And Methods: Eligible patients were those with operable, node-positive-or node negative with tumor 1 cm or greater-TNBC, with prior anthracycline- and/or taxane-containing chemotherapy.

A survey of perceptions, attitudes, knowledge and practices of medical oncologists about cancer pain management in Spain.

Purpose: To monitor oncologists' perspective on cancer pain management.

Methods: An anonymized survey was conducted in two waves. First, over a convenience sample of oncologists known to be particularly concerned with the management of pain.

Successful Second-Line Metronomic Temozolomide in Metastatic Paraganglioma: Case Reports and Review of the Literature.

Metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (mPHEO/PGL) are frequently associated with () mutations. Cyclophosphamide-dacarbazine-vincristine (CVD) regimen is recommended as standard chemotherapy for advanced mPHEO/PGL. There is limited evidence to support the role of metronomic schemes (MS) of chemotherapy in mPHEO/PGL treatment.

Frequency of breast cancer with hereditary risk features in Spain: Analysis from GEICAM "El Álamo III" retrospective study.

Purpose: To determine the frequency of breast cancer (BC) patients with hereditary risk features in a wide retrospective cohort of patients in Spain.

Methods: a retrospective analysis was conducted from 10,638 BC patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2001 in the GEICAM registry "El Álamo III", dividing them into four groups according to modified ESMO and SEOM hereditary cancer risk criteria: Sporadic breast cancer group (R0); Individual risk group (IR); Familial risk group (FR); Individual and familial risk group (IFR) with both individual and familial risk criteria.

Results: 7,641 patients were evaluable.

Equity, barriers and cancer disparities: study of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology on the access to oncologic drugs in the Spanish Regions.

Purpose: The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has conducted a study on the access to oncologic drugs across the 17 Spanish Regions with the aim of identifying potential heterogeneities and making proposals for eliminating the barriers identified at the different levels.

Methods: An Expert Panel made up of medical oncologists designed a survey on certain indications approved for 11 drugs in the approach of breast cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer and support treatment. This survey was sent to 144 National Health System (NHS) hospitals.

Nab-Paclitaxel in Metastatic Breast Cancer: Defining the Best Patient Profile.

Around 40% of patients with breast cancer will present with a recurrence of the disease. Chemotherapy is recommended for patients with recurrent hormone-independent or hormone-refractory breast cancer and almost all patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) receive chemotherapy during their medical history. Nanoparticle albuminbound (nab)-paclitaxel is a solvent-free, 130-nanometer particle formulation of paclitaxel.

Phase 1 dose escalation and pharmacokinetic evaluation of oral gemcitabine prodrug (LY2334737) in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: This Phase 1 study aimed to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose of LY2334737, an oral gemcitabine prodrug, when combined with standard dose docetaxel treatment in patients with advanced solid tumors. Pharmacokinetics (PK) and antitumor activity were additionally evaluated.

Methods: Patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors received escalating doses of LY2334737 once daily (QD) for 14 days, followed by a 7-day drug-free period.

A phase 2 study of everolimus combined with trastuzumab and paclitaxel in patients with HER2-overexpressing advanced breast cancer that progressed during prior trastuzumab and taxane therapy.

Increased activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is a common factor in putative mechanisms of trastuzumab resistance, resulting in dysregulation of cell migration, growth, proliferation, and survival. Data from preclinical and phase 1/2 clinical studies suggest that adding everolimus (an oral mTOR inhibitor) to trastuzumab plus chemotherapy may enhance the efficacy of, and restore sensitivity to, trastuzumab-based therapy. In this phase 2 multicenter study, adult patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer resistant to trastuzumab and pretreated with a taxane received everolimus 10 mg/day in combination with paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2) days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks) and trastuzumab (4 mg/kg loading dose followed by 2 mg/kg weekly), administered in 28-day cycles.

Denosumab for the treatment of bone metastases in advanced breast cancer.

In women with advanced breast cancer, approximately three-quarters develop metastases to the bone, with a median survival after diagnosis of 2-3 years. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) and RANK ligand (RANKL) belong to a signal pathway highly implicated in the development of bone metastases. Denosumab, a human monoclonal antibody with high affinity and specificity for RANKL, prevents the RANKL/RANK interaction and inhibits osteoclast formation and function, thereby decreasing bone resorption and increasing bone mass.

Phase II study of a triple combination of oral vinorelbine, capecitabine and trastuzumab as first-line treatment in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Unlabelled: Chemotherapy plus trastuzumab is the standard first-line treatment for Human Epidermal Receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) metastatic breast cancer. The aim of this international phase II trial was to determine the efficacy and safety profile of an oral chemotherapy doublet, oral vinorelbine plus capecitabine, and trastuzumab in this setting.

Patients And Methods: In this single-arm, multicenter, open-label phase II study, in the first-line metastatic setting, patients received 3-weekly cycles of oral vinorelbine at 80 mg/m(2) (first cycle dose 60 mg/m(2)) day 1 and day 8, plus capecitabine at 1000 (750 if ≥ 65 years) mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1-14, plus trastuzumab at 4 mg/kg intravenously (i.

Severe thrombocytopenia related to long-term trastuzumab exposure.

Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia may occur secondary to several chemotherapeutic agents or new targeted monoclonal antibodies, but thrombocytopenia induced by trastuzumab is a very rare occurrence. We report a case of severe thrombocytopenia related to the administration of trastuzumab six months after the first exposure.

Importance of assessing CK19 immunostaining in core biopsies in patients subjected to sentinel node study by OSNA.

Analysis of sentinel lymph node (SLN) by means of One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) is being used increasingly as a very sensitive and quick method for intraoperative axillary staging in patients with breast cancer. This molecular diagnostic assay detects the expression level of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), a luminal epithelial cell marker broadly expressed in most breast carcinomas and not normally found in lymph nodes. Almost all breast cancers express this cytoskeleton protein, but some breast tumors have been found to lose the expression of CK19.

Immediate Administration of Zoledronic Acid Reduces Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women With Early Breast Cancer: 12-month analysis of the E-ZO-FAST trial.

Background: Letrozole is a proven and effective adjuvant therapy in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR(+)) early breast cancer (EBC). As with other aromatase inhibitors (AIs), long-term letrozole administration is associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and increased fracture risk. This study compared potential bone-protecting effects of immediate vs.

APC and KRAS mutations in distal colorectal polyps are related to smoking habits in men: results of a cross-sectional study.

Background: The purpose of this study was (a) to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and the prevalence of distal colorectal polyps and adenocarcinoma and (b) to analyse genetic alterations representing different molecular pathways of the colorectal carcinogenesis.

Methods: A total of 623 asymptomatic male (mean age: 53 years; 50-65) car factory workers were included. Information on smoking habits and other lifestyle factors were collected followed by a 60 cm colonoscopy.

Phase I/II study of biweekly vinorelbine and oxaliplatin as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

The objective of this phase I/II study was to establish the recommended dose of biweekly vinorelbine and oxaliplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer and to evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of this schedule as first-line treatment. Four different dose levels of vinorelbine and oxaliplatin were selected for the phase I study: (i) 25 and 80 mg/m²; (ii) 25 and 90 mg/m²; (iii) 25 and 100 mg/m²; and (iv) 30 and 90 mg/m²; respectively. At least three patients were treated at each dose level.