Mutation and immune profiling of metaplastic breast cancer: Correlation with survival.

The goal of this study is to characterize the genomic and immune profiles of metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) and identify the association with survival through an analysis of archived tumor tissue. A next-generation sequencing-based mutational assay (Onco-48) was performed for 21 MpBC patients. Clinicopathologic characteristics were captured, including relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Characterization of infections and hypogammaglobulinemia treated with the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab.

Purpose: We update a patient series that reported a high incidence of infection with Gram-positive cocci in women treated with the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab and further characterize this clinical problem.

Patients: Treating physicians and advanced practice partners identified women who developed infections while on treatment with pertuzumab and trastuzumab alone or in combination with chemotherapy and enrolled them onto this registry trial.

Results: Between March, 2014 and May, 2017, 48 patients with HER2-positive breast cancers were reported to have 59 individual infections.

Effective osimertinib treatment in a patient with discordant T790 M mutation detection between liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy.

Background: We report the successful treatment of the patient with osimertinib 80 mg/day following disease progression and a discordance in the detection of a mechanism of resistance epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790 M between liquid biopsy and tissue biopsy methods.

Case Presentation: A 57-year-old Hispanic male patient initially diagnosed with an EGFR 19 deletion positive lung adenocarcinoma and clinically responded to initial erlotinib treatment. The patient subsequently progressed on erlotinib 150 mg/day and repeat biopsies both tissue and liquid were sent for next-generation sequencing (NGS).

A single institution experience with palbociclib toxicity requiring dose modifications.

Purpose: Since the widespread implementation of adding palbociclib to endocrine therapy in clinical practice, myelosuppression is becoming increasingly recognized as a toxicity that may lead to dose modification. We aimed to characterize toxicities observed with palbociclib resulting in dose modifications and prescriber preferences in modifying palbociclib dosage in response to treatment-related toxicities outside the context of a clinical trial.

Methods: We conducted a single institution, retrospective study of treatment-related adverse events (AEs) resulting in modifications in dose and schedule and the methods by which dose modifications occurred in patients with advanced hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer receiving palbociclib and endocrine therapy.

Pathologic complete response rates in triple-negative, HER2-positive, and hormone receptor-positive breast cancers after anthracycline-free neoadjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel with or without trastuzumab.

Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is considered a surrogate for improved survival. Platinum-containing NCT, particularly in patients with HER2+ and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) may increase pCR rates.

Methods: Tumor characteristics, pCR rates (no invasive disease in breast and lymph nodes), toxicities, and survival in patients who received carboplatin, a taxane, and trastuzumab (HER2+ disease) between April 2009 and December 2011, were reviewed.

Skin/nail infections with the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

We report a series of breast cancer patients with invasive skin and nail infections with Staphylococcus species that we attribute to the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based therapy. With the suspicion of an increased incidence of cutaneous infection in patients treated with pertuzumab and trastuzumab-based chemotherapy, treating medical oncologists identified patients receiving therapy who experienced infection. Between March and October 2014, 18 patients treated with pertuzumab and trastuzumab-based chemotherapy were found to have 21 separate skin/nail infections.