Optimizing the management of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer in the era of PARP inhibitors-proceedings from breast cancer expert group meeting.

The therapeutic landscape of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (mBC) has evolved considerably with the introduction of newer targeted agents such as poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), novel chemotherapeutic agents, immunotherapy, and endocrine therapies. In this scenario, optimizing the appropriate treatment sequence is a daunting task for clinicians. To develop evidence-based answers to key clinical questions on treatment selection and appropriate treatment sequence for the management of patients with HER2- mBC in the era of PARPi, a breast cancer expert group meeting was convened.

A three-arm randomized phase II study of oral vinorelbine plus capecitabine versus oral vinorelbine and capecitabine in sequence versus docetaxel plus capecitabine in patients with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracyclines.

Owing to the increased number of patients treated with anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy, there is a need for new effective and tolerable nonanthracycline regimens in metastatic breast cancer. Patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracyclines in (neo)adjuvant setting were randomized to fully oral 3 weekly cycles of the combination of oral vinorelbine with capecitabine (V + C), to the same drugs alternating every three cycles (V↔C), or to the combination of docetaxel and capecitabine (D + C). V was given at 80 mg/m(2) (after the first cycle at 60 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8 in the V + C arm and weekly in the V↔C arm, C at 1,000 mg/m(2) bid from days 1 to 14, and D on day 1 at 75 mg/m(2).