Publications by authors named "Meghan Karuturi"
Purpose: To evaluate patient-reported health-related quality-of-life (QoL) in patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (ABC) treated with palbociclib in the longitudinal real-world study, POLARIS.
Methods: Data were prospectively collected from adult patients with HR+/HER2- ABC treated with palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (ET) in routine clinical practice. QoL was assessed with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and reported at baseline and months 6, 12, and 18.
Article Synopsis
- Strict eligibility criteria in RCTs limit data applicability to diverse real-world populations; thus, the POLARIS study focuses on hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients receiving palbociclib and endocrine therapy.
- The study analyzed demographic and treatment data from 1,250 patients over a span of nearly three years, reporting response rates of 34.0% in first-line treatment and 21.8% in later lines, with median progression-free survival and overall survival varying by treatment line.
- Results indicate that outcomes in this diverse population align with previous clinical trial data, reinforcing the efficacy of palbociclib combined with endocrine therapy for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess how palbociclib treatment affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer through a systematic review of literature up to June 2023.
- A total of 15 studies, including randomized controlled trials and real-world evidence studies, indicated that HRQoL is generally maintained or even improved in patients treated with palbociclib compared to monotherapy.
- The findings showed consistent positive effects on individual patient outcomes like pain and fatigue, with comparable results across diverse patient groups, suggesting that HRQoL is largely preserved when palbociclib is added to endocrine therapy.
Background: HER2-positive breast cancer is traditionally treated with neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST), but optimal treatment sequencing is less clear in patients with small tumors. We investigated clinicopathologic and oncologic outcomes in early stage HER2-positive breast cancer.
Patients And Methods: An institutional database was queried to identify patients with cT1-2 (≤ 3 cm) N0M0, HER2-positive breast cancer treated from 2015 to 2020 and compared upfront surgery and NST cohorts.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated patient satisfaction and experiences with telehealth for breast cancer management at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center during the COVID-19 pandemic, surveying 60 follow-up patients over 9 months.* -
- Results showed that a majority of participants felt telehealth and in-person visits provided equivalent quality of care, with 82% feeling equally cared for during both types of consultations.* -
- Overall, high satisfaction was reported with telehealth visits, as 70% rated their experience as very satisfying, and many found the convenience and comfort of discussing sensitive topics comparable to in-person appointments.*
Article Synopsis
- The POLARIS study focuses on understanding the effects of palbociclib treatment on older patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC), particularly those aged 70 and over, who are often underrepresented in clinical trials.
- Researchers assessed geriatric impairments and daily living activities in these patients at baseline and after six months of treatment using specific evaluation tools (G8 and ADL).
- Results showed that among the oldest patients, there was stability in performance statuses, with a substantial proportion maintaining their functional abilities after six months of therapy, though no significant changes in mean scores were observed.
Article Synopsis
- * In the study, 15 male patients were observed, with a median age of 66. Most received palbociclib as a first-line treatment and reported manageable quality of life scores during the study, despite some experiencing adverse effects like neutropenia.
- * Results showed that 6.7% of patients achieved complete tumor response, while 53.3% had stable disease, and the median progression-free survival was about 19.
Introduction: Hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) is the most frequently diagnosed metastatic breast cancer (mBC) subtype. Combinations of endocrine therapy (ET) with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4 & 6is) improve outcomes compared with ET alone. The efficacy and safety of abemaciclib among patients with HR+/HER2- mBC has been demonstrated in the MONARCH clinical trials; however, there is a paucity of real-world evidence, particularly in older patients.
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- Neoadjuvant anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, specifically atezolizumab combined with nab-paclitaxel, shows improved pathological complete response (pCR) rates in patients with treatment-resistant triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
- A clinical study included 37 patients who had minimal or no response to prior chemotherapy, and found a pCR/RCB-I rate of 46%, significantly higher than the historical rate of 5%.
- The study concluded that an adaptive approach using neoadjuvant immunotherapy based on initial response should be further investigated in randomized trials, as it suggests a promising method for treating high-risk TNBC patients.
Article Synopsis
- Breast cancer in men accounts for about 1% of all cases, and there's limited data on the effectiveness of abemaciclib for male patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
- A retrospective analysis reviewed medical records of 448 patients and included six male patients treated with abemaciclib, mostly in combination with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant, showing varying responses.
- The findings suggest that male MBC prevalence aligns with wider statistics, and even heavily pre-treated male patients showed signs of anti-cancer activity from abemaciclib despite advanced disease.
Article Synopsis
- Aurora A kinase (AURKA) plays a significant role in endocrine resistance in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) by downregulating estrogen receptor (ER) α; alisertib, an AURKA inhibitor, has shown promise in restoring sensitivity to hormonal therapies in preclinical models.
- This phase 2 randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effect of adding fulvestrant to alisertib on tumor response rates in postmenopausal women with endocrine-resistant MBC who previously underwent fulvestrant treatment.
- The study involved 91 evaluable patients, focusing on whether the addition of fulvestrant to alisertib would improve objective tumor response rates (ORRs) by at least
Article Synopsis
- Identifying patients at higher risk for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is crucial due to its common occurrence and impact on quality of life.
- A study with 152 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer found that levels of a biomarker called p16 can help predict who is likely to develop CIPN during taxane chemotherapy.
- Higher p16 expression and a greater difference between chronological age and p16 expression (p16Age Gap) indicate a higher risk for CIPN, suggesting that p16 levels can inform treatment decisions for breast cancer patients.
Article Synopsis
- Tumor boards at National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers (NCI-CCCs) share expert insights, but these discussions typically don’t reach the broader oncology community.* -
- An oncologist-only Q&A website, theMednet, was utilized to document and distribute findings from these tumor board discussions, resulting in 368 Q&As that reached thousands of oncologists nationwide.* -
- The impact of the Q&As was significant, with many clinicians reporting confirmation of their practices or a willingness to change their future approaches based on the shared knowledge, ultimately enhancing patient care.*
Article Synopsis
- *The study involved 745 patients, revealing that those with BRCA mutations were generally younger, received more chemotherapy, had different hormonal therapy patterns, and showed notably higher Oncotype DX scores.
- *Despite these variations, BRCA status didn't significantly affect relapse-free or overall survival, suggesting further research is necessary to confirm these findings and their potential impact on treatment strategies.*
Article Synopsis
- This study examined how older adults (65+) with breast cancer make decisions about neo/adjuvant chemotherapy, highlighting their informational needs and decision-making preferences.
- Researchers conducted surveys and semi-structured interviews with 26 participants to gather qualitative and quantitative data on their experiences and perspectives related to treatment.
- Findings showed that factors like health literacy, personal health perceptions, and others' experiences significantly influenced their treatment choices, emphasizing the importance of quality of life in decision-making.
Article Synopsis
- The PALOMA-2 trial evaluated the effectiveness and safety of palbociclib combined with letrozole in treating advanced breast cancer in patients with certain preexisting health conditions.
- Postmenopausal patients were randomly assigned to receive either the drug combination or a placebo, and the results showed that the drug combination improved progression-free survival (PFS) across various preexisting condition groups.
- The study concluded that palbociclib and letrozole were effective in prolonging PFS while maintaining a safety profile similar to previous findings, regardless of the patient's existing health issues.
Article Synopsis
- A study examined the impact of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) on survival in older women (70+) with ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer and multiple health issues.
- Women with higher comorbidity scores were analyzed, comparing those who received ET to those who did not, using advanced statistical methods for a fair comparison.
- Results showed that patients receiving ET had a significantly better overall survival (79.2 months vs. 67.7 months) and suggested that treatment plans for older patients should consider individual health conditions and life expectancy.
Article Synopsis
- The TRINITI-1 trial explores the effectiveness of ribociclib combined with everolimus and exemestane for treating advanced hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer after patients have progressed on a CDK4/6 inhibitor.
- This phase I/II study showed a clinical benefit rate of 41.1% at week 24 among patients who had previously undergone endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 treatment.
- Results indicate that the treatment is relatively safe, with common side effects like neutropenia and stomatitis, and suggest further investigation into this combination therapy for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on evaluating elacestrant, a new oral drug, for women with advanced breast cancer that is positive for estrogen receptors and negative for HER2, particularly those who have undergone extensive previous treatments.
- It used a specific study design to determine the maximum safe dose and observed safety and effectiveness at a recommended dose of 400 mg taken daily.
- Results showed an acceptable safety profile with mild side effects, and about 19.4% of patients had positive responses to treatment, especially among those with certain mutations, suggesting potential effectiveness for this patient group.
Article Synopsis
- Chemotherapy can save lives but also appears to accelerate aging, with a specific focus on breast cancer patients undergoing different chemotherapy regimens.
- A study measuring the expression of a molecular aging biomarker before and after treatment found significant increases post-chemotherapy, especially in patients on anthracycline-based regimens, which showed an accelerated aging effect of up to 26 years.
- The results suggest that the type of chemotherapy and a patient's initial biomarker levels impact the degree of accelerated aging, highlighting a potential preference for nonanthracycline regimens that offer similar effectiveness with less aging impact.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the severity of symptoms and how much those symptoms interfere with daily life between younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) women undergoing similar chemotherapy for early breast cancer (EBC).* -
- The results showed that younger women reported higher rates of severe hot flashes and myalgia, but overall, there were no significant differences in hospitalizations, dose adjustments, or treatment discontinuations between the two age groups.* -
- The conclusion suggests that both age groups experienced similar levels of symptom severity and related issues, indicating that age may not significantly influence the impact of chemotherapy on women with EBC.*
Article Synopsis
- * The phase II trial of mirvetuximab soravtansine (an antibody drug conjugate) for treating FRα-positive metastatic TNBC included 96 patients but revealed that only 10% of patients screened had FRα positivity.
- * The study was halted early due to low FRα positivity and ineffective treatment outcomes, suggesting that further research should focus on developing better patient selection strategies rather than continuing with mirvetuximab-s as currently administered.
Article Synopsis
- The POLARIS study is a noninterventional, multicenter research project focusing on patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer in the USA and Canada.
- It involves tracking the use of the drug palbociclib in real-world clinical settings to assess treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, and patient quality of life.
- The study will also investigate the genomic characteristics of tumors and the effects of palbociclib across different patient groups and treatment stages.
Article Synopsis
- Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly benefits early-stage breast cancer patients, but older women are less likely to receive timely treatment due to delays, impacting their survival.
- In a study of nearly 29,000 women aged over 66, the average time from surgery to chemotherapy was 43 days, with over 10% experiencing delays longer than 90 days, influenced by factors like age, race, marital status, comorbidities, and type of surgery.
- Delayed chemotherapy correlated with lower overall and breast cancer-specific survival rates, particularly in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative tumors, highlighting the need for timely treatment initiation within 90 days post-surgery.