Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed, Advanced Ovarian Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update.

Purpose: To provide updated guidance regarding neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) among patients with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (epithelial ovarian cancer [EOC]).

Methods: A multidisciplinary Expert Panel convened and updated the systematic review.

Results: Sixty-one studies form the evidence base.

Two staged phase II clinical trial of Eribulin monotherapy in advanced or recurrent cervical cancer.

Background: Eribulin a microtubule targeting agent and analog of Halichondrin B, a natural product isolated from marine sponge H. okadai, has proven clinical efficacy in metastatic pretreated breast cancer and liposarcoma. We conducted a 2-stage Phase II study of eribulin in patients with advanced/recurrent cervical cancer to examine its clinical activity and evaluate biomarkers for predictors of response.

Effect of Chemotherapy on the Gut Microbiome of Breast Cancer Patients During the First Year of Treatment.

Introduction: There is accumulating information of the effects of chemotherapy and weight changes on the gut microbiome of breast cancer patients.

Methods: In this 1-year follow-up study, we investigated gut microbiome of 33 breast cancer patients who donated fecal samples at baseline and after completion of treatment. We compared alpha diversity and mean taxa abundance at baseline and absolute taxa abundance changes (final-baseline) by treatment (16 neoadjuvant [neoADJ], 13 adjuvant [ADJ], 4 no chemotherapy [noC]) and specific chemotherapy agent using Wilcoxon rank sum and negative binomial mixed model (NBMM) analysis.

A phase 1 and pharmacodynamic study of chronically-dosed, single-agent veliparib (ABT-888) in patients with BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutated cancer or platinum-refractory ovarian or triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutated cancers (BRCAmut) have intrinsic sensitivity to PARP inhibitors due to deficiency in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair. There are similarities between BRCAmut and BRCAwt ovarian and basal-like breast cancers. This phase I study determined the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and preliminary efficacy of the PARP inhibitor, veliparib (ABT-888), in these patients.

Phase II Study of Taselisib in -Mutated Solid Tumors Other Than Breast and Squamous Lung Cancer: Results From the NCI-MATCH ECOG-ACRIN Trial (EAY131) Subprotocol I.

Purpose: mutations frequently contribute to oncogenesis in solid tumors. Taselisib, a potent and selective inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, has demonstrated clinical activity in -mutant breast cancer. Whether mutations predict sensitivity to taselisib in other cancer types is unknown.

Bariatric surgery in patients with breast and endometrial cancer in California: population-based prevalence and survival.

Background: The number of bariatric surgeries performed in the United States has increased substantially since the 1990's. However, the prevalence and prognostic impact of bariatric surgery, or weight loss surgery (WLS), among patients with cancer are not known.

Objectives: We investigated the population-based prevalence of WLS in women with breast or endometrial cancer and conducted exploratory analysis to examine whether postdiagnosis WLS is associated with survival.

An Update on Screening and Prevention for Breast and Gynecological Cancers in Average and High Risk Individuals.

Breast and gynecological cancers affect almost 900,000 women and therefore most health care providers will be involved at some point in the management of women with cancer. As the prognosis of all cancers is much more favorable when diagnosed in early stages, it is imperative that all health care providers are familiar not only with current screening guidelines for the average population, but also with the identification of high risk individuals who may benefit from more intense screening as well as available interventions to prevent disease or decrease risk. The purpose of this review article is to provide relevant information to physicians and other health care providers to aid in identifying patients that are classified as "high risk" for developing breast or a gynecologic cancer, outlining what interventions exist for adequate screening and risk reduction strategies, and to provide an update on current screening guidelines for individuals at average and high risk.

Gut microbiome associations with breast cancer risk factors and tumor characteristics: a pilot study.

Objective: To investigate the association between gut microbiome with breast tumor characteristics (receptor status, stage and grade) and known breast cancer risk factors.

Methods: In a pilot cross-sectional study of 37 incident breast cancer patients, fecal samples collected prior to chemotherapy were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene-based sequencing protocol. Alpha diversity and specific taxa by tumor characteristics and breast cancer risk factors were tested by Wilcoxon rank sum test, and by differential abundance analysis, using a zero-inflated negative binomial regression model with adjustment for total counts, age and race/ethnicity.

Intravenous 5-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine administered with tetrahydrouridine increases the proportion of p16-expressing circulating tumor cells in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: Following promising responses to the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor 5-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (FdCyd) combined with tetrahydrouridine (THU) in phase 1 testing, we initiated a non-randomized phase 2 study to assess response to this combination in patients with advanced solid tumor types for which tumor suppressor gene methylation is potentially prognostic. To obtain pharmacodynamic evidence for DNMT inhibition by FdCyd, we developed a novel method for detecting expression of tumor suppressor protein p16/INK4A in circulating tumor cells (CTCs).

Methods: Patients in histology-specific strata (breast, head and neck [H&N], or non-small cell lung cancers [NSCLC] or urothelial transitional cell carcinoma) were administered FdCyd (100 mg/m) and THU (350 mg/m) intravenously 5 days/week for 2 weeks, in 28-day cycles, and progression-free survival (PFS) rate and objective response rate (ORR) were evaluated.

ANG1005, a Brain-Penetrating Peptide-Drug Conjugate, Shows Activity in Patients with Breast Cancer with Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis and Recurrent Brain Metastases.

Purpose: ANG1005, a novel taxane derivative, consists of three paclitaxel molecules covalently linked to Angiopep-2, designed to cross the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal barriers and to penetrate malignant cells via LRP1 transport system. Preclinical and clinical evidence of efficacy with ANG1005 has been previously shown.

Patients And Methods: A multicenter, open-label phase II study in adult patients with measurable recurrent brain metastases from breast cancer (BCBM), with or without leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was conducted ( = 72 BCBM; = 28 leptomeningeal carcinomatosis subset).

Second-line lenvatinib in patients with recurrent endometrial cancer.

Objective: This study assessed the efficacy of lenvatinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, as second-line therapy in patients with unresectable endometrial cancer. The primary end point was the objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by independent radiologic review (IRR). Secondary end points included median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and clinical benefit rate.

Efficacy of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin maintenance therapy in platinum-sensitive recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer: a retrospective study.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) maintenance therapy (intravenous administration at dose 40 mg/m on day 1, repeated every 4 weeks) after first-line salvage chemotherapy for platinum-sensitive recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined women with a first recurrence of platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2005 and 2015. Eligible cases had PLD maintenance following the first-line salvage chemotherapy (n = 28).

Final Analysis of the Prevention of Early Menopause Study (POEMS)/SWOG Intergroup S0230.

Premature menopause is a serious long-term side effect of chemotherapy. We evaluated long-term pregnancy and disease-related outcomes for patients in S0230/POEMS, a study in premenopausal women with stage I-IIIA estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative breast cancer to be treated with cyclophosphamide-containing chemotherapy. Women were randomly assigned to standard chemotherapy with or without goserelin, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, and were stratified by age and chemotherapy regimen.

Efficacy of the PARP Inhibitor Veliparib with Carboplatin or as a Single Agent in Patients with Germline - or -Associated Metastatic Breast Cancer: California Cancer Consortium Trial NCT01149083.

We aimed to establish the MTD of the poly (ADP-ribose) (PAR) polymerase inhibitor, veliparib, in combination with carboplatin in germline - and -associated metastatic breast cancer (MBC), to assess the efficacy of single-agent veliparib, and of the combination treatment after progression, and to correlate PAR levels with clinical outcome. Phase I patients received carboplatin (AUC of 5-6, every 21 days), with escalating doses (50-20 mg) of oral twice-daily (BID) veliparib. In a companion phase II trial, patients received single-agent veliparib (400 mg BID), and upon progression, received the combination at MTD.

Randomized Phase II Study of Ramucirumab or Icrucumab in Combination with Capecitabine in Patients with Previously Treated Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Icrucumab (ICR) and ramucirumab (RAM) bind vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors 1 and 2 (VEGFR-1 and -2), respectively. This open-label, randomized phase II study evaluated their efficacy and safety in combination with capecitabine (CAP) in patients with previously treated unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive CAP (1,000 mg/m orally twice daily, days 1-14) alone or in combination with RAM (10 mg/kg intravenously [IV], days 1 and 8) (RAM + CAP) or ICR (12 mg/kg IV, days 1 and 8) (ICR + CAP) every 21 days.

Accuracy of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Compared With Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing the Tumor Response After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Objectives: This pilot study compared contrast enhanced ultrasound (US) with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing the treatment response in patients with breast cancer receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Methods: This prospective Institutional Review Board-approved and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study included 30 patients, from January 2014 to October 2015, with invasive breast cancer detected by mammography, conventional US imaging, or both and scheduled for NAC. Informed consent was obtained.

Combination Epigenetic Therapy in Advanced Breast Cancer with 5-Azacitidine and Entinostat: A Phase II National Cancer Institute/Stand Up to Cancer Study.

In breast cancer models, combination epigenetic therapy with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor and a histone deacetylase inhibitor led to reexpression of genes encoding important therapeutic targets, including the estrogen receptor (ER). We conducted a multicenter phase II study of 5-azacitidine and entinostat in women with advanced hormone-resistant or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients received 5-azacitidine 40 mg/m (days 1-5, 8-10) and entinostat 7 mg (days 3, 10) on a 28-day cycle.

Value of routine staging imaging studies for patients with stage III breast cancer.

Background And Objectives: Routine staging imaging studies (RSIS) are optional in stage III breast cancer (BC). The impact of RSIS on treatment decisions and patient outcomes has not been extensively studied. The goal of this study was to determine whether RSIS in stage III BC affected treatment or patient outcomes.

Second-line dovitinib (TKI258) in patients with FGFR2-mutated or FGFR2-non-mutated advanced or metastatic endometrial cancer: a non-randomised, open-label, two-group, two-stage, phase 2 study.

Background: Activating FGFR2 mutations are found in 10-16% of primary endometrial cancers and provide an opportunity for targeted therapy. We assessed the safety and activity of dovitinib, a potent tyrosine-kinase inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptors, VEGF receptors, PDGFR-β, and c-KIT, as second-line therapy both in patients with FGFR2-mutated (FGFR2(mut)) endometrial cancer and in those with FGFR2-non-mutated (FGFR2(non-mut)) endometrial cancer.

Methods: In this phase 2, non-randomised, two-group, two-stage study, we enrolled adult women who had progressive disease after first-line chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic endometrial cancer from 46 clinical sites in seven countries.

EMERGE: A Randomized Phase II Study of the Antibody-Drug Conjugate Glembatumumab Vedotin in Advanced Glycoprotein NMB-Expressing Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Glycoprotein NMB (gpNMB), a negative prognostic marker, is overexpressed in multiple tumor types. Glembatumumab vedotin is a gpNMB-specific monoclonal antibody conjugated to the potent cytotoxin monomethyl auristatin E. This phase II study investigated the activity of glembatumumab vedotin in advanced breast cancer by gpNMB expression.

Goserelin for ovarian protection during breast-cancer adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Ovarian failure is a common toxic effect of chemotherapy. Studies of the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to protect ovarian function have shown mixed results and lack data on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We randomly assigned 257 premenopausal women with operable hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer to receive standard chemotherapy with the GnRH agonist goserelin (goserelin group) or standard chemotherapy without goserelin (chemotherapy-alone group).

Phase I/II study of pilaralisib (SAR245408) in combination with trastuzumab or trastuzumab plus paclitaxel in trastuzumab-refractory HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

This phase I/II dose-escalation study investigated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of the pan-class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor pilaralisib in combination with trastuzumab (Arm 1) or trastuzumab plus paclitaxel (Arm 2) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients had progressed on prior trastuzumab (Arms 1 and 2) and received prior taxane (Arm 2). The MTD of pilaralisib was determined using a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design (starting dose 200 mg once daily).

Phase I clinical trial of temsirolimus and vinorelbine in advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: To determine the maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of the combination of weekly temsirolimus and every other week vinorelbine in patients with advanced or refractory solid tumors.

Methods: Patients were treated with intravenous temsirolimus on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 and intravenous vinorelbine on days 1 and 15. Cycles were repeated every 28 days.

Listening in on difficult conversations: an observational, multi-center investigation of real-time conversations in medical oncology.

Background: The quality of communication in medical care has been shown to influence health outcomes. Cancer patients, a highly diverse population, communicate with their clinical care team in diverse ways over the course of their care trajectory. Whether that communication happens and how effective it is may relate to a variety of factors including the type of cancer and the patient's position on the cancer care continuum.