Brain imaging screening in metastatic breast cancer: patients' and physicians' perspectives.

Background: Routine brain imaging screening (BIS) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (BC) without neurological symptoms is currently not recommended, as no survival/quality-of-life improvements have been demonstrated. We aimed to examine physicians and patients' attitudes and perceptions toward BIS.

Methods: International cross-sectional online survey for patients and physicians, distributed from May 2023 to February 2024.

Characteristics, Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes of Women with Maghreb Origin and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Single-Center, Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Disparities in breast cancer (BC) prevention, screening, treatment access, and survival based on ethnicity have been described. Data in Arab population are limited. We aimed to dissect differences in BC characteristics and outcomes among patients of Maghreb versus non-Maghreb origin.

Breastfeeding after breast cancer in young BRCA carriers.

Background: We investigated safety of breastfeeding after breast cancer in patients carrying germline BRCA pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants.

Methods: This was an international, multicentre, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study including BRCA carriers diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at age 40 years or younger between January 2000 and December 2020 (NCT03673306). Locoregional recurrences and/or contralateral breast cancers, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients who breastfed after delivery and those who did not.

Real-World 5-Year Outcomes of Patients Treated With the Adjuvant Paclitaxel Trastuzumab (APT) Regimen for Stage I HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer: A Retrospective International Study.

Background: An anthracycline-free regimen of adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab is the standard-of-care for patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) early breast cancer (eBC) with tumors ≤20 mm, node-negative tumors, based on the results of a single-arm phase II trial. We investigated the outcomes of this regimen in a real-world (RW) setting.

Methods: This retrospective, international RW study included patients with stage I HER2+ eBC treated with the APT regimen (tumors of 5-20 mm, node-negative (N0 or Nmi) and no previous history of BC).

Body mass index and weight changes in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer: A sub-analysis of the APHINITY trial.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) may affect prognosis in patients with breast cancer (BC). We assessed the association of BMI and weight changes with outcomes of patients with HER2-positive early BC included in the APHINITY trial.

Methods: This is an exploratory analysis of APHINITY (NCT01358877), randomized trial testing adjuvant dual vs.

Association between risk-reducing surgeries and survival in young BRCA carriers with breast cancer: an international cohort study.

Background: Little evidence exists on the effect of risk-reducing surgeries in young BRCA carriers with a previous history of breast cancer. We investigated the association between risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) or risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO), or both procedures, with survival outcomes in a large global cohort of young BRCA carriers with previous breast cancer.

Methods: The BRCA BCY Collaboration is an international, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study, conducted at 109 centres in five continents, including women harbouring germline BRCA1, BRCA2, or both, pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants and diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at the age of 40 years or younger between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2020.

Assisted reproductive technology in young BRCA carriers with a pregnancy after breast cancer: An international cohort study.

Introduction: Very limited data exist on assisted reproductive technology (ART) use in BRCA1/2 carriers conceiving after breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate the safety of ART to achieve a pregnancy after breast cancer in BRCA1/2 carriers.

Methods: This is an international, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study including BRCA1/2 carriers with a pregnancy after prior breast cancer diagnosis at ≤ 40 years of age between 2000 and 2020.

Association of statin use on survival outcomes of patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in the APHINITY trial.

Purpose: There is evidence that statins might improve the outcome of patients with breast cancer. The role of statins in patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer is unknown. Therefore, we explored the association between statin use and survival outcomes in early HER2-positive breast cancer patients in the phase III APHINITY trial (adjuvant pertuzumab/trastuzumab).

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in patients with breast cancer and leptomeningeal metastases from a large registry of BMBC.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) in patients with breast cancer (BC) are associated with a dismal prognosis. We explored clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in patients with BC and LM in the German Brain Metastases in Breast Cancer Registry.

Methods: All patients with histologically confirmed BC and diagnosis of LM (defined as the presence of tumor cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, or presence of typical clinical symptoms in combination with typical magnetic resonance imaging findings) were included.

Clinical Behavior of Breast Cancer in Young Carriers and Prediagnostic Awareness of Germline Status.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical behavior of breast cancer in young carriers according to the specific gene () and the association of the timing of genetic testing (before at diagnosis) with prognosis.

Methods: This was an international, multicenter, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study that included 4,752 patients harboring germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs) in or , who were diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at 40 years or younger between January 2000 and December 2020 in 78 centers worldwide (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03673306).

Prognostic implications of risk definitions from the monarchE and NATALEE trials.

Background: The monarchE and NATALEE trials employed different high-risk inclusion criteria. The main objective is to assess prognostic differences based on their inclusion criteria.

Methods: Patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer enrolled in the phase III Mammella InterGruppo (MIG) 1, Gruppo Italiano Mammella (GIM) 2, and GIM3 trials were categorized as high-risk cohort (HRC) and low-risk cohort (LRC) according to the inclusion criteria of monarchE and NATALEE trials.

Axillary Surgery for Patients With Residual Isolated Tumor Cells (ypN0i+) After Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy for Early Breast Cancer.

Journal Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Emerging treatments in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: Keep raising the bar.

Patients with human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer are experiencing a consistent shift toward better survival across the years, thanks to tremendous advancements in treatment strategies. The consistent improvements of outcomes set a high bar for new drug development and the need to explore new ways to overcome resistance mechanisms. Emerging treatments in HER2-positive breast cancer aim to tackle the disease by acting on different targets, including not only HER2 (both at the extra- and intracellular level), but also HER3, PD-(L)1, CTLA4, NKG2A, AKT, PI3K, and, in triple-positive tumors, the estrogen receptors and the cyclin-dependent kinases 4/6.

The Impact of Initial Tumor Response on Survival Outcomes of Patients With HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer Treated With Docetaxel, Trastuzumab, and Pertuzumab: An Exploratory Analysis of the CLEOPATRA Trial.

Introduction: The CLEOPATRA trial (NCT00567190) established a dual anti-HER2 blockade in combination with docetaxel as the first-line standard of care for patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. While this treatment is overall associated with significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), not all patients respond equally. We hypothesized that a radiological complete response (CR) at week 9 (i.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes predict clinical outcomes in hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Background: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) combined with Endocrine Therapy (ET) are the standard treatment for patients with Hormone Receptor-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2- aBC).

Objectives: While CDK4/6i are known to reduce several peripheral blood cells, such as neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets, the impact of these modulations on clinical outcomes is unknown.

Design: A multicenter, retrospective-prospective Italian study.

Progression-free survival assessment by local investigators versus blinded independent central review in randomized clinical trials in metastatic breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: In randomized clinical trials (RCTs), blinded independent central review (BICR) is used to minimize heterogeneity and bias associated with radiological response evaluation by local investigators. However, BICR adds costs and complexity to the trial management. We assessed the discrepancy index between progression-free survival (PFS) assessment by local investigators and by BICR in RCTs conducted in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Pregnancy After Breast Cancer in Young BRCA Carriers: An International Hospital-Based Cohort Study.

Importance: Young women with breast cancer who have germline pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2 face unique challenges regarding fertility. Previous studies demonstrating the feasibility and safety of pregnancy in breast cancer survivors included limited data regarding BRCA carriers.

Objective: To investigate cumulative incidence of pregnancy and disease-free survival in young women who are BRCA carriers.

Paclitaxel plus carboplatin and durvalumab with or without oleclumab for women with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized SYNERGY phase I/II trial.

Chemo-immunotherapy is the first-line standard of care for patients with PD-L1 positive metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). SYNERGY (NCT03616886) is a dose-finding phase I and a randomized phase II, open-label trial evaluating if targeting the immunosuppressive adenosine pathway can enhance the antitumor activity of chemo-immunotherapy. The phase I part included 6 patients with untreated locally-advanced or mTNBC to determine the safety and recommended phase II dose of the anti-CD73 antibody oleclumab in combination with the anti-PD-L1 durvalumab and 12 cycles of weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel.

Real-world clinical outcomes of patients with stage I HER2-positive breast cancer treated with adjuvant paclitaxel and trastuzumab.

Up to 20% of breast cancer overexpress HER2 protein, making it a reliable target for antibody-based treatments. In early HER2-positive breast cancer avoiding anthracycline-based chemotherapy is a challenge. Based on the single-arm phase II APT trial results, adjuvant paclitaxel/trastuzumab is an accepted regimen for patients with stage I HER2-positive disease.