Estudio de las alteraciones genéticas asociadas con la resistencia al tratamiento neoadjuvante de deprivación estrogénica en cáncer de mama

With current standard of care adjuvant therapy, approximately 25-30% of women with high risk early stage HR+/HER2- breast cancer experience relapse. The preoperative platform offers an opportunity to interrogate mechanisms of drug resistance that, in turn, could inform the choice of adjuvant therapy. We report herein a study where we performed targeted DNA sequencing and whole transcriptome analysis on whole tumor sections from a cohort of 68 operable ER+ breast cancers treated with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole for a median of 7.2 months before surgery, and a with a median follow up of 5 years. We found that resistant tumors were enriched in clinically actionable mutation and showed an enrichment in expression of genes involved in proliferation. Resistant tumors show a high degree of heterogeneity among them upregulating a variety of transcriptional programs. A common feature among resistant tumors was a co-expression of several genes dependent on the E2F4 transcription factor. We defined an E2F4 activation signature that define ER+ breast cancer with poor prognostic features and is sensitive to treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors. This signature is of potential use for the identification of patients with ER+ breast cancer candidates for adjuvant therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with antiestrogens. Our study also identifies a novel gene, PRR11 (Proline rich 11), as a putative driver of endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancers and that merits further investigation to understand its mechanisms of action.With current standard of care adjuvant therapy, approximately 25-30% of women with high risk early stage HR+/HER2- breast cancer experience relapse. The preoperative platform offers an opportunity to interrogate mechanisms of drug resistance that, in turn, could inform the choice of adjuvant therapy. We report herein a study where we performed targeted DNA sequencing and whole transcriptome analysis on whole tumor sections from a cohort of 68 operable ER+ breast cancers treated with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole for a median of 7.2 months before surgery, and a with a median follow up of 5 years. We found that resistant tumors were enriched in clinically actionable mutation and showed an enrichment in expression of genes involved in proliferation. Resistant tumors show a high degree of heterogeneity among them upregulating a variety of transcriptional programs. A common feature among resistant tumors was a co-expression of several genes dependent on the E2F4 transcription factor. We defined an E2F4 activation signature that define ER+ breast cancer with poor prognostic features and is sensitive to treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors. This signature is of potential use for the identification of patients with ER+ breast cancer candidates for adjuvant therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with antiestrogens. Our study also identifies a novel gene, PRR11 (Proline rich 11), as a putative driver of endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancers and that merits further investigation to understand its mechanisms of action

A phase I dose-finding, pharmacokinetics and genotyping study of olaparib and lurbinectedin in patients with advanced solid tumors

Càncer; Biologia molecular; OncologiaCancer; Molecular biology; OncologyCáncer; Biología molecular; OncologíaThe poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib has shown antitumor activity in patients with ovarian or breast cancer with or without BRCA1/2 mutations. Lurbinectedin is an ecteinascidin that generates DNA double-strand breaks. We hypothesized that the combination of olaparib and lurbinectedin maximizes the DNA damage increasing the efficacy. A 3 + 3 dose-escalation study examined olaparib tablets with lurbinectedin every 21 days. The purpose of this phase I study is to determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of the combination, to investigate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), efficacy, pharmacokinetics, in addition to genotyping and translational studies. In total, 20 patients with ovarian and endometrial cancers were included. The most common adverse events were asthenia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, neutropenia, anemia. DLT grade 4 neutropenia was observed in two patients in dose level (DL) 5, DL4 was defined as the MTD, and the RP2D was lurbinectedin 1.5 mg/m2 + olaparib 250 mg twice a day (BID). Mutational analysis revealed a median of 2 mutations/case, 53% of patients with mutations in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. None of the patients reached a complete or partial response; however, 60% of stable disease was achieved. In conclusion, olaparib in combination with lurbinectedin was well tolerated with a disease control rate of 60%. These results deserve further evaluation of the combination in a phase II trial.This trial was sponsored by AstraZeneca and PharmaMar, including supply of study drugs

GEICAM Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women in Spain. During the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARSCoV-2 virus, patients with BC still require timely treatment and follow-up; however, hospitals are overwhelmed with infected patients and, if exposed, patients with BC are at higher risk for infection and serious complications if infected. Thus, health care providers need to evaluate each BC treatment and in-hospital visit to minimize pandemic-associated risks while maintaining adequate treatment efficacy. Here we present a set of guidelines regarding available options for BC patient management and treatment by BC subtype in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to the lack of evidence about COVID-19 infection, these recommendations are mainly based on expert opinion, medical organizations’ and societies’ recommendations, and some published evidence. We consider this a useful tool to facilitate medical decision making in this health crisis situation we are facing

Clinical and Sociodemographic Determinants of Adherence to World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) Recommendations in Breast Cancer Survivors-Health-EpiGEICAM Study

Breast cancer (BC) survivors are advised to follow the WCRF/AICR cancer prevention recommendations, given their high risk of developing a second tumour. We aimed to explore compliance with these recommendations in BC survivors and to identify potentially associated clinical and sociodemographic factors. A total of 420 BC survivors, aged 31-80, was recruited from 16 Spanish hospitals. Epidemiological, dietary and physical activity information was collected through questionnaires. A 7-item score to measure compliance with the recommendations was built according to the 2018 WCRF/AICR scoring criteria. Standardized prevalences and standardized prevalence ratios of moderate and high compliance across participant characteristics were estimated using multinomial and binary logistic regression models. The mean score was 3.9 (SD: 1.0) out of 7 points. Recommendations with the worst adherence were those of limiting consumption of red/processed meats (12% of compliance, 95% CI: 8.2-15.0) and high fibre intake (22% of compliance, 95% CI: 17.6-27.0), while the best compliance was observed for the consumption of fruits and vegetables (73% of compliance, 95% CI: 69.2-77.7). Overall, adherence was worse in women with university education and in those with first-degree relatives with BC. This information may be of interest to design and implement personalized preventive measures adapted to the characteristics of these patients.This research was funded by the Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cancer (AECC) (Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association against Cancer 2016). This article presents independent research. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Carlos III Institute of Health.S

Serum Phospholipids Fatty Acids and Breast Cancer Risk by Pathological Subtype

This study evaluates whether serum phospholipids fatty acids (PL-FAs) and markers of their endogenous metabolism are associated with breast cancer (BC) subtypes. EpiGEICAM is a Spanish multicenter matched case-control study. A lifestyle and food frequency questionnaire was completed by 1017 BC cases and healthy women pairs. Serum PL-FA percentages were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Conditional and multinomial logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of PL-FA tertiles with BC risk, overall and by pathological subtype (luminal, HER2+ and triple negative). Stratified analyses by body mass index and menopausal status were also performed. Serum PL-FAs were measured in 795 (78%) pairs. Women with high serum levels of stearic acid (odds ratio (OR)T3vsT1 = 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.30-0.66), linoleic acid (ORT3vsT1 = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.49-0.90) and arachidonic to dihomo-γ-linolenic acid ratio (OR T3vsT1 = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.48-0.84) presented lower BC risk. Participants with high concentrations of palmitoleic acid (ORT3vsT1 = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.20-2.26), trans-ruminant palmitelaidic acid (ORT3vsT1 = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.12-2.02), trans-industrial elaidic acid (ORT3vsT1 = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.14-2.03), and high oleic to stearic acid ratio (ORT3vsT1 = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.45-2.87) showed higher risk. These associations were similar in all BC pathological subtypes. Our results emphasize the importance of analyzing fatty acids individually, as well as the desaturase activity indices

A polymorphism at the 3'-UTR region of the aromatase gene defines a subgroup of postmenopausal breast cancer patients with poor response to neoadjuvant letrozole

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Aromatase (<it>CYP19A1</it>) regulates estrogen biosynthesis. Polymorphisms in <it>CYP19A1 </it>have been related to the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC). Inhibition of aromatase with letrozole constitutes the best option for treating estrogen-dependent BC in postmenopausal women. We evaluate a series of polymorphisms of <it>CYP19A1 </it>and their effect on response to neoadjuvant letrozole in early BC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed 95 consecutive postmenopausal women with stage II-III ER/PgR [+] BC treated with neoadjuvant letrozole. Response to treatment was measured by radiology at 4^thmonth by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Three polymorphisms of <it>CYP19A1</it>, one in exon 7 (rs700519) and two in the 3'-UTR region (rs10046 and rs4646) were evaluated on DNA obtained from peripheral blood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty-five women (36.8%) achieved a radiological response to letrozole. The histopathological and immunohistochemical parameters, including hormonal receptor status, were not associated with the response to letrozole. Only the genetic variants (AC/AA) of the rs4646 polymorphism were associated with poor response to letrozole (p = 0.03). Eighteen patients (18.9%) reported a progression of the disease. Those patients carrying the genetic variants (AC/AA) of rs4646 presented a lower progression-free survival than the patients homozygous for the reference variant (p = 0.0686). This effect was especially significant in the group of elderly patients not operated after letrozole induction (p = 0.009).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study reveals that the rs4646 polymorphism identifies a subgroup of stage II-III ER/PgR [+] BC patients with poor response to neoadjuvant letrozole and poor prognosis. Testing for the rs4646 polymorphism could be a useful tool in order to orientate the treatment in elderly BC patients.</p

Report on computational assessment of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes from the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group

Funder: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Cancer Institute (NCI)Funder: National Center for Research Resources under award number 1 C06 RR12463-01, VA Merit Review Award IBX004121A from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Service, the DOD Prostate Cancer Idea Development Award (W81XWH-15-1-0558), the DOD Lung Cancer Investigator-Initiated Translational Research Award (W81XWH-18-1-0440), the DOD Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (W81XWH-16-1-0329), the Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation Fund, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program (CTSA) at Case Western Reserve University.Funder: Susan G Komen Foundation (CCR CCR18547966) and a Young Investigator Grant from the Breast Cancer Alliance.Funder: The Canadian Cancer SocietyFunder: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), Grant No. 17-194Abstract: Assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is increasingly recognized as an integral part of the prognostic workflow in triple-negative (TNBC) and HER2-positive breast cancer, as well as many other solid tumors. This recognition has come about thanks to standardized visual reporting guidelines, which helped to reduce inter-reader variability. Now, there are ripe opportunities to employ computational methods that extract spatio-morphologic predictive features, enabling computer-aided diagnostics. We detail the benefits of computational TILs assessment, the readiness of TILs scoring for computational assessment, and outline considerations for overcoming key barriers to clinical translation in this arena. Specifically, we discuss: 1. ensuring computational workflows closely capture visual guidelines and standards; 2. challenges and thoughts standards for assessment of algorithms including training, preanalytical, analytical, and clinical validation; 3. perspectives on how to realize the potential of machine learning models and to overcome the perceptual and practical limits of visual scoring

Phase 1/1b dose escalation and expansion study of BEZ235, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors including patients with advanced breast cancer

Purpose: To determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BEZ235, an oral inhibitor of class I PI3K and mTOR complexes 1 and 2. Methods: We performed a phase I/Ib, multicenter, open-label study of oral BEZ235 administered in a continuous daily schedule. The study consisted of two parts: dose-escalation part and safety-expansion part. BEZ235 was administered as a single agent to patients with solid tumors or in combination with trastuzumab for HER2+ advanced breast cancer (aBC). Primary end points were MTD, safety, and tolerability. The secondary end point was pharmacokinetics. Other formulations of BEZ235, solid dispersion system (SDS) sachet, and SDS capsules were also assessed. Results: One hundred and eighty-three patients were enrolled; single-agent BEZ235 was administered as hard gelatin capsule (n = 59), SDS capsules A and B (n = 33), and SDS sachet (n = 61), amongst which SDS sachet was chosen as the preferred formulation. The monotherapy MTD for capsule A and SDS sachet was determined to be 1000 and 1200 mg/day, respectively. Thirty patients with HER2+ aBC received BEZ235 in combination with trastuzumab. The MTD of BEZ235 in combination with trastuzumab was 600 mg/day. A total of four patients (13.3%) achieved partial response across the different groups. Most frequent AEs in single agent and combination cohorts included nausea (80.3 and 93.3%), diarrhea (75.4 and 80.0%), and vomiting (63.9 and 63.3%). Conclusions: The MTD of BEZ235 as single agent was 1200 and 600 mg/day with trastuzumab. Pharmacokinetic profiles showed low-to-moderate variability at low dose (10 mg) and high variability at high doses (100 mg and above). Gastrointestinal AEs were frequent at high doses