Discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy and impact on quality of life and functional status in older patients with breast cancer

Purpose: Side effects are the main reason for discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine geriatric predictors of treatment discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy within the first 2 years after initiation, and to study the association between early discontinuation and functional status and quality of life (QoL). Methods: Patients aged ≥ 70 years with stage I–III breast cancer who received adjuvant endocrine therapy were included. The primary endpoint was discontinuation of endocrine therapy within 2 years. Risk factors for discontinuation were assessed using univariate logistic regression models. Linear mixed models were used to assess QoL and functional status over time. Results: Overall, 258 patients were included, of whom 36% discontinued therapy within 2 years after initiation. No geriatric predictive factors for treatment discontinuation were found. Tumour stage was inversely associated with early discontinuation. Patients who discontinued had a worse breast cancer-specific QoL (b = − 4.37; 95% CI − 7.96 to − 0.78; p = 0.017) over the first 2 years, in particular on the future perspective subscale (b = − 11.10; 95% CI − 18.80 to − 3.40; p = 0.005), which did not recover after discontinuation. Treatment discontinuation was not associated with functional improvement. Conclusion: A large proportion of older patients discontinue adjuvant endocrine treatment within 2 years after initiation, but geriatric characteristics are not predictive of early discontinuation of treatment. Discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy did not positively affect QoL and functional status, which implies that the observed poorer QoL in this group is probably not caused by adverse effects of endocrine therapy

Risk of Regional Recurrence After Negative Repeat Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence

Repeat sentinel lymph node biopsy (rSLNB) has increasingly been used in patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR). The safety in terms of regional disease control after this procedure remains unclear. This study evaluates occurrence of regional recurrence as first event in patients with IBTR and negative rSLNB, treated without additional lymph node dissection. Data were obtained from the Sentinel Node and Recurrent Breast Cancer (SNARB) study. In 201 patients, tumor-negative rSLNB was obtained without performing additional lymph node dissections. 99mtechnetium) used during rSLNB were associated with developing regional recurrence as first event after negative rSLNB (P < 0.05). The risk of developing regional recurrence after negative rSLNB is low. The low relapse rate supports the safety of rSLNB as primary nodal staging tool in IBTR. The time has come for clinical guidelines to adopt rSLNB as axillary staging tool in patients with IBT

Screening for distant metastases in patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence:the impact of different imaging modalities on distant recurrence-free interval

PurposeIn patients with ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR), the detection of distant disease determines whether the intention of the treatment is curative or palliative. Therefore, adequate preoperative staging is imperative for optimal treatment planning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of conventional imaging techniques, including chest X-ray and/or CT thorax-(abdomen), liver ultrasonography(US), and skeletal scintigraphy, on the distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) in patients with IBTR, and to compare conventional imaging with F-18-FDG PET-CT or no imaging at all.MethodsThis study was exclusively based on the information available at time of diagnoses of IBTR. To adjust for differences in baseline characteristics between the three imaging groups, a propensity score (PS) weighted method was used.ResultsOf the 495 patients included in the study, 229 (46.3%) were staged with conventional imaging, 89 patients (19.8%) were staged with F-18-FDG PET-CT, and in 168 of the patients (33.9%) no imaging was used (N=168). After a follow-up of approximately 5 years, 14.5% of all patients developed a distant recurrence as first event after IBTR. After adjusting for the PS weights, the Cox regression analyses showed that the different staging methods had no significant impact on the DRFI.ConclusionsThis study showed a wide variation in the use of imaging modalities for staging IBTR patients in the Netherlands. After using PS weighting, no statistically significant impact of the different imaging modalities on DRFI was shown. Based on these results, it is not possible to recommend staging for distant metastases using F-18-FDG PET-CT over conventional imaging techniques.</p