scholarly journals Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer Management: State of the Art

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 902
Author(s):  
Florence Lerebours ◽  
Luc Cabel ◽  
Jean-Yves Pierga

Endocrine therapy is the mainstay of treatment in HR+/HER2- breast cancers, which represent about 70% of all breast cancers. Neoadjuvant therapy has been developed since the 1990s to address several issues, including breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and improvement of survival rates. For a long time, neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) was confined to frail patients in order to improve surgery outcome. Since the 2000s, NET now plays a central role as a research tool for predictive endocrine sensitivity biomarkers and targeted therapies. One of the major issues in early HR+/HER2- breast cancer is to identify patients in whom chemotherapy can be safely withheld. In vivo assessment of response to NET might be the best treatment strategy to address this issue.

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Zabkiewicz ◽  
L Ye ◽  
R Hargest

Abstract Introduction HER2 over-expression denotes poor prognosis in breast cancers.Bone morphogenetic protein(BMP) signalling is known to interact with EGF signalling, co-regulating breast cancer progression.BMP antagonist Gremlin-1 may influence breast cancer disease progression, but this remains unexplored in HER2 positive breast cancers. Method GREM1 and HER2 expression, and clinical outcomes were examined in clinical cohorts.GREM1 overexpression or pEF control plasmid were transduced into BT474 HER2+breast cancer cells. In vitro function tests using BT474 pEF and BT474GREM1cells include 2D/3D growth, migration, and expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition(EMT)markers. Signalling cascades were examined in BT474 treated with RhGremlin-1. In vivo, BALB/c nude mice underwent either mammary injection or intra-cardiac injection of BT474pEF or BT474GREM1 cells and disease burden assessed. Result GREM1 expression correlates with HER2 in breast tumours(p=0.03) and is higher in metastatic HER2 positive cancers (p = 0.04). HER2 positive patients with high GREM1 have poor survival(p = 0.0002). BT474GREM1cells have up-regulated markers of EMT compared to control. BT474 RhGremlin-1 treated cells have active AKT pathway signalling, independent of BMP signalling. In vitro,  BT474GREM1cells significantly proliferate and migrate compared to control(p<0.05 and p < 0.001).This is confirmed in vivo,  BT474GREM1 mice grew significantly larger mammary tumours(p<0.05) and had more PETCT metastatic hotspots. Conclusion Gremlin-1 is correlated with poor outcomes in HER2 patients and promotes breast cancer cellular growth, migration and metastasis.Gremlin-1 is a novel area of research with potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for personalised, effective, breast cancer outcomes. Take-home message BMP antagonists are gaining interest for their potential in breast cancer prognosis and therapeutics.This novel area of research shows BMP antagonist Gremlin-1 is of importance in HER2 positive breast cancers. DRAGONS DEN


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Padmanabhan ◽  
Hadeel Shafeeq Kheraldine ◽  
Nader Meskin ◽  
Semir Vranic ◽  
Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa

Breast cancer is one of the major causes of mortality in women worldwide. The most aggressive breast cancer subtypes are human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive (HER2+) and triple-negative breast cancers. Therapies targeting HER2 receptors have significantly improved HER2+ breast cancer patient outcomes. However, several recent studies have pointed out the deficiency of existing treatment protocols in combatting disease relapse and improving response rates to treatment. Overriding the inherent actions of the immune system to detect and annihilate cancer via the immune checkpoint pathways is one of the important hallmarks of cancer. Thus, restoration of these pathways by various means of immunomodulation has shown beneficial effects in the management of various types of cancers, including breast. We herein review the recent progress in the management of HER2+ breast cancer via HER2-targeted therapies, and its association with the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) axis. In order to link research in the areas of medicine and mathematics and point out specific opportunities for providing efficient theoretical analysis related to HER2+ breast cancer management, we also review mathematical models pertaining to the dynamics of HER2+ breast cancer and immune checkpoint inhibitors.


Author(s):  
Tomás Reinert ◽  
Susana Ramalho ◽  
Rodrigo Gonçalves ◽  
Carlos Barrios ◽  
Marcia Graudenz ◽  
...  

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) tumors represent the most common form of this disease, with more than 70% of breast cancers expressing these receptors. Response and benefit to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) varies according to HR expression, with lower responses in luminal tumors as compared with hormone receptor-negative (HR-) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) tumors. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is an option for selected patients with HR+ locally advanced breast cancer. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy has a favorable toxicity profile, and is associated with benefits such as having low cost and being more easily available even for cancer care professionals outside major urban areas or tertiary centers. These factors are particularly relevant, as 70% of breast cancer deaths occur in women from low-income and middle-income countries. Additionally, NET is being increasingly explored, not simply to allow for less extensive surgery, but also as a scientific tool, with the use of biomarkers to predict outcomes in adjuvant trials and for the individual patient. This review details the current and most relevant evidence about NET for breast cancer as well as the future directions of this field.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 6740-6748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max A. A. Ragusi ◽  
Claudette E. Loo ◽  
Bas H. M. van der Velden ◽  
Jelle Wesseling ◽  
Sabine C. Linn ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To investigate whether contralateral parenchymal enhancement (CPE) on MRI during neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is associated with the preoperative endocrine prognostic index (PEPI) of ER+/HER2− breast cancer. Methods This retrospective observational cohort study included 40 unilateral ER+/HER2− breast cancer patients treated with NET. Patients received NET for 6 to 9 months with MRI response monitoring after 3 and/or 6 months. PEPI was used as endpoint. PEPI is based on surgery-derived pathology (pT- and pN-stage, Ki67, and ER-status) and stratifies patients in three groups with distinct prognoses. Mixed effects and ROC analysis were performed to investigate whether CPE was associated with PEPI and to assess discriminatory ability. Results The median patient age was 61 (interquartile interval: 52, 69). Twelve patients had PEPI-1 (good prognosis), 15 PEPI-2 (intermediate), and 13 PEPI-3 (poor). High pretreatment CPE was associated with PEPI-3: pretreatment CPE was 39.4% higher on average (95% CI = 1.3, 91.9%; p = .047) compared with PEPI-1. CPE decreased after 3 months in PEPI-2 and PEPI-3. The average reduction was 24.4% (95% CI = 2.6, 41.3%; p = .032) in PEPI-2 and 29.2% (95% CI = 7.8, 45.6%; p = .011) in PEPI-3 compared with baseline. Change in CPE was predictive of PEPI-1 vs PEPI-2+3 (AUC = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.57, 0.96). Conclusions CPE during NET is associated with PEPI-group in ER+/HER2− breast cancer: a high pretreatment CPE and a decrease in CPE during NET were associated with a poor prognosis after NET on the basis of PEPI. Key Points • Change in contralateral breast parenchymal enhancement on MRI during neoadjuvant endocrine therapy distinguished between patients with a good and intermediate/poor prognosis at final pathology. • Patients with a poor prognosis at final pathology showed higher baseline parenchymal enhancement on average compared to patients with a good prognosis. • Patients with an intermediate/poor prognosis at final pathology showed a higher average reduction in parenchymal enhancement after 3 months of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyndsey S Crump ◽  
Garhett Wyatt ◽  
Taylor R Rutherford ◽  
Jennifer K Richer ◽  
Weston W Porter ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTApproximately 70% of all breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive (ER+BC) and endocrine therapy has improved survival for patients with ER+BC. Yet, up to half of these tumors recur within 20 years. Recurrent ER+BCs develop resistance to endocrine therapy; thus, novel targets are needed to treat recurrent ER+BC. We found that semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) confers significantly decreased patient survival rates in ER+BC. We show that SEMA7A is hormonally regulated in ER+BC, but its expression does not uniformly decrease with anti-estrogen treatments. Additionally, overexpression of SEMA7A in ER+ cell lines drives increased in vitro growth in the presence of estrogen-deprivation, tamoxifen, and fulvestrant. In in vivo studies, we found that SEMA7A confers primary tumor resistance to fulvestrant and, importantly, induced lung metastases. Finally, we identify pro-survival signaling as a therapeutic vulnerability of ER+SEMA7A+ tumors and propose that targeting with inhibitors of survival signaling such as venetoclax may have efficacy for treating SEMA7A+ tumors.SIGNIFICANCEWe report that SEMA7A predicts for, and likely contributes to, poor response to standard-of-care therapies and suggest that patients with SEMA7A+ER+ tumors may benefit from alternative therapeutic strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e12125-e12125
Author(s):  
Min-Yi Cheng ◽  
Yi-Fang Zhang ◽  
Ci-Qiu Yang ◽  
Liu-Lu Zhang ◽  
Teng Zhu ◽  
...  

e12125 Background: Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET)is effective in postmenopausal patients with breast cancers expressing oestrogen receptor. However, the therapeutic benefit of NET in premenopausal population is not fully characterized. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of endocrine therapy between the postmenopausal and premenopausal patients with highly endocrine responsiveoperable breast cancer for primary systemic therapy. Methods: Previously untreated patients with operable breast cancer and highly endocrine responsive breast cancer (ER/PR≥50% and Her2-) were recruited. Patients were assigned to receive letrozole 2.5mg daily (combined with triptorelin in premenopausal patients) for a period of at least 6 months. The primary end point of the study was the objective response rate (ORR) measured by breast ultrasound. Secondary end points included safety, pathologically complete response (pCR) rate, breast conservative surgery (BCS) rate. Results: Between September 2012 and December 2016, 41 patients were enrolled in the study (16 postmenopausal, 25 premenopausal ). The total ORR of this study was 73.2% (30 of 41). No significant differences were seen in the ORR, 76.0% (19 of 25 premenopausal patients) and 68.8% (11 of 16 postmenopausal patients) (P = 0.723). The pCR rate was 8% (2 of 25) for the premenopausal and 0%(0 of 16) for the postmenopausal (p=0.512). The BCS rate was 40% (10 of 25) for the premenopausal and 37.5%(6 of 16) for the postmenopausal (P = 0.873). No treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events were recorded in both groups. Conclusions: Letrozole shows a high activity and excellent tolerability as neoadjuvant therapy in both postmenopausal and premenopausal patients with highly endocrine responsive operable breast cancer.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1986
Author(s):  
Virginia Solar Fernandez ◽  
Marco Fiocchetti ◽  
Manuela Cipolletti ◽  
Marco Segatto ◽  
Paolo Cercola ◽  
...  

The expression of the α-subtype of Estrogen Receptor (ERα) characterizes most breast cancers (more than 75%), for which endocrine therapy is the mainstay for their treatment. However, a high percentage of ERα+ breast cancers are de novo or acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, and the definition of new targets for improving therapeutic interventions and the prediction of treatment response is demanding. Our previous data identified the ERα/AKT/neuroglobin (NGB) pathway as a common pro-survival process activated in different ERα breast cancer cell lines. However, no in vivo association between the globin and the malignity of breast cancer has yet been done. Here, we evaluated the levels and localization of NGB in ERα+ breast ductal carcinoma tissue of different grades derived from pre-and post-menopausal patients. The results indicate a strong association between NGB accumulation, ERα, AKT activation, and the G3 grade, while no association with the menopausal state has been evidenced. Analyses of the data set (e.g., GOBO) strengthen the idea that NGB accumulation could be linked to tumor cell aggressiveness (high grade) and resistance to treatment. These data support the view that NGB accumulation, mainly related to ER expression and tumor grade, represents a compensatory process, which allows cancer cells to survive in an unfavorable environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e14653-e14653
Author(s):  
Sarah Sammons ◽  
Grace Anderson ◽  
Suzanne Wardell ◽  
Donald P. McDonnell ◽  
Paul Kelly Marcom ◽  
...  

e14653 Background: Endocrine therapy plus CDK 4/6 inhibition has led to impressive improvements in progression-free survival in patients with advanced, estrogen receptor positive (ER+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer. Resistance inevitably emerges, leaving patients with few proven therapeutic options. Our group has recently found that treatment of PIK3CA mutant ER+/HER2- breast cancer with inhibitors of mTORC1/2 and BCL-XL causes impressive synergistic growth suppression and apoptosis induction compared to either agent alone in vitro and in vivo. We sought to assess activity in clinically relevant models of PIK3CA mutant ER+ breast cancer with acquired resistance to endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibition. Methods: Using orthotopic MCF-7 xenograft tumors (ER+/ PIK3CA mutant) that were evolved through serial passaging in vivo to develop tamoxifen resistance (TamR), we developed models of resistant disease. TamR xenograft- bearing mice were then treated for 4-6 weeks with palbociclib (50 mg/kg qd), fulvestrant (100mg/kg qw), or the combination. Mice in each treatment group were divided into two groups following the initial development of resistance, defined by steady growth for 1-2 weeks: one receiving vehicle and the other receiving low dose MLN0128 0.3 mg/kg qd (mTORC1/2 inhibitor) + ABT-737 25 mg/kg qd (BCL-XL /BCL-2 inhibitor). Results: Combination BCL-XL (ABT-737) + mTORC1/2 (MLN0128) inhibition significantly inhibited growth in tamoxifen (p = 0.0045), fulvestrant/tamoxifen (p = 0.0035), palbociclib/tamoxifen (p = 0.0155), and palbociclib/tamoxifen/fulvestrant (0.005) resistant tumors compared to controls. These results were observed without significant animal toxicity, dose-limiting thrombocytopenia secondary to BCL-XL inhibition, or toxicity to normal breast epithelial cells. We have observed tumor regressions in multiple models using doses five- to 12-fold lower than the equivalent doses required to cause clinically meaningful thrombocytopenia in humans and large animal models. Conclusions: Our data establish the rationale for investigating the combination of BCL-XL and mTORC1/2 inhibition in a clinical trial of advanced PIK3CA mutant, ER+/HER2- breast cancer after progression on CDK 4/6 and endocrine therapy. Preclinical work is ongoing with novel inhibitors of BCL-XL.


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