HER2 treatment landscape 2023

Professor Javier Cortés, Head of the International Breast Cancer Center in Barcelona, Spain explains the HER2 treatment landscape in 2023. The interview answers the following questions: 1.    HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugates, T-DM1 and T-DXd have remarkably improved overall survival in patients with HER2-positive mBC. Why do these modern ADCs work so well, what makes them different from previous HER2-targeted therapies? 2.    In the current guidelines, the gold standard first line treatment for HER2-positive mBC is indisputably the dual HER2-blockade plus taxane (CLEOPATRA-regime). Do you think it will change in the (near) future?  3.    As survival is being prolonged, we see more and more patients with brain metastases. How does the presence of brain mets influence your treatment decisions in the second line? 4.    Historically, breast cancers have been defined as HER2-positive or negative. Recently, DesitinyBreast04 established HER2-low as a new targetable population. Will the HER2 expression spectrum broaden even further in the future?  5.    What have we learnt so far from trials of T-DM-1 and T-DXd in earlier disease stages?

What's new in treatment of breast cancer? - Highlights of ESMO BC 2023

Prof. Matteo Lambertini explains the highlights of the 2023 ESMO Breast Cancer Conference.  - There are more insights of the toxicity of the new ACDs, paticullary for trastuzumab deruxtecan. Updated data on the DESTINY (DESTINY-Breast04, 02) trials in the terms of toxicities. - CAPItello-291, capivasertib to fulvestrant improves progression-free survival for key subgroups of patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer resistant to aromatase inhibitors. - The updated result of IMpassion031, the authors presented survival outcomes for this studies. - Highlights the result of the recently published positive study about the safety of temporarly interrupting endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy after breast cancer.

Hot topics in melanoma management

We asked Professor Paolo Ascierto, world known expert in the field of skin cancer treatment about hot topics in melanoma management. Based on the current evidence, clinical trial data and real world data, what seems to be the best sequence? Open questions include topics in melanoma management the need of adjuvant treatment for high risk pts. What are the pros and cons of adjuvant therapy? Is it still needed or is neoadjuvant therapy the way forward instead of adjuvant therapy?

Functional Precision Medicine in Oncology

Professor Anthony Letai, President of the Society for Functional Precision Medicine explains the concept of functional precision medicine in oncology: we take the patient's living tissue and expose it to drugs, then ask if there is an effect, we can measure that predicts response in vivo. Dr. Letai is convinced that this will be a valuable diagnostic tool, the next step in precision medicine. For more information visit the website of  SFPM: https://www.sfpm.io/

The first mRNA cancer vaccine with pembrolizumab minimizes recurrence rate in melanoma tells Jeffrey Weber clinical investigator

Jeffrey Weber explains the efficacy and safety results from the randomized, open-label Phase 2 mRNA-4157-P201/Keynote-942 trial  presented at ACCR 2023. The personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine plus pembrolizumab demonstrated efficacy in the adjuvant setting for patients with resected high-risk melanoma. It is the first: - randomized trial that shows benefit for a neoantigen vaccine approach of any type - trial of a mRNA vaccine in melanoma - trial in any cancer that was a phase 2 randomized trial where there was a control arm showing benefit for the addition of the neoantigen vaccine to an established approach in this case of course the PD-1 antibody pembrolizumab

Post neoadjuvant therapy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Professor Hope Rugo were speaker and co-author of several presentations at this years San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. We asked her about triple negative Breast Cancer. Where is the role of immunotherapy in early triple negative breast cancer? What is the benefit it can provide in the neoadjuvant and post-neoadjuvant setting on the basis of the current scientific evidence?

Treatment options for early, HR+, HER2- Breast Cancer

Professor Hope Rugo were speaker and co-author of several presentations at this years San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. We asked her about early stage HR+, HER2-negative breast cancer. For example, updated results of TAILORx trial on the need for adjuvant chemo and the 42 months data of the MonrachE trial.

Highlights of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2022

Professor Virginia Kaklamani speak about the novelties and state of the art treatment presented at SABCS 2022. (DESTINY-Breast02 trial Trastuzumab Deruxtecan,  CDK4/6i elacestrant, EMERALD trial, AKT inhibitor capivasertib,POSITIVE trial)

Primary results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-412 study

Professor Jean-Pascal Machiels Head of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Cliniques Universitaires Sain-Luc, Brussels, presented results of the KEYNOTE-412 trial at this years ESMO Congress. This was a phase 3 study evaluating pembrolizmab with chemoradiation therapy in locally advanced head and neck squamosus cell carcinoma.

Treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes versus ipilimumab for advanced melanoma

Professor John Haanen from the Netherlands Cancer Institute presented the first randomized phase 3 trial on treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes vs. ipilimumab for advanced melanoma at this years ESMO Congress.  The main points of the interview include: •    In melanoma immun checkpoint inhibitors together with targeted agents really revolutinized the outcomes of patients. What was the rational behind the use of tumor infilitrating lymphocytes and how does it work? •    Patient population, study design  •    The primary endpoint (PFS), response rates, OS  •    Safety profile of TIL, quality of life assessment  •    Potential role  of TIL as a melanoma treatment in the future

The IPSOS trial

Siow Ming Lee, Professor of Medical Oncology at University College London, presented the results of the IPSOS trial at the ESMO 2022 Congress. This was a phase 3 study evaluating first-line atezolizumab vs. single agent chemotherapy in NSCLC patients not eligible for a platinum-based regimen. The main points of the interview include: -    Rationale of the study: the unmet need to examine novel therapeutic options in the under-studied unfit NSCLC patient population -    Study design -    Results of the primary endpoint (OS) and secondary endpoints (OS rates at certain timepoints, PFS, ORR)  -    Safety profile of atezolizumab and chemotherapy and helath-related quality of life assessment in this unfit population

Results from the phase 3 PARADIGM trial

Professor Takayuki Yoshino presented at the recent ASCO 2022 new data about the PARADIGM trial. He summerized us the main findings. (Panitumumab plus mFOLFOX6 versus bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 as first‐line treatment in patients with RAS wild‐type metastatic colorectal cancer)

Pembrolizumab in CRC: What did we learn from the KEYNOTE-177 and the KEYNOTE-651 trials?

Professor Richard D. Kim presented a data about the long term follow-up of the KEYNOTE-651 study at the recent ASCO 2022 congress. We asked him about the new informations and also about the KEYNOTE-177 trial.

Early breast cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

Professor Sibylle Loibl was the recipient of the 2022 ESMO Breast Cancer award for her excepcional contribution the clinical research of Breast Cancer. We asked her about the award an the upcoming new clinical practice guidelines of ESMO for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for early breast cancer, which will be published at the ESMO 2022 congress in September.

Novelties at the International Summit of Lung Cancer in Rome

Professor Federico Cappuzzo summarize the program of the Summit held in Rome. During the sessions was discussed various aspects in the field of lung cancer. Like new biomarkers for prevention and screening for patients with lung cancer, neoadjuvant therapies, treatment of metastatic disease, new immunotherapy options and targeted therapies.

Highlights of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2021

Professor Virginia Kaklamani speak about the novelties and state of the art treatment presented at SABCS 2021.

Effects of prolonging adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy beyond five years on recurrence and cause-specific mortality: an EBCTCG meta-analysis of individual patient data from 12 randomised trials including 24,912 women

Alpelisib + fulvestrant for advanced breast cancer: Subgroup analyses from the Phase III SOLAR-1 trial

Lifestyle Intervention Helped Breast Cancer Survivors Lose Weight, and Was Associated with Higher Disease-free Survival Rates

Choice of Surgery May Affect Quality of Life for Young Breast Cancer Survivors

Circulating Tumor Cell Count Could Help Choose Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

Axillary Radiotherapy and Lymph Node Surgery Yielded Comparable 10-year Outcomes for Patients with Breast Cancer

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation, Although Close, was Not Equivalent to Whole Breast Irradiation To Control Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence

A randomized placebo controlled phase III trial of low dose tamoxifen for the prevention of recurrence in women with operated hormone sensitive breast ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ

PALLET: A neoadjuvant study to compare the clinical and antiproliferative effects of letrozole with and without palbociclib

Phase III KATHERINE Clinical Trial Crossed Early Reporting Boundary and Met its Primary Endpoint

Adjuvant Capecitabine Did Not Significantly Improve Outcomes for Patients With Early-stage Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Might Not Add Benefit in Breast Cancer Patients who Have Excellent Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Delaying Adjuvant Chemotherapy Associated With Worse Outcomes for Patients With Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Low-Dose Tamoxifen Was Safe and Effective at Reducing Recurrence and New Breast Disease for Patients With DCIS, LCIS, and ADH

Increasing the dose intensity of adjuvant chemotherapy: an EBCTCG meta-analysis

Phase Ib/II Study Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab and Trastuzumab in Patients with Trastuzumab-Resistant HER2-positive Advanced Breast Cancer: Results from the PANACEA Study (IBCSG 45-13/BIG 4-13/KEYNOTE-014)