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Kuerer, Henry M.

0000-0001-9108-768X

Mayo Clinic

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Citations 16

Lumpectomy Margins and Local Recurrence in DCIS
Wapnir, IL, Dignam, James J., Li, Jiahe, Suga, J.Marie, Brufsky, Adam M., Hopkins, Judith O. , Zeitzer, Kenneth, Lyons, Janice A., Conlin, Alison K., Kuerer, Henry M. , Siddique, Shahzad, Vallow, Laura A., Albain, Kathy S. , Cianfrocca, Mary, Julian, Thomas B. , Boileau, Jean Francois, Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , Suga, Jennifer M. , Cecchini, Reena S. , Dignam, James J. , Anderson, Stewart , Brufsky, Adam , Conlin, Alison, Kuerer, Henry M. , Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , Wolmark, Norman

JAMA Surgery | July 1, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1001/jamasurg.2026.2340 Get It

Importance The NRG Oncology research organization and NSABP B-35 randomized clinical trial prospectively collected margin width data on postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)–positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who underwent lumpectomy, whole-breast irradiation (WBI), and randomly assigned adjuvant anastrozole or tamoxifen therapy. This permitted analysis of outcomes per margin width. Objective To analyze the effect of margin width on ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR). Design, Setting, and Participants NSABP B-35 was a phase 3, double-blind, randomized clinical trial in which patients were randomized to either 5 years of tamoxifen or anastrozole. Postmenopausal women with HR-positive DCIS and tumor-free margins were eligible. Enrollment was from January 6, 2003, to June 15, 2006, in academic and community hospital members of the NSABP. Study data were analyzed from July 2024 to April 2025. Interventions There were no specific interventions based on lumpectomy margin width. Main Outcomes and Measures Lumpectomy margin width data were prospectively collected within 3 months of randomization. A pathology form classified margins as positive (ink on tumor), close (<1 mm), or negative (≥1 mm). For the negative margin subgroup, closest margin width was stated separately. Thus, an ancillary analysis using 1-mm and 2-mm margin width partitions was performed. Results A total of 3104 postmenopausal women (mean [SD] age, 61 [7.8] years) were enrolled in NSABP B-35. In an ancillary analysis, 2707 patients were included in the 1-mm margin width partition group, and 2546 patients were included in the 2-mm margin width partition group. IBTR was the most common first event, occurring in 90 of 2707 patients (3.3%): 24 of 502 patients (4.8%) with a margin width less than 1 mm and 66 of 2205 patients (3.0%) with a margin width greater than or equal to 1 mm. Ten-year unadjusted cumulative incidence of IBTR events was 5.6% vs 4.0% for margins less than 1 mm vs margins greater than or equal to 1 mm ( P = .04). Using 2 mm as the discriminant threshold for margin width, 39 of 879 patients (4.4%) with margins less than 2 mm and 49 of 1667 patients (2.9%) with margins greater than or equal to 2 mm experienced an IBTR first. Ten-year unadjusted cumulative incidence of IBTR events with margins less than or equal to 2 mm was 5.3% vs 3.8% for those with margins greater than 2 mm ( P = .05). In models adjusting for other patient and tumor factors, margin width was not a significant predictor of IBTR risk (2-mm threshold hazard ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.86-2.06). Conclusions and Relevance Results of this ancillary analysis of the NSABP B-35 trial show that absolute differences in IBTR rates using margin width groupings of less than 1 mm or greater than or equal to 1 mm and margin width groupings of less than 2 mm or greater than or equal to 2 mm in postmenopausal women with HR-positive DCIS receiving lumpectomy, WBI, and adjuvant endocrine therapy were small. Omission of reexcision lumpectomies based on margin widths of less than 1 mm or less than 2 mm can be reconsidered in appropriate patients. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00053898
Predicting nodal burden after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with circulating tumor (ct)DNA for surgical planning: Results from the I-SPY2 trial.
Mukhtar, Rita, Dimitroff, Katrina, Veer, Laura van ‘t , Chien, Jo, Hirst, Gillian L. , Tchou, Julia , Kuerer, Henry M. , Reyna, Chantal , Sauder, Candice A. M. , Magbanua, Mark Jesus M. , Hirst, Gillian L , Yau, Christina , Veer, Laura J. van’t , Swigart, Lamorna Brown , DeMichele, Angela , Yee, Douglas , Rugo, Hope S. , Shatsky, Rebecca , Isaacs, Claudine , Ahmed, Kamran A. , Esserman, Laura J. , Boughey, Judy C.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 504-504

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.504 Get It

504 Background: Axillary surgery in breast cancer is used for staging and therapeutic purposes, but axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) confers high risk of complications including lymphedema. Accordingly, trials have focused on right-sizing axillary surgery, with options ranging from complete omission of surgery, sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery, targeted axillary dissection (TAD), or ALND. Identifying a biomarker to reliably predict nodal burden would facilitate accurate selection of surgical management. We evaluated whether the presence or absence of ctDNA in the blood pre and post NAC is associated with residual nodal burden. Methods: I-SPY2 is a prospective, multicenter NAC trial for patients with clinical stage II-III high-risk breast cancer. Patients are randomized to novel NAC agents, with pathologic complete response being the primary endpoint. As part of the trial, serial ctDNA is assessed with a highly sensitive tumor-informed assay using up to 16 patient-specific tumor mutations (Signatera) at baseline, 3 weeks, 12 weeks, and post-NAC. We determined whether ctDNA positivity or negativity post-NAC, and the change in ctDNA status baseline/post-NAC (-/-, -/+, +/+, +/-) are associated with ypN category (N0, N1, N2). Results: ctDNA status was available post-NAC in 495 patients and change in ctDNA status from baseline was available in 493. At baseline, ctDNA was detected in 160/220 (72.3%) cN0 patients and 227/273 (83.2%) cN+ patients (p=0.006). Post-NAC, ctDNA was detected in 11/220 (5%) cN0 patients and 34/273 (12.5%) cN+ patients (p=0.004). While baseline ctDNA status was not associated with ypN category, there was a significant association between post-NAC ctDNA status and ypN category. For ctDNA + patients post-NAC, 33.3% were ypN0, 31.1% were ypN1, and 35.6% were ypN2 at surgery; in contrast, for ctDNA - patients post-NAC, 67.1% were ypN0, 23.1% were ypN1, and 9.8% were ypN2 (p<0.0001). Dynamic ctDNA changes were also associated with ypN category, with significantly more ypN0 patients among ctDNA -/- or ctDNA +/- cases, and more ypN2 patients in those who did not clear ctDNA (+/+) (p=0.0001, Table). Conclusions: To our knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate a significant relationship between ctDNA and ypN category, which has important surgical implications. CtDNA negativity was associated with low likelihood of ypN2 disease, making these patients excellent candidates for SLN surgery or TAD. Ongoing analyses will incorporate receptor subtype and timing of clearance of ctDNA. CtDNA in breast cancer may help tailor surgical management of the axilla, potentially reducing patient morbidity without compromising prognostic information. ctDNA baseline/post-NAC ypN0 (n=317) ypN1 (n=116) ypN2 (n=60) ctDNA -/- (n=105) 72.4% 19.1% 8.6% ctDNA -/+ (n=1) 0.0% 100.0% 0.0% ctDNA +/+ (n=44) 34.1% 29.6% 36.4% ctDNA +/- (n=343) 65.9% 23.9% 10.2%
Selective Elimination of Breast Surgery for Invasive Breast Cancer
Kuerer, Henry M. , Valero, V, Krishnamurthy, Savitri, Diego, Emilia J. , Lin, Heather , Shen, Yu , Mitchell, Melissa P. , Yang, Wei , Group, Exceptional Responders Study, Moseley, Tanya W. , Leung, Jessica WT, Huang, Monica L. , Parra, Raquel FD van la, Teshome, Mediget , Hwang, Rosa F. , Miggins, Makesha, Piotrowski, Matthew J., Refinetti, Ana P, Ehlers, Richard A., Mouabbi, Jason , Colen, Jessica Suarez, Loveland‐Jones, Catherine, Lesnikowski, Beth Ann, Samiian, Laila, Chong, Clayton, Black, Dalliah M. , Desyder, Sarah M, Nguyen, Tuyen , Smith, Benjamin D. , Krishnamurthy, Savitri , Johnson, Helen Margaret , Lucci, Anthony , Shaitelman, Simona Flora , Boughey, Judy C. , White, Richard L., Hunt, Kelly K. , Rauch, Gaiane M. , Group, Exceptional Responders Study, Candelaria, Rosalind P. , Adrada, Beatriz E. , Arribas, Elsa , Ramirez, David Luis , Sun, Susie X.

JAMA Oncology | March 28, 2025 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 529

10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.0207 Get It

Importance Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) has been associated with pathologic complete response (pCR) in up to 60% of breast cancers (BCs). The findings of this trial question the necessity of surgery. Objective To report preplanned 5-year efficacy outcomes evaluating radiotherapy alone without breast surgery in patients selected with image-guided vacuum assisted biopsy (VAB). Design, Setting, and Participants This single-arm, prospective, phase 2 nonrandomized clinical trial was conducted at 7 US medical centers and included women 40 years or older with cT1-2N0-1M0 ERBB2 -positive (formerly HER2 -positive) or triple-negative invasive BC who showed residual breast lesions after NST of less than 2 cm on imaging. Enrollment was from March 6, 2017, to November 9, 2021. Data analysis was from October to December 2024. Intervention Image-guided VAB of the tumor bed (9G with a minimum of 12 cores) was performed after standard NST. Patients with clinically node-negative disease at diagnosis and no residual cancer in the breast on post-NST VAB underwent whole-breast radiotherapy with a boost without breast or axillary surgery. Patients with initial documented nodal disease and a breast pCR on VAB underwent targeted axillary dissection, while those with residual cancer when undergoing VAB had standard breast and axillary surgery. Patients were monitored with physical examinations and mammography every 6 months. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome was ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence. Results Fifty patients (median [IQR] age, 62 [55-77] years) were enrolled and underwent post-NST VAB. Twenty-nine (58%) and 21 (42%) patients had ERBB2 -positive and triple-negative invasive BC, respectively. Breast pCR on VAB was identified in 31 patients (62%; 95% CI, 47.2%-75.34%), and axillary pCR was identified among all 8 patients with initial nodal metastases and breast pCR on VAB who underwent targeted axillary dissection. At a median follow-up of 55.4 (IQR, 44.0-63.5) months, the ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence rate was 0%, and disease-free and overall survival rates were 100% for patients without breast surgery. Conclusions and Relevance The results of this nonrandomized clinical trial that reported preplanned 5-year outcomes suggest that omission of breast surgery in select patients after NST may be feasible, with no recurrences seen. More confirmatory studies are necessary before this new approach alters surgical practice. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02945579
Nodal Burden and Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Residual Isolated Tumor Cells After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (ypN0i+): The OPBC-05/ICARO Study
Montagna, Giacomo , Laws, Alison , Ferrucci, Massimo , Mrdutt, Mary M., Sun, Susie X. , Bademler, Süleyman , Balbaloĝlu, Hakan , Balint‐Lahat, Nora, Banys-Paluchowski, Maggie, Barrio, Andrea V. , Benson, John R. , Beşe, Nuran , Boyle, Marissa K. , Diego, Emilia J. , Eden, Claire , Eller, Ruth S. , Goldschmidt, Maite, Hlavin, Callie , Heidinger, Martin , Jelinska, Justyna, Çakmak, Güldeniz Karadeniz , King, Tari A. , Kuerer, Henry M. , Loesch, Julie M, Milardi, Francesco , Murawa, Dawid , Moo, Tracy‐Ann , Menes, Tehillah S. , Passeri, Daniele , Pastoriza, Jessica , Perhavec, Andraž , Pislar, Nina , Polidorio, Natália , Rami, Avina , Ryu, Jai Min , Schulz, Alexandra , Sevilimedu, Varadan , Uğurlu, Mustafa Ümit , Uras, Cihan, Hemert, Annemiek K. E. van , Wong, Stephanie M. , Yoo, Tae-Kyung , Zhang, Jennifer Q. , Cabıoğlu, Neslihan , Peeters, Marie-Jeanne T. F. D. Vrancken , Morrow, Monica , Weber, William P. , Group, on behalf of the ICARO Study, Andreozzi, Mariacarla, Barbalho, Daniel Meirelles , Boileau, J.-F., Brogi, Edi , Cabero, Flávia Vidal, Cocco, Daniela , Bree, Eelco de , Vernet-Tomás, M. , Deutschmann, Christine , Ditsch, Nina, Fick, Franziska, Fitzal, Florian , Flanagan, Meghan R. , Gentile, Damiano , Grabenstetter, Anne , Heil, Jörg, Holtschmidt, Johannes , Krawczyk, Natalia , Kühn, Thorsten, Kümmel, Sherko, Muslumanoglu, Mahmut , Nekljudova, Valentina , Newman, Lisa A. , Poulakaki, Fiorita , Schwartz, Christopher J. , Siegel, Emily , Simonson, Colin , Tampaki, Ekaterini Christina , Tampakis, Athanasios , Tausch, Christoph, Bruele, Astrid Botty van den , Vorburger, Denise , Weiss, Anna, Wimmer, Kerstin , Woodward, Steven G. , Ziauddin, Firdos M., Boughey, JC , Boyle, Marissa K , Eller, Ruth , Heidinger, Martin , Karadeniz Cakmak, Güldeniz , Kesmodel, Susan B , King, Tari A , Milardi, Francesco , Murawa, Dawid , Menes, Tehillah S , Passeri, Daniele , Pastoriza, Jessica M , Perhavec, Andraz , Polidorio, Natália , Rami, Avina , Ugurlu, M Umit , van Hemert, Annemiek , Yoo, Tae-Kyung Robyn , Zhang, Jennifer Q , Peeters, Marie-Jeanne Vrancken , Morrow, Monica , Weber, Walter P , Wong, Stephanie M , Mrdutt, Mary M , Banys‐Paluchowski, Maggie , Boughey, Judy C. , Uras, Cihan , Karanlık, Hasan , Group, on behalf of the ICARO Study, Ahn, Sung Gwe , Corsi, Fabio , Crown, Angelena , Esposito, Emanuela , Fayanju, Oluwadamilola M. , Gentilini, Oreste D , Gülçelik, Mehmet Ali , Heil, Joerg , Leo, Cornelia , Pilewskie, Melissa , Riedel, Fabian , Rocco, Nicola , Schnabel, Freya Ruth , Singer, Christian F. , Soares, Leonardo Ribeiro , Tasoulis, Marios Konstantinos , Urban, Cicero A. , Vergauwen, Glenn , Wärnberg, Fredrik , Williams, Austin David

Journal of Clinical Oncology | November 7, 2024 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 810-820

10.1200/jco.24.01052 Get It

PURPOSE The nodal burden of patients with residual isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (ypN0i+) is unknown, and axillary management is not standardized. We investigated rates of additional positive lymph nodes (LNs) at axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and oncologic outcomes in patients with ypN0i+ treated with and without ALND. METHODS The Oncoplastic Breast Consortium-05/ICARO cohort study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06464341 ) retrospectively analyzed data from patients with stage I to III breast cancer with ITCs in SLNs after NAC from 62 centers in 18 countries. The primary end point was the 3-year rate of any axillary recurrence. The rate of any invasive recurrence was the secondary end point. RESULTS In total, 583 patients were included, of whom 182 (31%) had completion ALND and 401 (69%) did not. The median age was 48 years. Most patients (74%) were clinically node-positive at diagnosis and 41% had hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative tumors. The mean number of SLNs with ITCs was 1.2. Patients treated with ALND were more likely to present with cN2/3 disease (17% v 7%, P < .001), have ITCs detected on frozen section (62% v 8%, P < .001), have lymphovascular invasion (38% v 24%, P < .001), and receive adjuvant chest wall (89% v 78%, P = .024) and nodal radiation (82% v 75%, P = .038). Additional positive nodes were found at ALND in 30% of patients, but only 5% had macrometastases. The 3-year rates of any axillary and any invasive recurrence were 2% (95% CI, 0.95 to 3.6) and 11% (95% CI, 8 to 14), respectively, with no statistical difference by type of axillary surgery. CONCLUSION The nodal burden in patients with ypN0(i+) was low, and axillary recurrence after ALND omission was rare in patients selected for this approach. These results do not support routine ALND in all patients with ypN0(i+).
Quality-of-life outcomes from NRG Oncology NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413: whole-breast irradiation vs accelerated partial-breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery
Ganz, Patricia A. , Cecchini, Reena S. , White, Julia , Vicini, Frank A. , Arthur, Douglas W., Rabinovitch, Rachel , Kuske, Robert R. , Julian, Thomas B. , Parda, David S., Scheier, Michael F. , Winter, Kathryn, Paik, Soonmyung , Kuerer, Henry M. , Vallow, Laura A., Pierce, Lori J. , Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , Germain, Isabelle, Gustafson, Gregory S, Grossheim, Linda , Petersen, Ivy A. , Curran, Walter J. , White, Julia R , Hudes, Richard S , Wolmark, Norman , Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , McCormick, Beryl L. , Bear, Harry D. , Wolmark, Norman

JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute | September 10, 2024 | Volume: 117 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 103-111

10.1093/jnci/djae219 Get It

Abstract Background NRG Oncology NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 compared whole-breast irradiation (WBI) to accelerated partial-breast irradiation (APBI). APBI was not equivalent to WBI in local tumor control. Secondary outcome was quality of life (QOL). Methods The QOL sub-study used validated self-report questionnaires, including the Breast Cancer Treatment Outcome Scale (BCTOS) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) vitality scale. Assessments occurred before random assignment, at treatment completion (chemotherapy or radiotherapy), 4 weeks later, at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Primary aims: cosmesis change equivalency (baseline to 3 years; a priori margin of equivalence 0.4 standard deviations) and fatigue change superiority (baseline to end of treatment [EOT]) for APBI vs WBI, by patient groups treated with or without chemotherapy when appropriate. Results From March 21, 2005 to May 25, 2009, 975 patients enrolled in this sub-study; 950 had follow-up data. APBI had 3-year cosmesis equivalent to WBI (95% CI = -0.0001 to -0.16; equivalence margin -0.22 to -0.22) in all patients. The APBI group without chemotherapy had less EOT fatigue (P = .011; mean score APBI 63 vs WBI 59); the APBI group receiving chemotherapy had worse EOT fatigue (P = .011; APBI 43 vs WBI 49). The APBI group reported less pain (BCTOS) at EOT (WBI 2.29 vs APBI 1.97) but worse pain at 3 years (WBI 1.62 vs APBI 1.71). APBI patients reported greater convenience of care than with WBI and reported less symptom severity at EOT and 4 weeks later. Conclusion Cosmetic outcomes were similar for the APBI and WBI groups, with small statistically significant differences in other outcomes that varied over time. Differences in fatigue and other symptoms appeared to resolve by ≥6 months. APBI may be preferred by some patients, for whom extended treatment is burdensome. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00103181.
Abstract GS02-02: Are nodal ITCs after neoadjuvant chemotherapy an indication for axillary dissection? The OPBC05/EUBREAST-14R/ICARO study
Laws, Alison , Ferrucci, Massimo , Mrdutt, Mary M., Moo, Tracy‐Ann , Boyle, Marissa K., Cabero, Flávia Vidal, Cocco, Daniela , Flanagan, Meghan R. , Hlavin, Callie , Jelinska, Justyna, Kuerer, Henry M. , Küemmel, Sherko , Menes, Tehillah S. , Pislar, Nina , Ryu, Jai Min , Tausch, Christoph, Uğurlu, Mustafa Ümit , Bruele, Astrid Botty van den , Vorburger, Denise , Weiss, Anna, Wong, Stephanie M. , Woodward, Steven G. , Zhang, Jennifer Q. , Ziauddin, M. Firdos, Çakmak, Güldeniz Karadeniz , Beşe, Nuran , Kühn, Thorsten, King, Tari A. , Ditsch, Nina , Banys‐Paluchowski, Maggie , Morrow, Monica , Wong, Stephanie M , Montagna, Giacomo , Polidorio, Natália , Sevilimedu, Varadan , Barrio, Andrea V. , Boyle, Marissa K., Corsi, Fabio , Crown, Angelena , Gülçelik, Mehmet Ali , Karanlık, Hasan , Kesmodel, Susan B , Leo, Cornelia , Pilewskie, Melissa , Rocco, Nicola , Soares, Leonardo Ribeiro , Urban, Cicero A. , Wärnberg, Fredrik , Williams, Austin David , Sun, Susie X. , Boughey, Judy C. , Weber, William P.

Cancer Research | May 2, 2024 | Volume: 84 | Issue: 9_Supplement | Pages: GS02-02-GS02-02

10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs23-gs02-02 Get It

Abstract Background: In patients with micro- and macrometastases in the sentinel lymph node (SLN) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), additional positive nodes are found in &gt;60% of cases and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is currently considered standard of care. The likelihood of finding additional positive lymph nodes in patients with residual isolated tumor cells (ITCs) is unknown, and the benefit of ALND is unclear. As a consequence, surgical management of the axilla in these patients is not standardized. We sought to evaluate how often additional positive lymph nodes are found, to determine factors associated with ALND, and to compare oncological outcomes in patients treated with and without ALND after identification of residual ITCs in the SLN. Methods: Data were collected from 42 centers: 20 in the Oncoplastic Breast Consortium (OPBC) and EUBREAST networks, and 22 in North and South America. We included patients with cT1-4 N0-3 breast cancer at diagnosis who underwent NAC followed by axillary staging with either SLN biopsy (SLNB) or targeted axillary dissection (TAD) and were found to have residual ITCs [ypN0(i+)]. Single-tracer mapping was allowed for cN0 patients, while dual mapping or TAD was required for cN+ cases. Axillary treatment included completion ALND and/or nodal radiotherapy (RT). Competing risk analysis was performed to assess the cumulative incidence rates of any axillary recurrence (AR), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and any invasive (locoregional or distant) recurrence. Five-year cumulative incidence rates were compared between patients who underwent ALND and those who did not using the Gray’s test. Type I error rate was set to 0.05 (α). Results: We included 412 patients treated with NAC followed by surgery from 01/2009-05/2022. 146 (35.4%) had completion ALND and 266 (64.6%%) did not. Median patient age was 48 years. The majority (57%) of patients had clinical T2 tumors, and 68% had biopsy-proven N1 disease. Most were HR+/HER2- (41%) or HER2+ (39%). Most patients (80%) received anthracycline and taxane-based chemotherapy regimens. Nodal RT was administered to 83% of patients. The median number of SLNs with ITCs was 1. Patients treated with ALND were more likely to have ITCs detected on frozen section (61% v 6.7%, p&lt; 0.001), to have N2/3 disease at presentation (15.1% v 5.6%, p=0.001) and to have LVI (40% v 26%, p=0.004) (Table 1). There was no significant trend over time in the proportion of patients undergoing completion ALND during the study period (p=0.5). In the ALND group, additional positive nodes were found in 43/146 (29.5%) of cases, and consisted of macrometastases in 11/146 (7.5%), micrometastases in 9/146 (6.2%), and ITCs in 23/146 (15.8%). 5-year rates of any AR, LRR, and any invasive recurrence in the entire cohort were 2.7% (95% CI 1.2-5.4), 2.8% (95% CI 1.2-5.4) and 16% (95% CI 11-21), respectively. There was no statistical difference between patients who underwent ALND and those who did not in any of the 3 endpoints (2.2% v 3.1%, p=0.6), (2.6% v 3.0%, p=0.4) and (14% v 18%, p=0.12), respectively. Conclusion: The likelihood of finding additional positive lymph nodes in patients with ITCs after NAC is lower than in patients with residual micro- and macrometastases, and in the majority of cases, they contain ITCs. Nodal recurrence after omission of ALND is rare in this population. Overall, these results do not support routine ALND in patients with residual ITCs. Table 1. Clinicopathological Features of the Study Cohort, Stratified by Type of Axillary Surgery Frequency (row percent) reported for categorical variables, and median (IQR) reported for continuous variables. SLNB sentinel lymph node biopsy; TAD targeted axillary dissection; SLNs sentinel lymph nodes; LNs lymph nodes; pCR pathologic complete response; ACT anthracycline and taxane; AC anthracycline; H Herceptin, HP, Herceptin and Perjeta; TC taxol (or Taxotere) and carboplatinum; LVI lymphovascular invasion; BCS breast-conserving surgery. ^ Applied to HER2- tumors only (n=252). ^^ Applies to HER2+ tumors only (n=160). # LVI was present on core biopsy or final pathology. * Applies to BCS patients only (n=175). ** Applies to mastectomy patients only (n=237). Citation Format: Giacomo Montagna, Alison Laws, Massimo Ferrucci, Mary Mrdutt, Natália Polidorio, Varadan Sevilimedu, Tracy-Ann Moo, Andrea Barrio, Marissa K. Boyle, Flavia Vidal Cabero, Daniela Cocco, Fabio Corsi, Angelena Crown, Meghan R. Flanagan, Mehmet Ali Gulcelik, Callie Hlavin, Justyna Jelinska, Hasan Karanlik, Susan Kesmodel, Henry Kuerer, Sherko Küemmel, Cornelia Leo, Tehillah Menes, Melissa Pilewskie, Nina Pislar, Nicola Rocco, Jai Min Ryu, Leonardo Soares, Christoph Tausch, M. Umit Ugurlu, CICERO URBAN, Astrid Botty van de Bruele, Denise Vorburger, Fredrik Wärnberg, Anna Weiss, Austin Williams, Stephanie Wong, Steven G. Woodward, Susie X. Sun, Jennifer Q. Zhang, M. Firdos Ziauddin, Guldeniz Karadeniz Cakmak, Nuran Bese, Thorsten Kühn, Judy Boughey, Tari King, Nina Ditsch, Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Monica Morrow, Walter Weber. Are nodal ITCs after neoadjuvant chemotherapy an indication for axillary dissection? The OPBC05/EUBREAST-14R/ICARO study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr GS02-02.
Omission of Axillary Dissection Following Nodal Downstaging With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Montagna, Giacomo , Mrdutt, Mary M., Hlavin, Callie , Diego, Emilia J. , Wong, Stephanie M. , Barrio, Andrea V. , Bruele, Astrid Botty van den , Cabıoğlu, Neslihan , Sevilimedu, Varadan , Hwang, E. Shelley, Ingham, Abigail, Papassotiropoulos, Bärbel , Nguyen-Sträuli, Bich Doan , Kurzeder, Christian , Aybar, Danilo Díaz, Vorburger, Denise , Matlac, Dieter Michael, Fitzal, Florian , Meani, Francesco , Fick, Franziska, Sagasser, Jacqueline, Heil, Jörg, Dedes, Konstantin J. , Romics, László , Banys‐Paluchowski, Maggie , Müslümanoğlu, Mahmut , Pérez, María del Rosario Cueva, Díaz, Marcelo Chávez , Heidinger, Martin , Fehr, Mathias K. , Tükenmez, Mustafa , Maggi, Nadia , Ditsch, Nina , Zarhi, Sebastián Solé, Küemmel, Sherko , Bruz̆as, S., Lascio, Simona Di , Parissenti, Tamara K., Güth, Uwe , Ovalle, Valentina , Tausch, Christoph, Kuerer, Henry M. , Caudle, Abigail S. , Boileau, Jean-François , Kühn, Thorsten, Morrow, Monica , Weber, William P. , Hoskin, Tanya L. , Heidinger, Martin , Weber, Walter P , Wong, Stephanie M , Mrdutt, Mary M , Sun, Susie X. , Rosenberger, Laura H. , Matlac, Dieter Michael , Ostapenko, Edvin , Riedel, Fabian , Heil, Jörg, Karanlık, Hasan , Reinisch, Mattea , Rocco, Nicola , Gentilini, Oreste D , Paulinelli, Régis Resende , Boughey, Judy C.

JAMA Oncology | April 25, 2024 | Volume: 10 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 793

10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.0578 Get It

ImportanceData on oncological outcomes after omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in patients with breast cancer that downstages from node positive to negative with neoadjuvant chemotherapy are sparse. Additionally, the best axillary surgical staging technique in this scenario is unknown.ObjectiveTo investigate oncological outcomes after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with dual-tracer mapping or targeted axillary dissection (TAD), which combines SLNB with localization and retrieval of the clipped lymph node.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this multicenter retrospective cohort study that was conducted at 25 centers in 11 countries, 1144 patients with consecutive stage II to III biopsy-proven node-positive breast cancer were included between April 2013 and December 2020. The cumulative incidence rates of axillary, locoregional, and any invasive (locoregional or distant) recurrence were determined by competing risk analysis.ExposureOmission of ALND after SLNB or TAD.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary end points were the 3-year and 5-year rates of any axillary recurrence. Secondary end points included locoregional recurrence, any invasive (locoregional and distant) recurrence, and the number of lymph nodes removed.ResultsA total of 1144 patients (median [IQR] age, 50 [41-59] years; 78 [6.8%] Asian, 105 [9.2%] Black, 102 [8.9%] Hispanic, and 816 [71.0%] White individuals; 666 SLNB [58.2%] and 478 TAD [41.8%]) were included. A total of 1060 patients (93%) had N1 disease, 619 (54%) had ERBB2 (formerly HER2)–positive illness, and 758 (66%) had a breast pathologic complete response. TAD patients were more likely to receive nodal radiation therapy (85% vs 78%; P = .01). The clipped node was successfully retrieved in 97% of TAD cases and 86% of SLNB cases (without localization). The mean (SD) number of sentinel lymph nodes retrieved was 3 (2) vs 4 (2) (P &amp;lt; .001), and the mean (SD) number of total lymph nodes removed was 3.95 (1.97) vs 4.44 (2.04) (P &amp;lt; .001) in the TAD and SLNB groups, respectively. The 5-year rates of any axillary, locoregional, and any invasive recurrence in the entire cohort were 1.0% (95% CI, 0.49%-2.0%), 2.7% (95% CI, 1.6%-4.1%), and 10% (95% CI, 8.3%-13%), respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of axillary recurrence did not differ between TAD and SLNB (0.5% vs 0.8%; P = .55).Conclusions and RelevanceThe results of this cohort study showed that axillary recurrence was rare in this setting and was not significantly lower after TAD vs SLNB. These results support omission of ALND in this population.
Patient-Reported Outcomes of Omission of Breast Surgery Following Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy
Lin, Heather , Diego, Emilia J. , Yang, Wei , Valero, Vicente , Mitchell, Melissa P. , White, Richard L. , Rauch, Gaiane M., Kuerer, Henry M. , Group, Exceptional Responders Study, Moseley, Tanya W. , Leung, Jessica WT, Huang, Monica L. , Arribas, Elsa , Parra, Raquel FD van la, Teshome, Mediget , Hwang, Rosa F. , Miggins, Makesha, Piotrowski, Matthew J., Refinetti, Ana P, Ehlers, Richard A., Colen, Jessica Suarez, Loveland‐Jones, Catherine, Lesnikowski, Beth Ann, Samiian, Laila, Chong, Clayton, Arribas, Elsa M , Johnson, Helen Margaret , Shen, Yu , Krishnamurthy, Savitri , Smith, Benjamin D. , Lucci, Anthony , Sun, Susie X. , Shaitelman, Simona Flora , Boughey, Judy C. , Rauch, Gaiane M. , Group, Exceptional Responders Study, Candelaria, Rosalind P. , Adrada, Beatriz E. , Hunt, Kelly K. , Bedrosian, Isabelle

JAMA Network Open | September 14, 2023 | Volume: 6 | Issue: 9 | Pages: e2333933

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.33933 Get It

ImportancePatients should have an active role in decisions about pursuing or forgoing specific therapies in treatment de-escalation trials.ObjectiveTo evaluate longitudinal patient-reported outcomes (PROs) encompassing decisional comfort and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients who elected to enroll in a clinical trial evaluating radiotherapy alone, without breast surgery, for invasive breast cancers with exceptional response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST).Design, Setting, and ParticipantsProspective, single-group, phase 2 clinical trial at 7 US medical centers. Women aged 40 years or older with invasive cT1-2 N0-1 M0 triple-negative or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2)–positive breast cancer with no pathologic evidence of residual disease following standard NST enrolled from March 6, 2017, to November 9, 2021. Validated PRO measures were administered at baseline and 6, 12, and 36 months post-radiotherapy. Data were analyzed from January to February 2023.InterventionsPRO measures included the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Lymphedema (FACT-B+4), and Breast Cancer Treatment Outcomes Scale (BCTOS).Main Outcomes and MeasuresChanges in PRO measure scores and subscores over time.ResultsAmong 31 patients, the median (IQR) age was 61 (56-66) years, 26 (84%) were White, and 26 (84%) were non-Hispanic. A total of 15 (48%) had triple-negative disease and 16 (52%) had ERBB2-positive disease. Decisional comfort was high at baseline (median [IQR] DRS score 10 [0-25] on a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating higher decisional regret) and significantly increased over time (median [IQR] DRS score at 36 months, 0 [0-20]; P &amp;lt; .001). HRQOL was relatively high at baseline (median [IQR] FACT-B composite score 121 [111-134] on a 0-148 scale, with higher scores indicating higher HRQOL) and significantly increased over time (median [IQR] FACT-B score at 36 months, 128 [116-137]; P = .04). Perceived differences between the affected breast and contralateral breast were minimal at baseline (median [IQR] BCTOS score 1.05 [1.00-1.23] on a 1-4 scale, with higher scores indicating greater differences) and increased significantly over time (median [IQR] BCTOS score at 36 months, 1.36 [1.18-1.64]; P &amp;lt; .001). At 36 months postradiotherapy, the cosmetic subscore was 0.45 points higher than baseline (95% CI, 0.16-0.74; P = .001), whereas function, pain, and edema subscores were not significantly different than baseline.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this nonrandomized phase 2 clinical trial, analysis of PROs demonstrated an overall positive experience for trial participants, with longitudinal improvements in decisional comfort and overall HRQOL over time and minimal lasting adverse effects of therapy.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02945579
Factors Associated With Lymphedema in Women With Node-Positive Breast Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Axillary Dissection
Armer, Jane M. , McCall, Linda, Ostby, Pamela L. , Zagar, E, Kuerer, Henry M. , Ballman, Karla V. , Hunt, Kelly K. , Boughey, Judy C.

JAMA Surgery | July 17, 2019 | Volume: 154 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 800

10.1001/jamasurg.2019.1742 Get It

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in NRG oncology/NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413: A randomized phase III study of conventional whole breast irradiation (WBI) versus partial breast irradiation (PBI) in stage 0, I, or II breast cancer.
Ganz, Patricia A. , White, Julia , Vicini, Frank A. , Julian, Thomas B. , Arthur, Douglas W., Rabinovitch, Rachel , Kuske, Robert R. , Parda, David S., Scheier, Michael F. , Winter, Kathryn, Kuerer, Henry M. , Vallow, Laura A., Pierce, Lori J. , Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , Costantino, Joseph P., Curran, Walter J. , Cecchini, Reena S. , Paik, Soonmyung , Mamounas, Eleftherios P. , McCormick, Beryl L. , Wolmark, Norman

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 27, 2019 | Volume: 37 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 508-508

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.508 Get It

508 Background: PBI is an alternative to WBI, with potentially greater therapy (tx) compliance, and better integration with chemotherapy (CTX). NSABP B-39/RTOG 0413 clinical outcome results from 2018 did not show equivalence of PBI to WBI in local tumor control; PBI was statistically inferior, but with clinically small differences. PBI may be an acceptable alternative to WBI for some women. Understanding cosmesis and quality of life (QOL) treatment outcomes is important. Methods: B-39/0413 included a prospective QOL substudy with PRO evaluation of breast cancer treatment outcomes (cosmesis, function, pain) and fatigue using BCTOS and SF-36 vitality scales. Secondary QOL parameters included treatment related symptoms, perceived convenience of care, and the BPI pain scale. The study sample was stratified by CTX or not, as CTX is given before WBI but after PBI. PRO assessments occurred before randomization, the last day of adjuvant tx [CTX or radiation], 4 wks later, and 6, 12, 24, and 36 mo later. Primary aims included comparisons of change in fatigue from baseline to end of tx and equivalency of change in cosmesis from baseline to 36 mo for PBI v WBI. Separate analyses were done for CTX and non-CTX pts, controlling for axillary dissection. Each comparison used α=0.0125. Planned sample size was 964. Results: From 3-23-05 to 5-27-09, 975 pts were enrolled in the PRO study; 950 had follow-up data. 504 did not receive CTX and 446 received CTX. In non-CTX pts, PBI had less fatigue (p=0.011) and did not meet criteria for cosmesis equivalence (97.5% CI, -0.02 to 0.22; ∆=0.20). In CTX pts, PBI had worse fatigue (p=0.011) and equivalent cosmesis to WBI (97.5% CI, -0.09 to 0.21; ∆=0.24). In both groups, PBI pts reported less pain at end of tx. In non-CTX pts, PBI had more pain at 36 mo but in CTX pts, there was no difference. Convenience of care and treatment related symptom outcomes will be presented. Conclusions: In non-CTX pts, PBI is more convenient with less fatigue and slightly poorer cosmesis at 36 mo. Cosmesis was equivalent at 36 mo in CTX pts. Support: U10CA180868, -180822, UG1CA189867. Clinical trial information: NCT00103181.