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Stewart, Daphne B.

0000-0001-9845-8375

Mayo Clinic

University of Southern California

Citations 4

HER2-Low and HER2-Ultralow Metastatic Breast Cancer and Trastuzumab Deruxtecan: Common Clinical Questions and Answers
Giridhar, Karthik V. , Giridhar, Karthik V , Bagegni, Nusayba , Stewart, Daphne B.

Cancers | December 17, 2025 | Volume: 17 | Issue: 24 | Pages: 4021

10.3390/cancers17244021 Get It

Approximately 80% of invasive breast cancers are classified as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative; however, many of these tumors have detectable levels of HER2 surface expression. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is a HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate with a membrane-permeable payload that is cytotoxic to both HER2-expressing tumor cells and neighboring cells via the bystander antitumor effect. T-DXd has shown significant antitumor activity in clinical trials for patients with HER2-positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization [ISH]+) breast cancer. In addition, the results of the DESTINY-Breast04 trial demonstrated the clinical benefit of T-DXd in patients with HER2-low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH−) breast cancer after receiving prior chemotherapy. DESTINY-Breast06 demonstrated the clinical benefit of T-DXd in patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH−), and HER2-ultralow (IHC 0 with membrane staining) metastatic breast cancer who had not received prior chemotherapy in the advanced setting. These results validate the need for a standard-of-care diagnostic test to identify HER2-low and HER2-ultralow expression levels in patients with metastatic breast cancer to guide therapeutic decision-making. Furthermore, effective treatment sequencing strategies and adverse event management are essential for maximizing patient benefit. This review presents the identification of HER2-low and HER2-ultralow breast cancer, sequencing of T-DXd with other treatments, and management of common or clinically significant adverse events reported with T-DXd.
Evaluation of tumor immune microenvironment in Hispanic and African American breast cancer.
Deshmukh, Sachin Kumar , Rallos, Elexa , Al-Zubeidy, Batul , Martynova, Anastasia, Spicer, Darcy, Wu, Sharon , Xiu, Joanne , Gandhi, Shipra , Chumsri, Saranya , Leone, José Pablo , Mahtani, Reshma , Leon, Ana Sandoval, Torres, Evanthia T. Roussos , Sandoval-Leon, Ana Cristina , Hsu, Robert C. , Stewart, Daphne B. , Jayachandran, Priya , Sledge, George W. , Lustberg, Maryam B.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2025 | Volume: 43 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 1051-1051

10.1200/jco.2025.43.16_suppl.1051 Get It

1051 Background: Hispanics or Latinos (HL) and African Americans or Black (AA) have a higher prevalence of advanced-stage breast cancer (BC) at diagnosis compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). To understand the role of immune system, we evaluated the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) by race/ethnicity among HL, AA, and NHW BC patients. Methods: 15544BC samples were tested by NGS (592, NextSeq; WES, NovaSeq) and WTS (NovaSeq; Caris Life Sciences, Phoenix, AZ). Race/ethnicity data is self-reported. Immune cell were estimated using WTS deconvolution (Quantiseq). Gene expression profiles were analyzed for T-cell inflammation score (TIS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) score. Real-world overall survival (OS) was obtained from insurance claims and calculated from date of tumor biopsy to last contact using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Statistical significance was determined by chi-square and Mann-Whitney U test with p -values adjusted for multiple comparisons (q < .05). Results: 7170 NHW (35.3%, N = 2528) biopsied (bx) from primary breast cancer (pBC), 64.7% (N = 4642) metastatic bx (mBC), 1,508 AA (pBC 39.3% N = 592, mBC 60.7% N = 916), and 1,754 HL (pBC 44.1% N = 774, mBC 55.9% N = 980) cases were included. By subtype, there were 1,956 (60.4% NHW, 20.7% NHB, 18.9% HL) TNBC, 3425 HR+/HER2- (72.6% NHW, 11.9% NHB, 15.6% HL), and 694 HER2+ (64.6% NHW, 15.7% NHB, 19.7% HL). Across all cases, AA (20.5%) and HL (20.4%) had greater incidence (%) of PD-L1+ cases versus (vs) NHW (17.4%), all q < .05. TMB-High (³10 mut/Mb) was similar in NHW (11.5%), AA (10.8%), and HL (10.9%). AA tumors had lower median % cell infiltration of M2-like macrophages (M2 Mφ), B cells, and neutrophils vs NHW (Table). HL had a lower fraction of M2 Mφ and higher CD8+ T cells (Table). AA had lower TIS (-8 vs 1, p = .02) while HL had lower IFN-gamma (-0.38 vs. -0.35, q < .05) vs NHW. By subtype, AA had lower neutrophils (4% vs 4.3%) and increased DC fractions (3.1% vs 2.8%) in TNBC vs NHW, all q < .05; no significant changes seen in HL vs NHW. AA had worse mOS than NHW overall (31.8 vs 36.8 months (mo)), HR 1.1, 95% CI 1 – 1.2, p = < .01), in pBC (40.3 vs 49.9 mo, HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 – 1.5, p = < .01), but not mBC (27.4 vs 29.1 mo, HR 1, p = 0.2). HL had similar mOS vs NHW overall (37.4 vs 36.8 mo, HR 0.9, p = 0.9) and in mBC (29.1 vs 31 mo, HR 0.96, p = 0.4), but worse mOS in pBC (44.7 vs 50.0 mo, HR 1.1, 95% CI 1 – 1.3, p = .01). Conclusions: Our study shows worse mOS in AA and HL pBC cases vs NHW, possibly from a less inflamed TIME in AA and HL and lower fraction of neutrophils and M2 Mφ despite higher % of PD-L1+. Targeting Mφ and CD8+ T cells and converting cold to hot TIME may lessen race/ethnic disparities, especially in early-stage BC. Immune cell fraction of NHW, AA and HL BC. NHW (median %) AA (median %) HL (median %) q-valueNHW vs AA q-value NHW vs HL B cell 5.2 4.8 5.0 <.05 0.7 DC 2.6 2.7 2.6 0.08 0.4 M1 Mφ 2.5 2.4 2.4 0.4 0.9 M2 Mφ 4.6 3.7 4.2 <.05 <.05 Neutrophils 3.7 3.5 3.4 <.05 <.05 NK cell 2.9 2.9 2.9 0.7 0.6 CD8+ T cell 0.1 0.15 0.26 0.8 <.05 Treg 1.5 1.5 1.6 0.6 <.05
Safety and efficacy of PIPAC in patients with ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastases: A first-in-US phase I study.
Senguttuvan, Rosemary, Wang, Edward Wenge, Frankel, Paul , Paz, I. Benjamin , Chang, Sue, Eng, Melissa , Whelan, Richard L. , Villela, Jeannine, Merchea, Amit , Cristea, Mihaela , Raoof, Mustafa , Cole, Sarah , Senguttuvan, Rosemary, Stewart, Daphne B. , Wang, Wenge , Ruel, Nora H. , Woo, Yanghee , Fong, Yuman , Tinsley, Raechelle , Mortimer, Joanne , Dellinger, Thanh H

Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 5554-5554

10.1200/jco.2023.41.16_suppl.5554 Get It

5554 Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is characterized by chemoresistant recurrences primarily confined to the intraperitoneal cavity, frequently leading to malignant small bowel obstructions. Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy has been incorporated in EOC, but only in the first-line setting. Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a novel IP drug delivery method that optimizes tissue penetration depth and drug distribution, to treat recurrent peritoneal malignancies. Recent trials outside the U.S. demonstrated partial to stable response following PIPAC in recurrent EOC. To date, no clinical trials have been completed investigating the role of PIPAC in EOC in the United States. Methods: We performed a multicenter prospective phase I trial using IP cisplatin 10.5 mg/m2 and doxorubicin 2.1 mg/m2 via PIPAC at 6-week intervals. Patients were eligible if they had recurrent disease with peritoneal metastasis; extraperitoneal metastasis was allowed. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Secondary endpoints included progression free survival, PCI scoring, RECIST measurements, and quality of life (QoL). The patients with gastric and uterine cancers’ toxicity data were used but given inherent prognostic differences the treatment efficacy for these patients were not used in this analysis. Adverse event (AE) monitoring was graded using CTCAE spanning 18 weeks. Following completion of treatment (³2 PIPACs) patients were followed up every 12 weeks. QoL was measured using patient-reported assessments at 0, 6, 12, and 18 weeks. Baseline demographics were summarized. Mean change in PCI was calculated between cycle (C) 1 and 2, and cycle 2 and 3. Toxicities attributed to the surgery or PIPAC were reported with highest grade for each patient. Results: Nine heavily pretreated, recurrent patients were enrolled in the trial: 7 with platinum-resistant recurrent EOC, 1 with uterine cancer, and 1 with gastric cancer. PIPAC completion rate was 71.4%. Median age of participants was 65 years. Median prior lines of chemotherapy were 4 (range 2 - 10). No surgical complications occurred in the cohort. Two patients came off study: one for G3 abdominal pain and the other for G3 anorexia. For the EOC cohort, the median PCI reduction was -1.4% (C1 to C2) and -2.8% (C1 to C3). One low-grade serous EOC patient demonstrated a partial response based on RECIST criteria and received 6 cycles. Two EOC patients showed an initial response based on PCI reduction, but progressed following Cycle 2. Overall, QoL was stable. Conclusions: PIPAC with cisplatin/doxorubicin in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is well tolerated. Intraperitoneal responses were seen in a subset of low-grade serous ovarian cancer patients, which may warrant further study. Heavily pretreated, platinum-resistant high-grade EOC patients derived limited intraperitoneal control from PIPAC monotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT04329494 .
NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Ovarian Cancer, Version 3.2022
Armstrong, Deborah K. , Barroilhet, Lisa , Chitiyo, Viola C., Cristea, Mihaela , Eisenhauer, Eric , Gray, Heidi J. , Hakam, Ardeshir, Jain, Angela, Karam, Amer , Konecny, Gottfried E. , McHale, Michael , Miller, David S. , Percac‐Lima, Sanja , Remmenga, Steven W., Schorge, John O., Vargas, Roberto , Hendrickson, Andrea Wahner, Werner, Theresa L. , Dwyer, Mary A., Hang, Lisa E., Miller, David S , Alvarez, Ronald D. , Backes, Floor , Bakkum‐Gamez, Jamie N. , Behbakht, Kian , Berchuck, Andrew , Chen, Lee-may , Chitiyo, Viola, DeRosa, Maria, Gershenson, David M. , Grisham, Rachel Nicole , Leath, Charles A , Leiserowitz, Gary S. , Liu, Joyce F. , Martin, Lainie P. , Matei, Daniela , McLean, Karen , Stewart, Daphne B. , Thaker, Premal H. , Zsíros, Emese

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | September 8, 2022 | Volume: 20 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 972-980

10.6004/jnccn.2022.0047 Get It

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the United States, with less than half of patients living >5 years following diagnosis. The NCCN Guidelines for Ovarian Cancer provide recommendations for the diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up for patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel discussion behind recent important updates to the guidelines, including revised guidance on alternative chemotherapy regimens for patients with advanced age and/or comorbidities, a new algorithm for recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma based on developing research and novel therapeutic agents, and updated language regarding tumor molecular analysis applications in ovarian cancer.