Abstract Background Physical activity is associated with decreased breast cancer recurrence and mortality, as well as fewer treatment-related symptoms. Nevertheless, most breast cancer survivors do not meet physical activity guidelines. The purpose of this manuscript is to characterize physical activity trends over time in breast cancer survivors. Methods Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry participants received surveys at baseline and at 1 and 4 years after diagnosis; breast cancer recurrence and/or metastatic disease were exclusion criteria. Participants were considered to be meeting guidelines if they self-reported at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (eg, fast walking) and/or strenuous (eg, jogging) physical activity per week. Statistical analyses include analysis of covariance methods, paired t tests, conditional logistic regression models, and McNemar tests of homogeneity. Results A total of 171 participants were included in the analysis. The amount of total physical activity decreased over time (P = .07). Mild-intensity physical activity (eg, easy walking) decreased most over time (P = .05). Among participants aged 18-49 years, mild-intensity (P = .05) and moderate-intensity (P = .02) physical activity decreased over time. Strenuous-intensity physical activity levels decreased over time among participants with a normal body mass index (P = .002) and with obesity (P = .01). Conclusions We found a trend-level decrease in total physical activity over time, driven mostly by a decrease in mild-intensity physical activity. Young breast cancer survivors are especially likely to reduce their physical activity over time. Further research on implementing physical activity guidelines in clinical practice is warranted.
ENIGMA
CHEK2
gether Project: A Comprehensive Study Identifies Functionally Impaired
CHEK2
Germline Missense Variants Associated with Increased Breast Cancer Risk
Clinical Cancer Research | July 14, 2023 | Volume: 29 | Issue: 16 | Pages: 3037-3050
Abstract Purpose: Germline pathogenic variants in CHEK2 confer moderately elevated breast cancer risk (odds ratio, OR ∼ 2.5), qualifying carriers for enhanced breast cancer screening. Besides pathogenic variants, dozens of missense CHEK2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS) have been identified, hampering the clinical utility of germline genetic testing (GGT). Experimental Design: We collected 460 CHEK2 missense VUS identified by the ENIGMA consortium in 15 countries. Their functional characterization was performed using CHEK2-complementation assays quantifying KAP1 phosphorylation and CHK2 autophosphorylation in human RPE1–CHEK2-knockout cells. Concordant results in both functional assays were used to categorize CHEK2 VUS from 12 ENIGMA case–control datasets, including 73,048 female patients with breast cancer and 88,658 ethnicity-matched controls. Results: A total of 430/460 VUS were successfully analyzed, of which 340 (79.1%) were concordant in both functional assays and categorized as functionally impaired (N = 102), functionally intermediate (N = 12), or functionally wild-type (WT)–like (N = 226). We then examined their association with breast cancer risk in the case–control analysis. The OR and 95% CI (confidence intervals) for carriers of functionally impaired, intermediate, and WT-like variants were 2.83 (95% CI, 2.35–3.41), 1.57 (95% CI, 1.41–1.75), and 1.19 (95% CI, 1.08–1.31), respectively. The meta-analysis of population-specific datasets showed similar results. Conclusions: We determined the functional consequences for the majority of CHEK2 missense VUS found in patients with breast cancer (3,660/4,436; 82.5%). Carriers of functionally impaired missense variants accounted for 0.5% of patients with breast cancer and were associated with a moderate risk similar to that of truncating CHEK2 variants. In contrast, 2.2% of all patients with breast cancer carried functionally wild-type/intermediate missense variants with no clinically relevant breast cancer risk in heterozygous carriers.
Genomics of ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer in Young Women Before and After Exposure to Chemotherapy Plus Trastuzumab
JCO Precision Oncology | June 26, 2023 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: 7 | Pages: No page available
PURPOSE Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 ( ERBB2)–positive breast cancer (BC) is particularly common in young women. Genomic features of ERBB2-positive tumors before and after chemotherapy and trastuzumab (chemo + H) have not been described in young women and are important for guiding study of therapeutic resistance in this population. METHODS From a large prospective cohort of women age 40 years or younger with BC, we identified patients with ERBB2-positive BC and tumor tissue available before and after chemo + H. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on each tumor and on germline DNA from blood. Tumor-normal pairs were analyzed for mutations and copy number (CN) changes. RESULTS Twenty-two women had successful WES on samples from at least one time point; 12 of these had paired sequencing results from before and after chemo + H and 10 had successful sequencing from either time point. TP53 was the only significantly recurrently mutated gene in both pre- and post-treatment samples. MYC gene amplification was observed in four post-treatment tumors. Seven of 12 patients with paired samples showed acquired and/or clonally enriched alterations in cancer-related genes. One patient had an increased clonality putative activating mutation in ERBB2. Another patient acquired a clonal hotspot mutation in TP53. Other genomic changes acquired in post-treatment specimens included alterations in NOTCH2, STIL, PIK3CA, and GATA3. There was no significant change in median ERBB2 CN (20.3 v 22.6; Wilcoxon P = .79) between paired samples. CONCLUSION ERBB2-positive BCs in young women displayed substantial genomic evolution after treatment with chemo + H. Approximately half of patients with paired samples demonstrated acquired and/or clonally enriched genomic changes in cancer genes. ERBB2 CN changes were uncommon. We identified several genes warranting exploration as potential mechanisms of resistance to therapy in this population.
Association of tamoxifen and raloxifene therapy with cognitive performance, odds of mild cognitive impairment, and neuroimaging markers of neurodegeneration
Alzheimer's & Dementia | June 16, 2023 | Volume: 19 | Issue: S8 | Pages: No page available
AbstractBackgroundTamoxifen is used as a selective estrogen receptor modifier (SERM) to treat hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer. Raloxifene, another SERM, has been used for the treatment of osteoporosis in post‐menopausal women. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to examine whether a history of tamoxifen or raloxifene use was associated with cognitive performance, odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or structural neurodegenerative MRI markers.MethodThe study included women with and without a personal history of breast cancer enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA). A history of breast cancer and use of SERMs before the MCSA enrollment visit was abstracted using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical‐linkage system. Participants had a diagnosis of MCI (prevalent) at the time of enrollment into the MCSA. Logistic regression was used to examine associations of SERMs with odds of MCI. Linear regression models were used to examine associations of SERMs with cognitive measures z‐scores (Memory, Executive Function, Language, Visuospatial Skills, Global Cognition), hippocampal volume, and Alzheimer’s disease signature cortical thickness.ResultAmong the women aged ≥ 50 at enrollment in the MCSA, 151 had a history of breast cancer, and 2235 had no prior history of any cancer. Of the 151 women with a history of breast cancer, 42 (28%) had taken tamoxifen and 109 (72%) had not at enrollment in the MCSA; 54 had neuroimaging data (tamoxifen = 16; no tamoxifen = 38). Among the women without prior history of cancer at enrollment in the MCSA, 76 (3%) had taken raloxifene and 2159 (97%) had not; 755 had neuroimaging data (raloxifene = 25; no raloxifene = 730). No significant associations between tamoxifen with global or domain‐specific cognition or odds of MCI were observed among women with a history of breast cancer after adjusting for confounders (Table 1). Likewise raloxifene was not significantly associated with global or domain‐specific cognition or odds of MCI in women without a history of cancer after adjusting for confounders (Table 2). We did not find significant associations between SERMs and any neuroimaging outcome (Table 3).ConclusionOur results suggest use of tamoxifen or raloxifene is not significantly associated with cognition in postmenopausal women.
Quality of Life in Male Breast Cancer: Prospective Study of the International Male Breast Cancer Program (EORTC10085/TBCRC029/BIG2-07/NABCG)
The Oncologist | June 13, 2023 | Volume: 28 | Issue: 10 | Pages: e877-e883
Abstract Introduction Prospective data about quality of life (QoL) in men with breast cancer (BC) are lacking. A prospective registry (EORTC10085) of men with all BC stages, including a QoL correlative study, was performed as part of the International Male Breast Cancer Program. Methods Questionnaires at BC diagnosis included the EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR23 (BC specific module), adapted for men. High functioning and global health/QoL scores indicate high functioning levels/high QoL; high symptom-focused measures scores indicate high symptoms/problems levels. EORTC reference data for healthy men and women with BC were used for comparisons. Results Of 422 men consenting to participate, 363 were evaluable. Median age was 67 years, and median time between diagnosis and survey was 1.1 months. A total of 114 men (45%) had node-positive early disease, and 28 (8%) had advanced disease. Baseline mean global health status score was 73 (SD: 21), better than in female BC reference data (62, SD: 25). Common symptoms in male BC were fatigue (22, SD: 24), insomnia (21, SD: 28), and pain (16, SD: 23), for which women’s mean scores indicated more burdensome symptoms at 33 (SD: 26), 30 (SD: 32), and 29 (SD: 29). Men’s mean sexual activity score was 31 (SD: 26), with less sexual activity in older patients or advanced disease. Conclusions QoL and symptom burden in male BC patients appears no worse (and possibly better) than that in female patients. Future analyses on impact of treatment on symptoms and QoL over time, may support tailoring of male BC management.
Real-World Implementation of Best-Evidence Cancer Distress Management: Truly Comprehensive Cancer Care
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | June 12, 2023 | Volume: 21 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 627-635
Background: Cancer distress management is an evidence-based component of comprehensive cancer care. Group-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for cancer distress (CBT-C) is the first distress treatment associated with replicated survival advantages in randomized clinical trials. Despite research supporting patient satisfaction, improved outcomes, and reduced costs, CBT-C has not been tested sufficiently within billable clinical settings, profoundly reducing patient access to best-evidence care. This study aimed to adapt and implement manualized CBT-C as a billable clinical service. Patients and Methods: A stakeholder-engaged, mixed-methods, hybrid implementation study design was used, and the study was conducted in 3 phases: (1) stakeholder engagement and adaptation of CBT-C delivery, (2) patient and therapist user testing and adaptation of CBT-C content, and (3) implementation of practice-adapted CBT-C as a billable clinical service focused on evaluation of reach, acceptability, and feasibility across stakeholder perspectives. Results: A total of 40 individuals and 7 interdisciplinary group stakeholders collectively identified 7 primary barriers (eg, number of sessions, workflow concerns, patient geographic distance from center) and 9 facilitators (eg, favorable financial model, emergence of oncology champions). CBT-C adaptations made before implementation included expanding eligibility criteria beyond breast cancer, reducing number of sessions to 5 (10 total hours), eliminating and adding content, and revising language and images. During implementation, 252 patients were eligible; 100 (40%) enrolled in CBT-C (99% covered by insurance). The primary reason for declining enrollment was geographic distance. Of enrollees, 60 (60%) consented to research participation (75% women; 92% white). All research participants completed at least 60% of content (6 of 10 hours), with 98% reporting they would recommend CBT-C to family and friends. Conclusions: CBT-C implementation as a billable clinical service was acceptable and feasible across cancer care stakeholder measures. Future research is needed to replicate acceptability and feasibility results in more diverse patient groups, test effectiveness in clinical settings, and reduce barriers to access via remote delivery platforms.
Olanzapine With or Without Fosaprepitant for Preventing Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients Receiving Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy: A Phase III Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial (ALLIANCE A221602)
The Oncologist | June 8, 2023 | Volume: 28 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 722-729
Abstract Purpose A protocol was developed to evaluate the value of an NK-1 receptor antagonist for preventing nausea and vomiting resulting from highly emetogenic chemotherapy when an olanzapine-based antiemetogenic regimen was used. Materials and Methods A221602, a prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, was developed to compare 2 olanzapine-containing antiemetic regimens, one with an NK-1 receptor antagonist (aprepitant or fosaprepitant) and one without. Trial patients had a malignant disease for which they received intravenous highly emetogenic chemotherapy (single day cisplatin ≥ 70 mg/m2 or doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide on 1 day). Patients on both arms received commonly administered doses of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, dexamethasone, and olanzapine. Additionally, patients were randomized to receive an NK-1 receptor antagonist (fosaprepitant 150 mg IV or aprepitant 130 mg IV) or a corresponding placebo. The primary objective was to compare the proportion of patients with no nausea for 5 days following chemotherapy between the 2 study arms. This trial was designed to test for the noninferiority of deleting the NK-1 receptor antagonist, with noninferiority defined as a decrease in freedom from nausea by less than 10%. Results A total of 690 patients were entered on this trial, 50% on each arm. The proportion of patients without nausea for the complete 5-day study period was 7.4% lower (upper limit of the one-sided 95% confidence interval was 13.5%) in the arm without an NK-1 receptor antagonist compared with the arm with an NK-1 receptor antagonist. Conclusion This trial did not provide sufficient evidence to support that deletion of the NK-1 receptor antagonist was as good as keeping it, as a part of a 4-drug antiemetic regimen for highly emetogenic chemotherapy (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03578081).
Second primary breast cancer in young breast cancer survivors.
Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 10503-10503
10503 Background: Prior data suggests that the risk of second primary breast cancer (SPBC) is higher among women diagnosed with primary breast cancer (BC) before age 40. There is evidence that risk differs by primary tumor characteristics, cancer treatments, and genetic predisposition. However, studies investigating risk of SPBC by clinical risk factors are often limited by low numbers of young women and lack of complete patient data, particularly regarding germline genetic risk. Methods: Using the Young Women’s BC Study (YWS), a prospective cohort of 1,302 women ≤40 years diagnosed with BC from 2006-2016, we sought to compare clinical and treatment characteristics among women who developed an SPBC vs. those who did not. The analytic cohort included women diagnosed with Stage 0-III BC who did not undergo bilateral mastectomy (N = 685). Demographics, genetic testing and results, clinical events, and treatment data were collected through self-report on baseline and follow-up surveys (every 6 months for 3 years, then annually). Detailed tumor and treatment information, confirmation of genetic testing results, and new and recurrent cancer events were obtained through regular and triggered medical record review. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations of age, race, genetic testing results, hormone receptor status, stage, and grade of primary tumor, and cancer treatments with SPBC. Participants were censored at the time of local recurrence, metastasis, death, or loss of follow-up. Results: At a median follow-up time of 9.9 years [inter-quartile range (IQR) = 6.6-12.0 y], 17 patients developed an SPBC (2.5%), in whom 3 occurred in the ipsilateral breast after lumpectomy as primary BC surgery. Median time from primary BC diagnosis to SPBC diagnosis was 4.2 years (IQR = 3.3-5.6 y). Compared to those who did not develop an SPBC, a greater percentage of women who developed an SPBC had in situ disease as their primary BC (24% v. 6%) and were of Ashkenazi descent (12% v. 5%). In the 577 women who had had genetic testing, 544 (94%) were non-carriers of pathogenic variants. Risk of SPBC was 2.2% (N = 12) in non-carriers and 9.1% (N = 3) in the 33 carriers. In Cox univariate analyses, carriers had a 4.1 times higher risk of SPBC compared to non-carriers (HR = 4.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.67-14.66, p = 0.03), and primary diagnosis with in situ BC was associated with a 5-fold increased risk of SPBC (HR = 5.02, 95% CI = 1.63-15.41, p = 0.005). Both factors remained strongly associated with SPBC when tested together in a multivariate model. Conclusions: This prospective study demonstrated a low risk of SPBC in the first 10 years after diagnosis of early BC in young women who are not germline pathogenic variant carriers. The finding that risk of SPBC was higher after in situ primary BC at a young age warrants further investigation. These findings have important implications for the treatment and follow-up care of young women with BC.
Anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity among patients with lymphoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: e19517-e19517
e19517 Background: Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) is a well-known phenomenon, but event rates and predictors may not be as robust as commonly perceived. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to elucidate AIC definitions, incidence rates and predictors. Methods: 5323 reports were identified via searching Medline, Embase, and Scopus. Inclusion criteria for full text review included minimum of 100 lymphoma patients receiving ACs; median/mean follow up of at least 12 months; and specified evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction. We investigated the definition, reported incidence, and predictors of AIC including subclinical AIC as detected by decrease in left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Meta-analysis was performed with Meta-analyst software with random effects model. Results: A total of 19 studies were included in the analysis. The overall incidence of AIC in 13926 patients was 13.8% (95% CI 4.8-22.8, I2 99.6% p < 0.001) at a mean/median follow-up ranging from 1 to 8 years. Subclinical AIC was seen in 8.2% of 5464 patients (95% CI 6.4 to 10%, I2 78.9%, p < 0.001) at a mean/median follow-up ranging from 1 to 20 years. Subclinical AIC is defined in most studies as asymptomatic decrease in LVEF by 10-15% from baseline of 50-55%. Older age, increasing AC dose or number of cycles, GLS (global longitudinal strain), and prior comorbidities such as CAD, HTN, DM and dyslipidemia were found to predict AIC. However, Heterogeneity was seen in definition of AIC, risk factor assessment and follow-up protocol, which limited the extent of correlative analyses for cardiotoxicity predictors. Conclusions: The overall incidence of clinical HF and subclinical AIC among lymphoma patients was 13.8% and 8.2% respectively. Older age, increasing AC dose or number of cycles, GLS, and prior comorbidities such as CAD, HTN, DM and dyslipidemia were found to predict AIC.
Association of Medicaid expansion with timely receipt of treatment and survival among patients with HER2-enriched breast cancer.
Journal of Clinical Oncology | June 4, 2023 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: 6539-6539
6539 Background: HER2-enriched breast cancer (estrogen and progesterone receptors negative and HER2-positive) has no worse prognosis than other breast cancers if it is treated with HER2-targeted therapy. Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been shown to be associated with improved access to care and outcomes for many cancers, but its impact on care for HER2-enriched breast cancer is unknown. To fill this gap, we examined the association of Medicaid expansion with receipt of guideline-concordant treatment, time to treatment, and survival among newly diagnosed nonelderly women with HER2-enriched breast cancer. Methods: Women aged 18-62 years newly diagnosed with HER2-enriched breast cancer between 2010 and 2018 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Our primary outcomes included receipt of stage-based guideline-concordant treatment, initiation of treatment <60 days, and stage-specific 2-year overall survival. A difference-in-differences (DD) approach compared outcome changes following the expansion in Medicaid expansion vs. non-expansion states. A linear probability model estimated treatment outcome, and a flexible parametric survival model evaluated survival. All models were clustered at the state level and adjusted for age group, race/ethnicity, rurality of residence, zip code-level income, comorbidity, and diagnosis year. Results: A total of 31,354 patients with HER2-enriched breast cancer were included, including 19,255 in expansion states and 12,099 in non-expansion states. Compared to patients in expansion states, patients in non-expansion states were more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities, uninsured, and diagnosed at late-stage. Medicaid expansion was not significantly associated with changes in receipt of surgery for stage I-III disease but was associated with an increase of 4.42 percentage points (ppt, 95% CI: 0.09, 8.74) in receipt of chemotherapy/targeted therapy for stage IV disease, with an increase from 90.4% pre-expansion to 92.8% post-expansion in expansion states and a decrease from 93.7% to 91.9% in non-expansion states. Medicaid expansion was also significantly associated with a 2.41 ppt increase in initiating guideline-concordant treatment within 60 days (95% CI: 0.66, 4.17; 83.5% to 82.5% in expansion states vs. 86.6% to 83.7% in non-expansion states), and a 1.18 ppt increase in two-year survival rate (95% CI: 0.03, 2.33; 94.0% to 94.9% in expansion states vs. 94.3% to 94.1% in non-expansion states). The increase in two-year survival associated with Medicaid expansion was most prominent for stage III patients (DD=3.63 ppt; 95% CI: 0.64, 6.62). Conclusions: Medicaid expansion was associated with increased receipt of timely treatment and improved 2-year survival among nonelderly women newly diagnosed with HER2-enriched breast cancer.