Citations

Purpose To determine long-term outcomes in a clinical trial evaluating the role of taxane type and schedule in operable breast cancer and evaluate the impact of obesity and black race on outcome. Patients and Methods A total of 4,954 eligible women with stage II to III breast cancer treated with four cycles of doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide were randomly assigned to receive paclitaxel or docetaxel every 3 weeks for four doses or weekly for 12 doses using a 2 × 2 factorial design. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS). Results are expressed as hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards models. All P values are two sided. Results When compared with the standard every-3-week paclitaxel arm, after a median follow-up of 12.1 years, DFS significantly improved and overall survival (OS) marginally improved only for the weekly paclitaxel (HR, 0.84; P = .011 and HR, 0.87; P = .09, respectively) and every-3-week docetaxel arms (HR, 0.79; P = .001 and HR, 0.86; P = .054, respectively). Weekly paclitaxel improved DFS and OS (HR, 0.69; P = .010 and HR, 0.69; P = .019, respectively) in triple-negative breast cancer. For hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–nonoverexpressing disease, no experimental arm improved OS, and black race and obesity were associated with increased risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. Conclusion Improved outcomes initially observed for weekly paclitaxel were qualitatively similar but quantitatively less pronounced with longer follow-up, although exploratory analysis suggested substantial benefit in triple-negative disease. Further research is required to understand why obesity and race influence clinical outcome in hormone receptor–positive disease.

Abstract Background: We had previously reported after a median followup of 5.3 years that disease free survival (DFS) was improved with either adjuvant weekly paclitaxel (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73, p=0.0006) or every 3 week docetaxel (HR 0.77, p=0.02) compared with every 3 week paclitaxel (N Eng J Med 2008; 358; 1663), and that obesity and black race were independently associated with inferior outcomes in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive disease after a longer followup (Cancer 2012: 118: 5937 & JNCI 2012; 104: 406). We now report updated results after a median followup of 12.1 years. Methods: Eligibility included axillary lymph node positive or high-risk (tumor at least 2 cm) node-negative breast cancer. All patients received 4 cycles of AC (doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2) every 3 weeks, followed by either: (1) paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks x 4 (P3), (2) paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 weekly x 12 (P1), (3) docetaxel 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks x 4 (D3), or (4) docetaxel 35 mg/m2 weekly x 12 (D1). Patients with ER-positive breast cancer also received endocrine therapy for at least 5 years, including either tamoxifen and/or an aromatase inhibitor. The primary comparisons included taxane (P vs. D) and schedule (every 3 weeks vs. weekly), and the primary endpoint was DFS, defined as local, regional, and/or distant relapse, second primary breast cancer, or death without recurrence. Results: A total of 4954 eligible patients were accrued between October 1999 and January 2002. At the time of this analysis, 90% of surviving patients were followed for at least 10 years, and there were substantially more DFS events (1639 vs. 1048) and deaths (1283 vs. 686) than the original report. For the primary comparison, there remains no significant difference in DFS by taxane (p=0.33) or schedule (p=0.88), although there was a significant interaction between taxane and schedule (p<0.007). When comparing the standard arm (P3) to the other arms (with a hazard ratio [HR] < 1 favoring the experimental arms using a stratified Cox model), the HRs for DFS were 0.84 (p = 0.011) for arm P1 and 0.79 (p=0.001) for arm D3 arm, and for overall survival (OS) were 0.87 (p=0.09) and 0.86 (p=0.054), respectively. When evaluated by subtypes in exploratory analyses, the P1 arm (but not the D3 arm) was associated with improved DFS (HR 0.69, p=0.01) and OS (HR 0.69, p=0.019) in the 1025 patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and the D3 arm (but not P1 arm) was associated with improved DFS (HR 0.76, p=0.004) but not OS (HR 0.87, p=0.20) in the 2785 patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative/unknown breast cancer (ERBC). In ERBC but not other subtypes, black race (HR 1.60, p=0.002) and obesity (HR 1.23, p=0.009) were associated with inferior OS, and obesity was associated with a higher recurrence risk between 3-8 years after diagnosis. Conclusions: Improvements in DFS observed at 10 years for the P1 and D3 arms compared with the P3 arm are qualitatively similar but quantitatively less than at 5 years, and the effects on OS are marginal in the overall population. The relative effectiveness of weekly paclitaxel and every 3 week docetaxel may vary by subtype. Citation Format: Joseph A Sparano, Fengmin Zhao, Silvana Martino, Jennifer Ligibel, Thomas Saphner, Antonio C Wolff, George W Sledge Jr, Edith A Perez, William C Wood, Nancy E Davidson. Ten year update of E1199: Phase III study of doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel given every 3 weeks or weekly in patients with axillary node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr S3-03.

Abstract Background: The ECOG E5194 study was a prospective trial designed to evaluate surgical excision (lumpectomy) without radiation for selected women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast with low risk clinical and pathologic features. Methods: Eligible patients were enrolled on two study cohorts (not randomized): (1) low or intermediate grade DCIS, tumor size < 2.5 cm; or (2) high grade DCIS, tumor size < 1.0 cm. Cohort assignment was based on pathology assessment from the treating institution. Protocol specifications included surgical excision of the DCIS tumor with a minimum negative margin width of at least 3 mm or no tumor on re-excision. Radiation treatment was not allowed. From April 1997 to October 2002, 665 evaluable patients were enrolled through ECOG or NCCTG (561 in Cohort 1; 104 in Cohort 2). Tamoxifen was optional (not randomized) beginning in May 2000, and was given to 30% of the patients. The primary study endpoint was the rate of developing an ipsilateral breast event (IBE), defined as local recurrence of DCIS or invasive carcinoma in the treated breast. The median follow-up was 12.3 years. We have previously reported 7-year results (L. Hughes, J Clin Oncol 27:5319, 2009; median follow-up 6.3 years; 66 IBE’s), and we herein provide 12-year results. Results: Median patient age was 60 years and 58 years for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2, respectively. Tumor size was < 10 mm for 79% and 80% of patients, respectively. The minimum negative margin width was > 5 mm for 64% and 69% of patients, respectively. There were 99 IBE’s, of which 51 (52%) were an invasive IBE. The IBE and invasive IBE rates increased over time in both cohorts (see Table). The 12-year rates of an IBE were 14.4% for Cohort 1 and 24.6% for Cohort 2 (p = 0.003), and for an invasive IBE, 7.5% and 13.4%, respectively (p = 0.08). No difference was seen for the 12-year rates of overall survival (84.0% vs 82.8%; p = .96) or contralateral breast events (6.7% vs 12.0%; p = 0.16). On multivariate analysis, study cohort (hazard ratio = 1.81; p = 0.01) and tumor size (p = 0.01) were statistically significant for an IBE, and study cohort was borderline statistically significant for an invasive IBE (p = 0.08). On central pathology review (75% of cases), neither grade nor comedo necrosis was associated with the risk of an IBE or invasive IBE (all p > 0.15). Salvage treatment at the time of an IBE included mastectomy for 42% (31/74) and 64% (16/25) of the patients, respectively. Conclusions: For these selected patients with favorable DCIS based on clinical and pathologic characteristics treated with surgical excision without radiation, the rates of an IBE and an invasive IBE continued to increase through at least 12 years of follow-up. IBE Rates According To Study Cohort. Cohort 1 (Low or Intermediate Grade)Cohort 2 (High Grade)TimeIBEInvasive IBEIBEInvasive IBEAt 5 years6.0% (4.0%, 8.1%)2.7% (1.3%, 4.1%)15.0% (7.7%, 21.7%)5.3% (0.8%, 9.7%)At 7 years9.5% (7.0%, 12.0%)4.8% (2.9%, 6.6%)18.2% (10.6%, 25.8%)7.6% (2.2%, 13.0%)At 10 years12.5% (9.5%, 15.4%)6.4% (4.2%, 8.6%)24.6% (15.7%, 33.4%)13.4% (5.9%, 20.9%)At 12 years14.4% (11.2%, 17.6%)7.5% (5.1%, 10.0%)24.6% (15.7%, 33.4%)13.4% (5.9%, 20.9%) Citation Format: Lawrence J Solin, Robert Gray, Lorie L Hughes, William C Wood, Mary Ann Lowen, Sunil Badve, Frederick L Baehner, James N Ingle, Edith A Perez, Abram Recht, Joseph Sparano, Kathy Miller, Nancy E Davidson. Local excision without radiation for ductal carcinoma in situ: 12-year results from the ECOG E5194 study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-13-01.

PurposeThe effects of ovarian function suppression (OFS) on survival and patient-reported outcomes were evaluated in a phase III trial in which premenopausal women were randomly assigned to tamoxifen with or without OFS.Patients and MethodsPremenopausal women with axillary node-negative, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer tumors measuring ≤ 3 cm were randomly assigned to tamoxifen alone versus tamoxifen plus OFS; adjuvant chemotherapy was not permitted. Primary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included toxicity and patient-reported outcomes. Patient-reported outcome data included health-related quality of life, menopausal symptoms, and sexual function. These were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, 12 months, and then annually for up to 5 years after registration.ResultsIn all, 345 premenopausal women were enrolled: 171 on tamoxifen alone and 174 on tamoxifen plus OFS. With a median follow-up of 9.9 years, there was no significant difference between arms for DFS (5-year rate: 87.9% v 89.7%; log-rank P = .62) or OS (5-year rate: 95.2% v 97.6%; log-rank P = .67). Grade 3 or higher toxicity was more common in the tamoxifen plus OFS arm (22.4% v 12.3%; P = .004). Patients treated with tamoxifen plus OFS had more menopausal symptoms, lower sexual activity, and inferior health-related quality of life at 3-year follow-up (P < .01 for all). Differences diminished with further follow-up.ConclusionWhen added to tamoxifen, OFS results in more menopausal symptoms and sexual dysfunction, which contributes to inferior self-reported health-related quality of life. Because of early closure, this study is underpowered for drawing conclusions about the impact on survival when adding OFS to tamoxifen.

Purpose Recent studies suggest that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in operable triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We seek to validate the prognostic impact of TILs in primary TNBCs in two adjuvant phase III trials conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Patients and Methods Full-face hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections of 506 tumors from ECOG trials E2197 and E1199 were evaluated for density of TILs in intraepithelial (iTILs) and stromal compartments (sTILs). Patient cases of TNBC from E2197 and E1199 were randomly selected based on availability of sections. For the primary end point of DFS, association with TIL scores was determined by fitting proportional hazards models stratified on study. Secondary end points were OS and distant recurrence–free interval (DRFI). Reporting recommendations for tumor marker prognostic studies criteria were followed, and all analyses were prespecified. Results The majority of 481 evaluable cancers had TILs (sTILs, 80%; iTILs, 15%). With a median follow-up of 10.6 years, higher sTIL scores were associated with better prognosis; for every 10% increase in sTILs, a 14% reduction of risk of recurrence or death (P = .02), 18% reduction of risk of distant recurrence (P = .04), and 19% reduction of risk of death (P = .01) were observed. Multivariable analysis confirmed sTILs to be an independent prognostic marker of DFS, DRFI, and OS. Conclusion In two national randomized clinical trials using contemporary adjuvant chemotherapy, we confirm that stromal lymphocytic infiltration constitutes a robust prognostic factor in TNBCs. Studies assessing outcomes and therapeutic efficacies should consider stratification for this parameter.

Abstract Systemic therapy has led to a median survival time for patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) almost fourfold longer than that expected with best supportive care, an outcome achieved through combining chemotherapeutic and targeted biologic agents. Although the latter can include anti–epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies, such as cetuximab and panitumumab, we now have strong evidence that patients whose tumors harbor mutated KRAS will not benefit from this class of agent. Acceptance of the reliability and importance of the KRAS data took several years to evolve, however, for a variety of reasons. The timeline from the presentation and publication of small, retrospective phase II studies to widespread acceptance of the KRAS predictive value and changes in behavior—specifically, modifications of ongoing national trials in advanced/metastatic CRC, changes in national guidelines and practice patterns, and adjustments to the labeled indications for the monoclonal antibodies—was lengthy. In this commentary, we discuss whether or not the process of data disclosure regarding KRAS status and treatment of advanced CRC patients was effective in permitting timely decisions regarding ongoing publicly funded clinical trials and whether or not such decisions were rational and ethical. The overall goals are to highlight lessons learned regarding early disclosure of clinical trial results, as well as vetting and adoption of new scientific data, and to propose modifications for handling similar situations in the future.

PurposeTo determine the risk of ipsilateral breast events in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with local excision without irradiation.Patients and MethodsPatients with either low- or intermediate-grade DCIS measuring 2.5 cm or smaller, or high-grade DCIS measuring 1 cm or smaller who had microscopic margin widths of 3 mm or wider and no residual calcifications on postoperative mammograms were eligible for a prospective trial conducted from 1997 to 2002 by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and North Central Cancer Treatment Group. Patients entered in 2000 and later could take tamoxifen if they wished. Median age at last surgery for the entire population was 60 years (range, 28 to 88 years), and median tumor sizes in the two strata were 6 mm and 5 mm, respectively.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 6.2 years, the 5-year rate of ipsilateral breast events in the 565 eligible patients in the low/intermediate grade stratum was 6.1% (95% CI, 4.1% to 8.2%). With a median follow-up of 6.7 years, this incidence for the 105 eligible patients in the high-grade stratum was 15.3% (95% CI, 8.2% to 22.5%).ConclusionRigorously evaluated and selected patients with low- to intermediate-grade DCIS with margins 3 mm or wider had an acceptably low rate of ipsilateral breast events at 5 years after excision without irradiation. Patients with high-grade lesions had a much higher rate, suggesting that excision alone is inadequate treatment. Further follow-up is necessary to document long-term results.

Purpose: Between February 1993 and September 1995, 739 patients with metastatic breast cancer were entered on an Intergroup trial (E1193) comparing doxorubicin (60 mg/m2), paclitaxel (175 mg/m2/24 h), and the combination of doxorubicin and paclitaxel (AT, 50 mg/m2 and 150 mg/m2/24 h, plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 5 mg/kg) as first-line therapy. Patients receiving single-agent doxorubicin or paclitaxel were crossed over to the other agent at time of progression. Patients and Methods: Patients were well balanced for on-study characteristics. Results: Responses (complete response and partial response) were seen in 36% of doxorubicin, 34% of paclitaxel, and 47% of AT patients (P = .84 for doxorubicin v paclitaxel, P = .007 for v AT, P = .004 for paclitaxel v AT). Median time to treatment failure (TTF) is 5.8, 6.0, and 8.0 months for doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and AT, respectively (P = .68 for doxorubicin v paclitaxel, P = .003 for doxorubicin v AT, P = .009 for paclitaxel v AT). Median survivals are 18.9 months for patients taking doxorubicin, 22.2 months for patients taking paclitaxel, and 22.0 months for patients taking AT (P = not significant). Responses were seen in 20% of patients crossing from doxorubicin → paclitaxel and 22% of patients crossing from paclitaxel → doxorubicin (P = not significant). Changes in global quality-of-life measurements from on-study to week 16 were similar in all three groups. Conclusion: (1) doxorubicin and paclitaxel, in the doses used here, have equivalent activity; (2) the combination of AT results in superior overall response rates and time to TTF; and (3) despite these results, combination therapy with AT did not improve either survival or quality of life compared to sequential single-agent therapy.