BOSTON, Sept. 24 — An investigational radiation sensitizer, efaproxiral (Efaproxyn), had no significant benefit for women whose breast cancers had spread to the brain, a researcher said here.

Action Points  BOSTON - Cancer patients who receive stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) for the treatment of metastatic brain tumors have more than twice the risk of developing learning and memory problems than those treated with SRS alone, according to new research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Background: Preclinical data have indicated a synergistic interaction between docetaxel and capecitabine by means of taxane-induced up-regulation of thymidine phosphorylase (TP). On the basis of such premises, we conducted a phase II trial to determine the activity and tolerability of weekly docetaxel plus capecitabine in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Furthermore, we explored the relationship between TP tumor expression and benefit from this regimen.

By Lisa M. Cockrell, PhD

WASHINGTON, DC — September 10, 2008 — Nearly one-third of cases of incomplete response to neoadjuvant trastuzumab therapy may be due to a change in HER2 status following treatment, according to a study presented here at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Annual Breast Cancer Symposium (ASCO-Breast).

Background: Women with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer are at increased risk of distant metastases and have reduced survival versus other breast cancer patients. Relative survival of women with TN breast cancer who develop brain metastases is unknown. Methods: Patients with breast cancer who developed brain metastases at our institution from 1993 to 2006 were reviewed. Four survival time intervals were compared in patients with TN disease and those with non-TN disease: initial diagnosis to distant metastases, distant metastases to brain metastases, brain metastases to death, and overall diagnosis to death.

Results: One hundred and eighteen patients were identified. Fifty-one (50%) of 103 were estrogen receptor positive, 26 (39%) of 67 were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive, and 20 (22%) of 91 were TN. Survival times were shorter for TN patients, with overall survival of 26 months in TN patients versus 49 months for non-TN patients. In TN patients, time to development of distant metastases, brain metastases, and death after brain metastases was shorter than in non-TN patients.

Conclusion: Patients with TN disease were more likely to develop distant metastases earlier than non-TN patients, developed brain metastases sooner, and had shorter overall survival.

H. J. Burstein, K. Blackwell, Y. Wu, A. Storniolo, H. Rugo, M. Amonkar, C. Ellis, G. Sledge, J. Baselga, J. O’Shaughnessy Abstract: Background: Women with HER2+ MBC who had progressed on at least 1 trastuzumab (T)-containing regimen received lapatinib (L) plus T (L+T) or L alone in a phase III randomized, open-label study. Crossover to L+T was allowed after progression on L monotherapy. The effect of treatments on health-related QOL was assessed. Methods: QOL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) questionnaire. Outcome measures included FACT-B total score, FACT-general (FACT-G) score and trial outcome index (TOI). Higher scores denote better QOL. The questionnaire was completed at baseline, weeks (wk) 4, 12, 16, every 8 wk, and at therapy discontinuation. Changes from baseline scores were analyzed in the ITT population using analysis of covariance with baseline value as a covariate. Analyses based on observed data and also using the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method was performed. Results: Progression free survival was prolonged significantly  

By Shazia Qureshi

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — September 11, 2008 — In patients with primary metastatic breast cancer, surgical excision of the primary tumour was associated with a 31% reduction in mortality risk, researchers reported here at the 14th Congress of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO).