BREAST CANCER

General Cancer

SB3, a trastuzumab biosimilar, has been granted FDA approval for the treatment of patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

In response to a biologics license application submitted for sacituzumab govitecan as a treatment for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who have received at least 2 prior therapies, the FDA has issued a complete response letter to Immunomedics, citing chemistry, manufacturing, and control matters.

Eribulin mesylate (Halaven) demonstrated efficacy in the first-line for patients with aggressive HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer that have received prior treatment with a taxane in the (neo)adjuvant setting, according to results from the phase II MERIBEL trial.

Genetic aberrations across cancer types were the driving force behind drug approvals in 2018.

Nonadherence to endocrine therapy may explain why black women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer have higher mortality rates than white women, despite historically lower incidence rates.

A randomized phase II trial found that nab-paclitaxel showed equivalent efficacy and was well tolerated compared with docetaxel as neoadjuvant therapy in early-stage breast cancer.

Joseph A. Sparano, MD, explains the current role of liquid biopsies in the breast cancer space and how this role will evolve over time.

Findings of a recent study suggest surgical choices in women with breast cancer may have long-term impacts on their quality of life. Investigators found that younger patients with breast cancer who underwent lumpectomy had better QOL outcomes than patients who had a mastectomy.

Erika P. Hamilton, MD, discusses the results from a phase II study of abemaciclib plus tamoxifen versus abemaciclib monotherapy in patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

A telephone-based lifestyle intervention program led to weight loss and higher rates of disease-free survival in early-stage breast cancer survivors, according to findings of a recent study.

In an updated analysis of the phase III TAILORx trial in patients with breast cancer, investigators found that chemotherapy resulted in significantly more acute symptoms compared with endocrine therapy, however, the adverse events associated with endocrine therapy increased over time.

Breast Cancer

Several oncology experts discuss the FDA approvals they found most significant in 2018.

During a presentation at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, data from a subgroup analysis of the phase III TAILORx trial demonstrated worse outcomes in African-American patients compared to Caucasian patients with early breast cancer following adjuvant therapy. Both groups had a similar risk of recurrence and had received similar types of therapy, according the report.

Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the UPMC Cancer Center, discusses how the data from the IMpassion130 trial have demonstrated benefit for immunotherapy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.