A 10-Gene Signature to Predict the Prognosis of Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly challenging subtype of breast cancer, with a poorer prognosis compared to other subtypes. Unfortunately, unlike luminal type cancers, there is no validated biomarker to predict the prognosis of patients with early-stage TNBC. Accurate biomarkers are needed to establish effective therapeutic strategies. Materials and Methods: In this study, we analyzed gene expression profiles of tumor samples from 184 TNBC patients (training cohort, n=76; validation cohort, n=108) using RNA sequencing. Results: By combining weighted gene expression, we identified a 10-gene signature (DGKH, GADD45B, KLF7, LYST, NR6A1, PYCARD, ROBO1, SLC22A20P, SLC24A3, and SLC45A4) that stratified patients by risk score with high sensitivity (92.31%), specificity (92.06%), and accuracy (92.11%) for invasive disease-free survival. The 10-gene signature was validated in a separate institution cohort and supported by meta-analysis for biological relevance to well-known driving pathways in TNBC. Furthermore, the 10-gene signature was the only independent factor for invasive disease-free survival in multivariate analysis when compared to other potential biomarkers of TNBC molecular subtypes and T-cell receptor ß diversity. 10-gene signature also further categorized patients classified as molecular subtypes according to risk scores. Conclusion: Our novel findings may help address the prognostic challenges in TNBC and the 10-gene signature could serve as a novel biomarker for risk-based patient care.

Evaluating the effect of a mobile-based symptom monitoring system for improving physical function in patients with cancer during chemotherapy: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Symptoms due to chemotherapy are common in patients with cancer. Cancer-related symptoms are closely associated with the deterioration of physical function which can be associated with decreased quality of life and increased mortality. Thus, timely symptom identification is critical for improving cancer prognosis and survival. Recently, remote symptom monitoring system using digital technology has demonstrated its effects on symptom control or survival. However, few studies examined whether remote monitoring would contribute to retaining physical function among patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile-based symptom monitoring in improving physical function among patients with cancer under chemotherapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. We will recruit 372 patients at three tertiary hospitals located in Seoul, South Korea. Study participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving the ePRO-CTCAE app and a control group receiving routine clinical practice only. The primary outcome is changes in physical function from commencement to completion of planned chemotherapy. A linear mixed model will be performed under the intention-to-treat principle. The secondary outcomes include physical activity level; changes in pain interference; changes in depressive symptom; unplanned clinical visits; additional medical expenditure for symptom management; completion rate of planned chemotherapy; changes in symptom burden and health-related quality of life; and 1-year overall mortality. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the institutional review board and ethics committee at the three university hospitals involved in this trial. Written informed consent will be obtained from all the participants. The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals and disseminated through relevant literatures. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: KCT0007220.

The clinical effect of an electric massage chair on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients: randomized phase II cross-over trial.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a common adverse events in cancer patients and can negatively affect their quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of an electric massage chair (EMC) for the treatment of CINV. METHODS: A randomized phase II cross-over trial was conducted on solid cancer patients who received moderate (MEC) to high emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). The participants were randomly assigned to receive their first chemotherapy either on a standard bed (Group A) or in an EMC (Group B) during the infusion. The patients were then crossed over to the next cycle. CINV and QoL questionnaires were collected from the participants. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients completed the trial protocol and were included in the analysis, with 29 and 30 patients in Groups A and B, respectively. The mean INVR (Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching) score in the 2nd day of the first cycle was higher in Group B (3.63 ± 5.35) than Group A (2.76 ± 4.78), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5367). The complete response rate showed little difference between the groups. Among the high-emetic risk subgroups, patients who received HEC (p = 0.04595), younger patients (p = 0.0108), and non-colorectal cancer patients (p = 0.0495) presented significantly lower CINV scores when EMC was applied. CONCLUSION: Overall, there was no significant difference in INVR scores between standard care and EMC. Applying EMC at the first chemotherapy infusion may help preserve QoL and reduce CINV in high-risk patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: KCT0008200, 17/02/2023, Retrospectively registered.

Integrated clinical and genomic models using machine-learning methods to predict the efficacy of paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel is commonly used as a second-line therapy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC). The decision to proceed with second-line chemotherapy and select an appropriate regimen is critical for vulnerable patients with AGC progressing after first-line chemotherapy. However, no predictive biomarkers exist to identify patients with AGC who would benefit from paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. METHODS: This study included 288 patients with AGC receiving second-line paclitaxel-based chemotherapy between 2017 and 2022 as part of the K-MASTER project, a nationwide government-funded precision medicine initiative. The data included clinical (age [young-onset vs. others], sex, histology [intestinal vs. diffuse type], prior trastuzumab use, duration of first-line chemotherapy), and genomic factors (pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants). Data were randomly divided into training and validation sets (0.8:0.2). Four machine learning (ML) methods, namely random forest (RF), logistic regression (LR), artificial neural network (ANN), and ANN with genetic embedding (ANN with GE), were used to develop the prediction model and validated in the validation sets. RESULTS: The median patient age was 64 years (range 25-91), and 65.6% of those were male. A total of 288 patients were divided into the training (n = 230) and validation (n = 58) sets. No significant differences existed in baseline characteristics between the training and validation sets. In the training set, the areas under the ROC curves (AUROC) for predicting better progression-free survival (PFS) with paclitaxel-based chemotherapy were 0.499, 0.679, 0.618, and 0.732 in the RF, LR, ANN, and ANN with GE models, respectively. The ANN with the GE model that achieved the highest AUROC recorded accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score performance of 0.458, 0.912, 0.724, and 0.579, respectively. In the validation set, the ANN with GE model predicted that paclitaxel-sensitive patients had significantly longer PFS (median PFS 7.59 vs. 2.07 months, P = 0.020) and overall survival (OS) (median OS 14.70 vs. 7.50 months, P = 0.008). The LR model predicted that paclitaxel-sensitive patients showed a trend for longer PFS (median PFS 6.48 vs. 2.33 months, P = 0.078) and OS (median OS 12.20 vs. 8.61 months, P = 0.099). CONCLUSIONS: These ML models, integrated with clinical and genomic factors, offer the possibility to help identify patients with AGC who may benefit from paclitaxel chemotherapy.

Phase II study of nivolumab in patients with genetic alterations in DNA damage repair and response who progressed after standard treatment for metastatic solid cancers (KM-06).

BACKGROUND: Immune-modulating antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy in various types of cancers, especially highly mutated ones. Genetic alterations in DNA damage response and repair (DDR) genes can lead to genetic instability, often accompanied by a high tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, few studies have validated the aberration of DDR genes as a predictive biomarker for response to immune-modulating antibodies. METHODS: The KM-06 open-label, multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in refractory solid cancers with DDR gene mutations assessed by clinically targeted sequencing. Nivolumab (3 mg/kg) was administered every 2 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or for 24 months. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) as per RECIST V.1.1 criteria. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were enrolled in the study (median age 61, 58.3% male). The most common cancer type was colorectal cancer (41.7%), followed by prostate and biliary tract cancer (8.3% each). Eight patients achieved a partial response as their best overall response, resulting in an ORR of 17.8%. The disease control rate was 60.0%. The median progression-free survival was 2.9 months. Treatment-related adverse events of any grade and grade ≥3 occurred in 44 (91.7%) and 4 (8.3%) patients, respectively. Clinically targeted sequencing data inferred both TMB and microsatellite instability (MSI). Using a TMB cut-off of 12 mut/Mb, there were significant differences in overall survival (p=0.00035), progression-free survival (p=0.0061), and the best overall response (p=0.05). In the RNA sequencing analysis, nivolumab responders showed activation of the interleukin signaling pathway. Patients who experienced early progression presented high epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling pathway activation. The responders exhibited a marked increase in PD-1-/Ki67+CD8 T cells at the early stage of treatment (C3D1) compared with non-responders (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In this phase II trial, nivolumab demonstrated moderate efficacy and manageable toxicity in patients with solid cancer harboring DDR gene mutations. A high TMB (>12 mut/Mb) and MSI score (>2.5) determined through clinically target sequencing presented significant discriminatory power for the nivolumab response. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04761744.

Large-Scale Cancer Genomic Analysis Reveals Significant Disparities between Microsatellite Instability and Tumor Mutational Burden.

BACKGROUND: Microsatellite instability (MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB) are predictive biomarkers for pan-cancer immunotherapy. The interrelationship between MSI-high (MSI-H) and TMB-high (TMB-H) in human cancers and their predictive value for immunotherapy in lung cancer remain unclear. METHODS: We analyzed somatic mutation data from the Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (n = 46,320) to determine the relationship between MSI-H and TMB-H in human cancers using adjusted multivariate regression models. Patient survival was examined using the Cox proportional hazards model. The association between MSI and genetic mutations was assessed. RESULTS: Patients (31-89%) with MSI-H had TMB-low phenotypes across 22 cancer types. Colorectal and stomach cancers showed the strongest association between TMB and MSI. TMB-H patients with lung cancer who received immunotherapy exhibited significantly higher overall survival [HR, 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44-0.86] and progression-free survival (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.91) compared to the TMB-low group; no significant benefit was observed in the MSI-H group. Patients with TMB and MSI phenotypes showed further improvement in overall survival and PFS. We identified several mutated genes associated with MSI-H phenotypes, including known mismatch repair genes and novel mutated genes, such as ARID1A and ARID1B. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that TMB-H and/or a combination of MSI-H can serve as biomarkers for immunotherapies in lung cancer. IMPACT: These findings suggest that distinct or combined biomarkers should be considered for immunotherapy in human cancers because notable discrepancies exist between MSI-H and TMB-H across different cancer types.

Breast density reduction as a predictor for prognosis in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer: an exploratory analysis of the updated ASTRRA study.

BACKGROUND: While the relationship between mammographic breast density reduction (MDR) and endocrine therapy efficacy has been reported in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, it is still unclear in premenopausal women, especially in the case of adding ovarian function suppression (OFS) to antihormone therapy. The authors investigated the impact of MDR on prognosis stratified by treatment based on the updated results of the ASTRRA trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ASTRRA trial, a randomized phase III study, showed that adding OFS to tamoxifen (TAM) improved survival in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer after chemotherapy. The authors updated survival outcomes and assessed mammography before treatment and the annual follow-up mammography for up to 5 years after treatment initiation. Mammographic density (MD) was classified into four categories based on the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System. MDR-positivity was defined as a downgrade in MD grade on follow-up mammography up to 2 years after randomization, with pretreatment MD grade as a reference. RESULTS: The authors evaluated MDR in 944 of the 1282 patients from the trial, and 813 (86.2%) had grade III or IV MD. There was no difference in the MDR-positivity rate between the two treatment groups [TAM-only group (106/476 (22.3%)) vs. TAM+OFS group (89/468 (19.0%)); P =0.217). MDR-positivity was significantly associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in the TAM+OFS group (estimated 8-year DFS: 93.1% in MDR-positive vs. 82.0% in MDR-negative patients; HR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.16-0.85; P =0.019), but not in the TAM-only group ( Pinteraction =0.039). MDR-positive patients who received TAM+OFS had a favorable DFS compared to MDR-negative patients who received only TAM (HR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13-0.70; P =0.005). CONCLUSION: Although the proportion of MDR-positive patients was comparable between both treatment groups, MDR-positivity was independently associated with favorable outcomes only in the TAM+OFS group.

Pemetrexed plus vinorelbine versus vinorelbine monotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (KCSG-BR15-17): A randomized, open-label, multicenter, phase II trial.

INTRODUCTION: Metastatic breast cancer refractory to anthracycline and taxanes often shows rapid progression. The development of effective and tolerable combination regimens for these patients is needed. This phase II trial investigated the efficacy of pemetrexed plus vinorelbine in patients with metastatic breast cancer. METHODS: This randomized, open-label, phase II trial was conducted in 17 centers in Korea. Patients with advanced breast cancer who had previously been treated with anthracyclines and taxanes were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either vinorelbine or pemetrexed plus vinorelbine. Randomization was stratified by prior capecitabine treatment and hormone receptor status. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included the objective response rate, overall survival, safety, and quality of life. RESULTS: Between March 2017 and August 2019, a total of 125 patients were enrolled. After a median follow-up duration of 14.1 months, 118 progression events and 88 death events had occurred. Sixty-two patients were assigned to the pemetrexed plus vinorelbine arm, and 63 were assigned to the vinorelbine arm. Pemetrexed plus vinorelbine significantly prolonged PFS compared to vinorelbine (5.7 vs. 1.5 months, p < 0.001). The combination arm had higher disease control rate (76.8% vs. 45.9%, p = 0.001) and a tendency toward longer overall survival (16.8 vs. 10.5 months, p = 0.102). Anemia was more frequent in the pemetrexed plus vinorelbine arm per cycle compared with vinorelbine (7.9% vs. 1.9%, p < 0.001), but there was no difference in the incidence of grade 3-4 neutropenia per cycle between the pemetrexed plus vinorelbine arm and the vinorelbine single arm (14.7% vs. 19.5%, p = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: This phase II study showed that pemetrexed plus vinorelbine led to a longer PFS than vinorelbine. Adverse events of pemetrexed plus vinorelbine were generally manageable.

Clinical activity of nivolumab in combination with eribulin in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer: A phase IB/II study (KCSG BR18-16).

AIM: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and eribulin combination therapy for metastatic breast cancer (BC) in Asian populations. METHODS: In this parallel phase II study, adult patients with histologically confirmed recurrent/metastatic hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative (HR+HER2-) or triple-negative BC (TNBC) were prospectively enroled from 10 academic hospitals in Korea (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04061863). They received nivolumab (360 mg) on day 1 plus eribulin (1.4 mg/m2) on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was the investigator-assessed 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate in each subtype. Secondary endpoints included investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) as per Response Evaluation Criteria in Advanced Solid Tumors version 1.1, disease control rate, overall survival, and treatment toxicity. The association between PD-L1 expression and efficacy was investigated. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with HR+HER2- BC and 45 with TNBC were enroled. Their median age was 51 (range, 31-71) years, and 74 (82.2%) received one or two prior treatments before enrolment. Six-month PFS was 47.2% and 25.1% in the HR+HER2- and TNBC cohorts, respectively. Median PFS was 5.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.3-7.4) and 3.0 (95% CI: 2.1-5.2) months in the HR+HER2- and TNBC groups, respectively. ORRs were 53.3% (complete response [CR]: 0, partial response [PR]: 24) and 28.9% (CR: 1, PR: 12). Patients with PD-L1+ tumours (PD-L1 expression ≥1%) and PD-L1- tumours (ORR 50% versus 53.8% in HR+HER2-, 30.8% versus 29.0% in TNBC) had similar ORRs. Neutropenia was the most common grade 3/4 adverse event; the most common immune-related adverse events (AEs) were grades 1/2 hypothyroidism and pruritus. Five patients discontinued therapy because of immune-related AEs. CONCLUSION: Nivolumab plus eribulin showed promising efficacy and tolerable safety in previously treated HER2- metastatic BC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04061863.

Value of Breast MRI and Nomogram After Negative Axillary Ultrasound for Predicting Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Clinically T1-2 N0 Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: There are increasing concerns about that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) could be omitted in patients with clinically T1-2 N0 breast cancers who has negative axillary ultrasound (AUS). This study aims to assess the false negative result (FNR) of AUS, the rate of high nodal burden (HNB) in clinically T1-2 N0 breast cancer patients, and the diagnostic performance of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nomogram. METHODS: We identified 948 consecutive patients with clinically T1-2 N0 cancers who had negative AUS, subsequent MRI, and breast conserving therapy between 2013 and 2020 from two tertiary medical centers. Patients from two centers were assigned to development and validation sets, respectively. Among 948 patients, 402 (mean age ± standard deviation, 57.61 ± 11.58) were within development cohort and 546 (54.43 ± 10.02) within validation cohort. Using logistic regression analyses, clinical-imaging factors associated with lymph node (LN) metastasis were analyzed in the development set from which nomogram was created. The performance of MRI and nomogram was assessed. HNB was defined as ≥ 3 positive LNs. RESULTS: The FNR of AUS was 20.1% (81 of 402) and 19.2% (105 of 546) and the rates of HNB were 1.2% (5/402) and 2.2% (12/546), respectively. Clinical and imaging features associated with LN metastasis were progesterone receptor positivity, outer tumor location on mammography, breast imaging reporting and data system category 5 assessment of cancer on ultrasound, and positive axilla on MRI. In validation cohorts, the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of MRI and clinical-imaging nomogram was 58.5% and 86.5%, and 56.0% and 82.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The FNR of AUS was approximately 20% but the rate of HNB was low. The diagnostic performance of MRI was not satisfactory with low PPV but MRI had merit in reaffirming negative AUS with high NPV. Patients who had low probability scores from our clinical-imaging nomogram might be possible candidates for the omission of SLNB.

Adding Ovarian Suppression to Tamoxifen for Premenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer After Chemotherapy: An 8-Year Follow-Up of the ASTRRA Trial.

PURPOSE: To determine the updated long-term outcomes of the Addition of Ovarian Suppression to Tamoxifen in Young Women With Hormone-Sensitive Breast Cancer Who Remain Premenopausal or Regain Vaginal Bleeding After Chemotherapy (ASTRRA) trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is a post-trial follow-up of the ASTRRA trial, involving 1,483 premenopausal women younger than 45 years treated with definitive surgery after completing adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to complete 5 years of tamoxifen (TAM) alone (TAM-only) or 5 years of TAM with ovarian function suppression (OFS) for 2 years (TAM + OFS). The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary end point was overall survival (OS). RESULTS: At 106.4 months of median follow-up, there was a continuous significant reduction in the DFS event rate in the TAM + OFS group. The 8-year DFS rate was 85.4% in the TAM + OFS group and 80.2% in the TAM-only group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.87). There were no significant differences in OS between the two groups. The OS rate was 96.5% in the TAM + OFS group and 95.3% in the TAM-only group (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.25). CONCLUSION: Adding OFS for 2 years to adjuvant TAM with a longer follow-up resulted in consistent DFS benefits, suggesting that adding OFS to TAM should be considered for patients who remain in a premenopausal state or resume ovarian function after chemotherapy.

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasm in early breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Long-term complications are becoming more important as the survival rate of breast cancer improves. Treatment-related myeloid neoplasm is an important long-term complication in breast cancer survivors as it has a poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the incidence and risk factors for the development of treatment-related acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)/myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in patients treated with early breast cancer. METHODS: We accessed the national Korean database to identify 153,565 patients diagnosed with breast cancer between January 2007 and October 2016 who underwent surgery for breast cancer. We estimated the cumulative incidence of AML/MDS and analysed the risk factors for developing AML/MDS. RESULTS: Of 153,575 patients, 79,321 received anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy, 14,317 received adjuvant therapy without anthracyclines and 46,657 did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Overall, 120 developed AML (105 in the anthracycline group, 9 in the non-anthracycline group and 6 in the control group), and 128 developed MDS (96, 9 and 23 in each group). The 10-year cumulative incidence of AML/MDS was the highest in the anthracycline group (0.221% and 0.199%), followed by the non-anthracycline group (0.122% and 0.163%) and the control group (0.024% and 0.089%). The risk of developing AML/MDS was significantly higher in patients treated with anthracyclines (hazard ratio [HR] 9.531; p < 0.0001 for AML and HR 2.559; p < 0.0001 for MDS) compared to patients in the control group. CONCLUSION: This study found that anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy significantly increased the risk of AML/MDS in Korean breast cancer patients, with the risk persisting for at least 10 years. While the cumulative incidence was low, the long-term risks of AML/MDS should be taken into account considering the poor outcomes associated with these neoplasms.

Genomic analysis of plasma circulating tumor DNA in patients with heavily pretreated HER2 + metastatic breast cancer.

We explored accumulated genomic alterations in patients with heavily treated HER2 + metastatic breast cancer enrolled in the KCSG BR18-14/KM10B trial. Targeted sequencing was performed with circulating tumor DNAs (ctDNAs) collected before the treatment of 92 patients. ctDNAs collected at the time of disease progression from seven patients who had a durable response for > 12 months were also analyzed. Sixty-five genes were identified as pathogenic alterations in 99 samples. The most frequently altered genes were TP53 (n = 48), PIKCA (n = 21) and ERBB3 (n = 19). TP53 and PIK3CA mutations were significantly related with shorter progression free survival (PFS), and patients with a higher ctDNA fraction showed a worse PFS. The frequency of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-related gene mutations was higher than that in matched tumor tissues, and these mutations tended to be associated with shorter PFS. New pathogenic variants were found at the end of treatment in all seven patients, including BRCA2, VHL, RAD50, RB1, BRIP1, ATM, FANCA, and PIK3CA mutations. In conclusion, TP53 and PIK3CA mutations, as well as a higher ctDNA fraction, were associated with worse PFS with trastuzumab and cytotoxic chemotherapy. The enrichment of HRD-related gene mutations and newly detected variants in ctDNA may be related to resistance to treatment.

Prediction of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Early-stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Using Multiparametric and Radiomic Features of Breast MRI.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether machine learning (ML) approaches using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived multiparametric and radiomic features could predict axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in stage I-II triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2013 and 2019, 86 consecutive patients with TNBC who underwent preoperative MRI and surgery were enrolled and divided into ALNM (N = 27) and non-ALNM (n = 59) groups according to histopathologic results. For multiparametric features, kinetic features using computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), morphologic features, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values at diffusion-weighted images were evaluated. For extracting radiomic features, three-dimensional segmentation of tumors using T2-weighted images (T2WI) and T1-weighted subtraction images were respectively performed by two radiologists. Each predictive model using three ML algorithms was built using multiparametric features or radiomic features, or both. The diagnostic performances of models were compared using the DeLong method. RESULTS: Among multiparametric features, non-circumscribed margin, peritumoral edema, larger tumor size, and larger angio-volume at CAD were associated with ALNM in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, larger angio-volume was the sole statistically significant predictor for ALNM (odds ratio = 1.33, P = 0.008). Regarding ADC values, there were no significant differences according to ALNM status. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting ALNM was 0.74 using multiparametric features, 0.77 using radiomic features from T1-weighted subtraction images, 0.80 using radiomic features from T2WI, and 0.82 using all features. CONCLUSION: A predictive model incorporating breast MRI-derived multiparametric and radiomic features may be valuable in predicting ALNM preoperatively in patients with TNBC.

Mobilization of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells is regulated by PTH1R activation in bone marrow stromal cells.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are bone marrow (BM)-derived immunosuppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment, but the mechanism of MDSC mobilization from the BM remains unclear. We investigated how BM stromal cell activation by PTH1R contributes to MDSC mobilization. PTH1R activation by parathyroid hormone (PTH) or PTH-related peptide (PTHrP), a tumor-derived counterpart, mobilized monocytic (M-) MDSCs from murine BM without increasing immunosuppressive activity. In vitro cell-binding assays demonstrated that α4ß1 integrin and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1, expressed on M-MDSCs and osteoblasts, respectively, are key to M-MDSC binding to osteoblasts. Upon PTH1R activation, osteoblasts express VEGF-A and IL6, leading to Src family kinase phosphorylation in M-MDSCs. Src inhibitors suppressed PTHrP-induced MDSC mobilization, and Src activation in M-MDSCs upregulated two proteases, ADAM-17 and MMP7, leading to VCAM1 shedding and subsequent disruption of M-MDSC tethering to osteoblasts. Collectively, our data provide the molecular mechanism of M-MDSC mobilization in the bones of tumor hosts.

Eflapegrastim versus Pegfilgrastim for Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia in Korean and Asian Patients with Early Breast Cancer: Results from the Two Phase III ADVANCE and RECOVER Studies.

PURPOSE: We investigated the consistent efficacy and safety of eflapegrastim, a novel long-acting granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), in Koreans and Asians compared with the pooled population of two global phase 3 trials. Materials and Methods: Two phase 3 trials (ADVANCE and RECOVER) evaluated the efficacy and safety of fixed-dose eflapegrastim (13.2 mg/0.6 mL [3.6 mg G-CSF equivalent]) compared to pegfilgrastim (6 mg based on G-CSF) in breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant docetaxel/cyclophosphamide. The primary objective was to demonstrate non-inferiority of eflapegrastim compared to pegfilgrastim in mean duration of severe neutropenia (DSN) in cycle 1, in Korean and Asian subpopulations. RESULTS: Among a total of 643 patients randomized to eflapegrastim (n=314) or pegfilgrastim (n=329), 54 Asians (29 to eflapegrastim and 25 to pegfilgrastim) including 28 Koreans (14 to both eflapegrastim and pegfilgrastim) were enrolled. The primary endpoint, DSN in cycle 1 in the eflapegrastim arm was non-inferior to the pegfilgrastim arm in Koreans and Asians. The DSN difference between the eflapegrastim and pegfilgrastim arms was consistent across populations: -0.120 days (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.227 to -0.016), -0.288 (95% CI, -0.714 to 0.143), and -0.267 (95% CI, -0.697 to 0.110) for pooled population, Koreans and Asians, respectively. There were few treatment-related adverse events that caused discontinuation of eflapegrastim (1.9%) or pegfilgrastim (1.5%) in total and no notable trends or differences across patient populations. CONCLUSION: This study may suggest that eflapegrastim showed non-inferior efficacy and similar safety compared to pegfilgrastim in Koreans and Asians, consistently with those of pooled population.

Perception and safety analysis of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients: A multicenter, real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Although various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have been delivered to the public worldwide, data on cancer populations are limited. Vaccine hesitancy related to safety concerns is observed among cancer patients. We report the perception of COVID-19 vaccines and their safety profile after vaccination among cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April and November 2021, a multicenter survey was conducted on 318 patients treated in any hemato-oncology outpatient clinic among three hospitals under the Korea University Medical Center. The medical records of the patients were reviewed to obtain detailed clinical and hematological toxicity data. RESULTS: A perception survey was conducted among 293 patients. Among them, 53.9% were concerned about developing vaccine-related adverse events (VRAEs) and 23.5%, about negative effects on cancer treatment. During the study period, 255 and 186 patients participated in a safety survey after the first and second doses, respectively. After the first dose, 62% of patients reported VRAEs (2.4%, grade 3), whereas 48.9% reported VRAEs (2.7%, grade 3) after the second dose. For both doses, injection-site pain and sore arm pain were the most common VRAEs, followed by myalgia, fatigue, and headache. No grade 4/5 VRAEs were observed, and there were no differences in complete blood count after vaccination. Multivariate analysis revealed female sex, active cancer treatment, and mRNA vaccines as independent risk factors for VRAE development in cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Despite high levels of concern, COVID-19 vaccines were well tolerated by cancer patients, with a safety profile consistent with that of the general population.

Genomic Signatures from Clinical Tumor Sequencing in Patients with Breast Cancer Having Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation.

PURPOSE: BRCA1 and BRCA2 are among the most important genes involved in DNA repair via homologous recombination (HR). Germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2)-related cancers have specific characteristics and treatment options but conducting gBRCA1/2 testing and interpreting the genetic imprint are sometimes complicated. Here, we describe the concordance of gBRCA1/2 derived from a panel of clinical tumor tissues using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and genetic aspects of tumors harboring gBRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Targeted sequencing was performed using available tumor tissue from patients who underwent gBRCA1/2 testing. Comparative genomic analysis was performed according to gBRCA1/2 pathogenicity. RESULTS: A total of 321 patients who underwent gBRCA1/2 testing were screened, and 26 patients with gBRCA1/2 pathogenic (gBRCA1/2p) variants, eight patients with gBRCA1/2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS; gBRCA1/2v), and 43 patients with gBRCA1/2 wild-type (gBRCA1/2w) were included in analysis. Mutations in TP53 (49.4%) and PIK3CA (23.4%) were frequently detected in all samples. The number of single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) per tumor tissue was higher in the gBRCA1/2w group than that in the gBRCA1/2p group (14.81 vs. 18.86, p=0.278). Tumor mutation burden (TMB) was significantly higher in the gBRCA1/2w group than in the gBRCA1/2p group (10.21 vs. 13.47, p=0.017). Except for BRCA1/2, other HR-related genes were frequently mutated in patients with gBRCA1/2w. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated high sensitivity of gBRCA1/2 in tumors analyzed by NGS using a panel of tumor tissues. TMB value and aberration of non-BRCA1/2 HR-related genes differed significantly according to gBRCA1/2 pathogenicity in patients with breast cancer.

PIK3CA Mutation is Associated with Poor Response to HER2-Targeted Therapy in Breast Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE: Mutations in the PIK3CA gene occur frequently in breast cancer patients. Activating PIK3CA mutations confer resistance to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted treatments. In this study, we investigated whether PIK3CA mutations were correlated with treatment response or duration in patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information of patients with HER2+ breast cancer who received HER2-targeted therapy for early-stage or metastatic cancers. The pathologic complete response (pCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival were compared between patients with wild-type PIK3CA (PIK3CAw) and those with mutated PIK3CA (PIK3CAm). Next-generation sequencing was combined with examination of PFS associated with anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment. RESULTS: Data from 90 patients with HER2+ breast cancer were analyzed. Overall, 34 (37.8%) patients had pathogenic PIK3CA mutations. The pCR rate of the PIK3CAm group was lower than that of the PIK3CAw group among patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage cancer. In the metastatic setting, the PIK3CAm group showed a significantly shorter mean PFS (mPFS) with first-line anti-HER2 mAb. The mPFS of second-line T-DM1 was lower in the PIK3CAm group than that in the PIK3CAw group. Sequencing revealed differences in the mutational landscape between PIK3CAm and PIK3CAw tumors. CONCLUSION: Patients with HER2+ breast cancer with activating PIK3CA mutations had lower pCR rates and shorter PFS with palliative HER2-targeted therapy than those with wild-type PIK3CA. Precise targeted-therapy is needed to improve survival of patients with HER2+/PIK3CAm breast cancer.

Novel peptide-based vaccine targeting heat shock protein 90 induces effective antitumor immunity in a HER2+ breast cancer murine model.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a protein chaperone for most of the important signal transduction pathways in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, including human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and Akt. The aim of our study is to identify peptide-based vaccines and to develop an effective immunotherapeutics for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer. METHODS: HSP90-derived major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II epitopes were selected using in silico algorithms and validated by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT). In vivo antitumor efficacy was evaluated in MMTVneu-transgenic mice. HSP90 peptide-specific systemic T-cell responses were assessed using interferon gamma ELISPOT assay, and immune microenvironment in tumors was evaluated using multiplex immunohistochemistry and TCRß sequencing. RESULTS: First, candidate HSP90-derived MHC class II epitopes with high binding affinities across multiple human HLA class II genotypes were identified using in silico algorithms. Among the top 10 peptides, p485 and p527 were selected as promising Th1 immunity-inducing epitopes with low potential for Th2 immunity induction. The selected MHC class II HSP90 peptides induced strong antigen-specific T cell responses, which was induced by cross-priming of CD8+ T cells in vivo. The HSP90 peptide vaccines were effective in the established tumor model, and their efficacy was further enhanced when combined with stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist and/or anticytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 antibody in MMTVneu-transgenic mice. Increased tumor rejection was associated with increased systemic HSP90-specific T-cell responses, increased T-cell recruitment in tumor microenvironment, intermolecular epitope spreading, and increased rearrangement of TCRß by STING agonist. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we have provided the first preclinical evidence of the action mechanism of HSP90 peptide vaccines with a distinct potential for improving breast cancer treatment.