Biomedical subjects
W Eiermann
Publications and source records attributed to W Eiermann.
[Systemic therapy of operable carcinoma of the breast].
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[Management of breast cancer treatment -- a multidisciplinary approach].
The management of breast cancer care poses very high expectations on implementing the treatment recommendations and guidelines for diagnostic procedures into routine treatment. Most recently a majority of these tasks has been transferred to the responsibilities of the breast centers being established all over Germany these days. Guidelines on treatment and diagnostic procedures and minimal invasive techniques have therefore been discussed among 1 300 colleagues and experts at the Duesseldorfer Symposium in June 2004.
Goserelin versus cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil as adjuvant therapy in premenopausal patients with node-positive breast cancer: The Zoladex Early Breast Cancer Research Association Study.
PURPOSE: Current adjuvant therapies have improved survival for premenopausal patients with breast cancer but may have short-term toxic effects and long-term effects associated with premature menopause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Zoladex Early Breast Cancer Research Association study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of goserelin (3.6 mg every 28 days for 2 years; n = 817) versus cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy (six 28-day cycles; n = 823) for adjuvant treatment in premenopausal patients with node-positive breast cancer. RESULTS: Analysis was performed when 684 events had been achieved, and the median follow-up was 6 years. A significant interaction between treatment and estrogen receptor (ER) status was found (P =.0016). In ER-positive patients (approximately 74%), goserelin was equivalent to CMF for disease-free survival (DFS) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84 to 1.20). In ER-negative patients, goserelin was inferior to CMF for DFS (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.27 to 2.44). Amenorrhea occurred in more than 95% of goserelin patients by 6 months versus 58.6% of CMF patients. Menses returned in most goserelin patients after therapy stopped, whereas amenorrhea was generally permanent in CMF patients (22.6% v 76.9% amenorrheic at 3 years). Chemotherapy-related side effects such as nausea/vomiting, alopecia, and infection were higher with CMF than with goserelin during CMF treatment. Side effects related to estrogen suppression were initially higher with goserelin, but when goserelin treatment stopped, reduced to a level below that observed in the CMF group. CONCLUSION: Goserelin offers an effective, well-tolerated alternative to CMF in premenopausal patients with ER-positive and node-positive early breast cancer.
Dose-dense doxorubicin, docetaxel, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support with or without tamoxifen as preoperative therapy in patients with operable carcinoma of the breast: a randomized, controlled, open phase IIb study.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of adding tamoxifen to a preoperative dose-dense doxorubicin and docetaxel regimen on the pathologic response of primary operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (tumor size > or = 3 cm, N0 to 2, M0) were prospectively randomized to receive every 14 days a total of four cycles of doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 and docetaxel 75 mg/m(2), either with (ADocT) or without (ADoc) simultaneous tamoxifen. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was routinely given on days 5 to 10. Surgery followed 8 to 10 weeks after the start of treatment. RESULTS: Within 14 months, 250 patients were included in the study at 56 centers. Of 992 planned cycles, 97.9% were administered. Pathologically complete remission (pCR) with no detectable viable tumor cells was achieved in 9.7%. There was a nonsignificant difference of -1.2% in favor of ADoc, with a 95% confidence interval of -8.6% to 6.2%. A further 2.4% had only noninvasive tumor residues, and 13.8% had focal invasive residues. Complete and partial responses detected by palpation were observed in 28.9% and 52.4%, respectively. The response rates (complete and partial) by best appropriate imaging methods were 77.5% and 67.5% for ADocT and ADoc, respectively. Breast conservation was possible in 68.8% of the patients. A tendency toward more frequent toxic events was observed with ADocT treatment. Significant predictors of pCR to chemotherapy were negative lymph node and negative estrogen receptor status. CONCLUSION: A dose-dense regimen of ADoc with G-CSF offers high compliance, moderate toxicity, and rapid efficacy as a form of preoperative chemotherapy in operable breast cancer. Concurrent treatment with tamoxifen for 8 weeks could not improve the pathologic response rate.
Use of chemotherapy plus a monoclonal antibody against HER2 for metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER2.
BACKGROUND: The HER2 gene, which encodes the growth factor receptor HER2, is amplified and HER2 is overexpressed in 25 to 30 percent of breast cancers, increasing the aggressiveness of the tumor. METHODS: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody against HER2, in women with metastatic breast cancer that overexpressed HER2. We randomly assigned 234 patients to receive standard chemotherapy alone and 235 patients to receive standard chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. Patients who had not previously received adjuvant (postoperative) therapy with an anthracycline were treated with doxorubicin (or epirubicin in the case of 36 women) and cyclophosphamide alone (138 women) or with trastuzumab (143 women). Patients who had previously received adjuvant anthracycline were treated with paclitaxel alone (96 women) or paclitaxel with trastuzumab (92 women). RESULTS: The addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy was associated with a longer time to disease progression (median, 7.4 vs. 4.6 months; P<0.001), a higher rate of objective response (50 percent vs. 32 percent, P<0.001), a longer duration of response (median, 9.1 vs. 6.1 months; P<0.001), a lower rate of death at 1 year (22 percent vs. 33 percent, P=0.008), longer survival (median survival, 25.1 vs. 20.3 months; P=0.01), and a 20 percent reduction in the risk of death. The most important adverse event was cardiac dysfunction of New York Heart Association class III or IV, which occurred in 27 percent of the group given an anthracycline, cyclophosphamide, and trastuzumab; 8 percent of the group given an anthracycline and cyclophosphamide alone; 13 percent of the group given paclitaxel and trastuzumab; and 1 percent of the group given paclitaxel alone. Although the cardiotoxicity was potentially severe and, in some cases, life-threatening, the symptoms generally improved with standard medical management. CONCLUSIONS: Trastuzumab increases the clinical benefit of first-line chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER2.
[Trastuzumab, a new treatment approach in breast carcinoma].
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Preoperative treatment of postmenopausal breast cancer patients with letrozole: A randomized double-blind multicenter study.
BACKGROUND: A randomized, double-blind, multicenter study was conducted to compare the anti-tumor activity of letrozole vs. tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with ER and/or PgR positive primary untreated breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred thirty-seven postmenopausal women with ER and/or PgR positive primary untreated breast cancer were randomly assigned once daily treatment with either letrozole 2.5 mg or tamoxifen 20 mg for four months. At baseline none of the patients were considered to be candidates for breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and 14% of the patients were considered inoperable. The primary endpoint was to compare overall objective response (CR + PR) determined by clinical palpation. Secondary endpoints included overall objective response on ultrasound and mammography and the number of patients who qualified for BCS. RESULTS: Overall objective response rate (clinical palpation) was statistically significantly superior in the letrozole group, 55% compared to tamoxifen, 36% (P < 0.001). Secondary endpoints of ultrasound response, 35% vs. 25% (P = 0.042), mammographic response, 34% vs. 16% (P < 0.001), and BCS, 45% vs. 35% (P = 0.022) between the letrozole and tamoxifen groups, respectively, showed letrozole to be significantly superior. Both treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that letrozole is more effective than tamoxifen as preoperative therapy in postmenopausal patients with ER and/or PgR positive primary untreated breast cancer and is at least as well tolerated.
Trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: pivotal trial data.
A pivotal, randomized, multicenter, phase III trial was conducted to compare chemotherapy in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) vs. chemotherapy (anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide [AC] or paclitaxel) alone as first-line treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Results from a total of 469 patients, randomized to receive either chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, revealed that the addition of trastuzumab improved time to disease progression significantly (7.6 vs. 4.6 months. P = 0.0001) compared with chemotherapy alone. The increase was higher in the trastuzumab plus paclitaxel subgroup (6.9 vs. 3.0 months, P = 0.0001) than in the trastuzumab plus AC subgroup (8.1 vs. 6.1 months. P = 0.0003). Patients receiving combination therapy also had a greater overall response rate (49% vs. 32%, P = 0.0002) and a longer median response duration (9.3 vs. 5.9 months, P = 0.0001) than those who received chemotherapy alone. Most importantly, median follow-up of 29 months revealed a significantly increased median survival in patients receiving trastuzumab plus chemotherapy (25.4 vs. 20.3 months, P < 0.025) compared with those receiving chemotherapy alone. Trastuzumab plus chemotherapy was well tolerated; adverse events were typically mild-to-moderate chills and fever and occurred in approximately 40% of patients, primarily following the first administration only.
[Resection of the sentinel lymph node in breast carcinoma. Substitution for axillary lymph node excision?].
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Maximized reduction of primary breast tumor size using preoperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin and docetaxel.
PURPOSE: To assess the toxicity and efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin and docetaxel in patients with primary operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with histologically confirmed primary breast cancer tumors of at least 2 cm in diameter received doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2) intravenously [IV] over 15 minutes) and docetaxel (75 mg/m(2) IV over 1 hour) every 14 (24 patients) or 21 (18 patients) days for four cycles. RESULTS: The median size of the primary tumor decreased significantly, from 4 cm (range, 2 to 10 cm) to 2 cm (range, 0 to 5 cm) on physical examination and from 3.4 cm (range, 1 to 8 cm) to 1. 8 cm (range, 0 to 4 cm) on sonography (P <.001). The overall response rate as assessed by physical examination was 93%, and complete remission of the primary tumor occurred in 33% of patients. The remission rate as assessed by sonographic measurement was 67%. Two patients (5%) had histologically confirmed complete responses. Sonography was more reliable than palpation in predicting histologically determined response. No grade 4 toxicity was noted, and grade 3 toxicity was reported with alopecia (95%), lethargy (17%), loss of appetite (10%), stomatitis (7%), leukopenia (5%), skin desquamation (5%), infection (5%), motor neuropathy (2%), and nausea (2%). The 3-week schedule was associated with less toxicity than the 2-week schedule. CONCLUSION: Preoperative combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin and docetaxel is highly effective and feasible in primary operable breast cancer.
Anastrozole versus megestrol acetate in the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast carcinoma: results of a survival update based on a combined analysis of data from two mature phase III trials. Arimidex Study Group.
BACKGROUND: This report presents the results of a survival update based on the combined data from two studies that compared the efficacy and tolerability of anastrozole (1 or 10 mg once daily), a selective, nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor administered orally, and megestrol acetate (40 mg 4 times daily) in the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast carcinoma whose disease had progressed after treatment with tamoxifen. METHODS: Two randomized, parallel-group, multicenter trials were conducted, involving a total of 764 patients. The two trials were identical in design; both were double blind for anastrozole and open label for megestrol acetate. Overview analyses were conducted with the intent of strengthening the interpretation of results from each trial. The median follow-up duration for this survival update was 31 months. RESULTS: At the clinical dose of 1 mg daily, anastrozole demonstrated a statistically significant survival advantage over megestrol acetate, with a hazard ratio of 0.78 (P < 0.025)(0.60 < 97.5% confidence interval [CI] <1.0). The 1 mg anastrozole group also had a longer median time to death (26.7 months) compared with 22.5 months for the megestrol acetate group. The 10 mg anastrozole group also had a survival benefit over the megestrol acetate group, with a hazard ratio of 0.83 (P=0.09, not significant)(0.64 < 97.5% CI < 1.1). Higher 2-year survival rates were observed for both anastrozole treatment groups than for the megestrol acetate group (56.1%, 54.6%, and 46.3% for the groups given 1 mg anastrozole, 10 mg anastrozole, and megestrol acetate, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This combined analysis of two trials of postmenopausal patients with advanced breast carcinoma has clearly demonstrated that, after disease progression with tamoxifen, treatment with anastrozole 1 mg once daily results in a statistically and clinically significant advantage over a standard treatment, megestrol acetate. This important benefit, in addition to the good tolerability profile of anastrozole, supports the use of this drug as a valuable new treatment option for this patient population.
[New antibody for breast cancer therapy. Interview by Brigitte Schalhorn].
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[Preoperative chemotherapy of breast carcinoma].
Preoperative chemotherapy represents the standard procedure in inflammatory breast cancer. However, only recently it could be demonstrated that preoperative chemotherapy is beneficial even for patients with operable primary breast cancer. The number of breast conserving surgeries could be increased significantly. Furthermore this in vivo chemosensitivity assay can provide important prognostic as well as predictivy informations. Preoperative chemotherapy is not associated with an increased risk for the patients as outcome is similar to patients with conventional adjuvant treatment. We investigated new regimens to improve this type of chemotherapy and reached a remission rate of 93% with a combination of adriamycin and docetaxel (ADoc). A randomized study (GEPARDO-study) comparing ADoc with ADoc + tamoxifen has recently been started in Germany by the German Adjuvant Breast Cancer Study Group (GABG).
A randomised trial comparing two doses of the new selective aromatase inhibitor anastrozole (Arimidex) with megestrol acetate in postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer.
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of the new aromatase inhibitor 'ARIMIDEX' (anastrozole) with megestrol acetate in the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Anastrozole is a new potent and highly selective non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor. We conducted a prospective randomised trial comparing two doses of anastrozole (1 and 10 mg orally once daily) with megestrol acetate (40 mg orally four times daily) in postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer who progressed after prior tamoxifen therapy. All patients were analysed for efficacy as randomised (intention to treat) and for tolerability as per treatment received. Of the 378 patients who entered the study, 135 were randomised to anastrozole 1 mg, 118 to anastrozole 10 mg, and 125 patients to megestrol acetate. After a median follow-up of 192 days, response rate which included complete response, partial response and patients who had disease stabilisation for 6 months or more was 34% for anastrozole 1 mg, 33.9% for anastrozole 10 mg and 32.8% for megestrol acetate. There were no statistically significant differences between either dose of anastrozole and megestrol acetate in terms of objective response rate, time to objective progression of disease or time to treatment failure. The three treatments were generally well tolerated, but more patients on megestrol acetate reported weight gain, oedema and dyspnoea as adverse events while more patients on anastrozole reported gastro-intestinal disorders, usually in the form of mild transient nausea. Patients on anastrozole did not report higher incidences of oestrogen withdrawal symptoms. Anastrozole is an effective and well tolerated treatment for postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer. The higher 10 mg dose did not result in additional clinical benefit, but was well tolerated reflecting the good therapeutic margin with anastrozole. Based on this data, anastrozole 1 mg should be the recommended therapeutic dose.
Anastrozole, a potent and selective aromatase inhibitor, versus megestrol acetate in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer: results of overview analysis of two phase III trials. Arimidex Study Group.
PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of anastrozole (1 and 10 mg once daily), a selective, oral, nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, and megestrol acetate (40 mg four times daily), in postmenopausal women who progressed following tamoxifen treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two randomized, double-blind for anastrozole, open-label for megestrol acetate, parallel-group, multicenter trials were conducted in 764 patients. Because both trials were identical in design, an analysis of the combined results was performed to strengthen interpretation of results from each trial. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was approximately 6 months. The estimated progression hazards ratios were 0.97 (97.5% confidence interval [CI], 0.75 to 1.24) for anastrozole 1 mg versus megestrol acetate and 0.92 (97.5% CI, 0.71 to 1.19) for anastrozole 10 mg versus megestrol acetate. The overall median time to progression was approximately 21 weeks. Approximately one third of patients in each group benefited from treatment. Twenty-seven patients (10.3%) in the anastrozole 1-mg group, 22 (8.9%) in the anastrozole 10-mg group, and 20 (7.9%) in the megestrol acetate group had a complete or partial response, and 66 (25.1%), 56 (22.6%), and 66 (26.1%) patients, respectively, had stable disease for > or = 24 weeks. For all end points, individual trial results were similar to the results of the combined analysis. Anastrozole and megestrol acetate were well tolerated. Gastrointestinal disturbance was more common among patients in the anastrozole groups than the megestrol acetate group; the difference between the anastrozole 10 mg and megestrol acetate groups was significant (P = .005). Significantly fewer patients in the anastrozole 1-mg (P < .0001) and 10-mg (P < .002) groups had weight gain than in the megestrol acetate group. More than 30% of megestrol acetate-treated patients had weight gain > or = 5%, and 10% of patients had weight gain > or = 10%. Patients who received megestrol acetate continued to gain weight over time. CONCLUSION: Anastrozole, 1 and 10 mg once daily, is well tolerated and as effective as megestrol acetate in the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer who progressed following tamoxifen treatment. Moreover, anastrozole therapy avoids the weight gain associated with megestrol acetate treatment.
A randomised study to compare the effect of the luteinising hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue goserelin with or without tamoxifen in pre- and perimenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer.
The use of goserelin with or without tamoxifen was investigated in a randomised multicentre study involving 318 pre- and perimenopausal advanced breast cancer patients. With a median follow-up of 93 weeks, 31% of goserelin-treated patients had objective responses (UICC criteria) compared with 38% of goserelin plus tamoxifen-treated patients (P = 0.24). There was a modest benefit in favour of combination therapy in time to progression (P = 0.03) but not in survival (P = 0.25). Median follow-up for survival was 117.5 weeks. Median times for disease progression and survival were 23 and 127 weeks in the goserelin alone group and 28 and 140 weeks in the combination group, respectively. In 115 patients with skeletal metastases only, significant differences in favour of combination therapy were seen in response rate, time to progression and survival. Both treatments were well tolerated and no additional safety issues were associated with combination therapy.
Tumour cell detection in the bone marrow of breast cancer patients at primary therapy: results of a 3-year median follow-up.
We examined bone marrow aspirates from 100 metastasis-free primary breast cancer patients. In 38/100 patients (38%), tumour cells were detected in the marrow using an immunocytochemical technique with a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies: anti-EMA and anti-cytokeratin. Median follow-up was 34 months: 15/38 (39%) tumour cell-positive patients have since relapsed, but only 9/62 (15%) tumour cell-negative patients. The median interval between tumour cell detection and relapse was 11.4 months. No statistically significant correlation existed between tumour cell presence and 'established' prognostic factors. However, relapse-free survival was significantly shorter in tumour cell-positive patients. Multivariate analysis showed tumour cell presence as a strong, significant prognostic factor for relapse-free as well as overall survival. We conclude that screening for tumour cells in bone marrow of primary breast cancer patients identifies high-risk patients for early relapse. In particular, patients with node-negative tumours who have tumour cells in their bone marrow may require subsequent systemic therapy.