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Biomedical subjects

R Paridaens

Publications and source records attributed to R Paridaens.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Body mass index and HER-2 overexpression in breast cancer patients over 50 years of age.

PURPOSE: In breast cancer, in vitro as well as in vivo experiments have shown an inverse relationship between HER-2 and steroid hormone receptors. It is unknown whether circulating estrogens affect HER-2 expression. We hypothesize that the postmenopausal body mass index (BMI) as a surrogate marker for bio-available estrogens, is inversely associated with HER-2 over-expression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 535 women over age 50 or with known postmenopausal status, with a unilateral, not previously treated, operable breast cancer were evaluated the evening prior to surgery for body weight, height, abdominal and hip circumference over a 3 years period. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and BMI were calculated. HER-2, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor staining was done by immunohistochemistry. All tumours with DAKO 2+ staining were submitted for HER-2 detection by FISH analysis. HER-2 was defined as positive if DAKO 3+ or FISH positive. We assessed the frequency of HER-2 positivity in each of 6 quantiles for all parameters of body composition and tested for a trend in HER-2 expression across the 6 quantiles. Furthermore, we investigated whether BMI contributed, together with other known predictors for HER-2, in a standard multivariate logistic regression model that predicts HER-2 over-expression. RESULTS: There is a decrease in HER-2 over-expression per increasing quantile of BMI. In a multivariate model-including both steroid receptors-BMI remains an independent predictor for HER-2 over-expression. CONCLUSION: In women over age 50 or with known postmenopausal status with an operable breast cancer, there is an inverse association between BMI and HER-2 over-expression.

Age Factors↗

Continuous versus intermittent tamoxifen versus intermittent/alternated tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate as first line endocrine treatment in advanced breast cancer: an EORTC phase III study (10863).

BACKGROUND: Continuous ligand depletion of endocrine responsive tumours may enhance resistance to therapy. Intermittent treatment with tamoxifen (T) was considered to mimic (incomplete) ligand depletion and reintroduction. Furthermore it was postulated that alternating tamoxifen with a non-cross resistant endocrine modality could (further) postpone hormone resistance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer who did not progress after 4 months of first line T therapy were randomised to continue T (40 mg daily) or to 2 monthly intermittent T or intermittent/alternated T and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 300 mg daily). At progression during break or during MPA, T should be reintroduced. Endpoints of the study were progression free survival (PFS), time to resistance to tamoxifen and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Of 593 registered patients, 276 were randomised. After 8 years follow-up the median PFS for continuous T, intermittent T and intermittent/alternated T and MPA was 11.0 (8.1-15.2), 8.0 (6.2-12.4) and 10.8 (7.1-16.7) months, respectively (NS). Resistance to tamoxifen was established only in 84%, 70% and 55% of patients in the three treatment arms, respectively. The median times from randomisation to resistance to tamoxifen were 12.5 (9.1-21.1), 13.2 (8.8-19.8) and 24.0 (16.9-60.9) months, respectively (p<0.001), without translation in differences in survival times. CONCLUSION: Intermittent T or intermittent/alternated T and MPA had no impact on PFS or OS as compared with classical continuous T in patients with advanced breast cancer. Intermittent/alternated T and MPA resulted in prolonged time to resistance to T, but this might partly be due to bias by omittance of the proof of tamoxifen resistance in a high proportion of the patients in this treatment arm.

Adult↗

Clinical benefit of fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer and primary or acquired resistance to aromatase inhibitors: final results of phase II Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research Trial (SAKK 21/00).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of fulvestrant, an estrogen receptor antagonist, in postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive tumors progressing after aromatase inhibitor (AI) treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a phase II, open, multicenter, noncomparative study. Two patient groups were prospectively considered: group A (n=70) with AI-responsive disease and group B (n=20) with AI-resistant disease. Fulvestrant 250 mg was administered as intramuscular injection every 28 (+/-3) days. RESULTS: All patients were pretreated with AI and 84% also with tamoxifen or toremifene; 67% had bone metastases and 45% liver metastases. Fulvestrant administration was well tolerated and yielded a clinical benefit (CB; defined as objective response or stable disease [SD] for >or=24 weeks) in 28% (90% confidence interval [CI] 19% to 39%) of patients in group A and 37% (90% CI 19% to 58%) of patients in group B. Median time to progression (TTP) was 3.6 (95% CI 3.0 to 4.8) months in group A and 3.4 (95% CI 2.5 to 6.7) months in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 30% of patients who had progressed following prior AI treatment gained CB with fulvestrant, thereby delaying indication to start chemotherapy. Prior response to an AI did not appear to be predictive for benefit with fulvestrant.

Adult↗

Endometrial safety of third generation aromatase inhibitors versus tamoxifen in breast cancer patients.

The estrogenic activity of tamoxifen on the uterus increases the risk of developing benign and malignant uterine pathologies in breast cancer patients receiving this drug. This has led to gynecological interventions specifically in symptomatic women to exclude malignant disease. Given this known side effect associated with tamoxifen therapy, newer endocrine therapies such as the third-generation aromatase inhibitors have been compared to tamoxifen also in terms of their uterine effects. To date, studies that have directly compared the uterine effects of tamoxifen with that of aromatase inhibitors generally show that aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane are associated with less uterine pathologies compared to tamoxifen. Furthermore, aromatase inhibitors may even reverse uterine abnormalities induced by tamoxifen. This implies that the absence of a stimulatory effect on the uterus would be one of the benefits gained with aromatase inhibitor therapy and may decrease or even obviate the need for gynecological interventions.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Hormone receptors do not predict the HER2/neu status in all age groups of women with an operable breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: In breast cancer, there is an inverse relationship between HER2/neu overexpression and receptors for estrogen (ER) or progesterone (PR). Some clinical observations such as the age-related association between hormone receptors and tumour grade, which predicts HER2/neu overexpression, suggest an age-related relationship. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our study population consisted of 1362 consecutive women receiving primary surgery for non-metastatic invasive breast cancer. We compared the relationship between both hormone receptors and HER2/neu overexpression in different age groups taking other tumour characteristics into account. RESULTS: In a multivariate model, considering the overall group, a negative ER, a negative PR and a high tumour grade were predictive for HER2/neu overexpression (P <0.001). Considering 246 women aged < or =45 years, the only predictor for HER2/neu overexpression in this age category was a high tumour grade (P = 0.003). Considering the 1116 women aged >45 years, ER (P = 0.001), PR (P = 0.001) and tumour grade (P <0.001) were associated with HER2/neu (P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the association between ER, PR and HER2/neu overexpression varies with age. The hormone receptors are not an independent predictor for the HER2/neu status in young women while they are in elder patients.

Age Distribution↗

Plasma gelatinase levels in patients with primary breast cancer in relation to axillary lymph node status, Her2/neu expression and other clinicopathological variables.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in particular the gelatinases MMP2 and MMP9, are important mediators of tumour invasion and metastasis. We examined whether plasma gelatinase levels could predict lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients. Further, we investigated the relationship of plasma gelatinase levels with Her2/neu expression, recently acknowledged as an important prognostic factor for recurrence, and with various clinicopathological factors. Preoperative plasma samples from 81 breast cancer patients were collected. Total and active gelatinase levels were measured by enzyme immunoassays and activity assays, respectively. Neither total nor active plasma MMP2 levels correlated with nodal status or with any of the classical clinicopathological factors including histological tumour type, tumour size and grade and hormone receptor status. Patients with Her2/neu overexpressing tumours showed an increase of 27% (P=0.007) in plasma MMP2 activity, but not in total MMP2, compared with patients without overexpression. MMP9 levels, total and active, did not correlate with any of the investigated variables. In contrast to MMP9, total MMP2 levels correlated significantly with active MMP2 levels. In summary, total and active plasma gelatinase levels failed to identify high risk for axillary lymph node metastasis. Active plasma MMP2 was significantly increased in patients with Her2/neu overexpressing tumours, suggesting a role for Her2/neu in the signalling pathways of MMP2 activation in carcinogenesis. However, this increase was too small to be of clinical use. Furthermore, no relationship was found between plasma gelatinase levels, total or active, and any of the clinicopathological prognostic factors.

Axilla↗

Third generation aromatase inhibitors may prevent endometrial growth and reverse tamoxifen-induced uterine changes in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Tamoxifen may induce uterine abnormalities of clinical concern. Our aim was to compare early uterine changes occurring in postmenopausal breast cancer patients treated in first-line with tamoxifen or third generation aromatase inhibitors. We also assessed the effect of aromatase inhibitors on tamoxifen-induced uterine changes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-seven consecutive postmenopausal breast cancer patients scheduled to start endocrine treatment were included in this prospective study. Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) was carried out before and after 3 months of therapy. No interventions were done on pre-existing asymptomatic uterine abnormalities seen on baseline sonography. RESULTS: After 3 months of therapy, tamoxifen significantly increased endometrial thickness and uterine volume. Additionally, tamoxifen induced endometrial cysts and polyps, and increased the size of pre-existing fibroids. In contrast, aromatase inhibitors did not stimulate endometrial growth and were not associated with endometrial pathologies seen under tamoxifen. Furthermore, aromatase inhibitors decreased endometrial thickness and uterine volume in patients previously treated with tamoxifen. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that tamoxifen induces uterine abnormalities from as early as 3 months of therapy. In contrast, these abnormalities are not seen in patients on aromatase inhibitors. Furthermore, our data indicate that tamoxifen therapy followed by an aromatase inhibitor may lead to a reduction in endometrial pathologies associated with tamoxifen.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

Association between tumour characteristics and HER-2/neu by immunohistochemistry in 1362 women with primary operable breast cancer.

AIMS: To investigate the association between tumour characteristics and HER-2/neu by immunohistochemistry in primary operable breast cancer. METHODS: The association between HER-2/neu and other clinicopathological factors was evaluated in 1362 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer treated between 2000 and July 2003 in one centre. Microscopic tumour size, tumour grade, lymph node status, patient's age, oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and joint ER/PR status were evaluated, using the chi2 test for univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. The hormone receptors and HER-2/neu were studied immunohistochemically. Using the HER-2/neu DAKO scoring system, scores of 0, 1+, or 2+ were defined as negative and 3+ as positive. Data for DAKO scores 2+/3+ versus 0/1+ are also presented. RESULTS: Hormone receptor negative breast cancers were more often HER-2/neu positive than hormone receptor positive cancers, both for ER (28.7% v 6.8%) and PR (19.9% v 5.9%). In multivariate analysis, both ER, PR, and tumour grade were independently associated with HER-2/neu. In ER+ tumours, HER-2/neu overexpression was significantly lower in PR+ than in PR- cases (11.5% v 5.4%). HER-2/neu overexpression (2.7%) was lowest in the large subgroup of ER+PR+ tumours with low tumour grade (grade 1-2), comprising 46.1% of all patients. CONCLUSIONS: ER, PR, and tumour grade are independent predictors for HER-2/neu overexpression in women with primary operable breast cancer. ER and PR are negatively associated with HER-2/neu, whereas tumour grade is positively associated with HER-2/neu. In women with ER+ tumours, PR status also affects the likelihood of HER-2/neu expression.

Adult↗

The effect of exemestane on serum lipid profile in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer: a companion study to EORTC Trial 10951, 'Randomized phase II study in first line hormonal treatment for metastatic breast cancer with exemestane or tamoxifen in postmenopausal patients'.

BACKGROUND: The impact of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) on non-cancer-related outcomes, which are known to be affected by oestrogens, has become increasingly important in postmenopausal women with hormone-dependent breast cancer. So far, data related to the effect of AIs on lipid profile in postmenopausal women is scarce. This study, as a companion substudy of an EORTC phase II trial (10951), evaluated the impact of exemestane, a steroidal aromatase inactivator, on the lipid profile of postmenopausal metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The EORTC trial 10951 randomised 122 postmenopausal breast cancer patients to exemestane (E) 25 mg (n = 62) or tamoxifen (T) 20 mg (n = 60) once daily as a first-line treatment in the metastatic setting. Exemestane showed promising results in all the primary efficacy end points of the trial (response rate, clinical benefit rate and response duration), and it was well tolerated with low incidence of serious toxicity. As a secondary end point of this phase II trial, serum triglycerides (TRG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), lipoprotein a (Lip a), and apolipoproteins (Apo) B and A1 were measured at baseline and while on therapy (at 8, 24 and 48 weeks) to assess the impact of exemestane and tamoxifen on serum lipid profiles. Of the 122 randomised patients, those who had baseline and at least one other lipid assessment are included in the present analysis. The patients who received concomitant drugs that could affect lipid profile are included only if these drugs were administered throughout the study treatment. Increase or decrease in lipid parameters within 20% of baseline were considered as non-significant and thus unchanged. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (36 in both arms) were included in the statistical analysis. The majority of patients had abnormal TC and normal TRG, HDL, Apo A1, Apo B and Lip a levels at baseline. Neither exemestane nor tamoxifen had adverse effects on TC, HDL, Apo A1, Apo B or Lip a levels at 8, 24 and 48 weeks of treatment. Exemestane and tamoxifen had opposite effects on TRG levels: exemestane lowered while tamoxifen increased TRG levels over time. There were too few patients with normal baseline TC and abnormal TRG, HDL, Apo A1, Apo B and Lip a levels to allow for assessment of E's impact on these subsets. The atherogenic risk determined by Apo A1:Apo B and TC:HDL ratios remained unchanged throughout the treatment period in both the E and T arms. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, exemestane has no detrimental effect on cholesterol levels and the atherogenic indices, which are well-known risk factors for coronary artery disease. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on TRG levels. These data, coupled with E's excellent efficacy and tolerability, support further exploration of its potential in the metastatic, adjuvant and chemopreventive setting.

Adult↗

Treatment of operable breast cancer in the elderly: a randomised clinical trial EORTC 10851 comparing tamoxifen alone with modified radical mastectomy.

For treatment of early breast cancer in older women, little evidence is available from randomised trials. We conducted a randomised trial comparing modified radical mastectomy (MRM) with tamoxifen (TAM) as the sole initial therapy in 164 patients aged >/=70 years with operable breast cancer. 82 were treated by MRM and 82 with TAM. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method: multivariate analyses were performed using the Cox's proportional hazards model. Endpoints included survival, time to first relapse or progression, loco-regional progression, time to distant progression and progression-free survival. After a median follow-up of approximately 10 years, there was a significantly decreased time to progression in the TAM only group (logrank P<0.0001) and significantly shorter time to local progression within the TAM group (logrank P<0.0001). Overall survival of the two groups was similar. The results indicate that tamoxifen alone leads to an unacceptably high rate of local progression or relapse.

Aged↗

Clinical outcome of breast cancer patients with liver metastases alone in the anthracycline-taxane era: a retrospective analysis of two prospective, randomised metastatic breast cancer trials.

Liver metastases have long been known to indicate an unfavourable disease course in breast cancer (BC). However, a small subset of patients with liver metastases alone who were treated with pre-taxane chemotherapy regimens was reported to have longer survival compared with patients with liver and metastases at other sites. In the present study, we examined the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients with liver metastases alone in the context of two phase III European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trials which compared the efficacy of doxorubicin (A) versus paclitaxel (T) (trial 10923) and of AC (cyclophosphamide) versus AT (trial 10961), given as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic BC patients. The median follow-up for the patients with liver metastases was 90.5 months in trial 10923 and 56.6 months in trial 10961. Patients with liver metastases alone comprised 18% of all patients with liver metastases, in both the 10923 and 10961 trials. The median survival of patients with liver metastases alone and liver plus other sites of metastases were 22.7 and 14.2 months (log rank test, P=0.002) in trial 10923 and 27.1 and 16.8 months (log rank test, P=0.19) in trial 10961. The median TTP (time to progression) for patients with liver metastases alone was also longer compared with the liver plus other sites of metastases group in both trials: 10.2 versus 8.8 months (log rank test, P=0.02) in trial 10923 and 8.3 versus 6.7 months (log rank test, P=0.37) in trial 10961. Most patients with liver metastases alone have progression of their disease in their liver again (96 and 60% of patients in trials 10923 and 10961, respectively). Given the high prevalence of breast cancer, improved detection of liver metastases, encouraging survival achieved with currently available cytotoxic agents and the fact that a significant portion of patients with liver metastases alone have progression of their tumour in the liver again, a more aggressive multimodality treatment approach through prospective clinical trials seems worth exploring in this specific subset of women.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

A randomized phase II study of alternating and sequential regimens of docetaxel and doxorubicin as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This phase II study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of alternating and sequential regimens of docetaxel and doxorubicin as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with MBC requiring first-line chemotherapy for progressive disease (n = 106) were randomized and received 3-weekly monotherapy with docetaxel (T, 100 mg/m2, 1-h i.v. infusion) and doxorubicin (A, 75 mg/m2, 20-30-min i.v. infusion) either on a cycle-by-cycle alternating basis (ATATATAT, n = 51) or sequentially each for four cycles (TTTTAAAA, n = 55). RESULTS: For both regimens, the median number of cycles administered was the maximum of eight. The alternating and sequential groups achieved similar objective tumor response rates (60% and 67%, respectively) and similar median duration of response (47 and 44 weeks, respectively). With a median follow-up of 31 months, median survival times were estimated at 20 and 26 months in the alternating and sequential groups, respectively. No unexpected toxicities were reported. Compared with alternating therapy, patients receiving sequential therapy were more likely to complete the planned eight chemotherapy cycles (69% versus 63%), and had a lower incidence of febrile neutropenia (2% versus 14%). CONCLUSIONS: Alternating and sequential docetaxel-doxorubicin regimens are viable alternatives to simultaneous combination therapy in MBC, with sequential therapy achieving slightly higher response rates and improved tolerability compared with alternating therapy.

Adult↗

Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and detection of tumour cell dissemination in breast cancer patients: plasmid versus cell line dilutions.

BACKGROUND: We previously developed a real-time quantitative RT-PCR technique to detect breast carcinoma cells in peripheral blood (PB). The aim of the current study was to improve cytokeratin 19 (CK19) quantification using plasmid dilutions of cloned PCR fragments to obtain a more reliable and reproducible quantification of CK19 transcripts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PB samples of 14 stage IV breast cancer patients and 23 healthy controls were examined with RT-PCR using plasmid quantification. RESULTS: Median CK19+ copy numbers of one and 11 were detected in the control group and stage IV breast cancer patients, respectively (Mann-Whitney, P </=0.0001). When comparing the results obtained using cell line dilutions with those obtained using plasmid dilutions, a good correlation was observed (r(2) = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Plasmid dilutions are more reliable than cell line dilutions for quantification of gene expression, and more objective criteria for positivity could be defined based on the characteristics of the standard curve (slope and intercept). A more universally accepted agreement on the definition of the cut-off value for positivity is needed.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Mature results of a randomized phase II multicenter study of exemestane versus tamoxifen as first-line hormone therapy for postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Women with hormone-responsive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) may respond to or have stable disease with a number of hormone therapies. We explored the efficacy and safety of the steroidal aromatase inactivator exemestane as first-line hormonal therapy in MBC in postmenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with measurable disease were eligible if they had received no prior hormone therapy for metastatic disease and had hormone receptor positive disease or hormone receptor unknown disease with a long disease-free interval from adjuvant therapy. They were randomized to tamoxifen 20 mg/day or exemestane 25 mg/day in this open-label study. RESULTS: Blinded independently reviewed response rates for exemestane and tamoxifen were 41% and 17%, respectively. Fifty-seven per cent of exemestane- and 42% of tamoxifen-treated patients experienced clinical benefit, defined as complete or partial response, or disease stabilization lasting at least 6 months. There was a low incidence of severe flushing, sweating, nausea and edema in women who received exemestane. One exemestane-treated patient had a pulmonary embolism with grade 4 dyspnea. CONCLUSIONS: Exemestane is well tolerated and active in the first-line treatment of hormone-responsive MBC. An ongoing EORTC phase III trial is comparing the efficacy, measuring time-to-disease progression, of exemestane and tamoxifen.

Adult↗

Population pharmacokinetic and dynamic analysis of the topoisomerase I inhibitor lurtotecan in phase II studies.

Population pharmacokinetic-dynamic analysis was prospectively integrated in a broad phase II program of lurtotecan (GI147211), a novel camptothecin derived topoisomerase I inhibitor, to determine the population pharmacokinetic profile in a larger population, to estimate individual pharmacokinetic parameters and to investigate relationships with clinical outcome. A sparse sampling method was applied during course one, which involved two sampling time-points. A Bayesian algorithm was used to estimate individual pharmacokinetic parameters, in particular total plasma clearance (CL) and volume of distribution. In total, samples were collected of 109 (63%) of 173 patients. Pharmacokinetic-dynamic evaluation could be carried out successfully in 85 (78%) of the sampled patients. CL of lurtotecan showed substantial variability (mean 87 +/- 28 L/h) and was of the same magnitude as in the phase I studies where full pharmacokinetic curves were used. Residual variability in the population estimate of CL was 9.9%. No significant relationships were observed between exposure parameters and toxicity nor likelihood of tumor response, however the latter relationship may well have been obscured by the heterogeneity of the studied population. Prospective implementation of large scale population pharmacokinetic-dynamic analysis is feasible and important to establish whether interpatient variability in drug exposure is a major determinant of toxicity or activity.

Adult↗

A real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect breast carcinoma cells in peripheral blood.

BACKGROUND: The detection of occult carcinoma cells in patients with breast cancer has been shown to predict disease recurrence and metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To improve on molecular detection of breast carcinoma cells in blood, we have developed a sensitive and quantitative assay using real-time quantitative RT-PCR identifying transcripts of the cytokeratin-19 (CK19) gene. RESULTS: This real-time quantitative RT-PCR is sensitive, accurate and has a high reproducibility within a wide dynamic range, which permits simultaneous quantitative analysis of samples with varying input concentrations. Furthermore, the procedure offers several technical advantages over classic quantitative PCR methods (competitive RT-PCR, Northern blotting) such as decreased likelihood of contamination due to absence of post-PCR manipulations, high sample throughput because of absence of post-PCR processing time (no agarose gel electrophoresis). In this pilot study, we detected significantly elevated CK19 transcript levels in < 10% of the volunteers, in +/- 30% of stage I-IIIa patients preoperatively and in > 70% of the and stage IV breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses using this real time quantitative RT-PCR for CK19 mRNA may prove to have clinical implications in the assessment of circulating tumour cells in peripheral blood, micrometastases in bone marrow or lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. Application of this technique in a clinical population may improve diagnosis and monitoring of metastatic breast cancer and its validation is currently ongoing.

Adult↗