Symptom Clusters in Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases

A phase III study of accelerated versus conventional hypofractionated whole brain irradiation in patients of good performance status with brain metastases not suitable for surgical excision

Emerging treatment paradigms for brain metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer: an overview of the current landscape and challenges ahead

Prediction of short survival in patients with brain metastases based on three different scores: a role for 'triple-negative' status?

Background: Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is considered standard of care for patients with multiple brain metastases or unfit for radical treatment modalities. Recent studies raised discussion about the expected survival after WBRT. Therefore, we analysed survival after WBRT for brain metastases ‘in daily practice’ in a large nationwide multicentre retrospective cohort.Methods: Between 2000 and 2014, 6325 patients had WBRT (20 Gy in 4 Gy fractions) for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; 4363 patients) or breast cancer (BC; 1962 patients); patients were treated in 15 out of 21 Dutch radiotherapy centres. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method from the first day of WBRT until death as recorded in local hospital data registration or the Dutch Municipal Personal Records Database.Findings: The median survival was 2.7 months for NSCLC and 3.7 months for BC patients (p  70 years, survival was 4.0, 3.0, 2.8 and 2.1 ...

Survival after whole brain radiotherapy for brain metastases from lung cancer and breast cancer is poor in 6325 Dutch patients treated between 2000 and 2014.

Clinical Trials Assessing the Optimal Management of Brain Metastases — the State of Play

Background Randomized studies of neoadjuvant (NA) trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with chemotherapy for HER2-positive breast cancers (BC) have reported pathological complete response (pCR) rates of 39 to 61%. This study aimed to determine the real-world efficacy and toxicity of NA trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with chemotherapy in a UK tertiary referral cancer centre. Methods HER2-positive early BC patients given neoadjuvant chemotherapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab between October 2016 and February 2018 at our tertiary referral cancer centre were identified via pharmacy records. Clinico-pathological information, treatment regimens, treatment-emergent toxicities, operative details, and pathological responses and outcomes were recorded. Results 78 female patients were identified; 2 had bilateral diseases and 48 of 78 (62%) were node positive at presentation. 55 of 80 (71%) tumours were ER-positive. PCR occurred in 37 of 78 (46.3%; 95% CI: 35.3–57.2%) patients. 14 of 23 (60.8%) patients with ER-negative tumours achieved pCR; 23 of 55 (41.8%) were ER-positive and 6 of 19 (31.6%) were ER-positive and PgR-positive. No cardiac toxicity was documented. Diarrhoea occurred in 53 of 72 (74%) patients. Grade 3–4 toxicity occurred in ≥2% patients. These were diarrhoea, fatigue, and infection. The Median follow up period was 45.2 months (95% CI 43.8–46.3) with 71 of 78 (91.0%) remaining disease-free and 72 of 78 (92.3%) alive. Estimated OS at 2 years 86% (95% CI: 75–99%). Conclusion This data confirms the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with dual HER2 directed therapy. While no cardiac toxicity was observed, diarrhoea occurred frequently. The low pCR rate observed in ER and PgR-positive BCs warrants further investigation and consideration of strategies to increase the pCR rate.

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S. Khanduri

Papers

Clinical Trials Assessing the Optimal Management of Brain Metastases — the State of Play

Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab for Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: A Real World Experience