CTCs detection by CellSearch is a highly reproducible method that correlates with stage but not with other clinical and morphological variables in patients with colorectal cancer. Colon cancer tumor cells are detectable in all stages. Further studies are warranted.

Background: BCIRG-006 was study designed to assess the relative efficacy and safety of two trastuzumab-based regimens compared to a standard (non-trastuzumab) regimen in the adjuvant treatment of early HER2+ breast cancer. We present the final, protocol-specified analysis of the long-term results from this trial that was initially developed to determine how to maximize adjuvant treatment efficacy and safety in these patients. Material & Methods: Between April, 2001 and March, 2004, we randomized 3,222 HER2+ operable breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node-positive or high risk node-negative disease, to either standard AC (60/600mg/m2 q3wk x 4) followed by T (100mg/m2 q3wk x 4) (AC-T) or two trastuzumab-based regimens. The trastuzumab-based regimens were AC followed by T (100mg/m2 q3wk x 4) and trastuzumab (H) x 1 year (AC-TH), or TCarbo (75mg/m2/AUC6 q3wk x 6) and H x 1 year (TCH). Patients were prospectively stratified by number of positive nodes (0, 1-3 vs ≥4) and hormone receptor status and those with ER and/or PR positive disease received hormone-directed therapy for 5yrs post chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety, with extensive cardiac evaluation (symptomatic events and asymptomatic, sustained LVEF declines). Results: Baseline characteristics of the study population were well balanced in the three study arms. At a median follow-up of 10.3 years, a persistent significant DFS benefit is seen in both trastuzumab-containing arms compared to AC-T with only 10 DFS events separating the two trastuzumab-based regimens: AC-TH (HR=0.70, 95%CI [0.60, 0.83]; p<0.001)) and TCH (HR=0.76, 95% CI [0.65, 0.90]; p<0.001). At this final analysis, the DFS HRs for AC-TH and TCH are closer than those observed in any prior protocol-directed study analyses (at 5 years follow-up the HRs were 0.64 and 0.75 for AC-TH and TCH respectively). Also, an OS benefit was observed in both AC-TH (HR=0.64, 95% CI [0.52, 0.79]; p<0.001)) and TCH (HR=0.76, 95% CI [0.62, 0.93]; p=0.0081). Importantly, TCH has significantly lower symptomatic CHF events by five-fold compared to AC-TH; 21 (2.0%) for AC-TH vs. 4 (0.4%) for TCH; p=0.0005. The AC-T control arm had 8 (0.8%) symptomatic CHF events. The incidence of patients with a relative LVEF decline >10% is doubled in the AC-TH compared to TCH regimens (206 vs 97; p<0.0001). Discussion: The long-term 10 years final results of the BCIRG 006 trial confirm the significant benefit of trastuzumab in the adjuvant treatment of HER2+ breast cancers, no significant efficacy difference between AC-TH and TCH as well as a significant symptomatic and asymptomatic cardiac safety benefit in the non-anthracycline, TCH trastuzumab-based regimen. Citation Format: Slamon DJ, Eiermann W, Robert NJ, Giermek J, Martin M, Jasiowka M, Mackey JR, Chan A, Liu M-C, Pinter T, Valero V, Falkson C, Fornander T, Shiftan TA, Bensfia S, Hitier S, Xu N, Bée-Munteanu V, Drevot P, Press MF, Crown J, On Behalf of the BCIRG-006 Investigators. Ten year follow-up of BCIRG-006 comparing doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (AC→T) with doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel and trastuzumab (AC→TH) with docetaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCH) in HER2+ early breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr S5-04.

The addition of bevacizumab to ET in first-line treatment failed to produce a statistically significant increase in PFS or OS in women with HER2-negative/hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer.

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We investigated the prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) determined immediately before the second cycle of chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The CTC counts were taken at baseline, before the first cycle of chemotherapy (CTC-0), and on day 21 before commencing the second cycle of chemotherapy (CTC-21) in consecutive MBC patients. The study's primary objectives were to analyze relationships between CTC-21 count and overall survival (OS). Based on the current literature, the CTC measurements were dichotomized as 0 -4 versus Ն5 CTCs. Of 117 patients recruited, 99 were evaluable. Patients with 0 -4 CTCs on day 21 had a significantly better OS than those with Ն5 CTCs (median OS: 38.5 months vs. 8.7 months). They also had a significantly better progression-free survival (PFS; median: 9.4 months vs. 3.0 months) and clinical benefit rate (77% vs. 44%). The OS of patients whose baseline CTCs were Ն5 but dropped to Ͻ5 on day 21 was apparently similar to those who had Ͻ5 CTCs at baseline. In a Cox regression analysis, CTC-21 was the only independent variable significantly predicting OS and PFS. Our data indicate that CTCs determined immediately before the second cycle of chemotherapy is an early and strong predictor of treatment outcome in MBC patients. The Oncologist 2013;18:917-923 Implications for Practice: We investigate the prognostic significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) immediately before administering the second cycle of a chemotherapy regimen in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients with 0 -4 CTCs on day 21 (regardless the baseline CTC count) had a significantly better PFS and OS than those with Ն5 CTCs. In a Cox regression analysis, CTC-21 was the only independent variable significantly predicting OS (p ϭ .009) and PFS (p ϭ .047). Our study suggests that CTCs count determined immediately before the second cycle of chemotherapy is an early, and strong, predictor of treatment outcome in MBC patients, since it can identify those patients who derive little benefit from the chemotherapy regimen and also have a poor prognosis with conventional treatment. INTRODUCTIONThe detection and enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is currently undergoing intense investigation. Several studies have shown that the number of CTCs at baseline is an independent predictor of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in MBC patients [1][2][3][4]. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a semiautomated immunomagnetic method, the CellSearch system (Veridex, LLC, Warren, NJ, https://www.cellsearchctc.com/), specifically for this purpose. CTC enumeration using the CellSearch system appears to be a reproducible method. In a previous study, we did not observe any significant intrapatient variability in CTCs in two