Article Details - Overview
Cancer Summaries & Commentaries Vol. 1, No. 5
Summaries of Selected Presentations From the 33rd ESMO Congress
Stockholm, Sweden; September 12-16, 2008
This activity is not sanctioned by, nor a part of, the 33rd ESMO Congress.
Release Date: December 17, 2008
Expiration Date: December 17, 2009
Publication Overview
Authors
Medical writer: Paul Card, PhD; Medical writer: Tristin Abair, PhD; Reviewed by: Debu Tripathy, MD
Overview and Purpose
The treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has evolved rapidly over the past decade, with a variety of combinations of targeted agents and newer cytotoxic drugs being continually evaluated in the first-line setting or following disease progression. Chemotherapy is still the mainstay of treatment, and the development of regimens and combinations to optimize the therapeutic ratio of efficacy to toxicity is an active area of research. Biologic agents, such as antibodies and small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of HER2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF receptor, are becoming an increasingly important part of the management of MBC. However, it is important to also evaluate issues such as quality of life (QOL) as these new agents are added to the treatment armamentarium. De novo or acquired resistance has prompted research into various combinations using targeted agents and/or cytotoxic drugs to improve tumor response and to prevent or overcome the development of resistance. Strategies using targeted agents alone to increase blockade of a single pathway or to simultaneously inhibit signaling from multiple pathways are also being investigated. Finally, algorithms to accurately predict the potential for organ-specific metastatic lesions are also being developed, with the long-term goal of identifying prophylactic strategies for patients at high risk. The rapidly changing landscape of care for MBC makes it imperative that clinicians continually update themselves on the latest developments in therapy and management of patients with MBC.
The purpose of this activity is to apprise physicians of current data on the use of new combination therapies, QOL monitoring, and new predictive tools to improve the management of advanced breast cancer.
Target Audience
This activity is intended for medical oncologists involved in the care of patients with breast cancer. No specific skills or knowledge other than a basic training in oncology is required for successful participation in this activity.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, you should be able to:
- Assess the potential impact on QOL of adding an antiangiogenic agent to a taxane in the treatment of locally recurrent/metastatic breast cancer
- Compare the efficacy and safety of first-line taxane/anthracycline therapy to that of taxane/antimetabolite therapy in patients with locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer
- Evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining 2 anti-HER2 antibodies in the treatment of HER2+ MBC that has progressed on prior regimens using a single-antibody HER2 inhibitor
- Evaluate the activity and safety of dual HER1/HER2 and VEGF inhibition using small-molecule TKIs as first-line therapy for HER2+ locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer
- Appraise the preliminary efficacy and safety of combining an anti-HER1/HER2 small-molecule TKI with an antiangiogenic antibody in the treatment of HER2+ MBC
- Evaluate the ability of a nomogram to predict the risk of brain metastases in patients with MBC
Instructions for Participation
- Read the following information before entering the educational activity.
- Complete the Pretest.
- Study the educational activity.
- Complete the CME test.
- Answer the evaluation questions.
- After successful completion of the CME test and evaluation, you will receive your certificate of credit online.
CME credit will be granted for only 1 form of participation, either online or via the printed publication.
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