Article Details - Overview

Upon completion of this educational activity, you should be able to:

• Assess the efficacy and safety of PARP inhibitors in the treatment of triple-negative MBC
• Evaluate the efficacy and safety of antiangiogenic agents in combination with first-line chemotherapy for HER2^– MBC
• Evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining a chemotherapeutic agent with an antiangiogenic multitargeted kinase inhibitor in locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer
• Assess the efficacy of an antibody-drug conjugate in patients with HER2⁺ MBC that has progressed following prior HER2-directed therapy
• Assess the prognostic and predictive value of focal HER2-amplified clones in patients with early-stage breast cancer
• Assess the prognostic and predictive value of breast cancer molecular subtypes in node-positive, early-stage disease as defined by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays

Authors

Medical writer: Kristin Garcia, PhD; Medical writer: Timothy Quill, PhD; Reviewed by: Mohammed Jahanzeb, MD, FACP

Overview and Purpose

Recent clinical trial data illustrate the ever-expanding therapeutic options for patients with breast cancer and the increased desire to tailor therapies to particular tumor subtypes. There has been a substantial focus on targeted therapies for the treatment of breast cancer, although proper clinical application of these new therapeutic strategies can be complex. The novel approach of targeting DNA repair pathways through inhibition of poly(ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) in triple-negative breast cancer has gained attention, with PARP inhibitors demonstrating significant efficacy in this difficult-to-treat tumor subtype. Additionally, investigations are continuing to examine the optimal chemotherapeutic partners for antiangiogenic monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), including novel taxane formulations and antimetabolites. In HER2⁺ breast cancer, the role of focal HER2-amplified clones on HER2 testing and benefit from therapy is currently under investigation. Lastly, HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugates are demonstrating substantial activity in patients with disease progression on standard HER2-targeted therapy and are increasing the therapeutic options beyond progression. Ultimately, optimizing disease outcome for patients with breast cancer is dependent on physicians staying informed of therapeutic options with careful patient selection, management of toxicities, and enrollment on appropriate clinical trials.

The purpose of this activity is to update physicians on clinically important data regarding the integration of targeted therapies into the treatment of patients with breast cancer and the selection of therapy based on biologic tumor characteristics.

Target Audience

This educational 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.