New biomarkers help with breast cancer treatment

A new study using positive electron radiological fault graphing (PET) scans has identified a biomarker that can accurately predict which HER2-positive breast cancer patients will only need HER2 targeted medication without chemotherapy, U.S. researchers report. This further personalizes treatment and avoids overtreated patients.
estimates show that one in five women with breast cancer has a mutation in their tumor cells, which produces an excess of human skin growth factor 2 (HER2), a protein that promotes cancer growth.
study has the potential to help women with breast cancer choose more precise medical methods. "This study is the first to provide true precision medicine for breast cancer patients," said Vered Stearns of The Kimer Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. The
the study, published in the February issue of the journal Clinical Oncology.
the study, researchers conducted a comprehensive assessment of 83 of the 88 female patients recruited by nine medical institutions affiliated with the American Alliance for The Study of Breast Cancer Translational Therapy (TBCRC). All 88 women had stage II or stage III estrogen-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer.
In the 12-week study, the researchers performed four cycles of patojumodythropotic and curto-pearl monotherapy (not chemotherapy) and PET scans of patients 15 days before and after the first treatment cycle. The scan used a radioactive tracer to detect sugar intake in cancer cells. These two drugs are monoclonal antibodies that precisely target specific proteins of HER2-positive cancer cells and are widely used in HER2-positive breast cancer treatment and are commonly used in combined with chemical drugs. These chemicals can poison cancer cells, but they can also cause more toxic side effects.
researchers tried to assess whether early changes in PET scan results (images taken during the first phase of targeted therapy) helped determine whether a patient's tumor disappeared completely after HER2 targeted treatment.
two weeks of treatment, the researchers found that patients could be predicted to respond to HER2-targeted treatment without chemotherapy. In about 56 percent of cases (44 patients), they identified a predictive biomarker that could be a useful early response assessment tool.
The study's lead author, Roisin Connolly of the Kimer Cancer Center, said pet scans showed changes in sugar intake over the two weeks from baseline to treatment and sugar intake at two-week points in time were most likely to predict responses to HER2 targeted therapy, with high sensitivity and very high negative predictive values. Connolly said high sugar levels two weeks after treatment indicate that the tumor may not fully respond to antibodies and require chemotherapy.
Connolly said there was a lot of interest in a "degraded" treatment strategy for breast cancer aimed at minimizing toxicity while maintaining efficacy. "Based on our findings, if the sugar intake shown in the second week scan is below a certain level, antibody therapy may be sufficient to induce a full response, and these patients may be protected from the toxic effects of chemotherapy."
ER-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for about 8% of all breast cancers. Standard treatments need to be combined with surgical treatment to remove most tumors, while antibody therapy weakens the HER2 gene's ability to support the growth of breast cancer cells and chemical therapy directly kills cancer cells.
" so in the future, we can offer it as a chemotherapy-free method. Further research is needed before it becomes the standard practice for clinical decision-making. It has great prospects for development. Connolly said.
that 88 female patients who participated in the study were treated between January 2014 and August 2017, 83 of whom were evaluated in a preliminary study. Eighty-five percent of the patients completed four cycles of targeted medication, and 83 patients who completed follow-up had surgery after treatment. (Source: Zhao Xixi, China Science Journal)
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