Adjuvant trastuzumab provides substantial benefits to patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer, however, competing immediate and long-term cardiovascular risks are a great concern. Continued cardiac follow-up of these women is of critical importance.

Phyllodes tumors of the breast are unusual fibroepithelial tumors that exhibit a wide range of clinical behavior. These tumors are categorized as benign, borderline, or malignant based on a combination of histologic features. The prognosis of phyllodes tumors is favorable, with local recurrence occurring in approximately 15% of patients overall and distant recurrence in approximately 5% to 10% overall. Wide excision with a greater than 1 cm margin is definitive primary therapy. Adjuvant systemic therapy is of no proven value. Patients with locally recurrent disease should undergo wide excision of the recurrence with or without subsequent radiotherapy.

Purpose HER2-positive breast cancer is heterogeneous. Some tumors express mutations, like activating PIK3CA mutations or reduced PTEN expression, that negatively correlate with response to HER2-targeted therapies. In this exploratory analysis, we investigated whether the efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), an antibody–drug conjugate comprised of the cytotoxic agent DM1 linked to the HER2-targeted antibody trastuzumab, was correlated with the expression of specific biomarkers in the phase III EMILIA study. Experimental Design Tumors were evaluated for HER2 (n = 866), EGFR (n = 832), and HER3 (n = 860) mRNA expression by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR; for PTEN protein expression (n = 271) by IHC; and for PIK3CA mutations (n = 259) using a mutation detection kit. Survival outcomes were analyzed by biomarker subgroups. T-DM1 was also tested on cell lines and in breast cancer xenograft models containing PIK3CA mutations. Results Longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were observed with T-DM1 compared with capecitabine plus lapatinib in all biomarker subgroups. PIK3CA mutations were associated with shorter median PFS (mutant vs. wild type: 4.3 vs. 6.4 months) and OS (17.3 vs. 27.8 months) in capecitabine plus lapatinib–treated patients, but not in T-DM1-treated patients (PFS, 10.9 vs. 9.8 months; OS, not reached in mutant or wild type). T-DM1 showed potent activity in cell lines and xenograft models with PIK3CA mutations. Conclusions Although other standard HER2-directed therapies are less effective in tumors with PI3KCA mutations, T-DM1 appears to be effective in both PI3KCA-mutated and wild-type tumors.

In this analysis of 884 T-DM1-exposed patients, grade 3 or greater AEs were infrequent and typically asymptomatic and manageable. This favorable safety profile makes T-DM1 treatment suitable for exploration in other breast cancer settings.

Metastatic breast cancer remains a major treatment challenge. The use of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with rescue by autologous mobilized peripheral blood (MPB) is controversial, in part due to contamination of MPB by circulating tumor cells. CD34+Thy- 1+ selected hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) represent a graft source with a greater than 250,000-fold reduction in cancer cells. Here, we present the long-term outcome of a pilot study determining feasibility and engraftment using HDCT and purified HSC in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Twenty-two patients who had been treated with standard chemotherapy were enrolled into a phase I/II trial between 12/1996 to 02/1998, and underwent HDCT followed by rescue with CD34+Thy-1+ HSC isolated from autologous MPB. More than 12 years after the end of the study 23% (5/22) of HSC recipients are alive, 18% (4/22) free of recurrence with normal hematopoietic function. Median PFS was 16 months and median OS was 60 months. Retrospective comparison with 74 patients transplanted between 02/1995 and 06/1999 with the identical HDCT regimen but rescue with unmanipulated MPB show that 9% of patients are alive, and 7% without disease. Median PFS was 10 months and median OS was 28 months. In conclusion, cancer-depleted HSC following HDCT resulted in better than expected 12- 14 year PFS and OS in a cohort of metastatic breast cancer patients. These data prompt us to look once again at purified HSC transplantation in a protocol powered to test for efficacy in advanced stage breast cancer patients.

consented to participate. Patients were randomized to either a fixed low dose of 200 mg of thalidomide or to a high dose of 800 mg that was increased to a maximum dose of 1200 mg daily. Patients were evaluated for response after 8 weeks of therapy. RESULTSStable disease was achieved in six patients and was seen in both the low-dose and highdose thalidomide groups. The median overall survival was 9 months. The low-dose thalidomide regimen was better tolerated and patients survived longer than those on the high-dose regimen (16 vs 6 months, P = 0.04) CONCLUSIONThe use of low-dose thalidomide in patients with metastatic RCC was well tolerated and they survived for longer than those on the high-dose regimen.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of an electronic survey to assess patients’ knowledge of their breast cancer and treatment, and interest in receiving a medical summary. Methods Women undergoing breast cancer treatment completed an interviewer-administered electronic survey in person or by telephone. Medical records were abstracted to evaluate knowledge accuracy. Results Among 38 eligible patients approached for the study, 35 (92%) participated and 33 (94%) completed the survey. Participants’ perceived knowledge tended to be greater than their actual knowledge. Reporting of clinicopathologic features was most accurate for stage (91%) and lymph node status (88%), and least accurate for tumor size (61%), type (61%), and grade (33%). Accurate reporting of tumor receptor over-expression varied from 76% (estrogen receptor) to 39% (progesterone receptor). Many patients correctly recalled general treatment modalities and details of surgery; fewer recalled details of radiation and chemotherapy. Importantly, nearly all (32/33) were interested in receiving a breast cancer medical summary. Conclusion An electronic survey is feasible to assess breast cancer patients’ knowledge. This data suggests that patients have gaps in knowledge and would like a personalized medical summary. Practice Implications Larger studies are needed to validate and characterize knowledge gaps, and test interventions to improve physician-patient information sharing.

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