Diabetic patients with breast cancer receiving metformin and neoadjuvant chemotherapy have a higher pCR rate than do diabetics not receiving metformin. Additional studies to evaluate the potential of metformin as an antitumor agent are warranted.

IntroductionThe incidence of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is expected to increase as more women delay childbearing in the United States. Treatment of cancer in pregnant women requires prudent judgment to balance the benefit to the cancer patient and the risks to the fetus. Prospective data on the outcomes of children exposed to chemotherapy in utero are limited for the breast cancer population.MethodsBetween 1992 and 2010, 81 pregnant patients with breast cancer were treated in a single-arm, institutional review board–approved study with 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting. Labor and delivery records were reviewed for each patient and neonate. In addition, the parents or guardians were surveyed regarding the health outcomes of the children exposed to chemotherapy in utero.ResultsIn total, 78% of the women (or next of kin) answered a follow-up survey. At a median age of 7 years, most of the children exposed to chemotherapy in utero were growing normally without any significant exposure-related toxicity or health problems. Three children were born with congenital abnormalities: one each with Down syndrome, ureteral reflux or clubfoot. The rate of congenital abnormalities in the cohort was similar to the national average of 3%.ConclusionsDuring the second and third trimesters, pregnant women with breast cancer can be treated with FAC safely without concerns for serious complications or short-term health concerns for their offspring who are exposed to chemotherapy in utero. Continued long-term follow-up of the children in this cohort is required.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00510367. Other Study ID numbers: ID01-193, NCI-2012-01578. Registration date: 31 July 2007.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01036087.

Identify risk factors associated with trastuzumab-associated infusion-related reactions.Describe the impact of premedications on the incidence and/or severity of trastuzumab-associated infusion-related reactions. ABSTRACTBackground. Trastuzumab has become a mainstay of therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 overexpressed breast cancer in nearly all stages of the disease. Like many monoclonal antibodies, trastuzumab is associated with infusionrelated reactions (IRRs) that are not well described, and incidence varies widely between reports (0.7%-40% of patients). Materials and Methods. A retrospective chart review of breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab was conducted. The primary objective was to describe the incidence, risk factors, and management of IRRs during the first 12 weeks of trastuzumab therapy in a general population of breast cancer patients. Results. A total of 197 patients who received trastuzumab (1,788 doses) were evaluated. Thirty-three IRRs were identified

Background. The purpose of this analysis was to compare disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) between pregnant and nonpregnant patients with breast cancer. Methods. From 1989 to 2009, 75 women were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy. Each pregnant case was matched on age and cancer stage to two nonpregnant patients with breast cancer (controls). Fisher's exact test, the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used. Results. Median follow-up time for patients who were alive at the end of follow-up (n ϭ 159) was 4.20 years (range: 0. Implications for Practice: Women who are diagnosed during pregnancy should receive standard chemotherapy during pregnancy in the second and third trimester as part of multidisciplinary care with the medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, and obstetrician. For those women who receive standard therapy with 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) chemotherapy during pregnancy and appropriate other biologic and endocrine therapies after delivery, outcomes similar to nonpregnant breast cancer patients can be expected.