Patients who have residual invasive breast cancer after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–targeted therapy have a worse prognosis than those who have no residual cancer. Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), an antibody–drug conjugate of trastuzumab and the cytotoxic agent emtansine (DM1), a maytansine derivative and microtubule inhibitor, provides benefit in patients with metastatic breast cancer that was previously treated with chemotherapy plus HER2-targeted therapy. We conducted a phase 3, open-label trial involving patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who were found to have residual invasive disease in the breast or axilla at surgery after receiving neoadjuvant therapy containing a taxane (with or without anthracycline) and trastuzumab. Patients were randomly assigned to receive adjuvant T-DM1 or trastuzumab for 14 cycles. The primary end point was invasive disease–free survival (defined as freedom from ipsilateral invasive breast tumor recurrence, ipsilateral locoregional invasive breast cancer recurrence, contralateral invasive breast cancer, distant recurrence, or death from any cause). At the interim analysis, among 1486 randomly assigned patients (743 in the T-DM1 group and 743 in the trastuzumab group), invasive disease or death had occurred in 91 patients in the T-DM1 group (12.2%) and 165 patients in the trastuzumab group (22.2%). The estimated percentage of patients who were free of invasive disease at 3 years was 88.3% in the T-DM1 group and 77.0% in the trastuzumab group. Invasive disease–free survival was significantly higher in the T-DM1 group than in the trastuzumab group (hazard ratio for invasive disease or death, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.39 to 0.64; P<0.001). Distant recurrence as the first invasive-disease event occurred in 10.5% of patients in the T-DM1 group and 15.9% of those in the trastuzumab group. The safety data were consistent with the known safety profile of T-DM1, with more adverse events associated with T-DM1 than with trastuzumab alone. Among patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who had residual invasive disease after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, the risk of recurrence of invasive breast cancer or death was 50% lower with adjuvant T-DM1 than with trastuzumab alone. (Funded by F. Hoffmann–La Roche/Genentech; KATHERINE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01772472.)

Niraparib is an oral poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]–ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1/2 inhibitor that has shown clinical activity in patients with ovarian cancer. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of niraparib versus placebo as maintenance treatment for patients with platinum-sensitive, recurrent ovarian cancer. In this randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial, patients were categorized according to the presence or absence of a germline BRCA mutation (gBRCA cohort and non-gBRCA cohort) and the type of non-gBRCA mutation and were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive niraparib (300 mg) or placebo once daily. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Of 553 enrolled patients, 203 were in the gBRCA cohort (with 138 assigned to niraparib and 65 to placebo), and 350 patients were in the non-gBRCA cohort (with 234 assigned to niraparib and 116 to placebo). Patients in the niraparib group had a significantly longer median duration of progression-free survival than did those in the placebo group, including 21.0 vs. 5.5 months in the gBRCA cohort (hazard ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.41), as compared with 12.9 months vs. 3.8 months in the non-gBRCA cohort for patients who had tumors with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.59) and 9.3 months vs. 3.9 months in the overall non-gBRCA cohort (hazard ratio, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.61; P<0.001 for all three comparisons). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events that were reported in the niraparib group were thrombocytopenia (in 33.8%), anemia (in 25.3%), and neutropenia (in 19.6%), which were managed with dose modifications. Among patients with platinum-sensitive, recurrent ovarian cancer, the median duration of progression-free survival was significantly longer among those receiving niraparib than among those receiving placebo, regardless of the presence or absence of gBRCA mutations or HRD status, with moderate bone marrow toxicity. (Funded by Tesaro; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01847274.)

Niraparib, an inhibitor of poly(adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP), has been associated with significantly increased progression-free survival among patients with recurrent ovarian cancer after platinum-based chemotherapy, regardless of the presence or absence of BRCA mutations. The efficacy of niraparib in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer after a response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy is unknown. In this randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in a 2:1 ratio to receive niraparib or placebo once daily after a response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The primary end point was progression-free survival in patients who had tumors with homologous-recombination deficiency and in those in the overall population, as determined on hierarchical testing. A prespecified interim analysis for overall survival was conducted at the time of the primary analysis of progression-free survival. Of the 733 patients who underwent randomization, 373 (50.9%) had tumors with homologous-recombination deficiency. Among the patients in this category, the median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the niraparib group than in the placebo group (21.9 months vs. 10.4 months; hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31 to 0.59; P<0.001). In the overall population, the corresponding progression-free survival was 13.8 months and 8.2 months (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.76; P<0.001). At the 24-month interim analysis, the rate of overall survival was 84% in the niraparib group and 77% in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.11). The most common adverse events of grade 3 or higher were anemia (in 31.0% of the patients), thrombocytopenia (in 28.7%), and neutropenia (in 12.8%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Among patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer who had a response to platinum-based chemotherapy, those who received niraparib had significantly longer progression-free survival than those who received placebo, regardless of the presence or absence of homologous-recombination deficiency. (Funded by GlaxoSmithKline; PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02655016.).

Ovarian cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. Thus, new biomarkers predictive of response to the standard paclitaxel–carboplatin treatment are needed to improve chemotherapy strategies. MicroRNAs have the potential to modify drug outcomes. Based on this, we have demonstrated in this study that patients with a high expression of the miR-200 family show low levels of β-tubulin class III in ovarian carcinoma. In addition, we have established the clinical relevance of these microRNAs for ovarian cancer patients' treatment response and survival. In a well-characterized series of 72 ovarian carcinomas, the expressions of miR-141, miR-200a, miR-200b, miR-200c, and miR-429 were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and the protein content of β-tubulin isotypes I, II, and III was determined by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between these microRNAs, β-tubulin expression, response to paclitaxel-based treatment, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival was determined. While isotype I had constant high levels, protein expression of β-tubulins II and III was mutually exclusive. Low tumoral miR-200 expression was significantly associated with high β-tubulin III protein content (P values range, 0.047–2.0, P values 0.051, 0.054, and 0.079 for miR-200c, miR-141, and miR-429 respectively, multivariate analysis). In conclusion, miR-200 family members affect the final β-tubulin III protein content of ovarian carcinomas. Furthermore, these microRNAs might constitute the biomarkers of response to paclitaxel-based treatments and relapse/progression of advanced stage ovarian carcinoma patients.

Niraparib is a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor approved in the USA and Europe for maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. In the pivotal ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial, the dose reduction rate due to treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) was 68.9%, and the discontinuation rate due to TEAE was 14.7%, including 3.3% due to thrombocytopenia. A retrospective analysis was carried out to identify clinical parameters that predict dose reductions. All analyses were carried out on the safety population, comprising all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. Patients were analyzed according to the study drug consumed (i.e., as treated). A predictive modeling method (decision trees) was used to identify important variables for predicting the likelihood of developing grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia within 30 days after the first dose of niraparib and determine cut-off points for chosen variables. Following dose modification, 200 mg was the most commonly administered dose in the ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial. Baseline platelet count and baseline body weight were identified as risk factors for increased incidence of grade ≥3 thrombocytopenia. Patients with a baseline body weight <77 kg or a baseline platelet count <150 000/µl in effect received an average daily dose ∼200 mg (median = 207 mg) due to dose interruption and reduction. Progression-free survival in patients who were dose reduced to either 200 or 100 mg was consistent with that of patients who remained at the 300 mg starting dose. The analysis presented suggests that patients with baseline body weight of <77 kg or baseline platelets of <150 000/µl may benefit from a starting dose of 200 mg/day. NCT01847274.