NEW HOPE FOR PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

Researchers say that the results of the PATINA clinical trial may represent a new standard of care for patients diagnosed with hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer.

The results of the study were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) in the United States today.

PATINA investigated if the addition of the drug Palbociclib, when given in combination with anti-HER2 treatment (trastuzumab and pertuzumab) and endocrine therapy, could improve survival rates for women with hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer.

Researchers have found that adding Palbociclib tablets to standard treatment significantly improved progression free survival by 15.2 months, compared to treatment without Palbociclib. The study also found that patients experienced manageable side effects from this additional treatment.

Palbociclib was the first in a new class of drugs introduced in 2015, called CDK4/6 inhibitors. Previous research shows that the addition of CDK4/6 inhibitors to anti-hormone therapy stops the division of cancer cells and significantly improves outcomes for patients with HR positive, HER-2 negative breast cancer, compared to anti-hormone therapy alone. This research expands on that, to now include HER-2 positive cancer.

PATINA is an international clinical trial, which enrolled 496 patients worldwide, including 49 patients from Australia and New Zealand, through Breast Cancer Trials and the Australian Study Chair of PATINA is Professor Elgene Lim. The trial was run globally by Alliance Foundation Trials, in conjunction with Pfizer.

“These are exciting results for patients, which could pave the way for more treatment options for metastatic breast cancer,” said Professor Lim said.

“We would like to thank the clinical trial participants across Australia and New Zealand, for partnering with us to advance treatments for breast cancer.”

Founded in 1978, Breast Cancer Trials conducts a multicentre national and international clinical trials research program, into the treatment and prevention of breast cancer. This involves more than 980 researchers in 118 institutions across Australia and New Zealand, who are committed to our vision of no more lives cut short.

For more information about Breast Cancer Trials, visit www.breastcancertrials.org.au.