Joanne Blum, MD, PhD, FACP, physician, Texas Oncology, discusses the key takeaways from the phase III ABC (anthracyclines in early breast cancer) trials, which compared docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide versus anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy regimens in patients with high-risk, HER2-negative breast cancer.

In an analysis of the trials, results showed that statistical non-inferiority of the non-anthracycline regimen could not be demonstrated and that a longer follow-up should clarify the clinical utility of the initial findings.

In clinical practice, Blum says she uses anthracycline-containing regimen for patients with hormone-receptor (HR)—negative disease, but will also reserve such a regimen for patients with 4 or more positive nodes that are HR-positive. Additionally, she will also use it in select patients with 1 to 3 positive nodes.

For patients who are high-grade and have lymphovascular invasion, Blum may use an anthracycline regimen, as well.

Videos

Dr. Blum on Takeaways from ABC Trials for Breast Cancer

Joanne Blum, MD, PhD, oncologist, Texas Oncology and a member of the Breast Cancer Committee for The US Oncology Network, discusses the EMBRACA trial.

The trial is a phase III, open-label, randomized, parallel, two-arm international study of the oral PARP inhibitor talazoparib (BMN 673) versus physician's choice in patients with 

-mutated metastatic breast cancer. The trial aims to include about 429 patients, says Blum, but it is event-driven so it is possible there might be fewer.

The patients included in this trial are rare, says Blum. Patients with a 

 mutation amount to approximately 7% of the general breast cancer population and only a few of them develop metastatic disease. To identify enough patients for this trial takes a worldwide effort, says Blum. There are plans to expand it even further to more countries and sites in the near future.

View more from the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Joanne Blum, MD, PhD, oncologist with Texas Oncology and a member of the Breast Cancer Committee for The US Oncology Network, discuses the EMBRACA trial.

Joanne Blum, MD, PhD

Articles

Dr. Blum on Takeaways from ABC Trials for Breast Cancer

Dr. Joanne Blum on the EMBRACA Trial in Metastatic BRCA-Mutant Breast Cancer