Patricia A. Ganz, MD, medical oncologist, director, Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, lead, Cancer Control and Survivorship, associate director, Population Science Research, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health, discusses the quality of life (QOL) results from the phase 3 OlympiA trial (NCT02032823) in 

Findings from the OlympiA trial showed that adjuvant olaparib (Lynparza) was associated with significantly longer invasive disease-free survival (DFS) and distant DFS compared with placebo in patients with high-risk, HER2-negative, early-stage breast cancer who harbored germline 

 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants after completion of local treatment and neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. 

During the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, findings from a QOL analysis of the trial were presented. The results showed that fatigue severity was statistically significantly greater at 6 and 12 months among patients treated with olaparib compared with placebo; however, the difference was not clinically meaningful as it did not meet prespecified criteria. Moreover, no meaningful differences were observed between arms at 18 and 24 months. 

A statistically significant difference in nausea/vomiting severity was observed among olaparib-treated vs placebo-treated patients at 6 and 12 months but not at 18 and 24 months. No differences in diarrhea severity were observed.

Moreover, no clinically meaningful differences in global QOL, physical functioning, or mental functioning were observed between olaparib vs placebo, and a gradual improvement of these factors was observed in both arms over the course of 24 months. This was in-line with expectations because patients had received intensive chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery prior to olaparib or placebo, which patients had to recover from. Ultimately, olaparib was not found to significantly contribute to QOL deterioration or changes in recovery, Ganz concludes. 

Videos

Patricia A. Ganz, MD, discusses the quality of life results from the phase 3 OlympiA trial in BRCA-mutated breast cancer.  



Dr. Ganz on the Quality of Life Results From the OlympiA Trial in BRCA-Mutated Breast Cancer 

Patricia Ganz, MD, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the symptoms related to estrogen hormones that can cause more implications for women with breast cancer, including menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.

These symptoms can also impact cognitive functions in patients with breast cancer. These symptoms can be brought on by premature menopause caused by chemotherapy with no endocrine therapy; patients who experience the most symptoms received chemotherapy, developed menopause, then received endocrine therapy, says Ganz.

Sustained inflammation may also appear in these individuals and is associated with more symptoms. Many symptoms appear to be related and co-occurring, such as insomnia that may cause inflammation to persist and persistent insomnia that leads to depression. The symptoms are accelerated and increased in these women treated for breast cancer, Ganz concludes.

View more from the 2019 Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Symposium

Patricia Ganz, MD, discusses the symptoms related to estrogen hormones that can cause more implications for women with breast cancer, including menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, trouble sleeping, and fatigue.

Dr. Ganz on the Symptoms Related to Estrogen in Breast Cancer

Patricia Ganz, MD, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a study comparing anastrozole versus tamoxifen in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

The study looked at post-menopausal hormonal receptor-positive patients with DCIS who were planned to be treated with lumpectomy and radiation. Patients received either anastrozole or tamoxifen for 5 years. In a trial presented at the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, it was shown that there was a statistically significant advantage to anastrozole versus tamoxifen in terms of preventing breast cancer recurrence. This advantage was only seen in those patients under 60 years of age, says Ganz.

A quality of life study, presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, showed that, overall, both drugs were tolerable and did not cause a decline in physical or mental health. However, each drug had specific side effects that patients and oncologists will need to consider before selecting one over the other, says Ganz. With tamoxifen, patients reported an increase in hot flashes and gynecological symptoms like vaginal discharge and itching. With anastrozole, patients reported an increase in muscular and skeletal pain, as well as vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.

View more from the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Patricia Ganz, MD, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a study comparing anastrozole versus tamoxifen in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer.

Patricia Ganz, MD

Articles

Dr. Ganz on the Quality of Life Results From the OlympiA Trial in BRCA-Mutated Breast Cancer

Dr. Ganz on the Symptoms Related to Estrogen in Breast Cancer

Dr. Patricia Ganz on Anastrozole versus Tamoxifen Side Effects in DCIS Patients