In this episode of the Oncology Brothers podcast, Drs. Rahul & Rohit Gosain had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Jame Abraham from the Cleveland Clinic. We focused on key abstracts in the hormone receptor-positive breast cancer space presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2024.
We began our discussion with the EUROPA trial, which compared endocrine therapy to radiation therapy in early-stage breast cancer patients over 70 years old. The interim analysis suggested that radiation therapy may offer better quality of life and fewer treatment-related adverse events, although we agreed that long-term data is necessary before making broad changes to our practice.
Next, we delved into the TAILORx study, which has been pivotal since its initial publication in 2018. This study highlighted that patients with early node-negative disease and a recurrence score of less than 25 do not benefit from additional chemotherapy. We discussed the implications for patients with higher recurrence scores and the potential role of anthracyclines in their treatment.
We then moved on to the PADMA study, which reinforced the standard of care for hormone receptor-positive patients with CDK4/6 inhibitors combined with endocrine therapy, even in cases of aggressive disease. The results showed significant improvements in time-to-treatment failure and progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy.
Finally, we explored the EMBER-3 study, which examined the oral selective estrogen receptor degrader, imlunestrant, both as a monotherapy and in combination with abemaciclib. The findings indicated promising improvements in progression-free survival, particularly in patients with ESR1 mutations.
In summary, we covered four key studies that are shaping the landscape of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer treatment. We emphasized the importance of individualized patient care and the need for ongoing research to refine our approaches. Thank you for joining us, and be sure to check out our other conference highlights from ASH 2024 and SABCS 2024. We are the Oncology Brothers!