SABCS 2017

sorry I haven’t posted for a while , New Years resolution-post more. I did tweet from SABCS if someone wants to follow my twitter feed at conferences. If I can see I have some interested followers it will motivate me to tweet more when I am away.

It was an interesting conference, and also was the first time it snowed in San Antonio for 28 years.

The medical highlights included more data supporting the use of CK4/6 inhibitors in advanced ER+ breast cancer, this time Monaleesa 7 (I was an investigator in this study) showing the benefit of ribociclib in premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) , combined with goserelin and letrozole. This adds to a number of studies in post -menopausal women receiving any of the three inhibitors (ribociclib, abemaciclib and palbociclib). Ribociclib is now available for post-menopausal women with ABC through an access program. Pre-menopausal women would need a BSO (ovary removal) to gain access. There will be a study (PATINA) opening soon for patients with ER+ Her2+ ABC .

There was a meta-analysis (collected data from  many  studies) supporting the use of dose-dense chemotherapy as adjuvant therapy even in ER+ early breast cancer. previously such approaches at least in my practice were confined to triple negative early breast cancer.

There was some surprising randomised data supporting the use of acupuncture in the management of joint symptoms of patients receiving aromatase inhibitors (letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane).

There was lots of new science particularly focussing on immunotherapy(IO)  in breast cancer. only a subgroup of patients seem to benefit from IOs and we need to understand who can benefit from single agent PD1 inhibitors (checkpoint inhibitors) and who might derive benefit  from IO doublets or combinations with chemotherapy. My colleague Sherene Loi (Peter Mac) presented some interesting data on IO added to trastuzumab in patients with Her2+ve ABC previously treated with trastuzumab showing activity in a group of patients.

I am heading to the European meeting in March and may have more for you then.Cheers Shane