Plain language summary
Literature shows that hyperglycaemia is amongst the most common grade 3 or 4 drug-related adverse events in breast cancer patients. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of anthropometrics and biomarkers of glucose metabolism on treatment outcomes in advanced breast cancer patients. The study is an observational study that recruited 102 postmenopausal women, aged at least 18 years, who were diagnosed with advanced breast cancer and treated with everolimus and exemestane. Results indicate a significant trend towards increasing fasting glucose and decreasing BMI in the overall study population. Furthermore, significant evidence also shows that lower levels of fasting glucose is associated with better outcomes. Authors conclude that their study showed a predictive role of fasting glucose and BMI on treatment outcomes, longer progression free survival and clinical benefit rates (percentage of patients with shrinking tumours or stable disease for at least 6 months).
Abstract
Evidence on everolimus in breast cancer has placed hyperglycemia among the most common high grade adverse events. Anthropometrics and biomarkers of glucose metabolism were investigated in a observational study of 102 postmenopausal, HR + HER2- metastatic breast cancer patients treated with everolimus-exemestane in first and subsequent lines. Best overall response (BR) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) were assessed across subgroups defined upon fasting glucose (FG) and body mass index (BMI). Survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Survival predictors were tested in Cox models. Median follow up was 12.4 months (1.0-41.0). The overall cohort showed increasing levels of FG and decreasing BMI (p < 0.001). Lower FG fasting glucose at BR was more commonly associated with C/PR or SD compared with PD (p < 0.001). We also observed a somewhat higher BMI associated with better response (p = 0.052). More patients in the lowest FG category achieved clinical benefit compared to the highest (p < 0.001), while no relevant differences emerged for BMI. Fasting glucose at re-assessment was also predictive of PFS (p = 0.037), as confirmed in models including BMI and line of therapy (p = 0.049). Treatment discontinuation was significantly associated with changes in FG (p = 0.014). Further research is warranted to corroborate these findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms.
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