24-06-2025
Early Breast Cancer Highlights From ASCO 2025
Reporting on studies in early breast cancer presented at ASCO 2025, Dr Ian Krop of Yale Cancer Center discusses potential refinements in treatment across all subtypes as well as a significant study in supportive care.
Dr Krop begins with the neoCARHP trial, which reevaluated the role of carboplatin, a component of standard neoadjuvant therapy for patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer. Omitting carboplatin yielded comparable pathologic complete response results confirming noninferiority of the carboplatin-free regimen.
Carboplatin was also reexamined in the context of triple-negative breast cancer in the phase 3 NRG-BR003 trial. Invasive disease-free survival rates at 5 years were slightly higher among patients taking carboplatin, although patients who had BRCA mutations appeared to experience more benefit.
In hormone receptor (HR)-positive disease, Dr Krop discusses 15-year updated data from the SOFT and TEXT trials assessing the benefit of adjuvant exemestane with ovarian function suppression (OFS) vs tamoxifen plus OFS. Results confirmed the benefit of adding OFS and switching to exemestane, particularly for higher-risk patients.
Vasomotor symptoms can compromise quality of life for patients with breast cancer and can lead to nonadherence. Dr Krop highlights the OASIS 4 trial, which evaluated elinzanetant in patients with HR-positive disease. Promising results in this trial are helping to move this therapy toward FDA approval.
