Abstract P1-08-04: Therapeutic Advances in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Identifying and Reducing Clinician Knowledge Gaps
Authors: Heller Elizabeth J. , Smith Keira , Williams Sarah L. 
Published: March 2023

Background: Characterization of the aggressive biology of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), defined by its lack of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) expression, has led to the development of more effective treatments for patients, but research indicates that clinicians face challenges in maintaining a working knowledge of evolving data. This study was conducted to determine what learning gaps exist in the area of therapeutic advances in TNBC and to investigate whether an online, case-based continuing medical education (CME)/nursing continuing professional development (NCPD)–approved activity could address gaps in clinicians’ knowledge regarding the personalized care of patients with metastatic TNBC.

Methods: The CME/NCPD-approved live webinar series titled Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Applying Treatment Advances to Personalized Care was presented by Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, on July 13 and July 15, 2021, and was made accessible as a CME/NCPD-approved enduring webinar archive starting on July 23, 2021. Learners participated in a 1-hour activity that highlighted emerging therapeutic targets in TNBC, with an emphasis on current challenges and new opportunities in the management of metastatic disease. Learners completed a repeated-pairs pre- and post-activity assessment consisting of case-based questions that gauged their ability to apply emerging data to clinical decision making. Baseline knowledge gaps and subsequent learning gains were calculated based on percentages of learners obtaining correct responses on the pre- and post-activity assessments. Significance was assessed using a chi-squared test. In addition, learners reported self-perceived gains in confidence and competence using 5-point Likert scale questions.

Results: As of June 28, 2022, 811 clinicians had completed the activity for credit; 62 learners participated in the live webinar, while 749 participated in the online enduring activity. Baseline assessment data revealed gaps in knowledge regarding emerging actionable targets and management of treatment-related adverse events (Table 1). Learners participating in the enduring activity scored an average of 43% on pretest topics; after completing the activity, the posttest average rose to 92%. The activity resulted in significant gains in knowledge and competence related to these topics, with P &lt; 0.0001 for all learning gains. Upon completion of the activity, 86% of learners self-reported that knowledge acquired from this activity would be utilized to improve the outcomes of their patients, and 86% of learners self-reported that based on the information learned during the activity, they felt more confident in treating patients with metastatic TNBC.

Conclusions: These data indicate that a substantial knowledge gap exists regarding the latest developments in the treatment of metastatic TNBC. They also demonstrate that online, case-based CME/NCPD-approved activities can result in statistically significant improvements in clinicians’ knowledge of therapeutic advances and management of treatment-related adverse events for patients with metastatic TNBC.

Acknowledgements: This activity was supported by an independent educational grant from Merck.

Table 1. Baseline Knowledge Gaps and Post-Activity Learning Gains.

Citation Format: Elizabeth J. Heller, Keira Smith, Sarah L. Williams. Therapeutic Advances in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Identifying and Reducing Clinician Knowledge Gaps [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-08-04.