Tolerability and effectiveness of fulvestrant as first-line endocrine therapy in unselected patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC): Results of a multicenter, single arm, non-interventional study.
Authors: Zhao Yannan , Geng Cuizhi , Zhang Hongwei , Cai Li , Yao Herui , Lin Ying , Liu Jianxia , Yang Jin , Zhang Jin , Wang Xiaojia , Li Yafen , Pang Danmei , Sun Tao , Wang Xi , Ma Jie , Zang Aimin , Xu Zhengyang , Wang Yongsheng , Wang Chuan , Hu Xichun ,   Fulvestrant NIS group
Published: June 2023

e13061

Background: Fulvestrant, a selective estrogen receptor (ER) down-regulator, is a standard of care for first-line treatment in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer. This study is to assess the safety profile and effectiveness of fulvestrant 500mg as the first-line endocrine therapy of post-menopausal women with HR+ locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Methods: The study is an open-label, multicentre, prospective, observational study in China. Chinese patients receiving fulvestrant 500mg as the first endocrine agent after relapse according to investigator’s clinical practice were enrolled. Primary variable is the frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs). Secondary variables were objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), progress free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Predictive effects of endocrine resistance, chemotherapy for advanced disease and adjuvant endocrine therapy on the effectiveness were prespecified as exploratory variables. Results: From November 2017 to December 2020, 461 patients were enrolled by 29 Chinese centers. Median age was 56 years and the ECOG score was: 0, 165 (35.8%); 1, 281 (60.9%); 2, 12 (2.6%); and 3, 3 (0.7%). 20 (4.3%) patients had the Kaplan-Feinstein index ≥2. Majority (77.0%) of the patients were ER+ and PgR+, and 190 (41.2%) had visceral metastasis. In total, 91 (19.7%) patients were primary endocrine resistant, 202 (43.8%) were secondary endocrine resistant and 123 (26.7%) were endocrine-therapy naïve. 147 (31.9%) patients received previous chemotherapy for advanced disease, while 101 (21.9%) patients had anti-estrogen drugs as adjuvant therapy. 54 (11.7%) patients had concurrent CDK4/6 inhibitors. After a median follow-up of 26.8 months (IQR 18.7-38.2), median PFS was 13.0 months (95% CI 9.8-16.4) and median OS was 41.2 months (95% CI 37.3-NE). ORR was 11.3% (95% CI 8.2-15.1) and CBR was 60.6% (95%CI 55.2-65.8). Patients with endocrine-therapy naïve tumor, no previous chemotherapy for advanced disease and adjuvant anti-estrogen treatment had a longer PFS of first-line fulvestrant 500mg. 67 (14.5%) patients had at least one AE, with 1 (0.2%) patient withdrawing because of AEs. Drug-related serious AEs (SAEs) were rare, occurring in 2 (0.4%) patients. No patient died as a result of a drug-related AE. Neutropenia, increased ALT/AST, and anemia were the most commonly reported AEs in this study. Conclusions: This is the first prospective real-world study confirming that fulvestrant 500mg is a well-tolerated treatment option in unselected ABC in China. In the real clinical practice, fulvestrant 500mg can achieve the consistent anti-tumor activity as in clinical trials. Patients with endocrine-therapy naïve status and no prior chemotherapy tend to have a longer control time. Clinical trial information: NCT02909361 .