Metronomic capecitabine plus an aromatase inhibitor improved progression-free and general survival in HR+/HER2– metastatic breast most cancers, per the MECCA trial.
Therapy with metronomic capecitabine plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI) demonstrated enhancements in each progression-free survival (PFS) and general survival (OS) amongst sufferers with hormone receptor (HR)—optimistic, HER2-negative metastatic breast most cancers, based on knowledge from the part 3 MECCA trial which had been revealed within the Journal of Medical Oncology.
At a median follow-up time of fifty.7 months, a complete of 203 PFS occasions occurred. Within the investigational arm, sufferers who obtained metronomic capecitabine plus an AI had a median PFS of 20.9 months in contrast with 11.9 months in those that obtained an AI alone. Moreover, within the investigational arm, the median OS was not reached, whereas within the AI alone arm, it was 45.1 months. Concerning security, the commonest negative effects to therapy had been palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia and peripheral neuropathy.
“The MECCA trial demonstrated a big enchancment in PFS and OS with first-line metronomic capecitabine plus AI in contrast with AI alone in sufferers with hormone receptor-positive+/HER2-negative MBC. Each therapy arms exhibited tolerable security profiles per earlier experiences,” lead examine creator, Dr. Ruo-Xi Hong, acknowledged within the journal.
Hong works within the Division of Medical Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, in addition to the Guangdong Provincial Medical Analysis Middle for Most cancers, Solar Yat-sen College Most cancers Middle, in Guangzhou, China.
Glossary:
Development-free survival (PFS): the period of time a affected person lives with out their most cancers rising or spreading, after beginning therapy.
General survival (OS): the typical period of time a affected person lives after being recognized with or beginning therapy for a illness.
Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia: a pores and skin response that impacts the palms of the palms and soles of the toes.
Peripheral neuropathy: a situation that happens when the peripheral nervous system is broken.
Goal response charge (ORR): the proportion of sufferers who’ve a whole or partial response to a therapy.
Illness management charge (DCR): the proportion of sufferers who’ve a whole response, partial response, or steady illness to a therapy.
In accordance with the journal publication, most sufferers with metastatic breast most cancers have HR-positive illness, making endocrine remedy the usual preliminary therapy; nevertheless, resistance to this remedy necessitates therapy with extra therapies. Subsequently, the MECCA part 3 trial investigators due to this fact sought to analyze whether or not metronomic capecitabine mixed with endocrine remedy can enhance outcomes for sufferers with HER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast most cancers.
Extra Info on the MECCA Trial
The MECCA trial was a randomized, open-label, part 3 examine evaluating metronomic capecitabine plus an AU versus AI alone in sufferers with HR–optimistic, HER2-negative metastatic breast most cancers who had not obtained prior systemic therapy within the metastatic setting. The investigation was performed throughout 12 facilities in China and enrolled eligible sufferers aged between 18 and 70 years who offered with measurable or bone-only illness and enough organ perform. Sufferers with major endocrine remedy resistance, symptomatic visceral metastases posing instant dangers or uncontrolled central nervous system involvement had been excluded from the trial.
Contributors had been randomly assigned to obtain both therapy with capecitabine at 500 milligrams (mg) 3 times a day plus AI or AI alone, stratified by illness website and endocrine remedy sensitivity. Therapy continued till illness development, unacceptable toxicity or affected person withdrawal, and dose modifications had been permitted for capecitabine however not for AI; sufferers may discontinue one therapy whereas persevering with the opposite.
Concerning the first finish level of the examine, investigators had been evaluating PFS. Key secondary finish factors included OS, goal response charge (ORR), illness management charge (DCR), security and tolerability. Furthermore, extra secondary finish factors which haven’t but been reported on on this evaluation included patient-reported outcomes and investigational biomarker evaluation.
Further Survival and Security Findings
The MECCA trial enrolled 263 sufferers throughout 12 facilities in China between Aug. 22, 2017, and Sept. 24, 2021. In whole, 254 sufferers (median age, 51 years; vary, 30 to 74) initiated therapy, with 126 receiving capecitabine plus an AI in contrast with 128 receiving an AI alone. Baseline traits had been balanced, with roughly 49% (124 sufferers) having visceral illness and 15.7% (40 sufferers) having bone-only illness. Endocrine remedy sensitivity was noticed in 155 sufferers, whereas 99 had secondary endocrine remedy resistance.
Moreover, the three- and five-year OS charges had been 79% and 52% within the capecitabine plus AI group, respectively, in contrast with 63% and 28% within the AI group. The ORR was 37.3% within the capecitabine plus AI group and 25.0% within the AI group. Measurable illness responses had been 46.1% and 28.7% and the DCRs had been 88.1% and 75.8%, amongst these teams.
On the knowledge cutoff, 24 of 126 sufferers within the capecitabine plus AI group and 13 of 128 sufferers within the AI group remained on therapy. Therapy length of 24 months or extra was achieved in 46 sufferers (36.5%) receiving capecitabine plus AI in contrast with 30 sufferers (23.4%) within the AI group.
Moreover, dose reductions of capecitabine because of negative effects occurred in 11.1% of sufferers, and 10.3% required non permanent therapy interruption. Concerning the first cause for therapy discontinuation, illness development affected 64.3% of sufferers within the capecitabine plus AI group and 84.4% within the AI group. Therapy discontinuation because of negative effects occured in 16.7% of sufferers within the capecitabine plus AI group and 5.5% within the AI group.
“The commonest [side effect], palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, occurred solely within the capecitabine plus AI group [29.4%], with 11.1% experiencing grade 3 severity. Different [side effects] extra frequent within the capecitabine plus AI group included peripheral sensory neuropathy [8.7% versus 1.6%], elevated AST [7.9% versus 4.7%], neutropenia [4.0% versus 0%], oral mucositis [2.4% versus 0%], and nausea [1.6% versus 0%, most of which were grade 1 or 2 in severity,” Hong and study authors wrote.
Reference:
Metronomic Capecitabine Plus Aromatase Inhibitor as Initial Therapy in Patients With Hormone Receptor–Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer—The Phase III MECCA Trial
For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.

