The document provides an introduction to breast cancer, including risk factors, clinical presentation, staging, and treatment approaches. It discusses that breast cancer develops through pre-invasive and invasive phases. The most common types are invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma. Treatment depends on stage, with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy used for early and locally advanced breast cancer. Systemic adjuvant therapy after local treatment can help cure early stage disease. Commonly used chemotherapy regimens are described.
1 of 74
More Related Content
02-Breast ca_2016.pdf yes opvvhsjvdjbdbd
1. Fekede B. (M.Pharm, RPh)
Mobile: +251911758845
Email: fekedeb@gmail.com
Institutional Email: fekede.bekele@ju.edu.et
Breast Cancer
2. Introduction
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that originates from
epithelial cells of breast tissue.
The development of malignancy is a multistep process with
pre-invasive (or noninvasive) and invasive phases.
Non-invasive cancers stay within the milk ducts or lobules in
the breast.
do not grow into or invade normal tissues within or beyond
the breast.
sometimes called carcinoma in situ (“in the same place”) or pre-
cancers or pre-invasive breast cancer.
2
3. Introduction….
Most breast cancers are invasive, but there are different
types of invasive breast cancer.
The two most common: invasive ductal carcinoma and
invasive lobular carcinoma.
Invasive cancers do grow and spread into normal, healthy
breast tissues
Most breast carcinomas are adenocarcinomas and are
classified as ductal or lobular based on the basis of their
microscopic appearance.
3
4. Introduction….
It can be categorized into …
Breast Ca at early stages …. potentially curable
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) …. usually incurable.
4
5. Introduction….
Breast ca …. the top cancer in women
both in the developed and the developing countries
Incidence of breast ca is increasing in developing world ….
increase life expectancy
increase urbanization
adoption of western lifestyles
5
6. Introduction….
Mammography screening ….
the only Breast ca screening method that has proved effectiveness
very costly
cost-effective & feasible in countries with good health infrastructure
Clinical breast examination, could be implemented in limited
resource settings
low-cost screening approaches
6
Early detection in order to improve breast cancer
outcome and survival remains the cornerstone of
breast cancer control.
7. Introduction ….
Breast ca ….. the most common cancer, followed by
lung, colon and rectum and prostate cancers.
The most common in 2020 (in terms of new cases of ca):
breast, lung, colon and rectum, prostate, …
The most common causes of cancer death in 2020:
Lung, colon and rectum, liver, stomach, breast, …
In females, breast cancer …. next to lung ca … the most
common cause of cancer-related deaths
7
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
8. Introduction….
Female breast cancer incidence rates vary considerably
across racial and ethnic groups.
Incidence rates of breast Ca …..
higher in whites ……….. vs. African Americans
Death rate is higher among African American women than
white women despite the lower incidence.
8
9. Introduction….
High death rate and low incidence rate among African
American women than whites
Possible reasons: differences in ….
reproductive and lifestyle factors
access to and use of screening
access to care
socioeconomic status, cultural differences
higher stage at diagnosis, etc
9
10. Risk Factors
Several endocrine, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle
factors are associated with the development of breast
cancer to varying degrees.
Some factors are modifiable, but others are not.
The impact of individual risk factors may vary depending
on other confounding variables such as ….
age, family history, estrogen use, menopausal status
10
11. Risk Factors ….
Gender and age (advancing age)
1 in 8 women will develop breast ca during her lifetime.
this is a cumulative lifetime risk of developing the disease from
birth to death.
the risk of developing BCA before age of 40… about 1 in 203
more than half the risk occurs after age 60 years.
11
13. Risk Factors ….
Personal history of BCA in the contralateral breast,
Family history of BCA (10%),
first degree relatives …increases risk by 1.5 3 fold
risk increases with increasing numbers of affected 1st-degree
relatives
BRCA gene mutations (either BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes)
13
14. Risk Factors ….
Early menarche (menstruation beginning before age 12),
Late age of natural menopause (55 or later),
Nulliparity
Late age at first birth (≥30)
Long term use of exogenous estrogens
safety and benefits of low-dose oral contraceptives currently
outweigh the potential risks
The use of postmenopausal HRT in women with a history of
breast cancer is generally contraindicated.
14
15. Risk Factors ….
Alcohol consumption ……advice to use in moderation.
High fat diet, obesity
Heterocyclic amines (known carcinogens) found commonly in
cooked red meat or processed meat.
Studies of red meat ingestion and BCA incidence are
inconsistent
Radiation to the breast tissue
15
16. Risk Factors ….
International differences in the incidence of breast cancer;
differences in age of menarche,
age difference at menopause,
childbearing age differences
16
17. Clinical Presentation
17
The patient may not have any symptoms, as breast cancer
may be detected in asymptomatic patients though routine
screening mammography.
Local signs and symptoms
painless, palpable lump ….most common
Less common: pain; nipple discharge, retraction or dimpling;
skin edema, redness or warmth.
Palpable local–regional lymph nodes may be present.
18. Clinical Presentation….
18
Signs & symptoms of systemic metastases
Depends on the site of metastases,
may include…. bone pain, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain
or enlargement, jaundice, mental status changes.
Note: the most common metastatic sites are lymph nodes, skin,
bone, liver, lungs, and brain.
19. Clinical Presentation….
19
Laboratory tests
Tumor markers may be elevated
such as cancer antigen (CA 27.29) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA).
Alkaline phosphatase or LFTs may be elevated in metastatic Dz.
Other diagnostic tests
Mammogram …..once every 1 to 2 years for age 40-49 yrs
annual mammogram for age ≥ 50
Ultrasound
20. Clinical Presentation….
20
Breast biopsy….
for pathology review and determination of tumor estrogen/
progesterone receptor (ER/PR) status and HER2 status.
Breast exam….. either performed by patient or provider,
Breast self-examinations ….. monthly
Annual examination for breast cancer performed by a health
care provider is recommended for all women >40 yrs
Women with a positive family history often are instructed to
begin screening at an early age.
HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor-2
21. Staging
Stage is based on ….
the size of the primary tumor (T1–4)
presence and extent of lymph node involvement (N1–3)
presence or absence of distant metastases (M0–1)
These stages may be represented as:
Early BCA
Locally advanced BCA
Advanced or metastatic BCA
21
22. Staging….
22
Early breast cancer
Stage 0: Carcinoma in situ or disease that has not invaded the
basement membrane.
Stage I: Small primary tumor without lymph node involvement.
Stage II: Involvement of regional lymph nodes.
23. Staging….
Stage I
Early stage breast cancer
Tumor is small
Has not spread to
lymph nodes
23
25. Staging….
Locally advanced breast cancer [Stage III]
Usually a large tumor with extensive nodal involvement in which
node or tumor is fixed to the chest wall,
also includes inflammatory breast cancer, which is rapidly
progressive.
25
27. Staging….
Advanced or metastatic
breast cancer [Stage IV]
Metastases in organs
distant from the primary
tumor.
27
28. TNM staging for BCA
Stage 0: Tis, No, Mo
Stage I:
T (To, T1), N (No, N1), Mo
Stage II:
T (To, T1, T2, T3), N (No, N1), Mo
Stage III:
T (To, T1, T2, T3, T4, any T), N (No, N1, N2, N3), Mo
Stage IV: any T, any N, M1
28
29. Goal of therapy ….depends on stage of BCA
Early and locally advanced BCA ….. cure
Metastatic BCA ….
to improve symptoms
to improve quality of life
to prolong survival
Treatment of BCA
31. Local–regional therapy
Surgery alone can cure ….
most patients with in situ cancers, and approximately one-half of
those with stage II cancers
Breast-conserving therapy (BCT) ….
It consists of lumpectomy (excision of primary tumor & adjacent
breast tissue) followed by radiation therapy to prevent local
recurrence.
is appropriate primary therapy for most women with stage I & II
it produces equivalent survival rates with cosmetically superior
results compared with the modified radical mastectomy.
31
32. Local–regional therapy….
Radiation therapy is administered to the entire breast over
4 to 6 weeks to eradicate residual disease after BCT.
minor complications associated with radiation therapy ….
reddening and erythema of the breast tissue
shrinkage of total breast mass
Mastectomy involves removal of the entire breast without
dissection of underlying muscle or axillary nodes.
used for carcinoma in situ where the incidence of axillary node
involvement is only 1%.
32
34. Systemic adjuvant therapy
34
Systemic adjuvant therapy is the administration of systemic
therapy following definitive local therapy (surgery, radiation,
or both) when there is no evidence of metastatic disease but
a high likelihood of disease recurrence.
The goal of such therapy is cure.
Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or both result in improved
disease-free survival and/or overall survival for all treated
patients.
35. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
35
Early administration of effective combination chemotherapy at
time of low tumor burden …..
increase the likelihood of cure
minimize emergence of drug-resistant tumor cell clones
Combination regimens have historically been more effective
than single agent chemotherapy.
36. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
Commonly used cytotoxic drugs as adjuvant therapy in
BCA …
Anthracyclines (doxorubicin, epirubicin)
Alkylating agents such as cyclophosphamide
Antimetabolites (methotrexate, fluorouracil)
Paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, vincristine
Prednisone
36
37. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
37
Anthracycline-containing regimens …..
significantly reduce the rate of recurrence and improve overall
survival as compared with regimens that contain
cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil.
Both node-negative and node-positive patients benefit from
anthracycline-containing regimens.
addition of taxanes to adjuvant regimens ….improve disease-
free survival and overall survival in node-positive BCA patients.
38. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
38
Although the optimal duration of adjuvant chemotherapy
administration is unknown, it appears to be on the order of
12 to 24 weeks and depends on the regimen being used.
Chemotherapy should be initiated within 12 weeks of
surgical removal of the primary tumor.
39. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
39
Dose intensity and dose density …..
critical factors in achieving optimal outcomes in adjuvant breast
cancer therapy.
Dose intensity is defined as the amount of drug
administered per unit of time and is typically reported as
mg/m2/week.
Increasing dose, decreasing time between doses, or both
can increase dose intensity.
40. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
40
Dose density is one way of achieving dose intensity by
decreasing the time between treatment cycles.
Increasing doses in standard regimens ….
not beneficial but may be harmful.
Decreasing doses in standard regimens ….
should be avoided unless necessitated by severe toxicity.
41. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
41
The short-term toxic effects of chemotherapy used in the
adjuvant setting are generally well tolerated.
Supportive therapy is important in patients receiving
systemic adjuvant chemo such as anthracycline-containing
regimen.
Antiemetics
Colony-stimulating factors
42. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
42
Antiemetics to assist in managing chemotherapy-induced
nausea and vomiting,
serotonin-antagonist with substance P/neurokinin 1-antagonist
such as aprepitant and dexamethasone
Colony-stimulating factors …..
to prevent febrile neutropenia, particularly in elderly patients
or patients receiving dose-dense chemotherapy regimens.
43. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
43
Other side effects common with chemo regimens used for
treatment of early stage BCA
alopecia, weight gain, and fatigue
cessation of menses that may not return; accompanied by signs
and symptoms of menopause.
DVT in combination chemotherapy regimens.
Leukemia and other hematologic disorders …associated with
the alkylating agents (e.g., cyclophosphamide) and the
anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin and epirubicin).
44. Adjuvant chemotherapy….
44
Survival benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy in stage I and
II breast cancer is modest.
Absolute reduction in mortality at 10 years …..
5% in patients with negative axillary lymph nodes vs. 10% in
node-positive disease
Addition of a taxane to an anthracycline-based chemo….
standard of care for women with node-positive BCA.
controversial in patients with node-negative disease
45. Commonly used adjuvant chemo regimens
AC
Doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 IV, day 1 plus cyclophosphamide 600
mg/m2 IV, day 1, repeat cycles every 21 days for 4 cycles.
AC Paclitaxel
Doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 IV, day 1 plus cyclophosphamide 600
mg/m2 IV, day 1, repeat cycles every 21 days for 4 cycles.
Followed by: Paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 IV weekly, repeat cycles
every 7 days for 12 cycles
45
46. Commonly used adjuvant chemo regimens…
46
FAC
Fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 4
Doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 IV continuous infusion over 72 hours
Cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 IV, day 1
Repeat cycles every 21–28 days for 6 cycles
CMF
Cyclophosphamide 100 mg/m2 per day orally, days 1–14
Methotrexate 40 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8
Fluorouracil 600 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8
Repeat cycles every 28 days for 6 cycles
47. Commonly used adjuvant chemo regimens…
47
Dose-dense AC Paclitaxel
Doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 IV bolus, day 1
Cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 IV, day 1
Repeat cycles every 14 days for 4 cycles
Followed by:
Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 IV over 3 hours
Repeat cycles every 14 days for 4 cycles
48. Adjuvant biologic therapy
Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody targeted against the
HER2-receptor protein.
Trastuzumab in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy…
indicated in patients with early stage, HER2-positive BCA
risk of recurrence was reduced up to 50% in clinical trials
Optimal duration of trastuzumab therapy is unknown.
Trastuzumab in combination with docetaxel and carboplatin
followed by trastuzumab (for a total of 1year) …FDA approved.
Alone for 1year following anthracycline-based chemo
48
49. Treatment of patients with breast cancers larger
than 1 cm or with positive lymph nodes
49
(HR: hormone
receptor;
HER2: human
epidermal
growth factor
receptor-2)
50. Adjuvant endocrine therapy
50
Hormonal therapies studied in the treatment of early stage
BCA include….
Tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors
Choice of agent(s) depends on …
menopausal status
51. Adjuvant endocrine therapy….
51
Tamoxifen ….. the gold standard for adjuvant endocrine
therapy.
Tamoxifen ….. is antiestrogenic in breast cancer cells, but
estrogenic in other tissues and organs.
It is generally the adjuvant hormonal therapy of choice for
premenopausal women although can also be used for
postmenopausal woman.
52. Adjuvant endocrine therapy….
52
The current recommended dose for tamoxifen in the adjuvant,
metastatic, and preventive settings is……… 20 mg/day.
Adjuvant tamoxifen therapy …..
generally initiated after surgery or as soon as pathology results
are known and the decision to administer tamoxifen as adjuvant
therapy is made.
should be given after chemotherapy is completed, and
continuing for 5 years.
Reduces the risk of recurrence and mortality.
53. Adjuvant endocrine therapy….
Tamoxifen ….. usually well tolerated.
Associated with hot flashes and vaginal discharge
increases the risks of stroke, pulmonary embolism, DVT, and
endometrial cancer, particularly in women age 50 years or
older.
53
54. Adjuvant endocrine therapy….
In postmenopausal women, aromatase inhibitors (AI) are
recommended to be incorporated into adjuvant hormonal
therapy; with the following options…
An aromatase inhibitor for 5 years, or
Tamoxifen for 2 to 3 years, followed by an aromatase inhibitor
(for a total of 5 years of endocrine therapy), or
Tamoxifen for 5 years, followed by an aromatase inhibitor for
another 5 years (total of 10 years).
54
55. Adjuvant endocrine therapy….
Available aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, letrozole,
exemestane)
have similar antitumor efficacy & toxicity profiles
generally well tolerated
Adverse effects of AIs include ….
osteoporosis, hot flashes, myalgia or arthralgia, vaginal dryness
or atrophy, mild headaches, diarrhea.
Bisphosphonates are coadministered with the AI in many
patients in the metastatic setting and may also be beneficial in
the adjuvant setting.
55
57. Treatment of Stage III BCA
Stage III BCA ….locally advanced breast cancer
refers to breast carcinomas with significant primary tumor and
nodal disease, but in which distant metastases cannot be
documented.
also includes inflammatory BCA, which is rapidly progressive.
Because of its aggressive nature, a delay in diagnosis can be
fatal.
57
58. Treatment of Stage III BCA ….
Inflammatory BCA:
rare, rapidly developing cancer that makes the breast red,
swollen and tender.
The rapid onset of symptoms within weeks to months,
including erythema of the skin with or without a detectable
underlying breast mass .......
the hallmark of inflammatory BCA
Patients with inflammatory BCA …..often inappropriately
treated for cellulitis with antibiotics.
58
59. Treatment of Stage III BCA ….
59
Cure is the primary goal of therapy for most patients with
stage III disease.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy …..the initial treatment of
choice…
renders inoperable tumors resectable
for patients with inoperable breast cancer, including
inflammatory BCA
Primary chemotherapy with an anthracycline-containing
regimen with/without a taxane is recommended.
60. Treatment of Stage III BCA ….
60
For patients with HER2-positive tumors ….
trastuzumab with chemotherapy is appropriate
Surgery followed by chemotherapy and adjuvant
radiotherapy should be administered…….
to minimize local recurrence
62. Treatment of metastatic BCA (Stage IV)
Beyond advanced local-regional disease, BCA is incurable.
Goal of treatment should be…
to improve symptoms and QOL,
to extend survival.
The choice of therapy for MBC is based on the site of
disease involvement and presence or absence of certain
characteristics,
Involves: endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy
62
63. Endocrine therapy
The pharmacologic goal of endocrine therapy for BCA ….
decrease circulating levels of estrogen, or
prevent the effects of estrogen at the BCA cell (targeted
therapy) by blocking the hormone receptors or down regulating
the presence of these receptors.
The most important factor predicting response to endocrine
therapy is the presence of estrogen and progesterone
receptors in the primary tumor tissue.
63
64. Endocrine therapy….
Endocrine therapy is the treatment of choice for patients …
who have hormone receptor-positive metastases
The choice of a particular endocrine therapy is based
primarily on ….
mechanism of action, toxicity, and patient preference.
Tamoxifen is the antiestrogen of choice in premenopausal
women whose tumors are hormone-receptor positive,
maximal beneficial effects do not occur for at least 2 months.
64
65. Endocrine therapy….
65
Aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane) ….
reduce circulating and target organ estrogens
generally used in advanced BCA in postmanopausal women,
followed by other endocrine therapies upon progression.
similar response rate and longer time to progression as well as
lower incidence of thromboembolic events and vaginal bleeding,
compared with tamoxifen.
66. Endocrine therapy….
66
Aromatase inhibitors
Anastrozole 1 mg orally daily
Letrozole 2.5 mg orally daily
Exemestane 25 mg orally daily
Antiestrogens
Tamoxifen 20 mg orally daily
Patients are sequentially treated with endocrine therapy
until their tumors cease to respond, at which time
chemotherapy can be given.
67. Chemotherapy
The goal of chemotherapy in the metastatic setting is
palliative.
Chemotherapy is used as initial therapy for women…
with hormone receptor-negative tumors
after failure of endocrine therapy
Agents used previously as adjuvant therapy can be
repeated unless the cancer recurred within 1 year.
67
68. Chemotherapy…..
Single agents are associated with lower response rates than
combination therapy.
Single agents are better tolerated, an important
consideration in the palliative metastatic setting.
Treatment with sequential single agents is recommended
over combination regimens….. unless the patient has rapidly
progressive disease, life-threatening visceral disease, or the
need for rapid symptom control.
Anthracyclines and taxanes produce response rates of 50%
to 60% when used as first-line therapy for MBC.
68
69. Metastatic Single-Agent Chemo
69
Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 IV over 3 hrs. Repeat cycles q21d, OR
Paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 per week IV over 1hr. Repeat dose q 7d
Vinorelbine 30 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8. Repeat cycles q21d, OR
Vinorelbine 30 mg/m2 per week IV. Repeat cycles q7 d (adjust dose
based on absolute neutrophil count)
Docetaxel 60–100 mg/m2 IV over 1 hr. Repeat cycles q21d, OR
Docetaxel 30–35 mg/m2 per week IV over 30 min. Repeat dose q7d
Capecitabine 2,000–2,500 mg/m2 per day orally, divided twice daily
for 14 days. Repeat cycles q21d
70. Metastatic Combination Chemo Regimens
70
Docetaxel + capecitabine
Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 IV over 1 hr, day 1
Capecitabine 2,000–2,500 mg/m2 per day orally divided
twice daily for 14 days
Repeat cycles q21d
Paclitaxel + Gemcitabine
Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 IV over 3 hrs, day 1
Gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 IV days 1 and 8
Repeat cycles q21d
71. Biologic therapy
Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to HER2,
produces response rates of 15% to 20% when used as a single
agent
increases response rates, time to progression when combined
with chemotherapy.
as doublet (taxane-trastuzumab; vinorelbine-trastuzumab)
as triplet (trastuzumab-taxane-platinum) combinations
Trastuzumab is well tolerated,
But, the risk of cardiotoxicity is 5% to the single-agent and
unacceptably high in combination with an anthracycline.
71
72. Radiation therapy
72
Radiation is commonly used to treat painful bone
metastases or other localized sites of disease.
Pain relief is seen in approximately 90% of patients who
receive RT.
73. Prevention of breast cancer
Tamoxifen therapy
Tamoxifen reduce the rates of invasive BCA in women at high
risk for developing the disease.
At 20 mg/day for 5 years, a decreased risk for invasive and
noninvasive cancer of 50% was seen.
Caution when using tamoxifen
Increased risk for endometrial cancer
Increased risk for life-threatening thromboembolic events
73