In a randomized, Phase III trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, ribociclib, in combination with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, dramatically improved progression-free survival (PFS) of post-menopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, compared to the hormone therapy alone.
The study found a 44 percent improvement in PFS with ribociclib, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, and letrozole as a front line therapy. Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., professor of Breast Medical Oncology, presented the findings at ESMO 2016 Congress, and is the corresponding author of the New England Journal of Medicine paper.
According to the American Cancer Society, 246,660 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, and 40,450 women will die from the disease. More than two-thirds of all breast cancers are hormone dependent, says Hortobagyi.
“These findings have the potential to impact tens of thousands of women each year,” says Hortobagyi, the study’s principal investigator. “At some point, all breast cancers become resistant to endocrine therapy, so reversing, preventing or delaying that resistance is a major unmet need in this population.
“Women with metastatic disease will be on some therapy for the rest of their lives, and it’s paramount that we delay the progression of their disease for as long as possible,” continues Hortobagyi… Read More>>
Source: Medical Xpress
