ASCO has been awarded an $11 million grant from PCORI to support a clinical trial co-led by Erica Mayer – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute shared on LinkedIn:
“The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has been awarded an $11 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI) to support a clinical trial co-led by Erica Mayer, MD, MPH, director of Clinical Research in Breast Oncology at Dana-Farber.
The national randomized trial, initiated by the ASCO Research Network, will study CDK4/6 inhibitors in patients age 65 and older who have hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. The study aims to identify strategies to improve tolerability of this important category of medications for older patients, increasing the chances of a significant and prolonged anti-cancer effect. Dana-Farber has been involved in the seminal trials that developed CDK4/6 inhibitors for breast cancer. For the past decade, Mayer has led studies of CDK4/6 inhibitors for both metastatic and early-stage breast cancer. She and others will co-lead the study with principal investigator Julie R. Gralow, MD, chief medical officer of ASCO.
‘I have great interest in ways we can make our effective targeted therapies more tolerable for patients,’ explains Mayer. ‘This project dovetails with my previous research, and I’m excited to bring my experience to this effort.’
CDK4/6 inhibitors were approved to treat metastatic breast cancer in 2015. However, in clinical practice, patients may need to reduce the dose or stop therapy due to side effects, a problem that may be overcome with better dosing strategies. Difficulty with the dose is a problem that is prevalent in older patients, who are frequently underrepresented in clinical trials.
The Dana-Farber Breast Oncology Program, which runs one of the largest clinical research programs in the country, is widely recognized for its leadership in trials investigating new cancer interventions. In addition, the team recently launched the Program for Older Adults with Breast Cancer, led by Rachel Freedman medical director of Collaborative and Strategic Alliances and a senior physician in Breast Oncology at the Institute.
‘This ASCO-led study will be a very important initiative,’ reflects Mayer. ‘CDK4/6 inhibitors are among our most active and effective targeted agents for hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer. Older patients comprise the majority of breast cancer cases and are the most vulnerable to toxicities and side-effects from these medicines. Optimizing our ability to treat this important population of patients is a top priority.’ ”