First-Line Camizestrant for Emerging <i>ESR1</i>-Mutated Advanced Breast Cancer.

Abstract

Mutations in <i>ESR1</i> are the most common mechanism of acquired resistance to treatment with an aromatase inhibitor plus a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor for advanced breast cancer. Camizestrant, a next-generation selective estrogen-receptor (ER) degrader and complete ER antagonist, has shown antitumor activity in ER-positive advanced breast cancer. We tested patients with advanced breast cancer with ER-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative tumors for <i>ESR1</i> mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) once every 2 to 3 months. All the patients had received at least 6 months of first-line therapy with an aromatase inhibitor plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor (palbociclib, ribociclib, or abemaciclib). Patients who were found to have an <i>ESR1</i> mutation and did not have radiologic progression were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to switch to camizestrant (75 mg once daily) with a continued CDK4/6 inhibitor plus placebo in place of an aromatase inhibitor or to continue to receive an aromatase inhibitor plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor plus placebo in place of camizestrant. The primary outcome was investigator-assessed progression-free survival. A total of 3256 patients were tested for an <i>ESR1</i> mutation. The 315 eligible patients were assigned to switch to camizestrant (157 patients) or to continue to receive an aromatase inhibitor (158 patients). At an interim analysis at a median follow-up of 12.6 months, the median progression-free survival was 16.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.7 to 18.2) in the camizestrant group and 9.2 months (95% CI, 7.2 to 9.5) in the aromatase-inhibitor group (hazard ratio for progression or death, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.60; P<0.0001). The median time until a deterioration in the patient-reported global health status and quality of life occurred was 21.0 months with camizestrant and 6.4 months with an aromatase inhibitor (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.84). The frequency of discontinuation because of adverse events was 1.3% with camizestrant and 1.9% with an aromatase inhibitor. In patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with an <i>ESR1</i> mutation that emerged during treatment, those who were switched to camizestrant with continuation of a CDK4/6 inhibitor during first-line therapy had significantly longer progression-free survival than those who maintained the aromatase-inhibitor combination. (Funded by AstraZeneca; SERENA-6 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04964934.).