Evaluation of ATRA Activity in Combination With Anastrozole in Pre-operative Phase of Operable Early Breast Cancer (ATRA)

A Randomized Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Activity of ATRA in Combination With Anastrozole in Pre-operative Phase of Operable HR-positive/HER2-negative Early Breast Cancer (ATRA)

This is an Italian, single center, randomized, phase II study. ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) and derivatives (retinoids) are promising anticancer agents and exert their anti-proliferative, differentiating and apoptotic effects through the nuclear retinoic acid receptors, including RARα (retinoic acid receptor alpha). Although the clinical use of ATRA in haematological malignancies (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, APL) is well established, its use in solid tumors is limited. However, some recent pre-clinical evidence suggests a possible role of ATRA in the treatment of specific subtypes of HR-positive (Hormonal Receptor)/HER2-negative early breast cancer (eBC).

Moving from pre-clinical evidence and given the well-known retinoid mechanism of action, The hypotheses is that ATRA contributes to tumor regression in a specific sub-population of eBCs. Using a preoperative "window-of-opportunity" model, aimed at testing the activity of ATRA in combination with anastrozole in postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed, resectable, HR+/HER2- eBCs.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Breast Neoplasm Female
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Anastrozole 1mg; Drug: all-trans retinoic acid

Detailed Description

This is an Italian, single center, randomized, phase II study. ATRA (all-trans retinoic acid) and derivatives (retinoids) are promising anticancer agents and exert their anti-proliferative, differentiating and apoptotic effects through the nuclear retinoic acid receptors, including RARα (retinoic acid receptor alpha). Although the clinical use of ATRA in haematological malignancies (Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, APL) is well established, its use in solid tumors is limited. However, some recent pre-clinical evidence suggests a possible role of ATRA in the treatment of specific subtypes of HR-positive (Hormonal Receptor)/HER2-negative early breast cancer (eBC).

This is a prospective, randomized Phase 2 window-of opportunity pre-operative clinical trial to study the activity of ATRA in combination with anastrozole in HR+/HER2- eBCs. All patients will receive primary treatment with anastrozole p.o. (intended as standard of care) and will be randomized to add or not ATRA p.o. Patients will receive study treatments by continuous once-daily administration for a period of 4 weeks before definitive surgery. Treatment will start 28 days before the scheduled surgical resection and will be completed at the time of surgery, scheduled no more than 1 week after completion of the study treatment. The interval between diagnostic core biopsy, baseline clinical evaluation and study entry must be no more than 4 weeks.

The study will compare the anti-tumor activity of the treatments in the two arms (ATRA+anastrozole or Aa vs. anastrozole alone or a). In this comparison, the primary outcome measure is the proportion of complete BC cells cycle arrest (defined as Ki67 < 2.7%), as previously reported. Indeed, the responder patients will be defined according the achievement of an absolute value of Ki67 < 2.7% because of its predictive value on relapse-free survival. The study aims at demonstrating that the ATRA+anastrozole (Aa) arm is characterized by significant therapeutic superiority over the anastrozole (a) arm.

Clinical and ultrasound examinations, trascriptome analysis on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples will be performed, at baseline and at the time of definitive surgery

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 112
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Vittoria Fotia, MD; Phone Number: 035 267 3694; Email: vfotia@asst-pg23.it

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Bergamo, Italy, 24127
    • Recruiting
    • Asst Papa Giovanni Xxiii
    • Contact: Vittoria Fotia, MD; Phone Number: 0352673694; Email: vfotia@asst-pg23.it
  • UD
    • Udine, UD, Italy, 33100
      • Recruiting
      • Ospedale Santa Maria della Misericordia di Udine
      • Contact: Silvio Ken Garattini, MD; Phone Number: 0432552751; Email: silvioken.garattini@asufc.sanita.fvg.it

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Signed, informed consent
2. Histologically confirmed non-metastatic operable primary invasive HR-positive breast cancer subjected to diagnostic core biopsy
3. Menopausal status

4. HR-positive/HER2-negative eBC defined as

   • ER>1% on immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining
   • HER2 score equal to 0, 1+, 2+ (if FISH neg) on IHC staining
5. Available paraffin-embedded tumor block (FFPE) taken at diagnostic biopsy for Ki67 determination (IHC)

6. Adequate bone marrow, hepatic and renal function including the following:

   1. Hb ≥ 9.0 g/dL, absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 109/L, platelets ≥100 x 109/L
   2. Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper normal limit, excluding cases where elevated bilirubin can be attributed to Gilberts Syndrome
   3. AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 x upper normal limit (or 5x UNL in the presence of liver metastases)
   4. Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper normal limit
7. Age ≥ 18 years
8. Performance status (PS) ≤ 1 (ECOG scale)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Presence of metastatic disease
2. Pre-menopausal status
3. Previous investigational treatment for any condition within 4 weeks of randomization date
4. Treatment including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biotherapy and/or hormonal therapy for the currently diagnosed breast cancer prior to study entry
5. Co-existing active infection or serious concurrent illness
6. Any medical or other condition that in the Investigator's opinion renders the patient unsuitable for this study due to unacceptable risk
7. Psychiatric disorders or altered mental status precluding understanding of the informed consent process and/or completion of the necessary studies
8. Gastrointestinal disorders that may interfere with absorption of the study drug.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: ARM A - Anastrozole; Anastrozole at the dosage of 1 mg/die. Treatment will last 28 days	Drug: Anastrozole 1mg; Anastrozole will be administered orally at the dosage of 1 mg/die.
Experimental: ARM B - Anastrozole + ATRA; Anastrozole at the dosage of 1mg/die in combination with ATRA at the total dosage of 45mg/m2/die (two daily administrations of 22.5 mg/m2 each). Treatment will last 28 days	Drug: Anastrozole 1mg; Anastrozole will be administered orally at the dosage of 1 mg/die.; Drug: all-trans retinoic acid; Vesanoid will be supplied orally at the total dosage of 45mg/m2/d (two daily administrations of 22.5 mg/m2 each). Treatment will last 28 days; Other Names: Vesanoid

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Responders	Evaluate the proportion of responder patients in the 2 arm (Aa vs. a) according to the Ki67 assessment, measured at baseline and after treatment	At time of surgery. Analyses will be performed approximately 24 months after the enrolment of the first patient, i.e. when all the 112 patients required by simple size specifications complete their treatment schedule and reach the surgical phase.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ki67 reduction	To assess the activity of ATRA according to the % of Ki67 reduction, measured before and after treatment	At time of surgery. Analyses will be performed approximately 24 months after the enrolment of the first patient, i.e. when all the 112 patients required by simple size specifications complete their treatment schedule and reach the surgical phase.
ORR (Overall Response Rate)	To assess the activity of ATRA in terms of tumor size reduction and response rate, according to the RECIST criteria, after 4 weeks of therapy.	At time of surgery. Analyses will be performed approximately 24 months after the enrolment of the first patient, i.e. when all the 112 patients required by simple size specifications complete their treatment schedule and reach the surgical phase.
ATRA-21	To validate the predictive power of ATRA-21, a gene-expression model associated with ATRA activity.	At time of surgery. Analyses will be performed approximately 24 months after the enrolment of the first patient, i.e. when all the 112 patients required by simple size specifications complete their treatment schedule and reach the surgical phase.
Safety evaluation	Patients will be monitored for adverse events (AEs) weekly using the definitions and criteria for grading provided in the Common Terminology Criteria for adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.03.	Safety assessments will occur at day 1 (D1) and after 2 weeks (D14) and after 4 weeks (D28) during treatment.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 18, 2019
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 26, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): October 3, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 19, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 18, 2023
• Last Verified: October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Skin Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Breast Diseases; Breast Neoplasms; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents; Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Dermatologic Agents; Hormone Antagonists; Keratolytic Agents; Aromatase Inhibitors; Steroid Synthesis Inhibitors; Estrogen Antagonists; Anastrozole; Tretinoin
• Other Study ID Numbers: RF-2016-02362383

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No