Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40020509›Full record

ReviewBreast (Edinburgh, Scotland)2025

Antibody-drug conjugates in elderly patients with breast cancer.

Marta Bonotto, Giulia De Pieri, Rocco Esposto, Ludovica Lay, Giuseppe Aprile, Fabio Puglisi, Alessandro Marco Minisini

Erratum issuedAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Marta BonottoDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy. Electronic address: marta.bonotto@asufc.sanita.fvg.it.
Giulia De PieriDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy; Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Rocco EspostoDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy; Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Ludovica LayDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy; Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Giuseppe AprileDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy.
Fabio PuglisiDepartment of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy; Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Aviano, Italy.
Alessandro Marco MinisiniDepartment of Oncology, Academic Hospital of Udine ASUFC, Udine, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with elderly patients (aged >65 years) comprising a substantial portion of those affected. The treatment of breast cancer in this population is often complicated by frailty, comorbidities and polypharmacy. This review explores the application of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), such as trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and sacituzumab govitecan (SG), in treating breast cancer among elderly populations. The underrepresentation of older patients in clinical trials complicates efficacy and safety assessments in this group. Current evidence indicates that ADCs are both effective and tolerable in elderly patients, demonstrating improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) alongside a manageable safety profile. Data from several trials like the EMILIA, TH3RESA and DestinyBreast studies demonstrate that T-DM1 and T-DXd maintained benefit in PFS and OS for HER2-positive breast cancer in older patients, despite a slight increase in adverse events. The ASCENT and TROPiCS-02 trials further confirm that SG provides significant improvements in PFS and OS in elderly patients at the cost of an increase in some toxicity. Emerging ADCs, including datopotamab deruxtecan and ARX-788, show promise but lack extensive geriatric-specific data. While the ADCs offer encouraging results in terms of efficacy and safety, with appropriate dose adjustments, further research is needed to optimize their use in elderly patients with breast cancer.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Agents, ImmunologicalBreast NeoplasmsImmunoconjugatesAdo-Trastuzumab EmtansineAgedAged, 80 and overAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCamptothecinFemaleHumansProgression-Free SurvivalTrastuzumabAdo-Trastuzumab EmtansineAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntineoplastic Agents, ImmunologicalCamptothecinImmunoconjugatessacituzumab govitecanTrastuzumabtrastuzumab deruxtecanAgeAntibody-drug conjugatesBreast cancerElderlySafetyTreatment

Identifiers

PMID40020509
PMCPMC11919621

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.