Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41587113›Full record

Trial reportClinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research2026

Role of ctDNA in Predicting the Outcome of Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Advanced Breast Cancer Treated with First-line Ribociclib and Letrozole: BioItaLEE Trial.

Giampaolo Bianchini, Luca Malorni, Roberta Caputo, Alberto Zambelli, Fabio Puglisi, Giulia V Bianchi, Lucia Del Mastro, Ida Paris, Filippo Montemurro, Marco Colleoni and 18 more

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIIMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

28 authors.

Giampaolo Bianchini *Department of Medical Oncology, Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6790-6267
Luca Malorni *Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Hospital of Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4297-2997
Roberta CaputoDepartment of Breast and Thoracic Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Fondazione G Pascale, Napoli, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4231-1184
Alberto ZambelliMedical Oncology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas University, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1374-1831
Fabio PuglisiDepartment of Medical Oncology, IRCCS, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0573-4938
Giulia V BianchiSC Oncologia Medica 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3630-4527
Lucia Del MastroDepartment of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9546-5841
Ida ParisGynecologic Oncology Unit, Department of Woman's and Child Health and Public Health Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7445-3366
Filippo MontemurroIstituto di Candiolo, FPO, IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4231-2291
Marco ColleoniSenologia Medica, IEO Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, IRCCS, Milano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5743-3013
Giacomo AllegriniU.O.C. Oncologia Medica, Presidio Ospedaliero Livorno, Livorno, Italy.ORCID 0009-0001-1776-4432
Stefano TamberiU.O. Oncologia, P.O. Ospedale degli Infermi - AUSL, Ravenna, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7087-9116
Claudio ZamagniIRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7143-9091
Marina E CazzanigaPhase 1 Research Unit & Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Milano Bicocca School of Medicine and Surgery, Monza, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1756-6935
Michele OrdituraU.O.C. Oncologia Medica e Ematologia, A.O.U. Università degli Studi L. Vanvitelli, Napoli, Italy.ORCID 0009-0005-6517-0136
Valentina GuarneriDeparment of Surgical, Oncological and Gastroenterological Sciences, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2375-8397
Vincenzo AdamoScientific Consultant Oncology Project, Papardo Hopsital, Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2074-2418
Emanuela RomagnoliU.O.C. Oncologia Presidio Ospedaliero di Macerata, ASUR Marche, Macerata, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2745-8607
Maria Rosaria ValerioU.O.C. di Oncologia Medica, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3589-4684
Saverio CinieriU.O.C. Oncologia Medica, Presidio Ospedaliero Antonio Perrino, Brindisi, Italy.ORCID 0009-0009-1440-7278
Matteo BenelliDepartment of Oncology and Bioinformatics Unit, Ospedale di Prato, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1227-356X
Maurizio CallariMichelangelo Foundation, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5239-0918
Diletta ValsecchiOncology, Novartis Farma SpA, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0009-0009-3268-0876
Daniela CastellettiOncology, Novartis Farma SpA, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0979-2844
Donatella GrassoOncology, Novartis Farma SpA, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7648-2806
Nicola FendericoOncology, Novartis Farma SpA, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3599-7931
Grazia Arpino *Department of Medical Clinics and Surgery, Università Federico II, Napoli, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4074-2530
Michelino De Laurentiis *Department of Breast and Thoracic Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Fondazione G Pascale, Napoli, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9009-1572

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis phase IIIb study prospectively evaluated the prognostic and predictive value of baseline and dynamic circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer (ABC) treated with first-line ribociclib/letrozole. EXPERIMENTAL

designA total of 287 patients were enrolled, with ctDNA analyzed at baseline (n = 263), day 15 of cycle 1 (C1D15; n = 238), C2D1 (n = 241), and first imaging (n = 206). The primary objective was to identify ctDNA alterations, characterize their evolution across treatment time points, and assess their association with progression-free survival (PFS).

resultsMedian PFS was 23.4 months (95% confidence interval, 20.8 to not estimable). At baseline, the most frequently altered genes were PIK3CA (22.1%) and TP53 (15.5%). Alterations in TP53, MYC, and HER- and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6- pathway genes were linked to early progression. Absence of a detectable mutation at baseline (n = 150, 57%) was associated with a better prognosis [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.41]. Among patients with a detectable mutation at baseline (n = 104), early clearance (mutation undetectability) was observed in 47.1% at C1D15 and 52.4% at C2D1 and was associated with improved PFS (C1D15, HR = 0.51; C2D1, HR = 0.44). In patients without a detectable mutation at baseline, 22.7% (n = 34) developed new mutations at C1D15, C2D1, or first imaging. Patients without new mutations had a lower risk of progression (HR = 0.45).

conclusionsPretreatment and early dynamics of ctDNA represent promising prognostic and predictive biomarkers in patients with HR+/HER2- ABC treated with ribociclib/letrozole. Early ctDNA dynamics seem to be a promising surrogate biomarker for treatment. Further studies are warranted to validate their clinical utility.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBiomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsCirculating Tumor DNAAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAminopyridinesErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansLetrozoleMiddle AgedMutationPrognosisProspective StudiesAminopyridinesBiomarkers, TumorCirculating Tumor DNAERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesLetrozolePurinesReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, Progesteroneribociclib

Identifiers

PMID41587113
PMCPMC13266340

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Registered trials

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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.