Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41742165›Full record

Trial reportBreast cancer research : BCR2026

Pathway activity profiling can predict neoadjuvant endocrine therapy response in HR+ HER2- postmenopausal early stage breast cancer.

N de Gruil, A F de Groot, Y Wesseling-Rozendaal, D Keizer, C S Koekenbier, S Vermeer, D Cohen, J B Heijns, C M P W Mandigers, A J van de Wouw and 9 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03283384 (Tailoring NEOadjuvant Therapy in Hormone Receptor Positive, HER2 Negative, Luminal Breast Cancer.), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

What it found

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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.

NCT03283384 phase2active not recruitingnot on this map

Tailoring NEOadjuvant Therapy in Hormone Receptor Positive, HER2 Negative, Luminal Breast Cancer.

TypeinterventionalSponsorBorstkanker Onderzoek GroepRan2019 to 2027Enrolled100ConditionsBreast NeoplasmsArmsLetrozole, Chemotherapy, Ribociclib plus letrozole
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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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

19 authors.

N de GruilLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
A F de GrootLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Y Wesseling-RozendaalInnoSIGN B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
D KeizerInnoSIGN B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
C S KoekenbierLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
S VermeerInnoSIGN B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
D CohenLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
J B HeijnsDepartment of Medical Oncology, Amphia, Breda, The Netherlands.
C M P W MandigersDepartment of Medical Oncology, Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
A J van de WouwDepartment of Medical Oncology, VieCuri Medical Center, Venlo, The Netherlands.
M Cloos-van BalenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Groene Hart Hospital, Gouda, The Netherlands.
J A RopelaDepartment of Medical Oncology, St. Jansdal, Harderwijk, The Netherlands.
H M OosterkampDepartment of Medical Oncology, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, The Netherlands.
M L van BekkumDepartment of Medical Oncology, Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis, Delft, The Netherlands.
D HoutsmaDepartment of Medical Oncology, HAGA Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.
E den BiezenInnoSIGN B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
G J LiefersLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
S C LinnAntoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
J R KroepLeiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. j.r.kroep@lumc.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo improve patient selection for neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET), signal transduction pathway profiles of estrogen receptor (ER)-, androgen receptor (AR), were studied and compared to standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) in postmenopausal patients with HR+ (IHC ER ≥ 50%, progesterone receptor any), HER2- breast cancer of the NEOLBC trial (NCT03283384).

methodsAfter two weeks of NET with letrozole, patients with Ki67 (Ki67-2 W) ≥ 1% IHC were randomized to receive letrozole + ribociclib or standard chemotherapy until surgery, while patients with Ki67-2 W < 1% continued NET (letrozole monotherapy). Baseline, two week- and resection FFPE samples of 82 patients were analyzed using mRNA-based OncoSIGNal profiling test, providing the pathway activity score (PAS).

resultsDespite samples being ER-IHC ≥ 50%, the ER-PAS varied over a range of 32–78 (scale from 0 to 100) with 20% of the patients showing low ER-PAS (32–45; similar to triple negative breast cancer tissue). At 2 weeks, 89% (73/82) of the patients showed a decreased ER-PAS (11.6 ± 8.6) compared to baseline (p < 0.001), whereas ER-IHC remained unchanged. Patients with complete response (RECIST1.1) appeared to have a higher ER-PAS at baseline compared to those with stable disease (p = 0.03), ROC analysis confirmed ER-PAS at baseline as an acceptable predictive factor for MRI response (AUC ≥ 0.7). Lastly, baseline and 2-week pathway activity profiling could identify targetable escape mechanisms for NET non-responders, which could improve personalized treatment strategies.

conclusionER IHC+ does not correlate to ER-PAS and ER-PAS is a more dynamic marker that appears to reflect variable NET response more accurately than IHC.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Agents, HormonalBreast NeoplasmsErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesAgedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsBiomarkers, TumorFemaleHumansLetrozoleMiddle AgedNeoadjuvant TherapyNeoplasm StagingPathologic Complete ResponsePostmenopauseReceptors, AndrogenReceptors, EstrogenAntineoplastic Agents, HormonalBiomarkers, TumorERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesLetrozoleReceptors, AndrogenReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, ProgesteroneBreast cancerEstrogen receptorHER2-negativeNeoadjuvant endocrine therapyPathwayPostmenopausal

Identifiers

PMID41742165
PMCPMC13041441

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Registered trials

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.