Quality of life with palbociclib plus fulvestrant in previously treated hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer: patient-reported outcomes from the PALOMA-3 trial

Ann Oncol. 2016 Jun;27(6):1047-1054. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw139. Epub 2016 Mar 30.

Abstract

Background: In the PALOMA-3 study, palbociclib plus fulvestrant demonstrated improved progression-free survival compared with fulvestrant plus placebo in hormone receptor-positive, HER2- endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This analysis compared patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between the two treatment groups.

Patients and methods: Patients were randomized 2 : 1 to receive palbociclib 125 mg/day orally for 3 weeks followed by 1 week off (n = 347) plus fulvestrant (500 mg i.m. per standard of care) or placebo plus fulvestrant (n = 174). PROs were assessed on day 1 of cycles 1-4 and of every other subsequent cycle starting with cycle 6 using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and its breast cancer module, QLQ-BR23. High scores (range 0-100) could indicate better functioning/quality of life (QoL) or worse symptom severity. Repeated-measures mixed-effect analyses were carried out to compare on-treatment overall scores and changes from baseline between treatment groups while controlling for baseline. Between-group comparisons of time to deterioration in global QoL and pain were made using an unstratified log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model.

Results: Questionnaire completion rates were high at baseline and during treatment (from baseline to cycle 14, ≥95.8% in each group completed ≥1 question on the EORTC QLQ-C30). On treatment, estimated overall global QoL scores significantly favored the palbociclib plus fulvestrant group [66.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 64.5-67.7 versus 63.0, 95% CI 60.6-65.3; P = 0.0313]. Significantly greater improvement from baseline in pain was also observed in this group (-3.3, 95% CI -5.1 to -1.5 versus 2.0, 95% CI -0.6 to 4.6; P = 0.0011). No significant differences were observed for other QLQ-BR23 functioning domains, breast or arm symptoms. Treatment with palbociclib plus fulvestrant significantly delayed deterioration in global QoL (P < 0.025) and pain (P < 0.001) compared with fulvestrant alone.

Conclusion: Palbociclib plus fulvestrant allowed patients to maintain good QoL in the endocrine resistance setting while experiencing substantially delayed disease progression.

Clinical trial registration: NCT01942135.

Keywords: breast cancer; endocrine resistance; palbociclib; patient-reported outcomes; quality of life.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / pathology
  • Estradiol / administration & dosage
  • Estradiol / adverse effects
  • Estradiol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Female
  • Fulvestrant
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Reported Outcome Measures
  • Piperazines / administration & dosage*
  • Piperazines / adverse effects
  • Pyridines / administration & dosage*
  • Pyridines / adverse effects
  • Quality of Life
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics
  • Receptors, Estrogen / genetics

Substances

  • Piperazines
  • Pyridines
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Fulvestrant
  • Estradiol
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • palbociclib

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01942135