MedPath

Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsy Trial

Conditions
Cancer
Breast Cancer
Interventions
Procedure: Blood Draw
Registration Number
NCT04962529
Lead Sponsor
Anthony Magliocco
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to continue to develop a liquid biopsy (minimally invasive blood test) that can be used to confirm if breast cancer has spread throughout the body and if this liquid biopsy test can provide comparable information to a highly invasive tissue biopsy. The knowledge gained in this study could be used in future studies to confirm cancer recurrence using a safe and minimally invasive procedure. The research will consist of looking for tumor cell(s) circulating in the blood stream and if they are present to characterize them so that more information about the disease can be collected. This information may help us to better understand how to fight cancer.

Detailed Description

An estimated 287,850 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the US in 2022 (cancer.org). Most women with breast cancer present with disease confined to the breast and local lymph nodes, where surgical removal of lesions is standard of care and well-managed. Those diagnosed and treated for primary breast cancer often recur with metastatic disease more than 5 years after initial diagnosis. (Pan, NEJM 2017).

Sadly, when lesions emerge in other areas, after months or decades with no evidence of disease, mortality rates rise. The most common sites of distant recurrence of breast cancer are the bone, lung, liver, and brain, (Lin, NCCN 2012), all of which are difficult to biopsy, and obtain pathological evidence of malignancy because metastatic lesions: 1) are not always accessible/deeply located, 2) are prone to under sampling, and 3) may present dense fibrotic tissue. In addition, tissue biopsy methods in metastatic lesions have been shown to:

1. have low patient compliance,

2. have high discordance rate with malignant lesions at imaging,

3. be incompatible with longitudinal monitoring.

As a result, at a critical point in patient care, there is still a current unmet need for diagnostic information to guide decision-making.

As established widely in published literature over the past decade, receptor status often changes between primary and metastatic disease, and during lines of metastatic treatments, changing the trajectory of the disease and further highlighting the need for longitudinal evaluation of receptor status. Occult micro-metastases or minimal residual disease (MRD) cannot be detected with current medical modalities and can originate metastatic relapse at distant sites. For this reason, cellular and molecular liquid biopsy approaches that enable detection of disease relapse allow therapy escalation many months earlier than overt relapse detected by imaging which as result may increase patients' survival. Based on discussions, interviews, and surveys of both thought-leading academics and community-based medical oncologists, there is an evident opportunity to improve patient care. Moreover, the market shows receptivity to a blood-based test for these inaccessible cases as well as improve identification of patients at high risk of relapse or eligible for earlier treatment escalation compared to current tissue biopsy testing in practice today.

In this clinical trial the purpose is to examine the potential of blood draws as a rapid and less invasive alternative to biopsies. Additionally, to compare the results of Epic Sciences' liquid biopsy test, DefineMBC, with results of standard-of-care (SoC) pathology results from metastatic contemporaneous tissue biopsies. With the implementation of our newest Registry Arm of patients, our goal is also to provide participating physician investigators the results Epic Sciences' liquid biopsy test, Define MBC, for breast cancer subjects with no central pathology data and utilize physician feedback for test experience improvements.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
450
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria
  • Unable to provide informed consent
  • New treatment commences prior to liquid biopsy blood collection
  • Previous history of an invasive non-breast cancer (except for non-melanoma skin cancer)
  • Subjects not undergoing a tissue biopsy at time of blood draw (for suspected breast cancer recurrence or prior to beginning new line of metastatic treatment)
  • Subjects with only a new contralateral breast primary tumor

Arm 2 Inclusion criteria:

  • Capable of providing informed consent
  • Subjects (≥ 18 years of age) must have had a prior primary breast cancer diagnosis of any subtype at least six (6) months before presentation with suspected metastases or be presenting with de novo metastasis.
  • Patients on adjuvant treatment for primary disease are eligible provided clinical progression (suspected recurrence) is evident based on radiological assessment
  • The suspected metastasis biopsied may be from any lesion outside the ipsilateral breast and axilla, infra/supraclavicular areas.
  • In those with suspected metastases in contralateral axilla, infra/supraclavicular areas only, a new contralateral breast primary must be excluded by imaging.
  • Confirmation of progression of MBC must be confirmed by imaging
  • (Optional) Tissue biopsy of suspected metastatic lesion must be taken prior to treatment for metastatic disease and can be either: (i) after liquid biopsy blood draw for this study, or (ii) at least one week prior to liquid biopsy blood draw for this study.
  • No history of any other cancers (except for non-melanoma skin cancer)
  • Data from primary BCa diagnosis must be accessible, including detailed description with standard markers and morphology describing how malignancy/cancer of origin was determined.
  • Subject must exhibit clinical signs of breast cancer recurrence or progression of previously confirmed metastatic breast cancer

Arm 2 Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects unable to provide informed consent
  • New treatment regimen commences prior to liquid biopsy blood collection
  • Subjects on treatment for MBC with no imaging evidence of clinical progression
  • Previous history of an invasive non-BC apart from cancers treated with curative intent at least five (5) years previously with no recurrence since diagnosis, with the exception of a non-melanoma skin cancer

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Arm 1: Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients With Contemporaneous Tissue BiopsyBlood DrawInvestigators plan to enroll patients previously diagnosed with a primary breast cancer of any subtype at least six (6) months before presentation with suspected metastases or be presenting with de novo metastasis The suspected metastases in these patients must be outside the ipsilateral breast, axilla infra/supraclavicular areas. In those with suspected metastases in contralateral axilla, infra/supraclavicular areas only a new contralateral breast primary must be excluded by physical exam, mammogram or MRI If a tissue biopsy is performed, the matched tissue will be sent to the central pathology lab for reanalysis. If a tissue biopsy was performed, but the tissue block is exhausted or unavailable, patients are still eligible to participate in the study.
Arm 2: Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Without Contemporaneous Tissue BiopsyBlood DrawInvestigators plan to enroll patients previously diagnosed with a primary breast cancer of any subtype at least six (6) months before presentation with suspected metastases or be presenting with de novo metastasis The suspected metastases in these patients must be outside the ipsilateral breast, axilla infra/supraclavicular areas. In those with suspected metastases in contralateral axilla, infra/supraclavicular areas only a new contralateral breast primary must be excluded by physical exam, mammogram or MRI. A contemporaneous tissue biopsy is optional for this cohort.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Concordance between liquid and tissue biopsy in terms of presence or absence of cancerTime Frame: It is a single visit study and the study investigators would prefer to have the blood draw from patients before tissue biopsy or within 7-28 days of tissue biopsy

To analyze concordance between liquid biopsy, Circulating tumor (ct) cells and ctDNA (academic assays based on mutations and/or epigenetic changes), with biopsy results (presence or absence of cancer), and with all blood assays being conducted blinded to tissue biopsy results

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Classification of tissue biopsyTime Frame: It is a single visit study and the study investigators would prefer to have the blood draw from patients before tissue biopsy or within 7-28 days of tissue biopsy

After confirmation of tumor area and cellularity, slides will be stained with the appropriate Immunohisto Chemistry: Progesterone Receptor (clone 1E2), Estrogen Receptor (clone SP1), GATA3, TTF1, PD-L1 (SP142), FOXA1, or HER2 (4B5).

Physician Feedback for Test Experience ImprovementsTime Frame: It is a single visit study and the study investigators would prefer to have the blood draw from patients before tissue biopsy or within 7-28 days of tissue biopsy

To provide participating physician investigators the results Epic Sciences' liquid biopsy test, Define MBC, for breast cancer subjects with no central pathology data and utilize physician feedback for test experience improvements

Exploratory analysisTime Frame: It is a single visit study and the study investigators would prefer to have the blood draw from patients before tissue biopsy or within 7-28 days of tissue biopsy

Exploratory analyses will include agreement of GATA3, FOXA1 and PDL1 staining results between liquid and tissue biopsies, where possible.

Concordance between liquid and tissue biopsy in terms of hormone and HER2 statusTime Frame: It is a single visit study and the study investigators would prefer to have the blood draw from patients before tissue biopsy or within 7-28 days of tissue biopsy

Secondary analysis of the concordance between hormone receptor and HER status identified on tissue with identified CTCs

Trial Locations

Locations (8)

Saskatoon City Hospital

🇨🇦

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Ocala Oncology

🇺🇸

Ocala, Florida, United States

New York Cancer & Blood Specialists

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Miami Memorial Healthcare System

🇺🇸

Hollywood, Florida, United States

Sarasota Memorial Hospital

🇺🇸

Sarasota, Florida, United States

Northwest Community Hospital

🇺🇸

Arlington Heights, Illinois, United States

6555 Sanger Rd, Suite 260

🇺🇸

Orlando, Florida, United States

Montefiore Medical Center

🇺🇸

Bronx, New York, United States

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath