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POSNOC - A Trial Looking at Axillary Treatment in Early Breast Cancer

Not Applicable
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Breast Cancer
Interventions
Other: Adjuvant therapy
Procedure: Axillary treatment
Registration Number
NCT02401685
Lead Sponsor
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
Brief Summary

POSNOC is a pragmatic, randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority trial.

Aim For women with early stage breast cancer and one or two sentinel node macrometastases, to assess whether adjuvant therapy alone is no worse than adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatment, in terms of axillary recurrence within 5 years.

Stratification: Institution, Age (\<50, ≥50), Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy, Estrogen receptor (ER) status (positive, negative), Number of positive nodes (1, 2), Intra-operative sentinel assessment using OSNA (yes, no).

Interventions The study will compare adjuvant therapy alone with adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatment (axillary node clearance (ANC) or axillary radiotherapy (ART)).

Sample Size: 1900 participants

Follow-up: Participants will be followed up for 5 years.

Adjuvant Therapy: All participants will receive adjuvant systemic therapy (chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy). All participants may receive breast/chest wall radiotherapy. Axillary and supraclavicular fossa radiotherapy is not allowed when randomised to adjuvant therapy alone.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
1900
Inclusion Criteria
  • Unifocal or multi-focal invasive tumour with lesion ≤5 cm in its largest dimension, measured pathologically or largest invasive tumour diameter on radiology should be used for women who are randomised intra-operatively or undergo sentinel node biopsy before neoadjuvant therapy (tumour size should be based only on the single largest tumour; do not add the sizes together from the multiple foci)
  • At sentinel node biopsy have 1 or 2 nodes with macrometastases (tumour deposit >2.0mm in largest dimension or defined as macrometastasis on molecular assay)
  • Fit for axillary treatment and adjuvant therapy
  • Have given written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • bilateral invasive breast cancer

  • more than 2 nodes with macrometastases

  • neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer except:

    • if sentinel node biopsy performed prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women with early breast cancer
    • short duration of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy is acceptable (up to 3 months)
  • previous axillary surgery on the same body side as the scheduled sentinel node biopsy

  • not receiving adjuvant systemic therapy

  • previous cancer less than 5 years previously or concomitant malignancy except:

    • basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
    • in situ carcinoma of the cervix
    • in situ melanoma
    • contra- or ipsilateral in situ breast cancer

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Adjuvant therapy aloneAdjuvant therapyWomen in this arm will have adjuvant therapy but no treatment to their armpit after surgery. Axillary and supraclavicular fossa radiotherapy is not allowed when randomised to this arm.
Adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatmentAdjuvant therapyWomen in this arm will have adjuvant therapy plus treatment to their armpit after surgery. Axillary treatment can be axillary node clearance or axillary radiotherapy as per local guidelines.
Adjuvant therapy plus axillary treatmentAxillary treatmentWomen in this arm will have adjuvant therapy plus treatment to their armpit after surgery. Axillary treatment can be axillary node clearance or axillary radiotherapy as per local guidelines.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Axillary recurrence5 years

Axillary recurrence is defined as pathologically (cytology or biopsy) confirmed recurrence in lymph nodes draining the primary tumour site.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Anxiety (Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory)3 years

Anxiety will be assessed with the Spielberger State/Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Economic evaluation (EQ-5D-5L (EuroQoL)3 years

Health-related quality of life will be evaluated using the EQ-5D-5L (EuroQoL) instrument.

Distant metastasis5 years

Number of participants with distant metastasis.

Disease free survival5 years
Overall survival5 years
Arm morbidity3 years

Arm morbidity will be assessed by the Lymphoedema and Breast Cancer and QuickDASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) questionnaires.

Local (breast or chest wall) recurrence5 years

Number of participants with local (breast or chest wall) recurrence.

Regional (nodal) recurrence5 years

Number of participants with regional (nodal) recurrence.

Axillary recurrence free survival5 years
Contralateral breast cancer5 years

Number of participants with contralateral breast cancer.

Non-breast malignancy5 years

Number of participants with non-breast malignancy.

Quality of life3 years

Quality of life will be assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast+4 questionnaire.

Time to axillary recurrence5 years

Trial Locations

Locations (50)

Monash Cancer Centre

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Australia

Waikato Hospital

🇳🇿

Hamilton, New Zealand

Belfast City Hospital

🇬🇧

Belfast, United Kingdom

Rotorua Hospital

🇳🇿

Rotorua, New Zealand

Riverina Cancer Care Centre

🇦🇺

Wagga Wagga, Australia

Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospital

🇦🇺

Melbourne, Australia

Barnsley Hospital

🇬🇧

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Bankstown-Lidcocombe Hospital

🇦🇺

Bankstown, Australia

Coffs Harbour Health Campus

🇦🇺

Coffs Harbour, Australia

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

🇦🇺

Perth, Australia

Medway Maritime Hospital

🇬🇧

Gillingham, United Kingdom

Maeter Hospital

🇦🇺

Brisbane, Australia

Darrent Valley Hospital

🇬🇧

Dartford, United Kingdom

Princess of Wales Hospital

🇬🇧

Bridgend, United Kingdom

Addenbrooke's Hospital

🇬🇧

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Macclesfield District General Hospital

🇬🇧

Macclesfield, United Kingdom

Royal Adelaide Hospital

🇦🇺

Adelaide, Australia

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

🇬🇧

Ashford, United Kingdom

City Hospital

🇬🇧

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Western Infirmary

🇬🇧

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Bradford Royal Infirmary

🇬🇧

Bradford, United Kingdom

University Hospital Llandough

🇬🇧

Cardiff, United Kingdom

Royal Derby Hospital

🇬🇧

Derby, United Kingdom

Western General Hospital

🇬🇧

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Eastbourne District General Hospital

🇬🇧

Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Inverclyde Royal Hospital

🇬🇧

Greenock, United Kingdom

Harrogate District Hospital

🇬🇧

Harrogate, United Kingdom

Forth Valley Hospital

🇬🇧

Larbert, United Kingdom

Royal Marsden Hospital

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

University Hospital Crosshouse

🇬🇧

Kilmarnock, United Kingdom

St James's University Hospital

🇬🇧

Leeds, United Kingdom

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

🇬🇧

Luton, United Kingdom

North Manchester General Hospital

🇬🇧

Manchester, United Kingdom

Maidstone Hospital

🇬🇧

Maidstone, United Kingdom

Royal Victoria Infirmary

🇬🇧

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Derriford Hospital

🇬🇧

Plymouth, United Kingdom

Peterborough City Hospital

🇬🇧

Peterborough, United Kingdom

Royal Gwent Hospital

🇬🇧

Newport, United Kingdom

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

🇬🇧

Norwich, United Kingdom

Rotherham General Hospital

🇬🇧

Rotherham, United Kingdom

Royal Stoke University Hospital

🇬🇧

Stoke-on-trent, United Kingdom

Royal Cornwall Hospital

🇬🇧

Truro, United Kingdom

Wishaw General Hospital

🇬🇧

Wishaw, United Kingdom

New Cross Hospital

🇬🇧

Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Royal Bolton Hospital

🇬🇧

Bolton, United Kingdom

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

🇬🇧

Leicester, United Kingdom

Wythenshawe Hospital

🇬🇧

Manchester, United Kingdom

Oxford University Hospitals

🇬🇧

Oxford, United Kingdom

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

🇬🇧

London, United Kingdom

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