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Circulating miRNAs.

Completed
Conditions
Recurrent Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer
Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer
Registration Number
NCT01722851
Lead Sponsor
Cancer Trials Ireland
Brief Summary

To identify a panel of circulating miRNA markers which could help identify those breast cancer patients who are most likely to respond well to neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy, and indeed serve as an overall prognostic factor and stratify patients into risk categories which would further guide their management. Similarly, the investigators aim to identify a panel of circulating miRNA markers which could monitor patient's response to chemotherapy and hormonal therapies. Ideally a suitable panel of markers would show significant changes in expression level in good-responders whilst little or no change would be observed in miRNA expression in non-responders.

Detailed Description

Primary Objectives:

1. To identify a panel of miRNAs, detectable in the circulation, which are altered in breast cancer patients

2. To identify specific combinations of miRNAs ('signatures') which associate with breast cancer intrinsic subtypes, and thereby could aid in prognostication and treatment planning on an individual patient basis.

Secondary Objective:

1. To determine if systemic miRNA analysis can be used as a biomarker for monitoring response to chemotherapy, in the neoadjuvant setting and in patients who present with breast cancer recurrence and are treated with upfront chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy.

This is a prospective cohort studies, involving three study cohorts:

Cohort 1: All newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who are scheduled to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Cohort 2: All breast cancer patients who present with metastatic disease, disease recurrence or progression, who are commencing up-front chemotherapy +/- hormonal therapy.

Cohort 3: All breast cancer patients who present with metastatic disease who are commencing hormonal therapy only.

Blood Sample

Blood Sampling - Cohort 1:

- Blood sample 1: at presentation before commencing neoadjuvant treatment.

- Blood sample 2: midway through their chemotherapy treatment (after 2nd cycle if they are enrolled in a 4 cycle regimen, or after 4th cycle if they are prescribed an 8 week regimen).

- Blood sample 3: post-chemotherapy (before surgery as applicable).

- Blood sample 4: 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, or 2 to 4 weeks post 3rd blood sampling if patients do not undergo surgery.

- Blood sample 5: once during follow-up of 12 to 18 months after surgery or 12 to 18 months post 3rd blood sampling if patients do not undergo surgery.

Blood Sampling - Cohort 2:

- Pre-treatment blood sample: at presentation before commencing treatment.

- On study blood samples: taken at monthly (± 1 week) intervals for a period of 6 months from date of pre-treatment blood sample, despite whether the patient is on treatment or completed treatment.

On study blood sample 1: 1 month (± 1 week) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

On study blood sample 2: 2 months (± 1 week) from date of pre- treatment blood sample

On study blood sample 3: 3 months (± 1 week) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

On study blood sample 4: 4 months (± 1 week) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

On study blood sample 5: 5 months (± 1 week) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

On study blood sample 6: 6 months (± 1 week) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

- End of study blood sample: once during follow-up of 12 to 18 months from date of pre-treatment blood sample or at the time of disease progression.

Blood Sampling - Cohort 3:

- Pre-treatment blood sample: at presentation before commencing treatment.

- On study blood samples: taken at the following time points despite whether the patient is on treatment or completed treatment.

On study blood sample 1: 3 months (± 2 weeks) from date of pre-treatment blood sample On study blood sample 2: 6 months (± 2 weeks) from date of pre-treatment blood sample On study blood sample 3: 12 months (± 2 weeks) from date of pre-treatment blood sample

- End of study blood sample: 18 months (± 2 weeks) from date of pre-treatment blood sample or at the time of disease progression.

Blood samples will be processed for miRNA analysis, which involves:

1. Lysis using Trizol 2. RNA isolation 3. Assessing concentration and integrity of RNA using Nanodrop spectrophotometry 4. cDNA synthesis (using miRNA specific stem loop primers) 5. PCR amplification and relative quantification (using miRNA specific probes)

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
255
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Relationship between changes in a patients circulating miRNA expression levels over the course of their systemic therapy, and their response to that treatment.Up to week 66-92

For cohort 1, a patient's response to treatment will be determined using 3 standard parameters: clinical, radiological and pathological responses.

For cohort 2 and 3, a patient's response to treatment will be evaluated using RECIST criteria version 1.1." For cohort 1, a patient's response to treatment will be determined using 3 standard parameters: clinical, radiological and pathological responses.

For cohort 2 and 3, a patient's response to treatment will be evaluated using RECIST criteria version 1.1."

Correlation of systemic miRNA levels with standard biomarkers of responseUp to week 66-92

Standard bio markers of response include serum CEA and Ca15-3 levels

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Relationship between miRNA expression levels and other existing clinicopathological parameters.Up to week 66-92

Other existing clinicopathological parameters include: ER, PR and HER2 status, stage of disease,histological grade and size of the tumour, and the Nottingham Prognostic Index.

Relationship between circulating miRNA profiles and patients' intrinsic subtype of breast cancerUp to week 66-92

Trial Locations

Locations (7)

Beaumont Hospital

🇮🇪

Dublin, Ireland

Bon Secours Hospital

🇮🇪

Cork, Ireland

St James's Hospital

🇮🇪

Dublin, Ireland

University Hospital Galway

🇮🇪

Galway, Ireland

Letterkenny General Hospital

🇮🇪

Letterkenny, Ireland

Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore

🇮🇪

Tullamore, Ireland

Sligo General Hospital

🇮🇪

Sligo, Ireland

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