Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer With Fulvestrant Plus Palbociclib or Tamoxifen Plus Palbociclib
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02913430 |
Recruitment Status :
Active, not recruiting
First Posted : September 23, 2016
Last Update Posted : July 26, 2021
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Metastatic Breast Cancer | Drug: Fulvestrant Drug: Tamoxifen Drug: Palbociclib | Early Phase 1 |
The primary objectives are to assess longitudinal changes in allele frequency of ESR1 mutation in plasma in patients treated with Fulvestrant plus palbociclib compared to tamoxifen plus palbociclib.
Patients with ER+ breast cancer who had 1 to 3 prior lines of endocrine therapy and up to one line of chemotherapy for MBC, excluding fulvestrant and tamoxifen, will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive fulvestrant 500mg IM Q28 days with one extra dose on Day15 of the first cycle (as a loading dose) plus palbociclib 125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule or tamoxifen 20mg PO daily plus palbociclib 125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 7 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer With Fulvestrant Plus Palbociclib or Tamoxifen Plus Palbociclib: A Randomized Pilot Trial With ESR1 Mutation Tested in Circulating Tumor DNA. |
Actual Study Start Date : | April 24, 2018 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | October 28, 2020 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | October 28, 2021 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: Arm A
fulvestrant administered 500mg IM Q28 days plus palbociclib125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule
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Drug: Fulvestrant
500mg IM Q28 days Drug: Palbociclib Tamoxifen or Fulvestrant plus palbociclib125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule |
Active Comparator: Arm B
Tamoxifen is administered orally, at a dose of20mg PO Qdaily plus palbociclib125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule
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Drug: Tamoxifen
20mg PO Qdaily Drug: Palbociclib Tamoxifen or Fulvestrant plus palbociclib125mg/day PO on a 21 days on/7 days off schedule |
- Changes in allele frequency of ESR1 mutation [ Time Frame: Up to 6 months ]Assessment of longitudinal changes in allele frequency of ESR1 mutation (mt) in plasma in treated patients. ESR1 status will be assessed using ddPCR. Allelic frequency is quantified as compared to wild-type allele, independent of plasma volume. The range will be 0-100, with increased values indicating worse prognosis or disease progression.
- RNAseq for functionality of ESR1 [ Time Frame: Up to 6 months ]Assessment of the functionality of ESR1 in tumor biopsies collected prior to and following treatment as assessed by RNAseq.
- Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events [ Time Frame: Up to 6 months ]Treatment related adverse events will be assessed in all patients as assessed by CTCAE v4.0. This will be determined at the monthly visits.
- Progression-free survival (PFS) [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]
The duration of time from time of randomization to time of progression or death, whichever occurs first. Disease progression (PD) as defined by RECIST v1.1: At least a 20% increase in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. The progression of non-target lesions or the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progression.
PFS for a subject without an event will be censored on the date of last tumor assessment. If an interval of 6 months passes without a tumor assessment, PFS will be censored at the time of the earlier tumor assessment, even if an event (progressive disease or death) is later observed.
- Objective Response Rate (ORR) [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]The proportion of patients with tumor size reduction per RECIST v1.1 ((Complete Response + Partial Response (PR) / all patients assessed for response). Per RECIST v1.1, CR: Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to <10 mm. PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters.
- Clinical benefit rate (CBR) [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]Clinical Benefit Rate is defined as the number of patients with Completed Response (CR)+Partial Response (PR)+ Stable Disease (SD) / all patients assessed for response per RECIST v1.1 . Per RECIST v1.1, CR: Disappearance of all target lesions. Any pathological lymph nodes (whether target or non-target) must have reduction in short axis to <10 mm. PR: At least a 30% decrease in the sum of diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the baseline sum diameters. SD: Stable Disease (SD): Neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify for PR nor sufficient increase to qualify for PD, taking as reference the smallest sum diameters while on study.
- Assessment ESR1 status [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]Assessment of ESR1 status in plasma and biopsy samples. ESR1 status will be assessed using ddPCR. ESR1 status is quantified as compared to wild-type allele, independent of plasma volume. The range will be 0-100, with increased values indicating worse prognosis or disease progression.
- Changes in circulating levels of ESR1-mt [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]Assessment of longitudinal changes in circulating levels of ESR1-mt. The range will be 0-100, with increased values indicating worse prognosis or disease progression.
- Gene expression via cfRNA [ Time Frame: Up to 5 years ]Use of cfRNA to determine gene expression in AI resistant mutant ESR1 MBC.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
For inclusion in the study subjects should fulfill the following criteria:
- Signed informed consent
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Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed invasive breast cancer that is ER+ (>1% staining) with radiographical or clinical evidence of metastatic disease
a. Measurable and/or non-measurable disease
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Prior therapies:
- Patients must have previously received an aromatase inhibitor in the adjuvant, neo-adjuvant or metastatic setting.
- Patients must have previously received palbociclib in the adjuvant, neo- adjuvant or metastatic setting. If patient is currently taking palbociclib at time of screening for the trial they may continue taking palbociclib.
- The minimum duration of AI in the adjuvant setting is 2 years.
- There is no minimum duration of AI in the metastatic setting or neoadjuvant setting.
- Patients may have been previously treated with an mTOR inhibitor or other investigational agent in addition to an aromatase inhibitor.
- Prior treatment with tamoxifen is allowed in the adjuvant setting provided that it was followed by a minimum of 2 years of an AI.
- Brain metastasis is allowed if previously treated, stable and off steroids for a minimum of 56 days
- Age > 18 years
- Male or female breast cancer is allowed
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Patients may be pre- or post-menopausal; pre-menopausal patients must be on ovarian suppression and must be adequately suppressed on LHRH agonists with estradiol levels in the post-menopausal range
a. Premenopausal patients cannot be pregnant and must agree to adequate birth control in addition to ovarian suppression. Agreement by the patient and/or partner to use highly effective, nonhormonal form of contraception or two effective forms of non-hormonal contraception. Contraception use should continue during the duration of study treatment and for at least 6 months after the last dose of study treatment.
- ECOG performance status 0-2
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Adequate bone marrow function as indicated by the following, within 14 days of enrollment:
- ANC ≥ 1500 cells/mm3
- Platelets ≥ 100,000 cells/ mm3
- Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
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Adequate liver function, as indicated by the following, within 14 days of enrollment.
- Total bilirubin 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN)
- AST 1.5 ULN
- ALT ≤ 2.5 ULN
- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 ULN with the following exception; ALP ≤ 5× ULN in patients with bone metastases.
- Adequate hemostatic function as determined by PT, INR and aPTT < 1.5× ULN (unless on therapeutic coagulation, in which case the adequate level of anticoagulation will be determined by the investigator).
- Adequate renal function, as indicated by creatinine ≤ 1.5 ULN.
Subjects should not enter the study if any of the following exclusion criteria are fulfilled
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Prior therapy exclusions:
- Prior therapy with fulvestrant
- Prior therapy with tamoxifen in the metastatic setting
- More than 3 prior lines of endocrine therapy in the metastatic setting
- More than one prior line of chemotherapy in the metastatic setting
- Washout of 2 weeks is required for aromatase inhibitors; washout of 4 weeks is required for, everolimus or other biological agents with the exception of Palbociclib.
- Patients must not be receiving any other investigational agent.
- Patients with symptomatic, untreated CNS metastases are not eligible.
- Patients may not have significant concurrent illness, infection, pregnancy or lactation
- Patients must not have a different active malignancy, except for skin basal cell carcinoma, skin squamous cell carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02913430
United States, Pennsylvania | |
Magee-Womens Hospital UPMC | |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213 |
Principal Investigator: | Shannon Puhalla, MD | University of Pittsburgh |
Responsible Party: | Shannon Puhalla, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02913430 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
16-015 |
First Posted: | September 23, 2016 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | July 26, 2021 |
Last Verified: | July 2021 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
ESR1 mutation |
Breast Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Breast Diseases Skin Diseases Tamoxifen Fulvestrant Palbociclib Estrogen Antagonists Hormone Antagonists Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists |
Physiological Effects of Drugs Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal Antineoplastic Agents Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators Estrogen Receptor Modulators Bone Density Conservation Agents Estrogen Receptor Antagonists Protein Kinase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action |