Genomics and Metastatic Breast Cancer: Where Are We Today?
1. Genomics and MBC:
Where are we today?
Nikhil Wagle, MD
5th Annual Metastatic Breast Cancer Forum
September 2016
DFCI / BWH / Broad
Center for Cancer
Precision Medicine
2. • What are all changes at the molecular level that can
lead to metastatic breast cancer?
• What explains why some patients show extraordinary
responses to a particular treatment?
• What explains why some tumors never respond to a
particular treatment, or why some tumors initially
respond but later develop resistance?
• What are some factors that can lead to to developing
metastatic breast cancer at a young age?
• What are the genes involved in metastatic breast cancer
for underrepresented and understudied groups?
• How can we improve the use of genomic information in
the treatment of metastatic breast cancer?
• How can we develop better treatments for metastatic
breast cancer?
Some questions we are trying to answer in
metastatic breast cancer
3. • New drugs for the estrogen receptor
• Combinations with new targeted
therapies (CDK4/6 inhibitors and PI3K
inhibitors)
Advances in Metastatic Breast Cancer Therapy
ER+
HER2+
TNBC
• Combining agents that target HER2
• Combinations with new targeted agents
• PARP inhibitors
• Immunotherapies
4. CANCER PRECISION MEDICINE
“Doctors have always recognized that every patient is unique, and doctors have always tried to
tailor their treatments as best they can to individuals. You can match a blood transfusion to a blood
type — that was an important discovery. What if matching a cancer cure to our genetic code was
just as easy, just as standard? What if figuring out the right dose of medicine was as simple as
taking our temperature?” - President Obama, January 30, 2015
5. What is Cancer Precision Medicine?
The use of clinical,
pathological,
molecular, and
genomic
information to direct
the appropriate
therapy to the
appropriate patient
at the appropriate
time
6. Obtain tumor
biopsy material
Extract DNA/RNA from
tumor to profile for
somatic alterations
The Path to Precision Cancer Medicine
MacConaill and Garraway, JCO, 2010
7. Finding and Exploiting the Achilles Heel
Characterizing the
tumor to find
vulnerabilities – and
then targeting or
exploiting those
vulnerabilities
11. Metastatic tumor
biopsy & blood
samples
PROFILE
(Targeted Sequencing)
Additional Molecular
Studies and Banking
Make Cell Line Models and
Mouse Models
Studies of
Resistance
/Discovery of
New Targets
Experimental
Studies
Pathology
ER, PR, HER2 Returned to
Physician for
Clinical
Decision
Making
Comprehensive Next
Generation Sequencing
(Whole Exome and
Transcriptome Sequencing)
Dana-Farber / Broad Institute
Center for Cancer Precision Medicine
Metastatic Breast Cancer Study
Future Uses
“Blood” or “Liquid” Biopsies
12. Metastatic tumor
biopsy & blood
sample
Patients with metastatic ER+
breast cancer with resistance
to endocrine therapy
Clinical Trials of Novel Agents and
Combinations Specific to Identified
Resistance Mechanisms
Trial #1
(e.g. novel SERD)
Trial #2
(e.g. PI3Ki combo)
Trial #3
(e.g. CDKi combo)
Future Trials
(to be developed)
COMPREHENSIVE
SYSTEMATIC
TUMOR ANALYSIS
Dana-Farber / Broad Institute
Center for Cancer Precision Medicine
Metastatic Breast Cancer Study
13. • Ultimate goal: To understand what drives
breast cancer so that we eventually can
interpret every patient’s cancer genome,
identify the optimal treatments, and
anticipate and preempt resistance before it
arises
• There’s been a lot of progress, but we are
still far from the goal
• What will it take to get there? Detailed
molecular and genomic characterization of
thousands of tumor and germline samples
along with medical information
How can we get there faster?
14. Most tumor samples have not been readily available for study
Challenges of Studying Patient Tumor Samples
Technology, social media, and
cultural changes now provide a
new opportunity to engage cancer
patients and directly partner with
them in this research
Only 5% of U.S.
cancer patients
are enrolled in
clinical trials
85% of U.S. cancer
patients are treated
in community
settings
18. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project
MBCproject.org
Over 2600 women and men with metastatic breast cancer from all 50 states
have joined the MBCproject in the 11 months since our launch in October 2015
19. Patient-Reported Data
95% submitted the 16-
question survey
98% response rate to
each question (all are
optional)
6 minutes to complete
Disease Characteristics:
• Dates of initial diagnosis
• Date of diagnosis with metastatic
disease
• ER+, PR+, and HER2+ status
Treatment Response:
• Questions about extraordinary
responses
• Free text about treatments
• Date of most recent biopsy
Demograpgics:
• Year of birth
• Race and ethnicity
Free text about anything additional
Detailed patient
reported data from
>2500 patients
20. ONLINE CONSENT
MEDICAL HISTORY
TISSUE COLLECTION
GENOMIC ANALYSIS
INTERPRETATION
REPORTING /
DATA SHARING
Electronic consent form asks patients for permission to
obtain a saliva sample, tumor tissue and medical records.
Medical records are obtained by the MBCproject team and
centrally reviewed and abstracted
Tumor blocks requested from local pathology departments
by the MBCproject team
Molecular characterization of tumor and saliva includes
whole exome sequencing (WES) and transcriptome
sequencing (RNASeq)
Genomic data is interpreted in the context of clinical data
(extraordinary response, de novo disease, age, etc) at the
individual level and in aggregate across similar patients
De-identified genomic & clinical data shared widely with
research community. Overall progress, findings, and
discoveries regularly communicated directly to patients
Metastatic Breast Cancer Project: Approach
SALIVA COLLECTION Consenting patients are sent a saliva kit and asked to mail
back their saliva sample
21. 0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
8/31/11 10/20/11 12/9/11 1/28/12 3/18/12 5/7/12 6/26/12 8/15/12
MBCProject: Patients Enrolled, Consented, and Saliva Samples Received
Registered
Consented
Saliva Received
In January, we
started sending
online consents
to all registered
patients
In March, we started
sending saliva kits
to consenting
patients
>1500
>900
>2600
Soft
launch
Official Launch
With Advocacy
Partners
San Antonio Breast
Cancer Symposium
Facebook and
Twitter posts by
patients/advocates
Facebook post by a
metastatic breast cancer
patient/advocate
ASCO
22. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project
Patient Groups to Study
Identified groups of rare patients who have been
challenging to study with traditional approaches:
• Patients with extraordinary responses to therapies
• Patients who present with advanced disease
• Patients diagnosed with MBC at a young age
• Underrepresented Populations
Each of these groups is readily identifiable based on the
screening questions on the MBCProject.org website
23. 99% of those who responded
“Yes” provided the drug names
98% of those who responded
“Yes” provided drug names and
additional “free text” details
Studying patients with Exceptional Responses
Hundreds of patients with self-reported long-term and/or exceptional
responses identified. For example:
• Capecitabine (Xeloda): 117
• Platinums (Carboplatin, Cisplatin) and PARP inhibitors: 63
• Everolimus: 36
632
1107
12 7
Any therapy >2yrs?
Yes
No
Don't Know
No Response
946
569
195
48
Any Extraordinary Response?
Yes
No
Don't Know
No Response
24. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >10
Years Since Diagnosis of Metastasis
As of April 2016, Based on 1730 responses (98.4% response rate)
100 respondents report living with metastatic disease for
more than 10 years.
Studying patients with Exceptional Responses
25. Patients and advocates have been involved from the beginning in conceiving,
designing, implementing, testing, and refining this project.
A Collaboration with Patients and Advocates
26. #MBCproject on Facebook and Twitter
#BCSM twitter chat: > 2 million impressions; 1 Facebook post: 300 enrollments in 12 hours
27. “Count Me In”
“I want to live and watch my
children grow up, but if I can’t,
then I want to leave a legacy and
a cure.”
—Houston, TX
“As someone who does not live
near a research center and
therefore cannot easily
participate in trials, I finally feel
like I can contribute.”
—Lake Tahoe, CA
“Amazing how happy that little
box makes you feel! I felt like a 2
year old. Let me help! I feel a
sense of pride and belonging
because of this.”
—Minneapolis, MN
“Giving us HOPE for the future
and if not for some of us, for our
families.”
—Scottsdale, AZ
28. Summary
• Cancer precision medicine is the use of clinical, pathological, molecular,
and genomic information to direct the appropriate therapy to the
appropriate patient at the appropriate time
• The identification of numerous potentially clinically relevant alterations
plus the development of genomically-driven clinical trials now allows us to
apply/test precision medicine in breast cancer
• This is particularly true in metastatic disease, where there are important
genomic and molecular differences relevant for targeted therapies and
immunotherapies
• Large, open databases of clinical, genomic, and molecular information are
needed to advance precision medicine.
• Patient-driven research movements can enable rapid identification of
thousands of patients willing to share tumors, saliva, and medical records
to accelerate this research
29. Thank you!
DFCI / BWH / Broad
Center for Cancer
Precision Medicine
mbcproject.org
Questions? Email info@mbcproject.org
Notas do Editor
PIK3CA H1047 and E545 in breast cancer
BRAF V600 in breast
MEK1
EGFR
ERBB2 mutations in breast
Only ~ 5% of patients in the U.S. are enrolled in clinical trials.
85% of cancer patients are treated in community settings rather than at Comprehensive Cancer Centers.
Even for patients on trials, tumor tissue is not collected for study.
Even for collected samples, the cost of genome sequencing has historically been too high to do systematic analysis.
Direct outreach to patients on a national or international scale has historically been considered impractical.
Most tumor samples have not been readily available for study
THE SITUATION IS NOW CHANGING:
Most patients and/or their families are internet- and technology-savvy
Social media now make it possible to communicate with patients in new, powerful ways
The cost of genome sequencing has plummeted nearly one million-fold over the past decade – making it possible to take on projects at a scale never before imaginable
It has become acceptable for patients to directly participate in genetic research
There is a new opportunity to engage cancer patients and directly partner with them in this research
Keep, but make less wordy, for example: Overall response rate: 95% (Use three words, not a paragraph)
DETAILS ARE IN ADDITIONAL SLIDES
Will also discuss IRB issues here.
Steady state of 200 registrants/month, 140 consents/month, 140 saliva samples/month
Over past 2 months: 200 registrants/month, 150 consents/month, 125 salivas/month
4 months: 200 registrants/month, 150 consents/month, 150 salivas/month
Nearly 100 medical records have been received and reviewed to date
Dozens of tumor samples have been received and examined
Whole exome and transcriptome sequencing of initial pilot group of tumor and saliva samples is now complete