Treatment for male breast cancer using endocrine therapy
ETHAN: A Phase II Study Comparing Different Endocrine THerapies for mAle Breast caNcer
This study is testing different combinations of hormone therapy for men with early to mid-stage breast cancer to see which one works best compared to the usual treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Male |
| Sponsor | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 8 sites (Washington D.C., District of Columbia and 7 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT05501704 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This clinical trial investigates the effectiveness of various endocrine therapy regimens for men with stage I-III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Participants will undergo a 3-week window phase of treatment followed by a 4-month treatment phase, where they will receive one of four combinations of endocrine therapies, including Tamoxifen, Anastrozole, Degarelix, and Abemaciclib. The study aims to determine how well these treatments work in comparison to the standard care. Participants will be monitored for up to 10 years after treatment completion to assess long-term outcomes.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are men aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of invasive hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have not yet undergone surgery.
Not a fit: Patients with breast cancer that is not hormone receptor-positive or HER2-positive, or those who have already had surgical resection, may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide more effective treatment options for men with breast cancer, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life.
How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promise with endocrine therapies in breast cancer treatment, but this specific approach for male breast cancer is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Men aged 18 years or older, with diagnosis of invasive breast cancer who have not undergone surgical resection of the primary tumor and axillary nodes. * Stage I, II, or III per American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging 8th edition (112). * Breast cancer must be hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative according to definition below assessed by local pathology. * Hormone receptor-positive is defined as: positivity for at least one of the hormone receptors (estrogen receptor \[ER\] or progesterone receptor \[PR\]) by IHC. ER and PR assays are considered positive if there are \> 1% positive tumor nuclei in the samples. * HER2-negative is defined per the current American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists Clinical Practice Guideline (113). * Patients with multifocal or multicentric disease are eligible if the treating investigator has determined the patient should be treated as ER-positive and HER2-negative. * Bilateral breast cancers are allowed if the treating investigator has determined the patient should be treated as ER-positive and HER2-negative. * Patients with a history of ipsilateral or contralateral DCIS or LCIS are eligible. * ECOG performance status ≤ 2. * Required laboratory values demonstrating adequate organ function: * ANC ≥ 1000/mm3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dl * Platelets ≥ 50,000/mm3 * Serum creatinine ≤ 3.0 x ULN (institutional) * Total bilirubin ≤ 2.0 x ULN (institutional). * AST and ALT ≤ 5.0 x ULN (institutional) * Men with partners of childbearing potential must be willing to use one highly effective form of non-hormonal contraception or two effective forms of non-hormonal contraception by the patient and/or partner and continue its use for the duration of the study treatment and for 6 months after the last dose of study treatment. * Non-English-speaking patients are eligible but will be exempt from patient-completed questionnaires. * Willing and able to sign informed consent. * Willing to undergo breast biopsy after completion of window phase. * Patient is able to swallow oral medications. Exclusion Criteria: * Prior endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or investigational therapy for the current breast cancer diagnosis. * Prior endocrine therapy, systemic therapy, radiation therapy, or investigational therapy for any other malignancy within the past 12 months. * Diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer (T4d). * Other concurrent serious diseases that may interfere with planned treatment, including severe cardiac disease, congestive heart failure (CHF) of New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or higher, severe pulmonary conditions/illness, uncontrolled infections. * The patient has serious and/or uncontrolled preexisting medical condition(s) that, in the judgment of the investigator, would preclude participation in this study (for example, interstitial lung disease, severe dyspnea at rest or requiring oxygen therapy, severe renal impairment \[e.g. estimated creatinine clearance \<30ml/min\], history of major surgical resection involving the stomach or small bowel, or preexisting Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis or a preexisting chronic condition resulting in baseline Grade 2 or higher diarrhea). * The patient has active systemic bacterial infection (requiring intravenous \[IV\] antibiotics at time of initiating study treatment), fungal infection, or detectable viral infection (such as known human immunodeficiency virus positivity or with known active hepatitis B or C \[for example, hepatitis B surface antigen positive\]. Screening is not required for enrollment. * The patient has a personal history of any of the following conditions: syncope of cardiovascular etiology, ventricular arrhythmia of pathological origin (including, but not limited to, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation), or sudden cardiac arrest.
Where this trial is running
Washington D.C., District of Columbia and 7 other locations
- Georgetown University Medical Center — Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States (Recruiting)
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Recruiting)
- Mayo Clinic — Rochester, Minnesota, United States (Recruiting)
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center — Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States (Recruiting)
- University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Cancer Center — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
- University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States (Recruiting)
- Vanderbilt Cancer Center — Nashville, Tennessee, United States (Recruiting)
- M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at University of Texas — Houston, Texas, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jose Pablo Leone, MD — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Study coordinator: Jose Pablo Leone, MD
- Email: josep_leone@dfci.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-789-2903
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.