AI Insight
This retrospective real-world study evaluated the clinical outcomes of two CDK 4/6 inhibitors, palbociclib and ribociclib, combined with endocrine therapy in Indian patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer between 2021 and 2023. Both drugs demonstrated better median progression-free survival in patients with good performance status (ECOG PS 1), de novo metastatic disease, first-line hormonal therapy use, and no prior chemotherapy exposure. Multivariate analysis confirmed that ECOG performance status, line of hormonal therapy, and prior chemotherapy were independently significant predictors of outcomes.
Why it matters
These findings provide context-specific evidence for CDK 4/6 inhibitor use in an Indian patient population, where real-world data remain scarce, and may help clinicians better identify which patients are most likely to benefit from these agents in routine clinical practice.
by Anindya Mukherjee, Pankaj Goyal, Rupal Tripathi, Sumit Goyal, Ullas Batra, Vineet Talwar, Varun Goel, Arpit Jain, Shekhar Saha, Sneha Bothra, Chaturbhuj Agrawal, Swati Chugh, Dinesh Chandra Doval
Background
The present study evaluated the real-world experience with cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors palbociclib and ribociclib in hormone receptor-positive/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR + /HER2-) metastatic breast cancer.
Method
This study was conducted on the HR + /HER2- metastatic breast cancer patients who received palbociclib/ ribociclib in the first line or recurrent setting between January 2021 and January 2023 along with endocrine therapy. Data was retrieved from the Hospital medical records.
Results
In the patients receiving palbociclib, a better median progression free survival (PFS) was observed in patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 1 (27.3 months,p-value <0.0001), de novo disease (17.5 months,p-value 0.0155), first line hormonal therapy (22.5 months,p-value <0.0001) and no prior chemotherapy (20.3 months,p-value 0.0001). Similarly, in the patients receiving ribociclib, a better median PFS was observed in patients with ECOG PS 1 (22.2 months,p-value <0.0001), de novo disease (21.7 months,p-value 0.0042), first-line hormonal therapy (22.5 months,p-value <0.0001) and no prior chemotherapy (21.7 months,p-value <0.0001). On multivariate analysis, ECOG PS, line of hormone therapy and prior chemotherapy showed significance (p-values <0.0001, < 0.0001 & 0.0269, respectively).
Conclusion
The study shows real-world experience with cyclin dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors palbociclib and ribociclib in metastatic breast cancer in India.
Source: Real world experience with cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors in metastatic breast cancer in India