A Trial of Early Detection of Molecular Relapse With Circulating Tumour DNA Tracking and Treatment With Palbociclib Plus Fulvestrant Versus Standard Endocrine Therapy in Patients With ER Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancer — TRAK-ER  

HER2-negative Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

Official title: A Randomised Trial of Early Detection of Molecular Relapse With Circulating Tumour DNA Tracking and Treatment With Palbociclib Plus Fulvestrant Versus Standard Endocrine Therapy in Patients With ER Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancer

Status Recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

Detection of molecular relapse with circulating tumour DNA analysis can identify which patients with ER positive breast cancer are relapsing on adjuvant endocrine therapy. This trial will aim to demonstrate that palbociclib and fulvestrant, can defer or prevent relapse in patients with ctDNA detected molecular relapse.

The TRAK-ER trial will have two phases, a ctDNA surveillance phase and a randomised therapy trial in patients with positive ctDNA.

The TRAK-ER trial will establish a ctDNA screening programme for patients with ER positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy with at least a further three years of standard adjuvant endocrine therapy planned. Patients recruited into the TRAK-ER study will have high-risk clinical features to identify patients at higher risk of future relapse.

ctDNA assays will be used to identify which people are at very high risk of relapse (i.e. those with a positive ctDNA result), and randomise this high risk population between standard endocrine therapy versus palbociclib plus fulvestrant for up to two years.

Clinical Trial Description

The TRAK-ER trial is a multi-centre, randomised, open-label trial in patients with early stage oestrogen reception positive (ER+) human epidermal growth receptor-2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer, whom have detectable circulating DNA (ctDNA) but no overt macroscopic disease on imaging. TRAK-ER aims to demonstrate that fulvestrant plus palbociclib improves relapse free survival compared to standard endocrine therapy in this patient group.

Despite current treatment, patients with ER+HER2- breast cancer are considered high-risk of distant recurrence for more than the first two decades after initial diagnosis. ctDNA analysis provides a non-invasive, serial source of tumour material which can monitor tumour dynamics and detect molecular relapse.

TRAK-ER will be split into two phases, the first surveillance phase aims to investigate the use of ctDNA to identify and predict the risk of molecular relapse in early ER+/HER2- breast cancer patients whom are receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy with no overt macroscopic disease on imaging. Using ctDNA assays, patients enrolled on TRAK-ER will receive ctDNA testing on a three-monthly basis for up to three years. In the instance where ctDNA is detected, imaging will determine whether overt disease is present. If a patient had a positive ctDNA detection and no macroscopic disease on the staging scan, the patient will be randomised to one of the treatment groups in the second phase of TRAK-ER, the treatment phase.

The treatment phase of TRAK-ER will be a randomised, open-label study which aims to determine whether fulvestrant plus palbociclib (intervention arm) improves relapse free survival compared to standard endocrine therapy (control arm) in patients carried through from the surveillance phase. Patients on each arm will receive treatment (fulvestrant plus palbociclib or standard endocrine therapy) for up to 24 months. Six monthly imaging will determine the presence of macroscopic disease. If macroscopic disease is observed, the patient will discontinue TRAK-ER treatment and commence standard therapy outside of the TRAK-ER trial. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Breast Neoplasms
• ER+ Breast Cancer
• HER2-negative Breast Cancer

• NCT number: NCT04985266
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• Contact: Project Manager
• Phone: 020 7808 2887
• Email: trak-er@rmh.nhs.uk
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: March 30, 2022
• Completion date: September 1, 2030