Secondary Analysis Results of the POSITIVE Study Presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
Patients with HR-positive breast cancer can use fertility preservation and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to conceive without an increased short-term risk of recurrence.
“With the increasing age of childbearing, it is becoming more likely that women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before starting or completing their families,” said Dr. Hatem A. Azim Jr, Translational Research Study Co-Chair on behalf of the International Breast Cancer Study Group. “Many breast cancer patients may opt for fertility preservation prior to starting cancer treatment and/or may use ART to increase their chances of pregnancy”.
Early results from the POSITIVE clinical trial, presented at last year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showed that patients with HR-positive breast cancer could safely pause endocrine therapy for up to two years to become pregnant without increasing their risk of breast cancer recurrence. However, the safety of conceiving after fertility preservation and/or ART for these patients remained unclear.
“Despite the accumulating evidence, many oncologists and gynecologists are still concerned about the use of fertility preservation or ART methods, particularly those requiring hormones, in patients with HR-positive breast cancer”, said Prof. Olivia Pagani, the International Study Chair on behalf of the International Breast Cancer Study Group. “Our data, from a prospective and controlled study, show that the use of fertility preservation and ART is effective and is not associated with worse short-term breast cancer outcomes. This information, in addition to the primary POSITIVE results, will help improve the way young women with breast cancer are counseled about fertility preservation and pregnancy planning".
Follow-up data are needed to monitor long-term disease outcomes. We plan to continue to follow the study participants until 2029, but FUNDING IS NEEDED.
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The study is supported and conducted by the ETOP IBCSG Partners Foundation globally, and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology in North America, in collaboration with the Breast International Group (BIG), the BIG cooperative groups, and the National Clinical Trials Network of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Globally, the study received support from Baillet Latour Fund and BIG Against Breast Cancer (Belgium); Frontier Science and Technology Research Foundation, Pink Ribbon Switzerland, Swiss Cancer League, San Salvatore Foundation, Rising Tide Foundation, Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research Foundation of Eastern Switzerland, Ms. Elisabetta Pavesi, Gateway for Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Roche Diagnostics International, Verein Bärgüf, Swiss Cancer Foundation, Piajoh Fondazione di Famiglia, Gruppo Giovani Pazienti “Anna dai Capelli Corti,” Schweizer Frauenlauf Bern, C&A, and private donors (all in Switzerland); Dutch Cancer Society (the Netherlands); Norwegian Breast Cancer Society and Pink Ribbon (Norway); ELGC K.K. and Pink Ring (Japan); Mr. Yong Seop Lee, Ms. Sun Hee Kang, and Korean Breast Cancer Foundation (South Korea). In North America, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ECOG-ACRIN), SWOG Cancer Research Network, NRG Oncology, the Canadian Cancer Trials Group received support from the NIH, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, RETHINK Breast Cancer, the Gilson Family Foundation.
PRESS RELEASE:
SAN ANTONIO BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM 2023; OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
Patients with HR-positive Breast Cancer May Use Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technologies Without Increased Risk of Recurrence
IBCSG SAKK BIG PRESS RELEASE:
Patients with HR-positive Breast Cancer May Use Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technologies Without Increased Risk of Recurrence
SWITZERLAND:
DE SAKK IBCSG POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2023
SPAIN:
Mujeres con cáncer de mama sensible a hormonas pueden interrumpir dos años el tratamiento para quedarse embarazadas sin recaídas pressrelease Dec2023
USA:
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) / SABCS 2023 POSITIVE Results for Breast Cancer Patients Wanting to Conceive:
https://www.aacr.org/blog/2023/12/07/sabcs-2023-positive-results-for-breast-cancer-patients-wanting-to-conceive/
Interview with Hatem Azim: https://oncologytube.com/channel/SABCS/video/42539/fertility-preservation-and-assisted-reproductive-technologies-art---sabcs-2023
POSITIVE Study Pregnancy after breast cancer: https://youtu.be/rIPkvmQS_3g
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