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Unmet need

What are the remaining unmet needs in HR+, HER2– eBC?

Risk of non-adherence and disease recurrence

Around 50% of patients do not adhere to their optimal adjuvant ET schedule, influenced by factors such as age, comorbidities, socioeconomic status and treatment tolerability.1–4 Non-adherence and early discontinuation are linked to increased mortality.4

Risk of recurrence remains a major challenge.5

 

Adding CDK4/6is to ET improves survival in high-risk patients but increases toxicity and discontinuation rates.8,9


What are the remaining unmet needs in HR+, HER2– mBC?

CDK4/6is plus ET have transformed first-line treatment for HR+, HER2– disease.10–12 However, most patients eventually develop resistance and disease progression.13,14

In the post-CDK4/6i setting, available treatments are associated with modest median progression-free survival benefits.15–20

Well-established ETs (first-generation SERMs and SERDs) may be less effective in ESR1-mutated tumours.21–24

References

  1. Hershman DL, et al. J Clin Oncol 2010; 28:4120–4128;
  2. Zuo H, et al. Eur J Cancer 2025; 227:115665; 
  3. Collin LJ, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:1421–1428; 
  4. Hershman DL, et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011; 126:529–537;
  5. Sheffield KM, et al. Future Oncol 2022; 18:2667–2682;
  6. Baum M, et al. Lancet 2002; 359:2131–2139; 
  7. Thürlimann B, et al. N Engl J Med 2005; 353:2747–2757;
  8. Johnston SRD, et al. J Clin Oncol 2020; 38:3987–3998; 
  9. Slamon DJ, et al. N Engl J Med 2024; 390:1080–1091; 
  10. Finn RS, et al. N Engl J Med 2016; 375:1925–1936; 
  11. Hortobagyi GN, et al. Ann Oncol 2018; 29:1541–1547;
  12. Johnston S, et al. npj Breast Cancer 2019; 5:5;
  13. Rugo HS, et al. ESMO Open 2025; 10:105570;
  14. Raheem F, et al. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16198; 
  15. Surmeli ZG, et al. J Oncol Sci 2024; 10:25–31;
  16. Mo H, et al. Clin Breast Cancer 2021; 22:143–148; 
  17. Rugo HS, et al. Lancet Oncol 2024; 25:e629–638;
  18. Turner NC, et al. N Engl J Med 2023; 388:2058–2070; 
  19. Bidard F-C, et al. J Clin Oncol 2022; 40:3246–3256; 
  20. Jhaveri KL, et al. N Engl J Med 2025; 392:1189–1202; 
  21. Dustin D, et al. Cancer 2019; 125:3714–3728;
  22. Harrod A, et al. Oncogene 2017; 36:2286–2296; 
  23. Toy W, et al. Cancer Discov 2017; 7:277–287;
  24. Liang J, et al. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo5959.

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