James Reeves, MD Co-Authors Breast Cancer Study To Be Presented at San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Fort Myers, Fla., Dec., 2021 – Medical oncologist James Reeves, MD, a member of the clinical research team at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), is co-author of a study that examined the use and effectiveness of niraparib, a targeted therapy drug, to reduce the recurrence of HER2-negative, BRCA mutated breast cancer. Entitled, “Correlation Between Presence of Circulating Tumor DNA and Response to Neoadjuvant Niraparib in HER2-Negative, BRCA-Mutated Breast Cancer,” the study will be shared in a poster presentation at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium being held Dec. 7 – 12, 2021.

It is estimated that 20 to 30 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will develop recurrence after treatment, according to the National Breast Cancer Coalition.  Efforts to predict the risks of early recurrence include the examination of whether circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may be a potential biomarker for predicting risk of recurrence and response to therapy in the neoadjuvant setting, meaning that it is given prior to the primary treatment.

The study’s analysis indicates a correlation between the TP53 gene and tumor volume following treatment with niraparib over time, as follows:  “Overall, decrease of detectable TP53 MAF from baseline … was evident by C1D28 of neoadjuvant niraparib treatment and persisted to presurgery. A subset of patients achieve depleting of detectable TP53 MAF and persistent shrinkage in tumor volume without  rebounding…”

Dr. Reeves and his fellow co-authors state: “Mutations in TP53 occur in 30 to 35 percent of invasive primary BC cases and may be an effective biomarker. Nuraparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1/2 inhibitor, provides a new, effective treatment option for BRCA 1/2-mutated early-stage breast cancer after chemotherapy…”

The co-authors note that, “Further research is warranted to understand the association between presence of ctDNA with clinical outcomes… and disease recurrence, adding that ctDNA has the potential to guide treatment regimens and provide effective personalized therapy in breast cancer.”

To view an online version of the poster, visit: https://primeglobalpeople.com/docs/SABCS2021_ShanM_ctDNA%20assay.pdf