Fortbildungen / Formations continues 2012 - IUMSP

COOPERATIVE GROUPS
International Breast Cancer
Study Group IBCSG
Rudolf Maibach, IBCSG Coordinating Center, Berne
Keywords: Adjuvant breast cancer, Metastatic breast
cancer, Endocrine treatment, Sentinel node biopsy,
Radiotherapy, Genotyping
Annual Meeting in Rimini
This year’s Annual Meeting of the group was held in the
sea-side resort of Rimini, Italy. Dr. Alberto Ravaioli, former
Mayor or Rimini, and Director of the oncology department
of the hospital of Rimini, invited the IBCSG
community to meet in his home town, which he served as
Sindaco (mayor) for a whole decade. The meeting was held
at the Grand Hotel of Rimini, rendered world-famous
through Federico Fellini’s �lms. As a poor child growing
up in Rimini, he often looked through the gates of the
hotel in awe, dreaming of a life of luxury like the hotel’s
guests. These childhood memories inspired some of his
most successful �lms. The Grand Hotel is featured particularly
in his �lm Amarcord, where it forms the background
of some of the �lm’s most memorable scenes.
This classic hotel was the perfect location to celebrate the
20th anniversary of the IBCSG Foundation. Prof. Rolf Stahel
as president of the group warmly welcomed all the
guests and particularly thanked Alberto Ravaioli for the
generous invitation and organization of the meeting. He
was delighted to also welcome Prof. Hansjörg Senn who
was the �rst president of the Foundation.
The Scienti�c Session part of the meeting served to look
back on the achievements of the last twelve months, and
to lay out and discuss the plans for the future. Karen Price,
Director of Scienti�c Administration, gave a succinct account
on the highlights of the past year and mentioned
the 20 publications which amount to a total impact factor
of 186. The updates by trial chairs on the various ongoing
trials were interspersed by research intermezzi presenting
results from advanced or recently �nalized projects. Only
two will be mentioned here: the translational research
with biological material from trials BIG 1-98, SOFT and
TEXT is ongoing and a �rst manuscript on the value of
CYP2D6 as predictor for outcome in the postmenopausal,
endocrine receptor positive population has been published
(see publication list below). The �nal results of trial 23-
01, presented by Dr. Viviana Galimberti �rst in San Antonio
and now again to the group, con�rm the hypothesis
that axillary dissection is not warranted in case of patients
with clinically node negative breast cancer and micrometastases
in the sentinel node. This result will likely change
practice and spare many patients the complications inherent
with axillary dissection.
Three new trials were discussed. IMPULSE will be a trial
of immunization against triple negative, node positive
breast cancer in the adjuvant setting. The trial will be coordinated
by IBCSG and has triggered high interest from
Breast International Group members. The protocol is currently
being developed.
SNAP is short for Schedules of Nab-Paclitaxel. Patients
with metastatic, endocrine-nonresponsive breast cancer
will be randomized to three different dosing regimens of
a nanoparticle albumin-bound taxane. This is a phase II
trial and will compare the achieved progression-free survival
with a historical control of a population treated with
cremophor-based paclitaxel.
Degarelix is a GnRH antagonist with proven rapid testosterone
suppression and used in endocrine-responsive prostate
cancer. Its use in premenopausal patients with highly
endocrine responsive breast cancer will be piloted in the
neoadjuvant setting in combination with Letrozole. This
proof of principle trial will be conducted in a very limited
number of sites.
The Data Manager Workshop is an important part of
each Annual Meeting and met again with a high interest
from participants. Ongoing trials were discussed, the use
of iDataFax was presented, GCP principles were recalled,
training initiatives explained and the query processes laid
out. The interactive and informal nature of the meeting
and networking opportunity it represents are always
much appreciated.
168 Schweizer Krebsbulletin � Nr. 2/2012