Tamoxifen metabolism and efficacy in breast cancer- a prospective multicentre trial

Purpose: Levels of endoxifen, the most active metabolite of tamoxifen, vary by the highly polymorphic cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6 enzyme. We prospectively investigated tamoxifen efficacy by serum endoxifen levels and the tamoxifen activity score (TAS). Experimental Design: A prospective observational multicentre study including postmenopausal women with an oestrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer receiving first line tamoxifen, 20mg daily in the neo-adjuvant or metastatic setting recruited between February 2009 and May 2014. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) using RECIST criteria 1.0. Secondary endpoints were clinical benefit (CB), progression-free survival (PFS) and tolerability of tamoxifen. The main analysis used logistic regression to relate ORR to serum endoxifen levels after 3 months. Endpoints were also related to other tamoxifen metabolites and to TAS. Results: Endoxifen levels were available for 247 of all 297 patients (83%) of which 209 with target lesions (85%). Median follow-up time for PFS was 32.5 months, and 62% progressed. ORR and CB were 45% and 84%, respectively. ORR was not related to endoxifen, the odds ratio of ORR was 1.008 per µg/l increase in endoxifen (95% CI 0.971-1.046, p=0.56). In general, none of the endpoints was associated with endoxifen levels, tamoxifen metabolites, or TAS. Conclusions: Under the pre-specified assumptions, the results from this prospective clinical trial do not suggest therapeutic drug monitoring of endoxifen to be of clinical value in postmenopausal women treated with tamoxifen for breast cancer in the neo-adjuvant or metastatic setting.

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