The potential of using eribulin in patients with breast cancer, associated with brain metastasis: the scientific background and the Russian clinical experience

Aim. Eribulin is an active cytostatic, associated with a wide range of mechanisms of antitumor effects, but eribulin efficiency and safety in patients with breast cancer (BC), associated with cerebral metastases are still poorly understood. Materials and methods. We analyzed the combined Russian experience of eribulin application in BC patients associated with brain metastases; the analysis included 459 Russian women with advanced BC who had received at least 2 course of eribulin during the period from 2014 to 2018; 35 of 459 patients had brain metastases (40.0% - luminal HER2-negative subtype, 31.4% - triple negative subtype and 28.6%h - HER2-positive BC). The median age was 52 years (39 - 80 years of age). In most cases, the patient had two or more metastatic brain lesions (68.6%; the median was - 3); brain radiotherapy was used in 62.8% of patients before eribulin treatment and in 5.8% of patients was held stereotactic radiation therapy during eribulin chemotherapy. We analyzed the efficiency of eribulin application (the therapy continued until disease progression, the development of unacceptable toxicity, or impossibility to apply the drug for any other reason). Results. The results showed that clinical efficacy (objective response rate + stabilization of disease lasting for more than 6 months) was 48.6%: partial response - in 20% of patients and stabilization of disease - 62.9%; tumor growth control was in 82.9%. Median PFS in all group of patients with brain metastases was 4.1 months and was similar to median PFS in patients who received radiotherapy before eribulin treatment or without eribulin - 4.1 vs 3.47 months; p=0.798. Conclusions. The application of eribulin in BC patients with brain metastasis are absolutely justified, the drug demonstrates the efficiency in a retrospective analysis in a Russian population. The determination of the optimal algorithm for the treatment of patients with metastatic BC associated with brain metastasis requires a multidisciplinary approach and further research.