Melrose

Background: The presence of cancer in the axillary lymph nodes on needle biopsy in patients with early stage breast cancer before neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) has been the determinant of the need for axillary treatment (in the form of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) or axillary radiotherapy (ART)) after completion of NACT. Treatment to the axilla damages lymphatic drainage from the arm and patients can subsequently develop lymphoedema, restricted shoulder movement, pain, numbness, and other sensory problems. As more effective chemotherapy is now available that results in complete eradication of cancer in the axilla in around 40 to 70% of patients, extensive axillary treatment might no longer be necessary in patients with no evidence of residual nodal disease. Aim: To assess whether, omitting further axillary treatment (ALND and ART) for patients with early stage breast cancer and axillary nodal metastases on needle biopsy, who after NACT have no residual cancer in the lymph nodes on sentinel node biopsy, is non-inferior to axillary treatment in terms of disease free survival (DFS) and results in reduced risk of lymphoedema at 5 years. Methods: Study design: A pragmatic, phase 3, open, randomised, multicentre trial and embedded economic evaluation in which participants will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio. Study population: T1-3N1M0 breast cancer patients aged 18 years or older, with needle biopsy proven nodal metastases, who after NACT have no residual cancer in the lymph nodes on dual tracer sentinel node biopsy and removal of at least 3 lymph nodes (sentinel nodes and marked involved node). Intervention: All participants will receive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted treatment, endocrine therapy and radiotherapy to breast or chest wall, if indicated according to local guidelines. Patients in the intervention group will not receive further axillary treatment (ALND or ART), whereas those receiving standard care will receive axillary treatment (ALND or ART) as per local guidelines. Follow-up is annually for at least 5 years. Outcomes: The co-primary outcomes are disease free survival(DFS) and self-reported lymphoedema defined as 'yes' to the two questions participants will be asked - 'arm heaviness during the past year' and 'arm swelling now' from the Lymphoedema and Breast Cancer Questionnaire at 5 years. Secondary outcomes: arm function assessed by the QuickDASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) questionnaire; health related quality of life assessed using euroqol EQ-5D-5L; axillary recurrence free interval (ARFI); local recurrence; regional (nodal) recurrence; distant metastasis; overall survival; contralateral breast cancer; non-breast malignancy; costs; quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and cost-effectiveness. Sample size: A sample size of 1900 patients would have the ability to demonstrate a 3.5% non-inferiority margin with a 5% 1-sided significance level and 85% power, allowing for 7% non-collection of primary outcome data assuming a 90% 5-year disease free survival rate in the control arm. It would also be able to detect at least a 5% difference in proportion of patients with lymphoedema with 90% power, a 5% 2-sided significance level and allowing for 25% non-collection of primary outcome data over 5 years. Analysis plan: All analyses will be carried out on an intention-to-treat basis to preserve randomisation, avoid bias from exclusions and preserve statistical power. Time to event outcomes, including disease free survival and axillary recurrence free interval, will be assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using Cox proportional hazards models. The proportion of patients experiencing lymphoedema at 5 years will be compared across trial arms using a chi-squared test and a logistic regression model used to adjust for stratification variables. Arm morbidity and health related quality of life will be scored using the appropriate manuals and assessed using a longitudinal mixed model regression analysis if model assumptions valid or a standardised area-under-the-curve analysis. For economic evaluation, incremental cost per QALY gained at 5 years will be estimated. Timelines for delivery: Total project duration is 120 months based on 6 months for set up; 60 months recruitment period (including an 18 months internal pilot phase); and 54 months for follow up, analysis, writing up and dissemination.

Study design: Randomised, controlled, multi-centre, open-label, phase III trial (with a single intervention registration phase). Primary Objectives The primary objectives of this study are to determine: * The impact on Depth of Response (DoR: less than VGPR versus VGPR or better) when salvage ASCT conditioning is augmented by the addition of a proteasome inhibitor * The influence of a consolidation and maintenance strategy on the Durability of Response (DuR:PFS) Secondary objectives The secondary objectives of this study are to determine: * Overall survival * Time to disease progression * The overall response rate following ixazomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone (ITD) re-induction * Time to next treatment * Progression-free survival 2 (PFS2) * Duration of response * Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) negative rate post re-induction, post-ASCT and conversion after ITD consolidation * Engraftment kinetics * Toxicity and safety * Quality of life (QoL) Participant population (refer to protocol section 9 for a full list of eligibility criteria). * Relapsed MM (with measurable disease by IMWG criteria) previously treated with ASCT * First progressive disease (PD) at least 12 months since first ASCT, requiring therapy. * ECOG Performance Status 0-2 * Aged at least 18 years * Adequate full blood count and renal, hepatobiliary, pulmonary and cardiac function * Written informed consent Interventions: All participants will be registered at trial entry and will receive re-induction therapy with 4-6, 28-day cycles of ixazomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone (ITD), in order to reach maximum response. Participants who achieve at least stable disease (SD) will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive either conventional ASCT (ASCTCon), using melphalan, or augmented ASCT (ASCTAug), using melphalan with ixazomib. All participants achieving or maintaining a minimal response (MR) or better following trial ASCT will undergo a second randomisation to consolidation and maintenance or no further treatment. Participants randomised to consolidation and maintenance will receive treatment as follows: consolidation with 2 cycles of ITD and maintenance with ixazomib until disease progression. Number of participants: 406 participants will be registered into the trial to allow 284 participants to be randomised at the first randomisation (R1) and 248 participants to be randomised at the second randomisation (R2).