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BREAST CANCER

CDK4/6 inhibitors for HR+HER2 early stage breast cancer — when to escalate treatment?

Opposing results of the monarchE and PALLAS trials investigating the role of adjuvant treatment with the CDK4/6 inhibitors abemaciclib and palbociclib, respectively, in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early stage breast cancer have recently been presented. Herein, potential reasons why these two drugs that have similar efficacy in the metastatic setting have produced disparate results in the adjuvant setting are discussed.

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Correspondence to Giuseppe Curigliano.

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G.C. has advisory roles with AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daichii Sankyo, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Seagen and Veracyte.

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Curigliano, G. CDK4/6 inhibitors for HR+HER2 early stage breast cancer — when to escalate treatment?. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 18, 67–68 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-020-00453-1

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