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Circulating Tumor DNA Guided Treatment with Elacestrant in Stage IIB or III Hormone Receptor Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancer, CATE Trial

Trial Status: active

This phase II trial tests the effect of elacestrant in treating patients with stage IIb or III estrogen receptor (ER) positive HER2 negative breast cancer at the time circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid (ctDNA) is detected. The risk of the cancer coming back (recurrent) in ER positive breast cancer remains high and more than half of distant recurrences happen after 5 years from diagnosis. Current standard of care includes physical exams and mammograms, which routinely misses recurrences until the patient has symptoms. Studies have shown that a majority of patients that were ctDNA positive developed distant recurrence. Tumors often release DNA into the blood, ctDNA, which is different from normal DNA and can show changes or mutations. Elacestrant, a type of ER antagonist, binds to ER proteins found on some breast tumor cells. These proteins may cause tumor cells to grow. Elacestrant blocks these proteins and may keep tumor cells from growing. Giving elacestrant at the time a positive ctDNA is detected may prevent or delay recurrence in patients with stage IIb or III ER positive HER2 negative breast cancer. In addition, monitoring for detectable ctDNA may be a useful method to predict recurrence.