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HRpos HER2neg EBC

CE / CME

Advancing the Care of Patients With High-Risk HR-Positive/HER2-Negative Early Breast Cancer

Physician Assistants/Physician Associates: 0.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credit

Nurse Practitioners/Nurses: 0.75 Nursing contact hour

Pharmacists: 0.75 contact hour (0.075 CEUs)

Physicians: maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

Released: August 21, 2025

Expiration: February 20, 2026

Pretest

Progress
1 2 3
Course Completed
Please answer the questions below.
1.

Which of the following may indicate high-risk disease and candidacy for adjuvant therapy with a CDK4/6 inhibitor for a patient with newly diagnosed HR+/HER2- EBC?

2.

Patient Case 1: Woman With Grade 3 ILC and 2 Positive Nodes



  • A 58-yr-old woman who is postmenopausal presents with a 3.5-cm right breast mass with  1 suspicious node

  • Initial breast biopsy reveals ILC, grade 3, with the following biomarkers

    • ER 80%, PgR 30%, HER2- by IHC



  • Fine-needle aspiration of a palpable right axillary lymph node reveals adenocarcinoma of the breast

  • BRCA testing: negative

  • Patient undergoes right breast lumpectomy with SLNB

  • Right lumpectomy specimen reveals a 4-cm ILC with 2/3 positive nodes (T2N1)

  • Oncotype Dx RS 26

  • She completed TC x 4 cycles, followed by adjuvant radiation

  • She returns to the clinic now to discuss continued adjuvant treatment

In addition to extended-duration adjuvant endocrine therapy, what additional systemic therapy would be an appropriate treatment for this patient?

3.

Patient Case 2: Woman on Adjuvant Abemaciclib With Diarrhea



  • 55-yr-old postmenopausal woman with T2N1 high grade invasive HR+/HER2- breast cancer started adjuvant abemaciclib 2 months ago

  • She calls to report side effects including 6-8 episodes a day of diarrhea despite taking as-needed antidiarrheal medication that is difficult to predict

  • She says her weight is stable and that she is eating and drinking without problems

  • She also noted fatigue despite adequate sleep and is having trouble returning to work as a result

  • You ask her to hold abemaciclib until her symptoms are resolving

What additional counseling would you provide for this patient as the most appropriate next step in her treatment?

4.

Patient Case 3: Metastatic Recurrence While Receiving Adjuvant ET



  • 57-yr-old postmenopausal woman had history of high-risk node-positive ER+/HER2-  early breast cancer in 2021; she underwent surgery, received adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant radiation therapy, and was started on letrozole 

  • She also initiated adjuvant abemaciclib but did not tolerate due to poor appetite and diarrhea and stopped it in early 2022 after 6 months of treatment with 2 dose reductions

  • She presents in spring 2025 with gradual fatigue and weight loss; imaging is notable for findings consistent with MBC, with lesions in bone, mediastinal lymph nodes, and 2 liver lesions

  • Liver biopsy confirms MBC: ER 50%, PgR 30%, HER2 1+

  • ctDNA evaluation shows an activating ESR1 mutation and an activating PIK3CA mutation

  • Laboratory testing is normal; despite her symptoms, she continues to work full time and walks her dog daily

Which first-line systemic therapy would you recommend?