BACKGROUND:Body mass index (BMI) may affect prognosis in patients with breast cancer (BC). We assessed the association of BMI and weight changes with outcomes of patients with HER2-positive early BC included in the APHINITY trial. METHODS:This is an exploratory analysis of APHINITY (NCT01358877), randomized trial testing adjuvant dual vs. single HER2 blockade plus chemotherapy in HER2-positive early BC. BMI was collected at baseline and at two years after randomization. Patients were classified as underweight/normal weight (BMI<25 kg/m2) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25 kg/m2). The association of BMI with invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) and overall survival (OS) was investigated. Landmark approach was used to compare event for weight change ≥ 5.0 % at 2 years from baseline. RESULTS:Of 4787 patients included, 2252 (47 %) were overweight/obese and 2535 (53 %) underweight/normal weight. Patients who were overweight/obese had more often chemotherapy discontinuation compared to underweight/normal weight patients (14 % vs. 9 %, p < 0.001). Patients who were overweight/obese exhibited worse iDFS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.27; 95 % CI 1.06-1.52), DFRI (aHR 1.32; 95 % CI 1.06-1.64) and OS (aHR 1.38; 95 %CI 1.08-1.77) than underweight/normal weight patients. This effect on iDFS remained after adjusting for chemotherapy discontinuation (iDFS aHR 1.26, 95 % CI 1.05-1.51; DRFI aHR 1.31, 95 % CI 1.06-1.63; OS aHR 1.35 95 % CI 1.05-1.73). Weight changes at 2 years were not associated with clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:Our exploratory findings suggest that overweight/obesity at diagnosis was associated with worse survival outcomes.

Background:Observational studies of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using beta-blockers for cardiovascular disease indicate that beta-blocker use is associated with reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation. However, at the time this study was initiated, there had been no randomised controlled trials confirming or refuting this. Objective(s):To determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of adding bisoprolol (maximal dose 5 mg once daily) to usual chronic obstructive pulmonary disease therapies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at high risk of exacerbation. Design:A multicentre, pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Setting:Seventy-six United Kingdom primary and secondary care sites. Participants:People aged ≥ 40 years with a diagnosis of at least moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with a history of at least two exacerbations in the previous year. Interventions:Participants were randomised (1 : 1) to receive either bisoprolol or placebo for 1 year. During a 4- to 7-week titration period, the maximum tolerated dose was established (1.25 mg, 2.5 mg, 3.75 mg, 5 mg once daily). Primary outcome:A number of participant-reported exacerbations during the 1-year treatment period. Results:In total, 519 participants were recruited and randomised. Four post-randomisation exclusions left 259 in the bisoprolol group and 256 in the placebo group. Treatment groups were balanced at baseline: mean (standard deviation) age 68 (7.9) years; 53% men; mean (standard deviation) pack year smoking history 45 (25.2); mean (standard deviation) 3.5 (1.9) exacerbations in previous year. Primary outcome data were available for 99.8% of participants (bisoprolol 259, placebo 255). The mean (standard deviation) number of exacerbations was 2.03 (1.91) in the bisoprolol group and 2.01 (1.75) in the placebo group (adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.97, 95% confidence interval 0.84 to 1.13), p = 0.72. The number of participants with serious adverse events was similar between the two groups (bisoprolol 37, placebo 36). The total number of adverse reactions was also similar between the two groups. As expected, bisoprolol was associated with a higher proportion of vascular adverse reactions (e.g. hypotension, cold peripheries) than placebo, but was not associated with an excess of other adverse reactions, including those classified as respiratory. Adding bisoprolol resulted in a statistically insignificant trend towards higher costs (£636, 95% confidence interval £118 to £1391) and fewer quality-adjusted life-years (0.035, 95% confidence interval 0.059 to 0.010) compared to placebo. Limitations:The study findings should be interpreted with caution as the target sample size of 1574 was not achieved because the funder considered the study to be unviable in the COVID-19 pandemic clinical research environment. Although 28% of participants did not initiate bisoprolol/placebo (1.6%) or ceased during the treatment period (26.2%), this is consistent with similar trials in the United Kingdom. Conclusions:In this underpowered study, the addition of bisoprolol to usual chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment did not reduce the likelihood of exacerbations, and bisoprolol cannot be recommended as a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Future work:To incorporate definitive statements into appropriate clinical guidelines about the safety of bisoprolol for cardiovascular indications in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trial registration:This trial is registered as ISRCTN10497306. Funding:This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 15/130/20) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 29, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Importance Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Observational studies report that beta-blocker use may be associated with reduced risk of COPD exacerbations. However, a recent trial reported that metoprolol did not reduce COPD exacerbations and increased COPD exacerbations requiring hospital admission. Objective To test whether bisoprolol decreased COPD exacerbations in people with COPD at high risk of exacerbations. Design, Setting, and Participants The Bisoprolol in COPD Study (BICS) was a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial conducted in 76 UK sites (45 primary care clinics and 31 secondary clinics). Patients with COPD who had at least moderate airflow obstruction on spirometry (ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration [FEV1] to forced vital capacity <0.7; FEV1 <80% predicted) and at least 2 COPD exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both in the prior 12 months were enrolled from October 17, 2018, to May 31, 2022. Follow-up concluded on April 18, 2023. Interventions Patients were randomly assigned to bisoprolol (n = 261) or placebo (n = 258). Bisoprolol was started at 1.25 mg orally daily and was titrated as tolerated during 4 sessions to a maximum dose of 5 mg/d, using a standardized protocol. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary clinical outcome was the number of patient-reported COPD exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both during the 1-year treatment period. Safety outcomes included serious adverse events and adverse reactions. Results Although the trial planned to enroll 1574 patients, recruitment was suspended from March 16, 2020, to July 31, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two patients in each group were excluded postrandomization. Among the 515 patients (mean [SD] age, 68 [7.9] years; 274 men [53%]; mean FEV1, 50.1%), primary outcome data were available for 514 patients (99.8%) and 371 (72.0%) continued taking the study drug. The primary outcome of patient-reported COPD exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both was 526 in the bisoprolol group, with a mean exacerbation rate of 2.03/y, vs 513 exacerbations in the placebo group, with a mean exacerbation rate of 2.01/y. The adjusted incidence rate ratio was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-1.13; P = .72). Serious adverse events occurred in 37 of 255 patients in the bisoprolol group (14.5%) vs 36 of 251 in the placebo group (14.3%; relative risk, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.62-1.66; P = .96). Conclusions and Relevance Among people with COPD at high risk of exacerbation, treatment with bisoprolol did not reduce the number of self-reported COPD exacerbations requiring treatment with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both. Trial Registration isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN10497306

Abstract Background: Early stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with a high risk of distant relapse. ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 is a global, prospective, randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial that investigated the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetic profile of adjuvant atezolizumab plus standard anthracycline/taxane chemotherapy (arm A) versus chemotherapy alone (arm B) in early-stage TNBC. Methods: ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 (NCT03498716) aimed to randomize (1:1) 2300 patients with operable stage II-III TNBC, confirmed by central pathology review. Patients were stratified by type of surgery (breast conserving versus mastectomy), nodal status (0 versus 1-3 versus &gt;=4 nodes), and centrally assessed PD-L1 status (IC 0 vs &gt;=1% ). Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 for 12 weeks followed by dose dense anthracycline (epirubicin 90 mg/m2 or doxorubicin 60 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 for 4 doses every 2 weeks given concomitantly with atezolizumab 840 mg every 2 weeks followed by maintenance atezolizumab 1200 mg every 3 weeks until completion of 1 year of atezolizumab (Arm A) or the same chemotherapy regimen (T-EC/AC) alone (Arm B). The primary endpoint was invasive disease-free survival (iDFS); secondary endpoints included, iDFS in the PD-L1 positive and lymph node-positive subpopulations, overall survival, safety, patient functioning and health related quality of life (HRQoL). On the 14th of November 2022, following an IDMC recommendation, the study accrual was temporarily stopped. In February 2023, the protocol was amended in order for the IDMC to perform an early interim analysis of efficacy and futility, at approximately 62% of the planned (390) iDFS events. The futility boundary was set to a Hazard Ratio (HR) &gt; 1. Results: The IDMC recommendations of 15th March 2023 reported that the primary endpoint crossed the futility boundary, accrual to the study was permanently stopped and the experimental treatment was discontinued. Between August 2018 and November 2022, the study enrolled 2199 patients, with 1101 randomised to the atezolizumab arm (A) and 1098 to the control arm (B). At a median follow-up of 25.3 months, 239 (10.9%) iDFS events were observed in the 2199 enrolled patients; 127 versus 112 iDFS events were observed (61.3% of 390) in the A versus B arms respectively, HR 1.12, (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.87, 1.45). In the PD-L1 positive subgroup, (1567/2199 patients, 71.3%), 77 versus 73 iDFS events were observed in the A versus B arms respectively, HR 1.03, (95% CI 0.75, 1.42). Among patients with lymph node positive tumors (1066/2199 patients, 48.5%), 86 versus 66 iDFS events were observed in the A versus B arm respectively, HR 1.41, (95% CI 1.02, 1.96). Incidence of adverse events grade &gt;=3 was 58.01% versus 48.15% in the A versus B arms, including death in 1.01% (11) and 0.55% (6) of patients, respectively. Conclusions: Crossing the pre-specified futility boundary of HR &gt; 1 provides evidence that adjuvant atezolizumab is very unlikely to improve invasive disease-free survival when added to adjuvant anthracycline and taxane based chemotherapy in patients with stage II-III triple-negative breast cancer. With longer treatment exposure in the atezolizumab arm (A), adverse events were more frequent but consistent with the atezolizumab safety profile. No new or unexpected safety issue was identified. Citation Format: Michail Ignatiadis, Andrew Bailey, Heather McArthur, Sarra El-Abed, Evandro de Azambuja, Otto Metzger, Steve Chui, Max Dieterich, Thomas Perretti, Guenther Steger, Jacek Jassem, Soo Chin Lee, Michaela Higgins, José Zarbá, Marcus Schmidt, Henry Gomez, Angel Guerrero-Zotano, Luca Moscetti, Joanne Win Yang Chiu, Carter DuFrane, Vanessa Honvault, Rosa Altarcheh, Luciana Molinero, Andrew Ellingson, Elisabetta Munzone, Noa Efrat Ben-Baruch, Emilio Bajetta, Shinji Ohno, Seock-Ah Im, Gustavo Werutsky, Einav Gal-Yam, Xavier Gonzalez-Farré, Ling-Ming Tseng, William Jacot, Oleg Gluz, Zhimin Shao, Yaroslav Shparyk, Ivan Sinielnikov, Zimina Anastasia, Aleksandr Vasiliev, Esther Shearer-Kang, Eric Winer, Diogo Martins-Branco, Shona Fielding, David Cameron, Giuseppe Viale, Shigehira Saji, Richard Gelber, Martine Piccart. Adding atezolizumab to adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II and III triple-negative breast cancer is unlikely to improve efficacy: interim analysis of the ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 phase 3 trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr GS01-03.

Limited data exist on the effect of travelling time on post-diagnosis cancer care and mortality. We analysed the impact of travel time to cancer treatment centre on secondary care contact time and one-year mortality using a data-linkage study in Scotland with 17369 patients. Patients with longer travelling time and island-dwellers had increased incidence rate of secondary care cancer contact time. For outpatient oncology appointments, the incidence rate was decreased for island-dwellers. Longer travelling time was not associated with increased secondary care contact time for emergency cancer admissions or time to first emergency cancer admission. Living on an island increased mortality at one-year. Adjusting for cancer-specific secondary care contact time increased the hazard of death, and adjusting for oncology outpatient time decreased the hazard of death for island-dwellers. Those with longer travelling times experience the cancer treatment pathway differently with poorer outcomes. Cancer services may need to be better configured to suit differing needs of dispersed populations.

Background: Dual anti-HER2-targeted therapy in breast cancer (BC) significantly increased the rate of pathological complete response (pCR) compared to single blockade when added to chemotherapy. However, limited data exist on the long-term impact on survival of the additional increase in pCR.Methods: Neoadjuvant lapatinib and/or trastuzumab treatment optimisation (NCT00553358) is an international, randomised, open-label, phase III study investigating the addition of lapa-tinib to chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in HER2-positive early BC. Ten-year event-free sur-vival (EFS), overall survival (OS) and safety were assessed on intention-to-treat population. The association between pCR and EFS or OS was investigated in landmark population.Results: A total of 455 patients were randomised to receive lapatinib (154), trastuzumab (149) or the combination (152). Ten-year EFS estimates were 63% (95% confidence interval [CI], 54%-71%) in the lapatinib group, 64% (95% CI, 55%-72%) in the trastuzumab group and 67% (95% CI, 58%-74%) in the combination group. Ten-year OS rates were 76% (95% CI, 67%-83%), 75% (95% CI, 66%-82%) and 80% (95% CI, 73%-86%) in the lapatinib, trastuzumab and combination groups, respectively. Women who achieved a pCR had improved EFS (hazard ratio 0.48, 95% CI, 0.31-0.73) and OS (hazard ratio 0.37, 95% CI, 0.20-0.63) compared with those who did not. The numerical difference in survival according to pCR status was greater in women treated with the combination and those with hormone -receptor-negative tumours. There were no new or long-term safety concerns. Conclusions: Patients with HER2-positive BC showed a durable survival benefit of neoadju-vant anti-HER2, irrespective of treatment arm. Patients who achieve pCR have significantly better outcomes than patients without pCR.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective To investigate how individuals diagnosed with cancer use out-of-hours (OOH) medical services, describe the behavioural determinants of OOH service use and explore whether there are differences between urban and rural dwellers.Design and setting A cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in Northeast Scotland.Participants The questionnaire was sent to 2549 individuals diagnosed with cancer in the preceding 12 months identified through the National Health Service Grampian Cancer Care Pathway database. 490 individuals returned the questionnaire (19.2% response rate), 61.8% were urban and 34.9% were rural.Outcomes Outcomes were differences in frequency of medical service use and attitudes towards OOH services between urban and rural participants. Patient experience (qualitative data) was compared.Results Daytime services were used much more frequently than OOH services—83.3% of participants had never contacted an OOH primary care service in the preceding 12 months but 44.2% had used their daytime general practitioner at least four times. There were no significant differences between urban and rural dwellers in the patterns of OOH or daytime service use, the behavioural determinants of service use or the experiences of OOH services. Rural dwellers were significantly less likely to agree that OOH services were close by and more likely to agree that where they lived made it difficult to access these services. Rural dwellers were no more likely to agree or disagree that distance would affect their decision to contact OOH services. Qualitative results highlighted barriers to accessing OOH services exist for all patients but that long travel distances can be offset by service configuration, travel infrastructure and access to a car.Conclusions Urban and rural dwellers have similar beliefs, attitudes towards and patterns of OOH service use. In Northeast Scotland, place of residence is unlikely to be the most important factor in influencing decisions about whether to access OOH medical care.

Background: The role of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in guiding asthma treatment in children is uncertain. Objective: To compare treatment guided by both fractional exhaled nitric oxide and symptoms (intervention) with treatment guided by symptoms alone (standard care) in children with asthma who are at risk of an asthma exacerbation, in terms of the number of asthma exacerbations over 12 months. Design: This was a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial with embedded cost-effectiveness and qualitative process evaluations. Randomisation (1 : 1) was carried out using a remote web-based system and was minimised on recruitment centre, age, sex and British Thoracic Society treatment step. Clinical teams and participants were not blind to treatment allocation. Setting: The trial took place in 35 hospitals and seven primary care practices in the UK. Participants: Children aged 6–15 years with a diagnosis of asthma who were currently prescribed inhaled corticosteroids and who had one or more parent-/patient-reported asthma exacerbation treated with oral corticosteroids in the 12 months prior to recruitment. Interventions: Asthma treatment guided by symptoms alone (standard care) and asthma treatment guided by symptoms plus fractional exhaled nitric oxide (intervention). Treatment recommendations in both groups were protocolised within a web-based algorithm, incorporating inhaled corticosteroid adherence (objectively measured using an electronic logging device) and current treatment. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure was asthma exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids in the year post randomisation. Secondary outcomes included time to first exacerbation, number of exacerbations, lung function, fractional exhaled nitric oxide, daily dose of inhaled corticosteroid, asthma control and quality of life. Results: In total, 509 eligible participants were recruited and the primary outcome was available for 506 participants. The primary outcome occurred in 123 out of 255 (48.2%) participants in the intervention group and 129 out of 251 (51.4%) participants in the standard-care group (adjusted odds ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 1.27). There was algorithm non-compliance on 21% of assessments. Per-protocol and complier-average causal effect analysis did not change the interpretation. This non-statistically significant estimate was consistent across predefined subgroups. There were no differences between the groups in secondary outcomes. There were no serious adverse events or deaths. No meaningful differences in health service costs, direct patient costs or indirect costs to society were identified between the groups. The economic evaluation does not provide evidence to support the cost-effectiveness of the intervention. In the qualitative process evaluation, 15 trial staff and six families were interviewed. Overall, their experiences were positive. The intervention was broadly acceptable, with caveats around clinicians using the algorithm recommendation as a guide and wariness around extreme step ups/downs in treatment in the light of contextual factors not being taken into account by the algorithm. Limitations: Potential limitations included the choice of cut-off point to define uncontrolled asthma and the change in fractional exhaled nitric oxide to trigger a change in treatment. Furthermore, the treatment decisions in the two groups may not have been sufficiently different to create a difference in outcomes. Conclusions: The RAACENO (Reducing Asthma Attacks in Children using Exhaled Nitric Oxide) trial findings do not support the routine use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements as part of asthma management in a secondary care setting. The potential for other objective markers to guide asthma management in children needs to be evaluated. Trial registration: This trial was registered as ISRCTN67875351. Funding: This project was funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, a MRC and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) partnership. This will be published in full in Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation; Vol. 9, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Background: The poor prognostic value of young age at diagnosis appears to vary according to breast cancer (BC) subtype, although this has been studied mainly in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) disease, with limited data in HER2-positive BC and short follow-up. Limited evidence exists on the benefit of anti-HER2 therapy in young women with BC. Considering that age has historically been a rationale for overtreatment, further research efforts to better investigate the prognostic and predictive value of age are needed. This exploratory analysis conducted within the APHINITY trial aimed to investigate the prognostic and predictive value of young age in patients with HER2-positive early BC treated with modern chemotherapy and concurrent anti-HER2 targeted treatment. Methods: APHINITY (NCT01358877) is an international, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized phase III trial in patients with HER2-positive early BC investigating the benefit of adding pertuzumab to adjuvant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. For the purpose of the present analysis, 40 years of age at enrolment was used as the cut-off to distinguish between young (≤40 years) and older (>40 years) cohorts. Invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) was the primary endpoint. IDFS irrespective of treatment arm and the benefit of adding pertuzumab were evaluated in all patients by comparing the young and older cohorts and then according to centrally-assessed hormone receptor status. Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the prognostic and predictive value of age on IDFS as a continuous and dichotomous variable (≤40 years and >40 years). A STEPP analysis was also conducted to illustrate possible treatment-effect heterogeneity based on age as a continuous factor. Results: Out of 4,804 patients in the ITT population, 768 (16.0%) were ≤40 years at enrollment. Patients in the young cohort were less overweight/obese (29.3% vs. 50.4%), underwent mastectomy more frequently (63.2% vs. 52.6%), had higher rates of node positive (66.4% vs. 61.8%) and HR+ (71.7% vs. 64.9%) BC as compared to those in the older cohort (all p<0.05). Among patients with HR+ BC that received adjuvant endocrine therapy in the young cohort (n=498), 132 (26.5%) underwent ovarian function suppression while 324 (65.1%) received tamoxifen alone. Overall median follow-up was 74 months (IQR 62-75 months). 6-year IDFS was 88% and 89% in the young and older cohorts, respectively. In univariate and multivariable analyses, young age was not prognostic as dichotomous (unadjusted HR 1.06; 95% CI 0.84-1.33; adjusted HR 1.07; 95% CI 0.84-1.35) nor as continuous (unadjusted HR 1.00; 95% CI 1.00-1.01) variables. The lack of prognostic effect of age was observed irrespective of hormone receptor status and treatment arm. No significant interaction was observed between age and treatment effect (Pinteraction=0.605). The addition of pertuzumab improved IDFS for both patients in the young (6-year IDFS 89% vs. 87%; adjusted HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.56-1.32) and older (6-year IDFS 91% vs. 88%; adjusted HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.62-0.92) cohorts. By analyzing the potential predictive value of age according to hormone receptor status, similar results were observed. The STEPP analysis confirmed the benefit of pertuzumab in 6-year IDFS across age subpopulations. Conclusions: In patients with HER2-positive early BC treated with modern anticancer therapies, young age did not demonstrate prognostic or predictive value in long-term follow-up, irrespective of hormone receptor status and anti-HER2 treatment modalities. These results may help to improve the care of young women with BC, highlighting that, in the current era of precision medicine, age alone is not a reason to expect a different disease outcome or treatment benefit. Citation Format: Matteo Lambertini, Shona Fielding, Sibylle Loibl, Wolfgang Janni, Emma Clark, Maria Alice Franzoi, Debora Fumagalli, Carmela Caballero, Luca Arecco, Sharon Salomoni, Noam F Ponde, Francesca Poggio, Hee Jeong Kim, Cynthia Villarreal-Garza, Olivia Pagani, Shani Paluch-Shimon, Alberto Ballestrero, Lucia Del Mastro, Martine Piccart, Jose Bines, Ann H. Partridge, Evandro de Azambuja. Effect of young age at diagnosis on clinical outcomes and efficacy of anti-HER2 targeted therapy in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer: Results from the APHINITY trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-13-42.

Background The benefit of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in guiding asthma treatment is uncertain. We evaluated the efficacy of adding FeNO to symptom-guided treatment in children with asthma versus only symptom-guided treatment. Methods RAACENO was a multicentre, parallel, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial done in 35 secondary care centres and 17 primary care recruitment sites (only seven primary care sites managed to recruit patients) in the UK. Patients with a confirmed asthma diagnosis, aged 6-15 years, prescribed inhaled corticosteroids, and who received a course of oral corticosteroids for at least one asthma exacerbation during the 12 months before recruitment were included. Participants were randomly assigned to either FeNO plus symptom-guided treatment (intervention) or symptom-guided treatment alone (standard care) using a 24 h in-house, web-based randomisation system. Participants and the clinical and research teams were not masked to the group allocation. A web-based algorithm gave treatment recommendations based on the Asthma Control Test (ACT) or Childhood ACT (CACT) score; current asthma treatment; adherence to study treatment in the past 3 months; and use of FeNO (in the intervention group). Follow-up occurred at 3-month intervals for 12 months. The primary outcome was any asthma exacerbation treated with oral corticosteroids in the 12 months after randomisation, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Registry, ISRCTN67875351. Findings Between June 22, 2017, and Aug 8, 2019, 535 children were assessed for eligibility, 20 were ineligible and six were excluded post-randomisation. 509 children were recruited and at baseline, the mean age of participants was 10.1 years (SD 2.6), and 308 (60.5%) were male. The median FeNO was 21 ppb (IQR 10-48), mean predicted FEV1 was 89.6% (SD 18.0), and median daily dose of inhaled corticosteroids was 400 mu g budesonide equivalent (IQR 400-1000). Asthma was partly or fully controlled in 256 (50.3%) of 509 participants. The primary outcome, which was available for 506 (99%) of 509 participants, occurred in 123 (48.2%) of 255 participants in the intervention group and 129 (51.4%) of 251 in the standard care group, the intention-to-treat adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 0.88 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.27; p=0.49). The adjusted difference in the percentage of participants who received the intervention in whom the primary outcome occurred compared with those who received standard care was -3.1% (-11.9% to 5.6%). In 377 (21.3%) of 1771 assessments, the algorithm recommendation was not followed. Adverse events were reported by 27 (5.3%) of 509 participants (15 in the standard care group and 12 in the intervention group). The most common adverse event was itch after skin prick testing (reported by eight participants in each group). Interpretation We found that the addition of FeNO to symptom-guided asthma treatment did not lead to reduced exacerbations among children prone to asthma exacerbation. Asthma symptoms remain the only tool for guiding treatment decisions. Copyright (C) 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. Beta blockers are well-established drugs widely used to treat cardiovascular conditions. Observational studies consistently report that beta blocker use in people with COPD is associated with a reduced risk of COPD exacerbations. The bisoprolol in COPD study (BICS) investigates whether adding bisoprolol to routine COPD treatment has clinical and cost-effective benefits. A sub-study will risk stratify participants for heart failure to investigate whether any beneficial effect of bisoprolol is restricted to those with unrecognised heart disease. Methods BICS is a pragmatic randomised parallel group double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted in UK primary and secondary care sites. The major inclusion criteria are an established predominant respiratory diagnosis of COPD (post-bronchodilator FEV1 < 80% predicted, FEV1/FVC < 0.7), a self-reported history of ≥ 2 exacerbations requiring treatment with antibiotics and/or oral corticosteroids in a 12-month period since March 2019, age ≥ 40 years and a smoking history ≥ 10 pack years. A computerised randomisation system will allocate 1574 participants with equal probability to intervention or control groups, stratified by centre and recruitment in primary/secondary care. The intervention is bisoprolol (1.25 mg tablets) or identical placebo. The dose of bisoprolol/placebo is titrated up to a maximum of 4 tablets a day (5 mg bisoprolol) over 4–7 weeks depending on tolerance to up-dosing of bisoprolol/placebo—these titration assessments are completed by telephone or video call. Participants complete the remainder of the 52-week treatment period on the final titrated dose (1, 2, 3, 4 tablets) and during that time are followed up at 26 and 52 weeks by telephone or video call. The primary outcome is the total number of participant reported COPD exacerbations requiring oral corticosteroids and/or antibiotics during the 52-week treatment period. A sub-study will risk stratify participants for heart failure by echocardiography and measurement of blood biomarkers. Discussion The demonstration that bisoprolol reduces the incidence of exacerbations would be relevant not only to patients and clinicians but also to healthcare providers, in the UK and globally. Trial registration Current controlled trials ISRCTN10497306 . Registered on 16 August 2018

BACKGROUND:Young age at breast cancer (BC) diagnosis has historically been a rationale for overtreatment. Limited data with short follow-up exist on the prognostic value of age at diagnosis in HER2-positive BC and the benefit of anti-HER2 therapy in young patients. METHODS:APHINITY (NCT01358877) is an international, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized phase III trial in HER2-positive early BC patients investigating the addition of pertuzumab to adjuvant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab. The prognostic and predictive value of age on invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) as continuous and dichotomous variable (aged 40 years or younger and older than 40 years) was assessed. A subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot analysis was conducted to illustrate possible treatment-effect heterogeneity based on age as a continuous factor. RESULTS:Of 4804 included patients, 768 (16.0%) were aged 40 years or younger at enrollment. Median follow-up was 74 (interquartile range = 62-75) months. Young age was not prognostic either as dichotomous (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.84 to 1.33) or continuous (HR = 1.00, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.01) variable. Lack of prognostic effect of age was observed irrespective of hormone receptor status and treatment arm. No statistically significant interaction was observed between age and pertuzumab effect (Pinteraction = 0.61). Adding pertuzumab improved IDFS for patients in the young (HR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.56 to 1.32) and older (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62 to 0.92) cohorts. Similar results were observed irrespective of hormone receptor status. Subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot analysis confirmed the benefit of pertuzumab in 6-year IDFS across age subpopulations. CONCLUSIONS:In patients with HER2-positive early BC treated with modern anticancer therapies, young age did not demonstrate either prognostic or predictive value, irrespective of hormone receptor status.

To determine cervical cancer risk associated with contemporary hormonal contraceptives, we conducted a cohort study of women aged 15 to 49 living in Denmark from 1995 to 2014, using routinely collected information about redeemed prescriptions, incident cancer and potential confounders. Poisson regression calculated adjusted cervical cancer risks among different contraceptive user groups by duration of use, time since last use, hormonal content and cancer histology. During >20 million person-years, 3643 incident cervical cancers occurred. Ever users of any hormonal contraceptives compared to never users had a relative risk (RR) of 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.29). Increased risks were seen in current or recent users of any hormonal: RR 1.30 (95% CI 1.20-1.42) and combined: RR 1.40 (95% CI 1.28-1.53), but not progestin-only contraception: RR 0.91 (95% CI 0.78-1.07). Current or recent users of any hormonal contraception had an increased risk of both adenocarcinoma (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.05-1.60) and squamous cancer (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.19-1.44). The risk pattern among any hormonal and combined contraceptive users generally increased with longer duration of use and declined after stopping, possibly taking longer to disappear among prolonged users. Combined products containing different progestins had similar risks. Approximately one extra cervical cancer occurred for every 14 700 women using combined contraceptives for 1 year. Most women in our study were not vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. Our findings reinforce the urgent need for global interventions such as systematic screening, treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and HPV vaccination programmes to prevent cervical cancer, especially among users of combined contraceptives.

Introduction: The role of FeNO in guiding asthma treatment is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that FeNO guided care reduces exacerbations in children with asthma. Methods: A multicentre RCT recruited children (6-16 years) with asthma on regular inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with an exacerbation in the previous year. They were randomised to asthma treatment guided by FeNO plus symptoms (FeNO group) or by symptoms only (standard care). A web-based algorithm using symptom control, ICS adherence, current treatment and (within the FeNO group) changes in FeNO gave treatment recommendations. Participants attended 3, 6, 9 and 12 month follow-up. The primary outcome was exacerbation requiring oral steroid. Secondary outcomes included time to first exacerbation, asthma control and quality of life. Results: 509 children were recruited. The mean (SD) age was 10.1 (2.6) years (61% male), median (IQR) FeNO 21 ppb (10, 48), mean (SD) %FEV1 90% (18), 56% were treated with ≤400 microg budesonide equivalent and 33% >800 microg. The primary outcome occurred in 123/255 (48%) in the FeNO group and 129/251 (51%) in the standard care group. In adjusted intention to treat analysis the odds ratio (OR) for primary outcome was 0.88 [95%CI 0.61, 1.27]. This OR was consistent across pre-defined subgroups. On 377 of 1771 assessments, the algorithm’s recommendation was not followed. In complier average causal effect analysis, adjusting for algorithm adherence, the OR for primary outcome was 0.82 [95%CI 0.48, 1.41].There were no differences in secondary outcomes between groups. Conclusion: In this population, adding FeNO to standard care did not reduced exacerbations.

Background Seasonal variations have been reported for immune markers. However, the relative contributions of sunlight and vitamin D variability on such seasonal changes are unknown. Objective This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial tested whether daily 400 IU vitamin D 3 supplementation affected short-term (12 weeks) and long-term (43 weeks) natural regulatory T cell (nTreg) populations in healthy participants. Design 62 subjects were randomized equally to vitamin D versus placebo in March and assessed at baseline, April (4w), June (12w), September (25w) and January (43w). Circulating nTregs, ex vivo proliferation, IL-10 and IFN-γ productions were measured. Vitamin D metabolites and sunlight exposure were also assessed. Results Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) increased from 35.8(SD 3.0) to 65.3(2.6) nmol/L in April and remained above 75 nmol/L with vitamin D supplementation, whereas it increased from 36.4(3.2) to 49.8(3.5) nmol/L in June to fall back to 39.6(3.5) nmol/L in January with placebo. Immune markers varied similarly between groups according to the season, but independently of 25(OH)D. For nTregs, the mean (%CD3 + CD4 + CD127 lo cells (SEM)) nadir observed in March (2.9(0.1)%) peaked in September at 4.0(0.2)%. Mean T cell proliferation peaked in June (33156(1813) CPM) returning to the nadir in January (17965(978) CPM), while IL-10 peaked in June and reached its nadir in September (median (IQR) of 262(283) to (121(194) pg/ml, respectively). Vitamin D attenuated the seasonal increase in IFN-γ by ~28% with mean ng/ml (SEM) for placebo vs vitamin D, respectively, for April 12.5(1.4) vs 10.0(1.2) (p=0.02); June 13.9(1.3) vs 10.2(1.7) (p=0.02) and January 7.4(1.1) vs 6.0(1.1) (p=0.04). Conclusions Daily low dose Vitamin D intake did not affect the nTregs population. There were seasonal variation in nTregs, proliferative response and cytokines, suggesting that environmental changes influence immune response, but the mechanism seems independent of vitamin D status. Vitamin D attenuated the seasonal change in T cell-produced IFN-γ, suggesting a decrease in effector response which could be associated with inflammation. Clinical Trial Registration https://www.isrctn.com , identifier (ISRCTN 73114576).

Objective: To examine the association between contemporary hormonal contraceptives and endometrial cancer risk in women younger than age 50. Study design: Cohort study of women living in Denmark aged 15-49years through 1995-2014. National registries provided information about hormonal contraception use, incident endometrial cancer and confounders. Ever, current or recent, and former users of any hormonal contraception were compared with non-users, using Poisson regression to calculate incidence rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. Duration, time since last use, tumor-specific and product-specific analyses, and population prevented fraction, were calculated. Results: During 21.1 million person-years, 549 incident endometrial cancers occurred, with ever users of any hormonal contraception having a reduced premenopausal endometrial cancer risk compared with non-users; RR 0.60 (95% Confidence Interval 0.49 to 0.73). A lower risk of endometrial cancer was seen in all current or recent users of any hormonal contraception; 0.65 (0.52 to 0.83) and combined contraceptives; 0.57 (0.43 to 0.75), but not progestin-only contraceptives; levonorgestrel intrauterine system, LNGIUS; 0.97 (0.66 to 1.42); other progestin-only contraceptives; 0.61 (0.27 to 1.37). Increased RRs were found for current use of any hormonal, combined contraceptives or LNG-IUS of 10years after stopping. There was little evidence of differences in risk reduction by the type of progestin in combined oral contraceptives. Current or recent use of any hormonal contraception was associated with an approximate halving of risk of the most common tumor type I carcinoma, and an increased risk of the rarer sarcoma. Overall the estimated absolute reduced risk of endometrial cancer in ever users of hormonal contraceptives was 1.4 per 100,000 person-years, or approximately one less endometrial cancer for every 71,400 women of reproductive age who used hormonal contraception for one year. Use of hormonal contraception was estimated to prevent 25% of endometrial cancers in this population. Conclusions: Currently available combined hormonal contraceptives are still associated with enduring protection against endometrial cancer, particularly for type I carcinomas. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Exhaled nitric oxide fraction (F-ENO), a biomarker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, may be useful to guide asthma treatment. F-ENO-guided treatment may be more effective in certain subgroups for improving asthma outcomes compared to standard treatment. Methods: An individual patient data analysis was performed using data from seven randomised clinical trials (RCTs) which used F-ENO to guide asthma treatment. The incidence of an asthma exacerbation and loss of control, and the time to first exacerbation and loss of control were described between five subgroups of RCT participants. Results: Data were available in 1112 RCT participants. Among those not treated with leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), but not among those who were treated with LTRA, F-ENO-guided treatment was associated with reduced exacerbation risk (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.94), longer time to first exacerbation (hazard ratio (HR) 0.76, 95% CI 0.57-0.99) and borderline reduced risk for loss of control (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.49-1.00). Nonobese children, compared to obese children, were less likely to lose asthma control when treatment was guided by F-ENO (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48-0.99) and time to loss of control was longer (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.99). Conclusions: Asthma treatment guided by F-ENO may be more effective in achieving better asthma outcomes for patients who are not treated with LTRA and who are not obese, compared to standard practice.