Abstract RF7-07: Adjuvant Palbociclib for ER+ Breast Cancer in the PALLAS Trial (ABCSG-42/AFT-05/PrE0109/BIG-14-13): Post-Recurrence Treatment and Overall Survival
Abstract PURPOSE: CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), used in combination with endocrine therapy (ET), are standard of care for advanced and higher risk early stage hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer. PALLAS investigated the addition of 2 years (y) of palbociclib to adjuvant ET (ET/P) compared to ET alone in patients (pts) with stage II-III HR+/HER2- breast cancer. We now present overall survival (OS) with 7-y outcomes and impact of post-recurrence therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This global phase III trial randomized pts to ET for at least 5 y with or without 2 y of P. Primary endpoint was iDFS; distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and OS were preplanned endpoints. Kaplan Meier estimates and hazard ratios (HR) from Cox and Fine & Gray models were performed. Post-recurrence OS was analyzed as time from first distant recurrence (DR) until death. The post-recurrence OS model adjusted for both clin/path factors (including DR-free y, DR site) and time-dependent post-DR therapy (chemo, CDK4/6i). Results: 5,796 pts enrolled at 406 centers in 21 countries worldwide over 3 y. In the intent-to-treat (ITT) population, with a median follow-up of 82.7 months (mo), 7-y outcomes for iDFS, DRFS and OS are shown in the table. DR occurred in 781 pts (377 ET/P, 404 ET alone) with balanced pt/disease characteristics between arms. ET/P had more visceral (46% vs. 36%) and fewer non-visceral (61% vs. 68%) DR compared to ET alone (p=0.03). Unadjusted post-recurrence OS was significantly worse for ET/P vs. ET (median 22.6 vs. 27.9 mo, HR 1.21 (95% CI 1.01-1.46, p=0.04). However, receipt of any post-recurrence CDK4/6i was significantly higher on ET vs. ET/P arms (41% vs. 66%) and time to post-progression CDK4/6i initiation was significantly shorter for those in the ET vs. ET/P arms (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.41-0.61, p<0.001) adjusting for region, bone/visceral DR type, DR-free time and age. Conversely, time to post-progression chemotherapy initiation was significantly longer for ET alone vs. ET/P arms (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07-1.61, p=0.01). However, after adjustment for clinical factors and post-DR treatment, the OS difference was no longer seen (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.85-1.28, p=0.65). 3-mo landmark analysis showed similar effect on OS after adjusting for CDK4/6i initiation within 3 mo from DR (unadjusted HR 1.24, p=0.03 vs. adjusted HR 1.15, p=0.22). CONCLUSION: The PALLAS trial revealed significant differences in treatment post-DR that impact OS. Reduced/delayed use of metastatic CDK4/6i after adjuvant P was associated with significantly poorer OS, suggesting that patients who relapse after adjuvant CDK4/6i may still benefit from metastatic CDK4/6i. This has implications for optimal treatment in those who relapse after adjuvant CDK4/6i and warrants further study to determine if this is therapy-specific or an overarching biological effect. SUPPORT: AFT, ABCSG, NRG, PrECOG; Pfizer Citation Format: A. DeMichele, A. Dueck, M. Gnant, D. Hlauschek, M. Martin, A. Wolff, G. Rubovsky, F. Henao, O. Hahn, A. Chan, A. Brusky, P. Morris, H. Burstein, G. Huber, D. Anderson, L. Garcia-Estevez, G. Pfeiler, H. Rugo, N. Zdenkowski, S. Gampenrieder, N. Wolmark, D. Sabanathan, K. Miller, D. Cameron, E. Winer, C. Brunner, E. Gauthier, P. O’Brien, C. Fesl, E. Mayer. Adjuvant Palbociclib for ER+ Breast Cancer in the PALLAS Trial (ABCSG-42/AFT-05/PrE0109/BIG-14-13): Post-Recurrence Treatment and Overall Survival [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr RF7-07.
Authors
- Dominik Hlauschek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1009-3777)
- Simon Peter Gampenrieder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3966-1071)
- Christian Fesl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5631-076X)
- PG Morris
- Gabor Rubovsky
- G. Pfeiler
- P. O’Brien
- H. Rugo
- A. Dueck
- E. Gauthier
- K. Miller
- A. Chan
- E. L. Mayer
- A. Brusky
- N. Zdenkowski
- H. Burstein
- D. Cameron
- C. Brunner
- L. Garcia-Estevez
- D. Anderson
- A. M. DeMichele
- F. Henao
- E. Winer
- G. Huber
- M. Gnant
- O. M. Hahn
- D. Sabanathan
- M. Martín
Institutions
- University of Vienna (AT)
- University of Indianapolis (US)
- Innsbruck Medical University (AT)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Universität Innsbruck (AT)
- Beaumont Hospital (IE)
- Edinburgh Cancer Research (GB)
- Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (ES)
- University of New Haven (US)
- University of Chicago (US)
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena (ES)
- Upper Austrian Research (AT)
- Northeast Cancer Centre (CA)
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
- National Institute of Oncology (HU)
- Metro-Minnesota Community Oncology Research Consortium (US)
- Cancer Research Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Mayo Clinic in Arizona (US)
- Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital (AU)
- The Fertilizer Institute (US)
- Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group (AT)
- MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid (ES)
- NSABP Foundation (US)
- Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (US)
- University of Baltimore (US)
- Medical University of Vienna (AT)
- University of San Francisco (US)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Macquarie University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Clinical Cancer Research
- Published
- 2026-02-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1158/1557-3265.sabcs25-rf7-07
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Breast Cancer Therapies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00