RATIONALE: Ritonavir may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cancer cell growth. Studying samples of blood and tissue from patients with breast cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about the effects of ritonavir on biomarkers involved in breast cancer growth. PURPOSE: This phase I/II trial is studying the best dose of ritonavir and its effects on biomarkers in women undergoing surgery for newly diagnosed breast cancer.
OBJECTIVES: * Determine the effects of ritonavir on Akt activity, UPR, Ki67 LI, and ROS in a triple-negative breast cancer model. * Determine the maximum tolerated dose of ritonavir in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. (Phase I - enrollment complete) OUTLINE: This is a multicenter, phase I dose-escalation study followed by a phase II study. \*Note: This trial never moved forward to Phase ll. Control Group - Five patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer are enrolled before the start of phase I recruitment. Phase I Group - Twelve breast cancer patients with either 1)ER+, HER2-, or 2)ER+, HER2+, or 3) ER-, HER2+, or 4) ER-, PR+, HER2-, or 5) ER-, PR-, HER2- will be enrolled for dose escalation study. Phase II Group - Nineteen ER+, HER2- patients will be enrolled for ritonavir pharmacokinetic study after maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is established. * Control: Patients do not receive ritonavir. * Phases I and II: Patients receive oral ritonavir twice daily for 5 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients then undergo surgery as deemed appropriate by the surgeon and based on patient preference (mastectomy or lumpectomy with sentinel node procedure and/or axillary node dissection). All patients undergo blood and tissue sample collection periodically for biomarker research studies. Samples from patients enrolled in the control group are compared with the samples from patients enrolled in phase I and II.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Phase I: Dose escalation will be used with 3 levels of ritonavir given - 200 mg twice a day (bid), 400 mg bid, and 600 mg bid. Phase II: Dose will be maximum tolerated dose from Phase I.
Tissue collection is from all patients, including the control, phase I and phase II patients.
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
The Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Inhibition of breast cancer by targeting Hsp90-Akt pathway
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Activation of apoptosis markers
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Modulation of autophagy markers
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Alteration of plasma levels of eicosanoids
Time frame: Pre Treatment and 3 Hours Post Treatment
Induction of Hsp70 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Time frame: Pre Treatment and 3 Hours Post Treatment
Reduction of ERα in ERα+ tumors
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Changes in TNF-α and IL-6 levels as well as reduction in intratumoral nuclear NF-kB and phospho-Stat3
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Alteration of urine eicosanoid levels
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Alteration of plasma and urine eicosanoid levels resulting from tumor resection.
Time frame: Pre and Post Treatment
Induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR) assayed by grp78 or related markers (phospho-PERK, ATF-4, and CHOP)
Time frame: pre- and post-surgery
inhibition of tumor growth markers (Ki67 LI, Hsp90, phosphorylated AKT)
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Enrollment
28
Time frame: pre- and post-surgery