Circulating Tumor DNA
A Single Arm Phase II Trial of Circulating Tumor DNA-guided Adjuvant Therapy With Elacestrant in Adults With Hormone Receptor Positive HER2 Negative Breast Cancers at Risk for Late Recurrence (CATE)
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
- Time periods mentioned: 1 year
- Procedures mentioned: CT scans
Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.
Show the study's own words
- "Patients who test positive for ctDNA during the screening phase will receive treatment with elacestrant for one year and continue ctDNA testing and imaging with CT scans every three months."
- "During the follow-up period, patients in the study will continue to be ctDNA tested every six months and monitored for one year."
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This phase 2 study tests elacestrant after earlier treatment for breast cancer that uses estrogen to grow (ER-positive). It is for adults diagnosed 5 to 20 years ago who have finished hormone treatment and have tumor DNA in their blood. The study has screening, treatment, and follow-up stages.
This is a single-arm, phase II study examining elacestrant in the adjuvant treatment of patients with ER+ breast cancer who test positive for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during the screening period of the trial. Our trial will proceed in three separate phases: screening, treatment, and follow-up.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- You are age 18 or older.
- You had stage IIB or stage III breast cancer that was ER-positive and HER2-negative, meaning it did not have high levels of the HER2 protein.
- You were diagnosed 5 to 20 years ago, finished hormone treatment after your main cancer treatment, and stopped hormone treatment at least 4 weeks before screening.
- To start treatment, the NEXT Personal blood test must find circulating tumor DNA—small pieces of cancer DNA in your blood.
- Scans must show no clear signs that cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. Unclear results may need a biopsy, which checks a tissue sample for cancer.
- If you have not finished menopause, you must take medicine to lower hormone levels, starting at least 3 to 4 weeks before elacestrant and continuing during treatment.
- If you have not finished menopause, you must use highly effective birth control during treatment and for 120 days afterward. Barrier methods require a second form of birth control.
- You must be fully active or able to do light work. Blood tests must meet study limits for blood cells, kidney and liver health, minerals, cholesterol, and blood fats.
Who can't join
- You have cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body, or a known medical reason you cannot take elacestrant.
- You currently take hormone treatment, or previously took elacestrant or another experimental drug called a SERD, which blocks and breaks down estrogen receptors.
- You have had another invasive cancer. Exceptions include certain treated skin cancers, or cancer treated to cure it with no return for at least 5 years and a low risk of returning.
- You start treatment in another clinical trial during this study's screening or treatment stage.
- You take medicines that are not allowed in this study. You may qualify if an acceptable replacement is available and you stop the medicine far enough before elacestrant.
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is not allowed during elacestrant treatment or for at least 1 week after the last dose.
- You have a severe, uncontrolled illness, or stomach or bowel problems that could keep your body from absorbing the study pill.
- You have moderate or severe liver problems, or cholesterol or blood fat levels above the study's limits.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria for Screening: 1. Adults aged 18 years and older. 2. Previous diagnosis of anatomic stage IIB or anatomic stage III histopathologically or cytologically confirmed ER+, HER2-, breast cancer per local laboratory as per ASCO/CAP guidelines. In the context of this trial, ER status will be considered positive if \>10% of tumor cells demonstrate positive nuclear staining by immunohistochemistry, with or without progesterone receptor positivity. Patients with PR positive but ER-negative are not eligible. 3. Participants must have been diagnosed with ER+HER2- breast cancer at least five years ago and no more than 20 years ago and must have completed adjuvant endocrine therapy. 4. Participants must be off endocrine therapy for at least four weeks prior to screening. Exclusion Criteria for Screening: 1. Known current metastatic disease. 2. Known contraindication to receiving elacestrant as per FDA package insert. 3. Current treatment with endocrine therapy. 4. Prior treatment with elacestrant or other investigational SERDs. 5. Current or past invasive cancer other than breast cancer, except: 1. Adequately treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. 2. Cancer survivors of previously diagnosed invasive cancer who were treated with curative intent and have no evidence of disease recurrence for five years or more and are considered low risk for future recurrence by the treating physician. 6. Patients in the screening phase, or in the randomized trial (treatment phase), cannot start receiving therapy on another therapeutic clinical trial. 7. Current use of strong and moderate CYP3A4 inducers/inhibitors or other prohibited concomitant medication unless an acceptable substitute is available, and the prohibited medication is discontinued at least five half-lives prior to initiation of elacestrant. 8. Participants who are pregnant. Inclusion Criteria for Treatment: 1. ctDNA positivity by NEXT Personal assay. 2. No evidence of metastatic disease on staging scans. a. If imaging, after review with a radiologist, is low probability for metastatic disease, patients may proceed with enrollment. Patients with suspicious but inconclusive imaging results should undergo a diagnostic biopsy; if biopsy is negative patients are eligible for enrollment. Patients with positive imaging that is conclusive of metastatic disease, or biopsy proven metastatic disease, are not eligible. 3. At the time of informed consent signature for treatment, participants may be either postmenopausal, premenopausal, or perimenopausal. a. Postmenopausal status is defined by: i. Age ≥60. ii. Age \<60 and amenorrhea for 12 or more months (without an alternative cause) and FSH and estradiol level within postmenopausal range per local laboratory reference. iii. Documentation of bilateral oophorectomy, at least one month before first dose of trial therapy. b. Premenopausal and perimenopausal participants must be willing to concurrently receive an LHRH agonist, and the LHRH agonist must be initiated at least three to four weeks before the start of elacestrant and are planning to continue LHRH agonist treatment during treatment with elacestrant. This is based on the current FDA approval of elacestrant in the metastatic setting which is limited to postmenopausal participants. c. Premenopausal or perimenopausal participants must be willing to use a highly effective method of contraception for the duration of trial treatment and for 120 days after the last dose of elacestrant OR if using barrier method of contraception must be willing to use a second form of contraception like occlusive cap with spermicidal foam / gel / film / cream / suppository. i. Highly effective methods of contraception are non-hormonal (cooper) intrauterine device (IUD), surgical sterilization (bilateral tubal occlusion/ligation, partner who has had a vasectomy), and sexual abstinence. 4. ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. 5. Patient has adequate bone marrow and organ function, as defined by the following laboratory values: 1. Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>1.0 x 109/L. 2. Platelets \>100 x 109/L. 3. Hemoglobin \> 8.0 g/dL. 4. Potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium CTCAE v5.0 grade \<1. 5. Cockcroft-Gault based creatinine clearance \>50 mL/min. 6. ALT and AST \<3 x ULN and total serum bilirubin \<1.5 x ULN. 7. Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia CTCAE v5.0 grade \<1. Exclusion Criteria for Treatment: 1. Any concurrent severe and uncontrolled medical condition that would, in the sponsor-investigator's opinion, cause unacceptable safety risks or compromise compliance with the protocol including but not limited to: 2. Impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of oral medication (uncontrolled Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, uncontrolled chronic nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malabsorption, or small bowel resection). 3. Females who are pregnant or breastfeeding. 4. Moderate to severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh Class B and C). 5. Hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia \> CTCAE v5.0 grade 1. 6. Participants who are currently or are planning lactation during elacestrant treatment. Lactation during and at least one week following the last dose of elacestrant is not allowed
Study sites (7)
CT
- Yale University · New Haven, CT 06510Carl Brown · Study contact · 2037854095 · carl.brown@yale.eduMariya Rozenblit, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in New Haven
DC
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center · Washington D.C., DC 20007Lana Kheir · Study contact · 202-444-2223 · lk814@georgetown.eduKatia Khoury, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Washington D.C.
MA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Boston, MA 02215Ilana Schlam Camhi, MD MPH · Study contact · 8773387425 · ilana_schlam@dfci.harvard.eduIlana M Schlam Camhi, MD MPH · Principal investigatorMore trials in Boston
MD
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at John Hopkins · Baltimore, MD 21287Sharon White · Study contact · 410-614-1361 · HopkinsBreastTrials@jhmi.eduJenna Canzoniero, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Baltimore
NY
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center · The Bronx, NY 10461Fernando Gonterman · Study contact · 718-405-8126 · fgonterman@montefiore.orgJesus Anampa, MD · Principal investigatorMore trials in The Bronx
PA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center · Pittsburgh, PA 15232Joshua Plassmeyer, 412-648-6417 · Study contact · plassmeyerjm@upmc.eduJulia Foldi, MD PhD · Principal investigatorMore trials in Pittsburgh
TX
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · Houston, TX 77030Pamela Lewis · Study contact · 713-563-4527 · plewis@mdanderson.orgCarlos H Barcenas, MD MSc · Principal investigatorMore trials in Houston