Palbociclib in Molecularly Characterized ER-positive/HER2-negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

Patients will be treated with the combination of palbociclib and fulvestrant. The primary objective is to assess the association of the primary endpoint progression-free survival (PFS) with potential markers. The trial is included in the AURORA program conducted by the Breast International Group (BIG), an international study aiming to collect and characterize biological samples, including metastatic tissue, from patients with advanced breast cancer. The primary aim of the PYTHIA study is to discover potentially innovative biomarkers for the selection of patients to Palbociclib/Fulvestrant treatment. The strength of the trial lies in its conduct in conjunction with the AURORA study, which systematically evaluates a panel of biomarkers in tissue and blood, in a certified central lab. Stemming from this association, an abundance of molecular profiling information will become available for different biological samples. Additional molecular and functional imaging assessments performed within the context of the PYTHIA study increase its scientific merit, since it will represent a prospective, systematic effort to identify biomarkers for patient stratification, integrating several molecular profiling assessments.