Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42593586›Full record

SynthesisBreast cancer research and treatment2026

The impact of menopausal status on the efficacy of adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibitors in hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of phase III clinical trials.

Uri Bender, Karine Ronan, Amal Aljuhani, Jacqueline Savill, Eitan Amir

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Uri BenderDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada. uri.bender@uhn.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7476-372X
Karine RonanDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Amal AljuhaniDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jacqueline SavillDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Eitan AmirDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAdjuvant cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) improve outcomes in hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative early breast cancer, though trial results have been heterogeneous. Menopausal status and endocrine therapy backbone may contribute to variability in treatment effect. We performed a meta-analysis evaluating whether menopausal status influences the efficacy of adjuvant CDK 4/6 inhibition.

methodsA systematic review of phase III randomized trials evaluating adjuvant CDK4/6i in HR+/HER2- early-stage breast cancer was conducted. Trial-level hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for iDFS and OS were extracted separately for pre-/peri-menopausal and postmenopausal subgroups. HRs were pooled using random-effects modelling (DerSimonian-Laird method) with inverse-variance modeling. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. A sensitivity analysis limited to approved CDK4/6i (ribociclib and abemaciclib) was performed.

resultsFour trials comprising 17,748 participants were included, of whom 45% were pre-/peri-menopausal and 55% were postmenopausal. Pooled iDFS HRs were 0.80 (95% CI 0.67-0.97, I²=64%) in pre-/peri-menopausal patients and 0.79 (95% CI 0.72-0.86, I²=0%) in postmenopausal patients. Pooled OS HRs were 1.02 (95% CI 0.67-1.54, I²=80%) in pre-/peri-menopausal and 0.89 (95% CI 0.78-1.03, I²=0%) in postmenopausal patients. No significant subgroup differences were observed for iDFS or OS. Compared to post-menopausal participants, those who were premenopausal had 3.0% fewer absolute iDFS events at 5-6 years. Sensitivity analyses yielded consistent findings.

conclusionsEfficacy of adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibition in HR+/HER2-negative early breast cancer does not appear to be influenced by menopausal status as defined in individual trials. Greater heterogeneity among pre-/peri-menopausal patients may reflect differences in endocrine therapy backbone, tumor characteristics and patient risk. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCyclin-Dependent Kinase 4Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6MenopauseProtein Kinase InhibitorsChemotherapy, AdjuvantClinical Trials, Phase III as TopicErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFemaleHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, ProgesteroneTreatment OutcomeCDK4 protein, humanCyclin-Dependent Kinase 4Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesProtein Kinase InhibitorsReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, ProgesteroneAdjuvant therapyBreast cancerCDK4/6 inhibitorsMenopausal statusMeta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID42593586

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.