Pharmacogenetics of Toxicities Related to Endocrine Treatment in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Background/Aim: Endocrine therapy is the standard treatment for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC). Yet, it is accompanied by treatment-related toxicities, leading to poor treatment adherence, high relapse, and low rates of survival. While pharmacogenomic variants have the potential to guide personalized treatment, their predictive value is inconsistent across published studies. Materials and Methods: To systematically assess the literature’s current landscape of pharmacogenomics of endocrine therapy-related adverse drug effects, systematic searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Google Scholar and PharmGKB databases were conducted. Results: We identified 87 articles. Substantial heterogeneity and variability in pharmacogenomic effects were evident across studies, with many using data from the same cohorts and predominantly focusing on the Caucasian population and postmenopausal women. Meta-analyses revealed Factor V Leiden mutation as a predictor of thromboembolic events in tamoxifen-treated women (p<0.0001). Meta-analyses also found that rs7984870 and rs2234693 were associated with musculoskeletal toxicities in postmenopausal women receiving aromatase inhibitors (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: Overall, the current body of evidence regarding the potential role of pharmacogenomics in endocrine therapy-related toxicity in BC remains largely inconclusive. Key concerns include the heterogeneity in toxicity definitions, lack of consideration for genotype-treatment interactions, and the failure to account for multiple testing. The review underscores the necessity for larger and well-designed studies, particularly with the inclusion of premenopausal women and non-Caucasian populations.