Unintended bias in clinical trials: The prevalence of entry criteria that exclude patients with invasive lobular carcinoma from metastatic breast cancer trials

Background: Accurately measuring tumor size is challenging in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), which shows non-cohesive growth due to its lack of the adhesion protein E-cadherin. In the metastatic setting, ILC has a unique pattern of spread with a tendency to involve organs like the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneal lining, leptomeninges, or pleura. This results in sheet-like disease or effusions that cannot be measured on routine imaging tests, with measurable disease developing later in the disease course.
Source: European Journal of Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: POSTERS A: Advocacy Source Type: research