What is the Olympia trial for breast cancer?

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Last updated: February 19, 2025View editorial policy

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From the Guidelines

The Olympia trial is a clinical trial for patients with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and high-risk, early-stage breast cancer, investigating the efficacy of olaparib, a PARP inhibitor, as an adjuvant treatment to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence 1.

Key Features of the Trial

  • The trial evaluates the efficacy of adjuvant PARP inhibitor therapy with olaparib in patients with early-stage, HER2-negative breast cancer with high risk of recurrence and germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants 1.
  • Patients in the trial receive olaparib for one year, with the primary goal of assessing whether olaparib can improve invasive disease-free survival compared to placebo in this high-risk population 1.
  • The trial has shown that olaparib can improve invasive disease-free survival, with a 3-year invasive disease-free survival rate of 85.9% in the olaparib group compared to 77.1% in the placebo group (HR, 0.58 [99.5% CI, 0.41 to 0.82]; P < .001) 1.
  • The trial has also shown that olaparib can improve distant disease-free survival, with a 3-year distant disease-free survival rate of 87.5% in the olaparib group compared to 80.4% in the placebo group (HR, 0.57 [99.5% CI, 0.39 to 0.83]; P < .001) 1.

Patient Eligibility

  • Patients with germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and high-risk, early-stage breast cancer are eligible for the trial 1.
  • High-risk features include stages 2 and 3, TNBC with residual disease after pre-operative chemotherapy, or node-positive or pT2 irrespective of nodal status or ER+ disease with four or more involved lymph nodes or significant residual disease after pre-operative chemotherapy 1.

Treatment and Outcomes

  • Patients in the trial receive olaparib 300mg orally twice daily for one year 1.
  • The primary outcome of the trial is invasive disease-free survival, with secondary outcomes including distant disease-free survival and overall survival 1.
  • The trial has shown that olaparib can improve invasive disease-free survival and distant disease-free survival, with a trend towards improved overall survival 1.

From the Research

Overview of the Olympia Trial

  • The Olympia trial is a randomized, double-blind trial that compared 1 year of the oral poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, olaparib, to matching placebo as adjuvant therapy for patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 (gBRCA1/2pv) and high-risk, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, early breast cancer (EBC) 2.
  • The trial demonstrated statistically significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and distant disease-free survival (DDFS) with olaparib compared to placebo 2.
  • The second pre-specified interim analysis of overall survival (OS) showed significant improvement in the olaparib group relative to the placebo group, with a hazard ratio of 0.68 and a 4-year OS of 89.8% in the olaparib group versus 86.4% in the placebo group 2.

Patient Eligibility and Outcomes

  • The Olympia trial included patients with gBRCA1/2pv and high-risk, HER2-negative EBC, who had received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy if indicated 2.
  • The trial showed that olaparib was beneficial across major subgroups, including those with hormone receptor-positive and triple-negative breast cancer 2, 3.
  • The 4-year IDFS and DDFS rates were 82.7% and 86.5%, respectively, in the olaparib group, compared to 75.4% and 79.1% in the placebo group 2.

Comparison to Other Studies

  • The OlympiAD trial, which compared olaparib to chemotherapy treatment of physician's choice in patients with gBRCAm and HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, showed that olaparib significantly prolonged progression-free survival, but did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in OS 4, 5.
  • A real-world study using data from a population-based registry found that 14.2% of patients with HER2-negative EBC were classified as "high risk" according to the Olympia criteria, and that these patients had a worse 10-year overall survival rate compared to those who were not classified as "high risk" 6.

Related Questions

According to the OLYMPIA trial, what is the recommended adjuvant olaparib regimen (dose, duration, monitoring, and alternatives if contraindicated) for early‑stage high‑risk HER2‑negative breast cancer patients with a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variant who have completed surgery, radiation, and anthracycline‑taxane‑based chemotherapy (and endocrine therapy if hormone‑receptor‑positive)?
What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the OlympiA trial enrolling adults (≥ 18 years, ≥ 30 kg) with germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutations and early‑stage HER2‑negative (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‑negative) breast cancer who have completed definitive surgery and (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy?
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Professional Medical Disclaimer

This information is intended for healthcare professionals. Any medical decision-making should rely on clinical judgment and independently verified information. The content provided herein does not replace professional discretion and should be considered supplementary to established clinical guidelines. Healthcare providers should verify all information against primary literature and current practice standards before application in patient care. Dr.Oracle assumes no liability for clinical decisions based on this content.

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