Elinzanetant for VMS in Breast Cancer Patients: Insights from the OASIS-4 Trial

This episode, titled "Elinzanetant for VMS in Breast Cancer Patients: Insights from the OASIS-4 Trial," features panelists discussing the OASIS-4 trial — a study specifically designed to evaluate elinzanetant in women with a history of breast cancer — and its implications for a patient population that has historically had very limited options for VMS management.

Dr. Kristi DeSapri contextualizes the significance of this research, noting that breast cancer is increasingly being identified in younger women, and that chemoprevention is being initiated earlier in those with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk. This means a growing number of women are navigating both a breast cancer diagnosis and the menopausal transition simultaneously. For women on adjuvant therapies such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, hot flashes and night sweats are the most commonly reported side effects, compounding the physical and emotional burden of treatment and negatively impacting sleep and quality of life.

Because hormone therapy is contraindicated in this population, the availability of a rigorously studied non-hormonal option is described as particularly meaningful. The OASIS-4 trial, which enrolled women as young as their 40s who were actively on adjuvant breast cancer therapy, demonstrated that elinzanetant effectively reduced hot flash frequency, night sweat severity, and sleep disturbance in this specific population. Both panelists emphasize that for breast cancer patients and their clinicians, the importance of having a non-hormonal therapy studied in patients "just like themselves" cannot be overstated, and Dr. DeSapri notes that early real-world clinical experience already reflects the study's promising findings.

In the next episode, "Practical Strategies for Managing VMS and Cardiovascular Risk in Primary Care," panelists will offer time-pressed primary care clinicians actionable guidance on integrating cardiovascular risk assessment and VMS screening into routine practice, and share key educational resources to support ongoing learning in menopausal health.