Dr. Rugo on SWISH Trial for HR-Positive Breast Cancer

Hope S. Rugo, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program at the UCSF Hellen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the results of the SWISH trial, which examined a dexamethasone-based mouthwash for the prevention of everolimus/exemestane stomatitis in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer.

In this single-arm trial, patients used an alcohol-free dexamethasone-based mouthwash 4 times a day. As the mouthwash is not ingested, patients had very little exposure to dexamethason, Rugo explains.

Researchers then followed up on the grades of stomatitis—which were scored based on pain and intake—that were observed in patients following an 8-week use of the mouthwash. Results showed that there was a marked decrease of grade 1, 2, and 3 stomatitis in patients. Additionally, there was a significant increase in patients who reported no cases of stomatitis, Rugo adds.