Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to predict response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and prognosis in patients (pts) with early breast cancer (BC).

Abstract

e12642 Background: pCR to NAC is an important predictor of clinical recurrence. Up to 16% of patients with pCR may experience disease recurrence, 45% of patients with RD do not. Longitudinal ctDNA testing offers a minimally invasive approach for monitoring treatment response EBC patients receiving NAC. We evaluated whether ctDNA status and dynamics can predict the tumor response to NAC and the risk of recurrence in patients with EBC. Methods: We conducted an observational, retrospective, single-center study to investigate whether ctDNA can predict tumor response to NAC and prognosis in BC patients. 74 pts received standard of care NAC;g 4 patients were treated in the adjuvant setting. Blood samples were collected at diagnosis from 44 pts (baseline) and longitudinally during treatment from 34 patients. Tumor response and progression outcomes were reported. A clinically validated, tumor-informed ctDNA assay (Signatera). ctDNA status and dynamics were correlated with pathologic and radiologic outcomes. Results: 29 TNBC pts were ctDNA+ at baseline, 6 were ctDNA- Of the 29 pts, early ctDNA clearance by week 6 of NAC was observed in 10 pts, weeks 7-16 in 9 pts, clearance post-surgery in 1, 3 pts remained ctDNA+ after surgery, serial ctDNA testing is underway for the remaining 6 pts. All TNBC patients who had radiological complete response (CR) had early clearance of ctDNA . All pts with persistent ctDNA positivity levels after completion of NAC had radiological partial response (PR). Of the 9 TNBC pts with undetectable baseline ctDNA, 33% achieved CR on MRI and 43% achieved pathologic CR. Of the 19 TNBC pts with ctDNA clearance in response to NAC, 89% (17/19) remained ctDNA- and with no evidence of disease (NED) (length of follow up). 1 pt initially cleared their ctDNA on NAC, turned ctDNA+ 4 weeks prior to radiological recurrence. 1 pt with ctDNA clearance on NAC remained ctDNA post-surgery but experienced recurrence. All (n=3) TNBC pts with persistent ctDNA-positivity levels after curative treatment (NAC and surgery) had disease recurrence. The remaining 6 pts ctDNA are ongoing NAC. Of the 6 pts with undetectable baseline ctDNA, 6/6 continued to be ctDNA- regardless of their disease status. At diagnosis, 8/9 ER+ ps were ctDNA+. 3/8 (38%) ER+ pts with positive baseline ctDNA had early clearance of ctDNA after NAC. All 3 had residual disease on pathology. 2/8 (25%) remained ctDNA+ after surgery and neither achieved radiologic CR or pCR. The remaining 3 pts are ongoing NAC. Conclusions: In early TNBC, ctDNA monitoring can be used to predict tumor response to NAC and tailor therapeutic regimens. ctDNA persistence can predict early recurrence and helps identify patients in which treatment escalation or enrollment on clinical trials is necessary. In ER positive breast cancer, and despite the small number of patients, ctDNA clearance does not predict response to NAC.