Early-stage Triple-negative Breast Cancer Research Articles

Systemic chemokine-modulatory regimen combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer

BackgroundHigher cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) numbers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) predict pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and positive long-term outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). pCR...

Real-World Outcomes with the KEYNOTE-522 Regimen in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

This study aimed to determine if the neoadjuvant (NAT) KEYNOTE-522 regimen was associated with higher rates of pathologic complete response (pCR), corresponding to higher rates of breast conservation therapy (BCT) in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Stage II-III TNBC patients diagnosed between 2019 and 2022 who underwent NAT were analyzed retrospectively. NAT with KEYNOTE-522 versus control NAT were compared for rates of BCT, axillary node dissection (ALND), pCR, and survival outcomes. The prevalence of immune-related adverse events (irAE) from chemoimmunotherapy was recorded. Of 240 patients identified: 86 received KEYNOTE-522 and 154 received control. The frequency of pCR was significantly higher in KEYNOTE versus the control cohort, 59.3% and 33.1%, respectively (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the rate of BCT between the control (33.1%) and the KEYNOTE-522 (32.1%) groups (p = 0.47). Rates of ALND were significantly lower with KEYNOTE-522 (25.6%) as compared with control (39.6%); p = 0.03. The rate of development of grade 2 or higher irAEs was 34.9%. At a median follow-up of 2.4 years, there was no difference in survival outcomes. BRCA1 patients had high rates of pCR regardless of treatment group, KEYNOTE-522: 80.0% (4/5) and control: 75% (9/12), (p = 1). This real-world evidence supports the use of the KEYNOTE-522 regimen in patients with early-stage TNBC given the higher pCR rate and corresponding decrease in the rate of ALND. The majority of patients in both NAT cohorts became BCT eligible, but the rate of BCT did not differ between the two groups.

Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Retrospective Turkish Oncology Group Study

Background/Objectives: Following the results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab, a humanized IgG4 kappa monoclonal antibody, in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a new standard of care for high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This retrospective, multicenter study in Türkiye assessed the real-world efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in early-stage TNBC. Methods: The study included 108 patients treated between 2021 and 2023 across 14 oncology centers. Three distinct neoadjuvant regimens incorporating pembrolizumab were administered at the discretion of the treating physicians. The primary outcomes were the pathological complete response (pCR) rate after neoadjuvant therapy and the 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Results: The observed pCR rate was 63.9%, closely mirroring the 64.8% reported in the KEYNOTE-522 trial. At the two-year mark, the EFS rate was 87.2% and the OS rate was 92.3%. Multivariable analysis identified pCR as the sole independent predictor of both EFS and OS. The safety profile was consistent with previous clinical trial data, with most adverse events being of grade 1–2 in severity. Conclusions: These findings provide valuable real-world confirmation of the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab–chemotherapy in early-stage TNBC, complementing evidence from randomized trials.

TNBC-DX genomic test in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant taxane-based therapy

BackgroundIdentification of biomarkers to optimize treatment strategies for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is crucial. This study presents the development and validation of TNBC-DX, a novel test aimed at predicting both short- and long-term outcomes in early-stage TNBC. MethodsInformation from 1,259 patients with early-stage TNBC (SCAN-B, CALGB-40603, and BrighTNess) were used to establish the TNBC-DX scores. Independent validation of TNBC-DX was carried out in 3 studies: i) WSG-ADAPT-TN, ii) MMJ-CAR-2014-01, and iii) NeoPACT, including 527 patients with stage I-III TNBC undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In WSG-ADAPT-TN, patients were randomized to receive nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine or carboplatin. In MMJ-CAR-2014-01, patients received carboplatin plus docetaxel. In NeoPACT, patients received carboplatin plus docetaxel and pembrolizumab. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between TNBC-DX and efficacy outcomes (pCR, distant disease-free survival [DDFS] or event-free survival [EFS], and overall survival [OS]) in the validation cohorts. ResultsTNBC-DX test was created incorporating 10-gene core immune gene module, 4-gene tumor cell proliferation signature, tumor size, and nodal staging. In the 2 independent validation cohorts without pembrolizumab, the TNBC-DX pCR score was significantly associated with pCR after adjustment for clinicopathological variables and treatment regimen (odds ratio per 10-units increment=1.34, 95% CI 1.20-1.52, p<0.001). pCR rates for the TNBC-DX pCR-high, -medium, and -low categories were 56.3%, 53.6%, and 22.5% respectively (odds ratio for pCR-high vs pCR-low=3.48 [95% CI 1.72-7.15], p<0.001). Additionally, the TNBC-DX risk score was significantly associated with DDFS (hazard ratio [HR] high-risk vs low-risk=0.24, 95% CI 0.15-0.41, p<0.001) and OS (HR=0.19, 95% CI 0.11-0.35, p<0.001). In the validation cohort with pembrolizumab, the TNBC-DX scores were significantly associated with pCR, EFS, and OS. ConclusionsTNBC-DX predicts pCR to neoadjuvant taxane-carboplatin in stage I-III TNBC and helps to forecast the patient´s long-term survival in the absence of neoadjuvant anthracycline/cyclophosphamide, and independent of pembrolizumab use.

Prognostic and Predictive Markers for Early Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Platinum-Based Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Emerging evidence has indicated possible efficacy benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, it has not been endorsed by current guidelines due to highly controversial results. Present study aims to investigate predictive and prognostic roles concerning single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in XRCC1 and BRCA1, BRCA2 genes for early stage TNBC patients that received platinum-based neoadjuvant treatment. We prospectively enrolled women with stage IIB-IIIB TNBC that had progressed on neoadjuvant taxane and anthracycline-based chemotherapy at Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital. Tumor response and pathological complete response (pCR) rate were assessed. Invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Patients' blood samples were subject to Sanger sequencing to genotype XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln, BRCA1 s1799949, and BRCA2 rs206115. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to investigate associations between SNPs and clinical characteristics with treatment response and pCR. A total of 45 patients were enrolled. The cohort showcased ORR of 44.4%, pCR of 28.9%, median iDFS of 22 months, and a 3-year OS of 73.3%. The A/G and G/G genotypes of BRCA1 rs1799949, and the T/T genotype of BRCA2 rs206115 were associated with higher responsive rate. Histologic grade of III and Ki67 expression > 65% were associated with low responsive rate. Moreover, the A/G genotype of BRCA1 rs1799949 and T/T genotype of BRCA2 rs206115 correlated to high pCR. The histologic III and T4 stage correlated to inferior iDFS. Carrier of BRCA1 rs1799949 G/G had the most favorable OS, carriers of A/A showed the poorest OS, and those with A/G genotype showed an intermediate OS. Platinum-based chemotherapy might serve as a therapeutic option for TNBC patients who were resistant to anthracycline- and taxane-based neoadjuvant therapy. Our study identified several genetic and clinical features that might function as prognostic and predictive markers.

MO63-4 Utility of IHC-based markers for predicting pathological complete response in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

MO63-4 Utility of IHC-based markers for predicting pathological complete response in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

Tailoring Escalation Adjuvant Therapy for Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in the CBCSG010 Clinical Trial Biomarker Analysis.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous disease. The CBCSG010 trial is a prospective and multicenter phase III clinical trial confirming that adding adjuvant capecitabine significantly improved the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate in patients with TNBC by 5.9%. In this study, we attempted to identify the specific population that benefited from adjuvant therapy. In this retrospective exploratory analysis, we performed RNA sequencing of tumor tissues from patients with TNBC in the CBCSG010 clinical trial. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm and survival analysis were performed to characterize the intrinsic molecular features of the TNBC microenvironment and assess the associations between immune-related gene expression levels or immune cell counts with capecitabine treatment efficacy. Additionally, we performed immunohistochemical staining of 2 markers, PD-L1 and CD8, and hematoxylin-eosin staining of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens to validate findings from bioinformatics analyses. We found that patients with TNBC with high immune-infiltration treated with capecitabine were more likely to have a better prognosis. We used a cutoff of ≥25 combined positive score (CPS) of PD-L1, ≥10% positive sTILs, and ≥10% positive cells of CD8 to define the "immune-hot" patients. Among immune-hot patients, Kaplan-Meier curves showed that 5-year DFS rates were 96.9% and 79.4% in the capecitabine and control groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.52; P=.049 in favor of capecitabine). In the capecitabine group, the 5-year DFS rate was higher for immune-hot patients than for immune-cold patients (96.9% vs 76.4%; hazard ratio, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04-0.29; P=.028). Our study suggested that immune-hot patients with TNBC are more likely to benefit from adjuvant capecitabine, and that combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy may be expected to be more effective in immune-hot patients.

Overall Survival with Pembrolizumab in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

In patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer, the phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 trial showed significant improvements in pathological complete response and event-free survival with the addition of pembrolizumab to platinum-containing chemotherapy. Here we report the final results for overall survival. We randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, patients with previously untreated stage II or III triple-negative breast cancer to receive neoadjuvant therapy with four cycles of pembrolizumab (at a dose of 200 mg) or placebo every 3 weeks plus paclitaxel and carboplatin, followed by four cycles of pembrolizumab or placebo plus doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide or epirubicin-cyclophosphamide. After definitive surgery, patients received adjuvant pembrolizumab (pembrolizumab-chemotherapy group) or placebo (placebo-chemotherapy group) every 3 weeks for up to nine cycles. The primary end points were pathological complete response and event-free survival. Overall survival was a secondary end point. Of the 1174 patients who underwent randomization, 784 were assigned to the pembrolizumab-chemotherapy group and 390 to the placebo-chemotherapy group. At the data-cutoff date (March 22, 2024), the median follow-up was 75.1 months (range, 65.9 to 84.0). The estimated overall survival at 60 months was 86.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.0 to 88.8) in the pembrolizumab-chemotherapy group, as compared with 81.7% (95% CI, 77.5 to 85.2) in the placebo-chemotherapy group (P = 0.002). Adverse events were consistent with the established safety profiles of pembrolizumab and chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab resulted in a significant improvement, as compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, in overall survival among patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer. (Funded by Merck Sharp and Dohme, a subsidiary of Merck [Rahway, NJ]; KEYNOTE-522 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03036488.).

Association between pembrolizumab-related thyroid adverse events and outcomes in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer patients.

Pembrolizumab-related thyroid dysfunction has been associated with better outcomes in metastatic cancer patients. This study aims to examine the outcomes (pathological complete response (pCR) and event-free survival (EFS)) in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients receiving preoperative therapy who developed pembrolizumab-related thyroid dysfunction. Patients were divided into four groups based on the occurrence or not of pembrolizumab-related thyroid dysfunction (group A and D, respectively) and, in case of pre-existing thyroid disorder, based on the need for levothyroxine start/adjustment or not (group B and C, respectively). pCR and EFS in groups A, B, and C were compared to the ones in group D. Sixty-four early-stage TNBC patients were included, and the median follow-up was 16.5 months (IQR 12.0-23.8). Multiple patterns of thyroid irAEs were observed (overt hypothyroidism in 56.3%, subclinical thyrotoxicosis in 28.1%, overt thyrotoxicosis and subclinical hypothyroidism in 21.9%, and 21.9% of patients). No statistical difference was found in pCR (chi-square test, P = 0.611) comparing groups A, B, and C to group D. The median EFS in groups A, B, and C and in group D were 16.5 (IQR 12.0-24.0) and 16.0 (IQR 12.0-22.3) months, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.671). The percentage of patients obtaining pCR was 85.7% in patients developing pembrolizumab-related overt thyrotoxicosis and 42.1% in remaining patients (chi-square test, P = 0.036). The EFS was 16.0 months (IQR 12.0-25.0) in patients developing pembrolizumab-related overt thyrotoxicosis and 16.0 months (IQR 12.0-23.5) in the remaining patients (log-rank test, P = 0.494). In conclusion, multiple patterns of pembrolizumab-related thyroid dysfunction occur in early-stage TNBC. Patients developing pembrolizumab-related overt thyrotoxicosis are more likely to achieve pCR.

Use of Pretreatment Perfusion MRI-based Intratumoral Heterogeneity to Predict Pathologic Response of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer to Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy.

Background Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) has significantly increased the rate of pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), although predictors of response to this regimen have not been identified. Purpose To investigate pretreatment perfusion MRI-based radiomics as a predictive marker for pCR in patients with TNBC undergoing NACI. Materials and Methods This prospective study enrolled women with early-stage TNBC who underwent NACI at two different centers from August 2021 to July 2023. Pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI scans obtained using scanners from multiple vendors were analyzed using the Tofts model to segment tumors and analyze pharmacokinetic parameters. Radiomics features were extracted from the rate constant for contrast agent plasma-to-interstitial transfer (or Ktrans), volume fraction of extravascular and extracellular space (Ve), and maximum contrast agent uptake rate (Slopemax) maps and analyzed using unsupervised correlation and least absolute shrinkage and selector operator, or LASSO, to develop a radiomics score. Score effectiveness was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and multivariable logistic regression was used to develop a multimodal nomogram for enhanced prediction. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the nomogram were evaluated in an external test set. Results The training set included 112 female participants from center 1 (mean age, 52 years ± 11 [SD]), and the external test set included 83 female participants from center 2 (mean age, 47 years ± 11). The radiomics score demonstrated an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.89) for predicting pCR. A nomogram incorporating the radiomics score, grade, and Ki-67 yielded an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.94) in the test set. Associations were found between higher radiomics score (>0.25) and tumor size (P < .001), washout enhancement (P = .01), androgen receptor expression (P = .009), and programmed death ligand 1 expression (P = .01), demonstrating a correlation with tumor immune environment in participants with TNBC. Conclusion A radiomics score derived from pharmacokinetic parameters at pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI exhibited good performance for predicting pCR in participants with TNBC undergoing NACI, and could potentially be used to enhance clinical decision making. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Rauch in this issue.

262P Predictive clinico-biological factors of toxicity associated to neo-adjuvant chemo- immunotherapy in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

262P Predictive clinico-biological factors of toxicity associated to neo-adjuvant chemo- immunotherapy in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer

284P Clinical and molecular characteristics of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (eTNBC) patients with germline pathogenic variants in homologous recombination repair genes

284P Clinical and molecular characteristics of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (eTNBC) patients with germline pathogenic variants in homologous recombination repair genes

237MO TNBC-DX genomic test in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant taxane-based therapy without immunotherapy

237MO TNBC-DX genomic test in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant taxane-based therapy without immunotherapy

Neoadjuvant Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Plus Chemotherapy in Early Breast Cancer

Recent studies have investigated the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer. However, there is an ongoing debate about the optimal approach for integrating this strategy. To evaluate the association of neoadjuvant ICIs with pathologic complete response (pCR) across molecular phenotypes, to quantify the survival benefits of ICIs beyond pCR status, and to estimate the incidence of specific adverse events. The PubMed database was searched on December 10, 2023, to identify all potential eligible studies. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed (neo)adjuvant ICI plus chemotherapy in early breast cancer. Data from the eligible RCTs were extracted by 2 reviewers. An extracted individual patient data meta-analysis and a trial-level random-effect meta-analysis were performed. Outcomes were pCR, event-free survival (EFS) in patients with and without pCR, and adverse events. Hazard ratios were estimated using stratified Cox proportional hazards regression models. Nine RCTs involving 5114 patients met the inclusion criteria (2097 triple-negative breast cancer [TNBC], 1924 hormone receptor-positive [HR+]/ERBB2-negative [ERBB2-], and 1115 ERBB2+ tumors). In TNBC, the addition of ICIs was associated with an improved pCR rate regardless of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) status (absolute improvement, >10%). In HR+/ ERBB2- tumors, the administration of ICIs was associated with improved pCR only in the PD-L1-positive (PD-L1+) population (absolute improvement, +12.2%), whereas no benefit was observed in ERBB2+ tumors. In patients with TNBC achieving a pCR, the addition of ICIs was associated with improved EFS (hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.42-1.00), resulting in a 5-year EFS of 92.0% with ICIs compared with 88.0% without them. In patients with residual disease, ICIs also showed better EFS (hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.98), resulting in a 5-year EFS of 63.3% with ICIs and 56.1% without them. Adjuvant ICI did not show numerical improvement in patients with either pCR or residual disease (all hazard ratios >1). During the neoadjuvant treatment, the incidence of grade 3 or greater immune-related adverse events with ICI was 10.3%. These findings suggest that neoadjuvant ICI therapy improves efficacy outcomes in early-stage TNBC and PD-L1+ HR+/ERBB2- tumors with an acceptable safety profile; however, no benefit was observed with adjuvant ICI. Given the financial and toxicity costs associated with ICIs, future research should prioritize identifying patients most likely to benefit from the addition of ICIs to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Impact of Location of Residence and Distance to Cancer Centre on Medical Oncology Consultation and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Triple-Negative and HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Despite consensus guidelines, most patients with early-stage triple-negative (TN) and HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer do not see a medical oncologist prior to surgery and do not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). To understand barriers to care, we aimed to characterize the relationship between geography (region of residence and cancer centre proximity) and receipt of a pre-treatment medical oncology consultation and NAC for patients with TN and HER2+ breast cancer. Using linked administrative datasets in Ontario, Canada, we performed a retrospective population-based analysis of women diagnosed with stage I-III TN or HER2+ breast cancer from 2012 to 2020. The outcomes were a pre-treatment medical oncology consultation and the initiation of NAC. We created choropleth maps to assess the distribution of the outcomes and cancer centres across census divisions. To assess the relationship between distance to the nearest cancer centre and outcomes, we performed multivariable regression analyses adjusted for relevant factors, including tumour extent and nodal status. Of 14,647 patients, 29.9% received a pre-treatment medical oncology consultation and 77.7% received NAC. Mapping demonstrated high interregional variability, ranging across census divisions from 12.5% to 64.3% for medical oncology consultation and from 8.8% to 64.3% for NAC. In the full cohort, compared to a distance of ≤5 km from the nearest cancer centre, only 10-25 km was significantly associated with lower odds of NAC (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.99). Greater distances were not associated with pre-treatment medical oncology consultation. The interregional variability in medical oncology consultation and NAC for patients with TN and HER2+ breast cancer suggests that regional and/or provider practice patterns underlie discrepancies in the referral for and receipt of NAC. These findings can inform interventions to improve equitable access to NAC for eligible patients.

Detrimental Impact of Chemotherapy Dose Reduction or Discontinuation in Early Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treated With Pembrolizumab and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Multicenter Experience

BackgroundPembrolizumab combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the current standard of care in early stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) based on higher event-free survival and pathological complete response (pCR) in Keynote-522 (KN-522) clinical trial. However, this aggressive five-drug regimen is associated with increased risks for immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We investigated real-world clinical outcomes and toxicity of this regimen as well as factors predictive of pCR and irAEs. MethodsWe identified and abstracted data from 153 early-stage TNBC patients treated with the KN-522 regimen between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2023, at 4 academic institutions in the U.S. Descriptive analysis was conducted, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with pCR and irAEs. ResultsThe median age was 52 years (interquartile range, 42-60years), with 66% White and 24% Black patients with stage I/II (67%), node-negative disease (58%), grade 3 (86%) tumors, and ≥1 comorbidities (68%). Approximately 21% discontinued pembrolizumab, because of toxicity; ∼50% received a lower relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy (dose reduction or discontinuation). Of the 153 patients, 99 (64.7%) achieved pCR and 83 (54%) experienced an irAE, with 18 (12%) having ≥ grade 3 irAE. The majority (90%) of the irAEs were observed during neoadjuvant phase. Stage I/II versus stage III disease (OR 1.55, CI 1.04-2.33, P = .03), age (OR 0.96, CI 0.93-0.99, P = .01) and full versus reduced RDI of NAC (OR 1.53, CI 1.04-2.26, P = .03) were associated with higher pCR rates on multivariate analyses. Fewer cycles of pembrolizumab were associated with a higher likelihood of irAEs (OR 1.52, CI 1.07-2.16, P = .02), likely explained by the early discontinuation and receipt of less than 8 cycles of pembrolizumab in patients who experienced irAEs. ConclusionsOur study validates the clinical efficacy of KN-522 regimen; however, we observed a higher incidence of irAEs (54%) in this real-world population. Lower stage and younger age were associated with higher likelihood of achieving pCR. Toxicity-related chemotherapy dose reduction or discontinuation was observed to adversely impact the likelihood of achieving pCR.

Cost-effectiveness of Pembrolizumab in Combination with Chemotherapy as Neoadjuvant Treatment and Continued as a Single Agent Adjuvant Treatment for High-Risk Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Hong Kong.

The phaseIII randomized KEYNOTE-522 trial demonstrated that pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab (pembrolizumab + chemotherapy) provided significant improvements in event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (eTNBC). The objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone (chemotherapy) in patients with high-risk eTNBC from a Hong Kong third-party payer perspective. A multistate transition model with four health states (event-free), locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and death) was developed to assess the lifetime medical costs and health outcomes (3% annual discount), along with incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) using efficacy and safety data from the KEYNOTE-522 trial. The health state utilities were derived from KEYNOTE-522 Euro-QoL-five-dimension five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) data. Costs were expressed in 2022 Hong Kong dollars (HKD).Scenario and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of results. Over a 32-year time horizon, base case results showed that pembrolizumab + chemotherapy was associated with a 3.42year longer EFS and expected gains of 3.05 lifeyears (LYs) and 2.45 quality-adjusted lifeyears (QALYs) compared to chemotherapy. The resultant ICERs were HKD135,200 per QALY gained and HKD108,463 per LY gained, which were lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) cost-effectiveness threshold of three times gross domestic product (GDP) per capita for Hong Kong of HKD1,171,308 per QALY. The one-way sensitivity analyses (OWSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) showed the results were robust across various inputs and alternative scenarios. On the basis of the analysis conducted for a 56-year-old cohort with high-risk eTNBC and assumptions in the model, pembrolizumab + chemotherapy represents a cost-effective proposition (as the ICER is approximately 35% of the GDP per capita in Hong Kong) for patients with high-risk eTNBC in Hong Kong.

Peripheral blood immune parameters, response, and adverse events after neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus durvalumab in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer.

We evaluated T- and B-cell receptor (TCR and BCR) repertoire diversity and 38 serum cytokines in pre- and post-treatment peripheral blood of 66 patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus durvalumab and assessed associations with pathologic response and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) during treatment. Genomic DNA was isolated from buffy coat for TCR and BCR clonotype profiling using the Immunoseq platform and diversity was quantified with Pielou's evenness index. MILLIPLEX MAP Human Cytokine/Chemokine Magnetic Bead Panel was used to measure serum cytokine levels, which were compared between groups using moderated t-statistic with Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple testing. TCR and BCR diversity was high (Pielou's index > 0.75) in all samples. Baseline receptor diversities and change in diversity pre- and post-treatment were not associated with pathologic response or irAE status, except for BCR diversity that was significantly lower post-treatment in patients who developed irAE (unadjusted p = 0.0321). Five cytokines increased after treatment in patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) but decreased in patients with RD, most prominently IL-8. IFNγ, IL-7, and GM-CSF levels were higher in pre-treatment than in post-treatment samples of patients who developed irAEs but were lower in those without irAEs. Baseline peripheral blood cytokine levels may predict irAEs in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy, and increased post-treatment B-cell clonal expansion might mediate irAEs.

[Artículo traducido] Efectividad y seguridad del tratamiento neoadyuvante del cáncer de mama triple negativo en la vida real

ObjectiveTriple-negative breast cancer is a subtype of aggressive breast cancer. Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of neoadjuvant treatment in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer and to identify predictors of pathological complete response. MethodsThis is a single-center, retrospective study involving 79 patients with triple-negative breast cancer who initiated neoadjuvant treatment between January 2017 and October 2022. Descriptive analyses were performed as appropriate. Statistical analysis utilized bivariate logistic regression to explore the presence of factors related to pathological complete response, and the Kaplan–Meier method was employed for survival analysis. ResultsIn the overall population, 27 patients (n = 78; 34.6%) achieved pathological complete response in the breast and axillary lymph nodes, and 31 (n = 73; 42.5%) achieved a grade 5 pathological complete response in the breast, according to the Miller and Payne classification. The addition of platinum to standard therapy improved both breast and axillary lymph node pathological complete response rates. Age less than 40 years was identified as a predictor of pathological complete response in our study population through bivariate analysis, while Ki67 levels lower than 70% were associated with a lower pathological complete response rate. Adverse events were reported in 72 patients (91.1%), with grade 3–5 adverse events observed in 33 (41.8%). There was a particularly notable increase in gastrointestinal and hematological adverse events when platinum was added. ConclusionsIn this population, we observed moderate rates of pathological complete response with acceptable chemotherapy tolerance. Platinum-based chemotherapy appears to enhance the likelihood of achieving pathological complete response, albeit with a less favorable safety profile. Therefore, evaluating the benefit–risk balance is crucial when selecting the optimal chemotherapy regimen for individual patients.

TOWARDS Study: Patient-Derived Xenograft Engraftment Predicts Poor Survival in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Assessing risk of recurrence for nonmetastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a key determinant of therapeutic strategy. The best predictor of recurrence risk is failure to achieve a pathologic complete response after preoperative chemotherapy, but it imperfectly correlates with the definitive end points of relapse-free and overall survival (OS). The inability to accurately predict recurrence has led to increasingly toxic treatment regimens for patients with early-stage TNBC. Better assays for recurrence risk are needed to tailor aggressive therapy for patients who need it and avoid overtreatment and unnecessary toxicity for those at low risk. The purpose of this study was to determine if patient-derived xenograft (PDX) engraftment of newly diagnosed breast tumors can serve as an accurate predictor of recurrence and death from breast cancer. This study was a blinded noninterventional trial comprising 80 patients with newly diagnosed, nonmetastatic, estrogen receptor (ER)-negative or ER-low breast cancer. PDX engraftment was strongly associated with relapse in 1 year: 8 of 18 (44.4%) patients whose tumors engrafted relapsed versus 1 of 62 (1.6%) patients whose tumors did not engraft (P < .0001). Patients whose tumors engrafted had a hazard ratio (HR) for relapse of 17.5. HRs for OS and breast cancer-specific survival in PDX+ patients were 21.1 and 39.5, respectively. We report that the ability of a tumor to engraft as a PDX predicts early recurrence by serving as a functional readout of aggressiveness and prospectively identifies the most devastating tumors. This provides new opportunity to develop surrogate assays, such as biomarkers of engraftment, which will extend the clinical feasibility of this finding.