Neoadjuvant Docetaxel Research Articles

Safety and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Docetaxel and Radiotherapy in Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer: Results From a Prospective Pilot Study.

Approximately 15% of patients with localized prostate cancer are at high risk for disease recurrence. Many clinical trials have evaluated the impact of neoadjuvant therapy before radical prostatectomy with mixed results (NCT00321698). This phase I/II clinical trial evaluated the tolerability and preliminary efficacy of neoadjuvant radiation therapy and docetaxel before prostatectomy in 25 men with high-risk prostate cancer. The treatment regimen included 45Gy radiotherapy in 25 fractions to the prostate and seminal vesicles over 5 weeks, along with weekly dose-escalated docetaxel up to 30mg/m², followed by prostatectomy and bilateral lymph node dissection. The primary endpoint was the rate of pathologic complete response (pCR). Secondary endpoints included adverse events, symptom and quality of life measures, and prostate-specific antigen metrics. All 25 patients completed the planned treatment. The primary endpoint of pCR was not achieved. Lymphopenia was the most common grade 3 or higher toxicity, with no grade 3 or higher genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicities observed. With a median follow-up of 11.6 years, the 10-year biochemical recurrence-free survival was 60%, and distant metastasis-free survival was 80%. Prostate cancer-specific survival and overall survival at 10 years were 84% and 60%, respectively. Although pCR was not met, the treatment demonstrated a modest toxicity profile and reasonable long-term outcomes, suggesting feasibility and safety. Further studies are needed to optimize endpoints and assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatments compared with standard approaches in high-risk prostate cancer patients.

258P Correlation between pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCH) with or without pertuzumab (TCHP) and PAM50 subtypes in HER2(+) early breast cancer (eBC)

258P Correlation between pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCH) with or without pertuzumab (TCHP) and PAM50 subtypes in HER2(+) early breast cancer (eBC)

901P A phase II trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab, docetaxel, and cisplatin therapy followed by surgery and radiation therapy for resectable high-grade salivary gland carcinoma

901P A phase II trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab, docetaxel, and cisplatin therapy followed by surgery and radiation therapy for resectable high-grade salivary gland carcinoma

Neoadjuvant Docetaxel, Oxaliplatin, and S-1 Plus Surgery and Adjuvant S-1 for Resectable Advanced Gastric Cancer: Updated Overall Survival Outcomes From Phase III PRODIGY.

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.The phase III PRODIGY study demonstrated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and S-1 (DOS) followed by surgery and adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy (CSC) improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with surgery followed by adjuvant S-1 (SC) for patients with resectable locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) with clinical T2-3N+ or T4Nany disease. The primary end point was PFS. Overall survival (OS) was the secondary end point. We herein report the long-term follow-up outcomes, including OS, from this trial. A total of 238 and 246 patients were randomly assigned to the CSC and SC arms, respectively, and were treated (full analysis set). As of the data cutoff (September 2022), the median follow-up duration of the surviving patients was 99.5 months. Compared with SC, CSC significantly increased the OS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; stratified log-rank P = .027) with an 8-year OS rate of 63.0% and 55.1% for the CSC and SC arms, respectively. CSC also significantly improved the PFS (HR, 0.70; stratified log-rank P = .016). In conclusion, neoadjuvant DOS chemotherapy, as part of perioperative chemotherapy, prolonged the OS of Asian patients with LAGC relative to patients treated with surgery and adjuvant S-1. It should be considered one of the standard treatment options for patients with LAGC in Asia.

Neoadjuvant docetaxel, oxaliplatin, and S-1 plus surgery followed by adjuvant docetaxel and S-1 for patients with large type 3 or type 4 gastric cancer: Short-term outcomes of the phase II OGSG1902 trial.

4031 Background: Patients with large type 3 (≥8 cm) or type 4 gastric cancer (GC) face a dismal prognosis, necessitating the development of multidisciplinary treatment, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We present the short-term results from the OGSG1902 (jRCTs051190060) trial, where resectable large type 3 or type 4 GC patients were treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel (DTX)/oxaliplatin (L-OHP)/S-1 (DOS) plus surgery and adjuvant DTX/S-1 (DS) therapy. Methods: Untreated large type 3 or type 4 GC patients without distant metastasis other than positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY), aged 20-80 years, and with ECOG PS 0-1, were enrolled. Patients received three cycles of DTX (40 mg/m2, day1) + L-OHP (100 mg/m2, day1) + S-1 (80 mg/m2, day1-14) every 3 weeks, followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection and 1-year DS therapy. The primary end point was the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate. The secondary end points included PFS time, overall survival time, pathological response rate, response rate according to RECIST version 1.1, neoadjuvant chemotherapy completion rate, R0 resection rate, protocol completion rate, CY negative conversion rate, adverse event occurrence rate, and nutritional evaluation. Results: Forty-eight patients (pts) were enrolled from 2019 to 2022. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy completion rate was 91.7%, pathological response rate (≥Grade 1b) was 66.7%, response rate according to RECIST version1.1 for 10 pts with measurable lesions was 50.0%, CY negative conversion rate for nine CY positive pts was 88.9%, R0 resection rate was 89.6%, and the protocol completion rate was 45.8%. Adverse events (≥CTCAE Grade 3) during neoadjuvant DOS included neutropenia in 18 pts (38%), febrile neutropenia in one pt (2%), nausea in five pts (10%), diarrhea in six pts (13%), and anorexia in 18 pts (38%). Gastrectomy was performed in 47 pts [total/distal gastrectomy: 32(68%)/15(32%)]. Major postoperative complication (≥Clavien-Dindo Grade IIIa) was observed in one pt (2%), including pleural infection. Adverse events (≥CTCAE Grade 3) in 39 patients receiving adjuvant DS therapy included neutropenia in 16 pts (41%), anemia in five pts (13%), nausea in one pt (3%), diarrhea in two pts (5%), anorexia in nine pts (23%), fatigue in three pts (8%), and febrile neutropenia in four pts (10%). No treatment-related deaths were observed. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant DOS therapy for large type 3 or type 4 GC demonstrates promising efficacy with high histological response and acceptable adverse events. Future analysis of survival outcomes is planned. Clinical trial information: jRCTs051190060 .

Neoadjuvant docetaxel-cisplatin followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant tislelizumab for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial.

e18047 Background: Patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) have a high risk of distant metastasis or recurrence despite the current standard of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT), indicating the need of more comprehensive treatment. Due to good compliance and convenient adverse event management, the TP (docetaxel and cisplatin) regimen is more widely accepted and commonly used as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy for LA-NPC in the real world. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy plus chemotherapy has been shown to improve the survival in recurrent or metastatic NPC. We investigated the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, as adjuvant treatment in patients with LA-NPC that had the neoadjuvant TP chemotherapy and CCRT. Methods: This multicenter, open label, single arm, phase II clinical trial was done at four hospitals in China. Patients (aged 18-65 years) with histologically confirmed, LA-NPC (T4N1 and T1-4N2-3) were enrolled and treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for 3 cycles (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 D1, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 D1) followed by concurrent cisplatin (100mg/m2, D1 and D22) during intensity-modulated radiation (IMRT). Four weeks post-RT, tislelizumab (200 mg) was given intravenously once every 3 weeks for up to 12 cycles. By Fleming one-stage design (type I error 0.05, power 0.80, 10% drop out), planned sample size is 100. Primary endpoint is 3-year (yr) progression free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability. Results: From June 2021 to January 2024, a total of 100 patients (median age 53y, 73.0% male) were recruited at four study sites. This protocol specified analysis included 78 subjects with >12 months post-treatment follow up (median 26.2 months, 95% CI 21.3-30.1). Overall compliance rate: neoadjuvant cisplatin + docetaxel 97.5%, concurrent cisplatin 80.8%, adjuvant tislelizumab 78.2%, IMRT 99.7% (69.96 Gy). Treatment related adverse events (AEs, ≥grade 3, >10%): dysphagia (30.5%), mucositis (26.2%), neutropenia(26.7%), radiation dermatitis (23.7%), anemia (16.2%). No ≥grade 4 mucositis/dermatitis. In addition, the incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of grade 3 or 4 was 5.2%, and all were thyroid toxicity and skin rash. The 2-yr PFS and 2-yr overall survival were 89.6% (95% CI 53.8 - 88.5%) and 100%, respectively. 3-yr PFS and long-term efficacy are awaited. Conclusions: Tislelizumab adjuvant therapy after neoadjuvant docetaxel -cisplatin followed by CCRT is safe with promising results for LA-NPC. However, further follow-up is needed to confirm the long-term efficacy. Clinical trial information: NCT04870905 .

Neoadjuvant pertuzumab, docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (PTCH) regimen in patients with HER2 positive early, locally advanced, and oligometastatic breast cancer: Real-world Indian experience.

e12556 Background: Pertuzumab/docetaxel/carboplatin/trastuzumab (PTCH) regimen constitutes one of the standard neoadjuvant treatments in human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) positive breast cancer. The real-world outcomes of its use from the Indian sub-continent are lacking. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 114 HER2-positive BC patients presenting with nonmetastatic or oligometastatic disease and treated with a uniform PTCH regimen in a neoadjuvant setting at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, between Jan 2015 to May 2023. Total six cycles of PTCH [pertuzumab (840 mg loading followed by 420 mg), docetaxel (75 mg/m2), carboplatin (AUC 6), trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading followed by 6 mg/kg) q21 days] were administered with primary GCSF prophylaxis. The primary outcome was invasive disease-free survival (iDFS). The secondary outcomes included pathological complete response (pCR) rates, overall survival (OS), and toxicity. Adjuvant trastuzumab is used for patients achieving pCR, while for patients not achieving pCR option of adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) or trastuzumab was decided based on patient affordability. Results: One hundred and fourteen (114) patients were included with a median age of 47 years (range, 23-70). Overall, 52 (45.6%) patients had hormone-positive disease and 73 (64.01%) were premenopausal. Forty patients (35.08%) had stage II, 62 (54.38%) had stage III, and 12(10.5%) had oligometastatic disease. Sixty-one (53.5%) patients underwent breast conservation surgery and pCR was observed in 62 (54.38%) cases. With a median follow-up of 31 months, the 3-year iDFS was 81.5% and overall OS was not reached. Median iDFS was 33 months in patients with node-positive disease and was not reached in patients with node-negative disease. Three-year iDFS was 68.1% in patients who achieved pCR and 49.8% in those who did not achieve pCR (p=0.001). Grade 3/4 toxicity was seen in 26.7% of patients which caused dose modification and interruption in 13.9% of patients. The most common grade 3/4 toxicity was diarrhea in16 (14.03%) cases and thrombocytopenia in 11 (9.6)% cases . Febrile neutropenia was seen in 4 (3.5%) patients. Four patients (3.5%) had a reversible decrease in cardiac left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusions: In a real-world context, PTCH is an effective and safe anthracycline-free regimen for use in curative (adjuvant and neoadjuvant) setting for HER2 positive breast cancer in Indian women Using neoadjuvant PTCH may improve pCR and obviate the need for adjuvant T-DM1 after surgery making it a cost-effective strategy in limited recourse setting. The survival outcomes were significantly better among those with node-negative disease and among those who achieved a pCR.

A phase II trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab, docetaxel, and cisplatin followed by surgery and radiation therapy for resectable high-grade salivary gland carcinoma.

e18061 Background: High-grade resectable salivary gland carcinomas, typically treated with surgery and adjuvant therapies, often recur. This study explores combining an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy to improve outcomes in high-risk, operable cases. Methods: This trial enrolled high-grade SGC patients with clinically positive lymph nodes. Participants received three cycles of nivolumab in conjunction with docetaxel and cisplatin every three weeks. The primary response was assessed three weeks post-treatment, and surgery followed at seven weeks in cases deemed operable. The pathologic outcomes determined the need for adjuvant radiotherapy, administered at 59.4Gy (R0) or 66.0Gy (R1 or R2). The study's primary endpoint was the major pathologic response rate (MPR). We aimed to recruit 50 patients. Herein, we present an interim analysis (NCT05727410). Results: Since November 2022, 19 patients have enrolled; predominantly male (89.5%) with a median age of 62 (range 42-75). Histologic analysis identified various subtypes, primarily salivary duct carcinoma (68.4%). Other histologies included high-grade adenocarcinoma (10.5%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (10.5%), basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (5.3%), and secretary carcinoma (5.3%). At the time point of analysis, surgery was performed on 16 patients, and 3 patients are still under neoadjuvant therapy. Complete resection (R0) was achieved in 87.5% (n=14) of the cases, with one patient having R1 and another R2 resection. Pathologic analysis showed 12.5% (n=2) achieving pathological complete response and 18.8% (n=3) achieving MPR. Tumor viability varied, with 37.5% (n=6) presenting with 10% to 50% viability and 31.3% (n=5) presenting with 50% or higher viability. A patient with salivary duct carcinoma histology with tumor viability of 20% after neoadjuvant treatment experienced recurrence after 4.1 months from surgery. Notably, throughout the neoadjuvant treatment phase, no patients discontinued due to toxicity or intolerance, indicating a favorable tolerance profile for the combination therapy. An ongoing exploratory biomarker study includes PD-L1 expression and genomic profiling. Conclusions: The preliminary findings of this study demonstrate that the neoadjuvant combination of immune checkpoint inhibitor with chemotherapy significantly reduces tumor burden in salivary gland carcinoma, as evidenced by the high rate of complete resections (R0) and favorable pathologic responses. This treatment strategy not only facilitates surgical outcomes but also exhibits an acceptable safety profile, with no instances of treatment discontinuation due to toxicity or intolerance. These promising results underscore the potential of ICI combination therapy in the management of SGC and warrant further detailed investigations. Clinical trial information: NCT05727410 .

Abstract PS16-07: Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte stratification refines AJCC TNM staging based outcomes of early-stage triple negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant anthracycline-free, docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy

Abstract Background: Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) quantification is associated with pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and long term outcomes in setting of adjuvant anthracycline based chemotherapy. A previous study in TNBC patients treated with adjuvant anthracycline chemotherapy shows that at a cut point of 30%, sTILs can up and downstage traditional AJCC stage groups. Additive impact of sTILs on refining outcomes beyond pathological response and TNM stage for patients treated with anthracycline-free chemotherapy is not known. This study aimed to investigate impact of sTILs on outcomes in a large cohort of TNBC patients treated with Docetaxel plus carboplatin NAC. Methods: Patients with stage I (T size > 1cm) to III TNBC scheduled to receive 6 cycles of NAC docetaxel (75 mg/m2) plus carboplatin (AUC 6) (TCb) every 3 weeks from two studies (NCT01560663 and NCT02302742) were combined for this analysis. sTILs were evaluated on pre-treatment H&E slide using standard criteria centrally by one of the investigators (RS). Pathological complete response (pCR) was defined as ypT0/is ypN0. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the effect of multiple variables on Event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: For 474 patients included in this analysis, median age was 52 years, 8% were Black, 13% had germline BRCA1/2 mutation, 44% had clinical Lymph node (LN) positive disease and 13%, 62% and 25% respectively had TNM stage I, II and III disease. Median sTILs were 5% (range 1-95%) and 25% had >30% sTILs. pCR and RCB 0+1 rates were 50.2% and 60.4% respectively. On multivariable analysis, T stage (OR=0.51, p=0.030), nodal status (OR=0.56, p=0.028), Ki67 (OR=2.74, p< 0.001) and sTILs (OR=2.01, p=0.014) were associated with pCR. pCR rate in those with sTILs < 30 vs sTILs >30 was 45.9% and 63.9% respectively (p=0.0014). At median follow-up of 58 months, 5 years EFS was 81.05% in all patients, 93.94% in those with pCR and 68.67% in those without pCR, 5 year OS was 84.83% in all patients, 96.53% in those with pCR and 74.13% in those with residual disease. On multivariate analysis lower T stage, negative LN status and increasing sTILS were associated with better EFS (T stage: HR =1.98, p=0.018; LN status: HR=2.92, p< 0.001; sTILs: HR:0.46, p=0.04) and OS (T stage: HR=1.89, p=0.040; LN status: HR=3.13, p=0.001; sTILs: HR=0.30, p=0.008). At a cut-point of 30%, sTILs up and downstaged anatomic AJCC TNM stage groups (table 1). Conclusions and Relevance: In patients treated with anthracycline-free TCb chemotherapy, sTILs were independent predictors of EFS and OS beyond clinicopathological features. Notably, 30% sTILs cut-point stratified outcomes beyond anatomical TNM staging. These, findings can aid in patient stratification for chemotherapy backbone de-escalation in future trials and have the potential to inform patient selection for adjuvant treatment escalation and de-escalation trials. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte stratification refines AJCC TNM staging based outcomes of early-stage triple negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant anthracycline-free, docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy. Table. Citation Format: Miguel Martín, Rachel Yoder, Roberto Salgado, María del Monte-Millán, Enrique Álvarez, Isabel Echavarria, Joshua Staley, Coralia Bueno-Muiño, Yolanda Jerez Gilarranz, Andrew Godwin, María Cebollero, Oscar Bueno, José Ángel García-Sáenz, Fernando Moreno Antón, Uriel Bohn, Henry L Gómez, Tatiana Massarrah, Sara López-Tarruella, Priyanka Sharma. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte stratification refines AJCC TNM staging based outcomes of early-stage triple negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant anthracycline-free, docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PS16-07.

Abstract PO3-12-12: Axial Neuropathy in Two Breast Cancer Patients receiving Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan: A Case Report

Abstract Introduction. Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is FDA approved for metastatic HER2-positive (HER2+) and HER2-low breast cancer (BC). Peripheral neuropathy is a side effect of T-DXd, with an incidence of 13%. Here we discuss two BC patients (pts) who presented with paresthesias of the trunk after receiving T-DXd. Case 1. A 51-year-old female with Stage IIIB cT4N2M0 left BC, estrogen receptor positive (ER+), progesterone receptor positive (PR+) and HER2+ was treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP), followed by mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection, with downstaging to ypT3N2a disease. She was enrolled on a clinical trial comparing T-DXd with standard treatment for HER2+ BC with residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy, and was randomized to T-DXd arm. She also received adjuvant proton radiation therapy to the chest wall. One week after her third cycle of T-DXd she developed Grade 3 paresthesias on her trunk and proximal upper and lower extremities, stating she could not bend over or perform activities of daily living. She did not experience associated weakness or peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms improved to Grade 1 after initiation of gabapentin and delay of cycle 4 T-DXd by one week. She resumed T-DXd with dose reduction per protocol, and increase in gabapentin dose. She was seen by neurology who localized her sensory findings to T5-T9. She was recommended to undergo MRI spine, but was unable to do so, due to presence of tissue expander. Paresthesias have been controlled on dose reduced T-DXd and continued gabapentin. Case 2. A 56-year-old female with ER+, PR+, HER2-negative BC initially diagnosed in 1990, with local recurrence in 2005, treated with mastectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant endocrine therapy, followed by development of metastatic disease to lung, liver, bone and skin in 2017. She received multiple lines of endocrine therapy, including aromatase inhibitors and fulvestrant, with cdk4/6 inhibitors and everolimus, but either progressed or was intolerant to all treatments. Skin biopsy in 2022 confirmed metastatic BC, which was ER+, PR+, and HER2 low (IHC2+, FISH nonamplified). She then received T-DXd, with clinical and radiographic response to treatment. After cycle 8 T-DXd, the patient was hospitalized for severe burning pain of her trunk and skin. Radiologic evaluation, including CT chest, abdomen, pelvis, and MRI spine, did not show an etiology of her pain, and showed stable metastatic disease to liver and bones, without evidence of cord or nerve root compression. Symptoms improved on pregabalin. She received an additional cycle of T-DXd with dose reduction, but ultimately declined further treatment. Symptoms resolved within 5 months of discontinuation of T-DXd. Discussion. These cases represent unusual events of axial neuropathy in two BC patients receiving T-DXd. Given the similarity of their symptoms, these findings may represent an unusual adverse effect of T-DXd. As the indications for T-DXd continue to expand, clinicians should be aware of this uncommon potential toxicity. Citation Format: Lauren Botero, Katharine McNeill, Della Makower. Axial Neuropathy in Two Breast Cancer Patients receiving Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan: A Case Report [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-12-12.

Abstract PO1-28-07: Neoadjuvant docetaxel plus cisplatin versus docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (HNBC-001): results from a multicenter, randomized controlled, open-label phase II trial

Abstract Background: Adding platinum to anthracycline- and taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy has improved pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the efficacy of combining docetaxel and platinum without anthracycline remains controversial. Methods: The HNBC-001 trial was a randomized, phase 2 controlled, and open-label investigation carried out in China at 6 hospitals. The participants who were aged 18–70 years, were histologically confirmed for TNBC clinical stage II–III, suitable for potentially curative surgery, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0 or 1 were selected for this trial. Participants were randomly categorized into two equal groups; those who received docetaxel plus cisplatin (75 mg/m2, respectively) and those who received docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (docetaxel 75 mg/m2, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2). These regimens were given every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. Randomization was stratified by tumor size and nodal status. The primary endpoint was the number of individuals achieving a pCR (ypT0/is ypN0). The trial was registered with chictr.org (number ChiCTR-1800019501). Results: Between November 28, 2018, and June 11, 2022, 212 patients were selected (n=106/treatment). The number of individuals who achieved pCR after docetaxel plus cisplatin treatment was 51.9%, and that of those who attained pCR after docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide was 35.8% (P=0.019). After 21 months of median follow-up [interquartile range (IQR), 13 to 33], 11 of 106 patients (10.4%) in the docetaxel plus cisplatin group and 14 of 106 patients (13.2%) in the docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide group had event-free survival (EFS) events [95% confidence interval (CI) =0.360 to 1.783, hazard ratio (HR) =0.801, P=0.585]. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 events was similar in both groups [57 (54%) vs. 51 (48%)]. However, no treatment-associated deaths were identified. Conclusions: In stage II to III TNBC, the docetaxel plus cisplatin regimen achieved higher pCR rates than docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, with a manageable toxicity profile. Consistent with the literature, the docetaxel plus cisplatin regimen demonstrated a favorable risk-to-benefit profile and could serve as an optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy option for patients with high-risk TNBC. table 1: Patient characteristics figure 1: Study endpoints Error bars denote 95% CIs based on normal approximation. p values were calculated from the Chi-square test. (A) Frequency of patients who achieved a pathological complete response per treatment group (primary endpoint). (B) Frequency of patients who achieved a clinical breast tumour response per treatment group, assessed by serial MRI scans after completion of neoadjuvant treatment. (C) Frequency of patients who achieved a minimal residual disease (residual cancer burden class 0 or 1). (D) Frequency of patients who received breast-conservation surgery. table 2: Treatment-emergent adverse events Citation Format: Dechuang Jiao, Jianghua Qiao, Chengzheng Wang, Juntao Li, Xianfu Sun, Zhenduo Lu, Chongjian Zhang, Lianfang Li, Min Yan, Yueqing Feng, Yong Zhou, Miao Deng, Xinlan Liu, Mingde Ma, Haiquan Jia, Qingxin Xia, Xiuchun Chen, Zhenzhen Liu. Neoadjuvant docetaxel plus cisplatin versus docetaxel plus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (HNBC-001): results from a multicenter, randomized controlled, open-label phase II trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-28-07.

Abstract PO1-15-05: Gene expression signature as a predictor of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab treatment in locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer

Abstract Background: Neoadjuvant pertuzumab and trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy can achieve pathological complete response (pCR, defined as ypT0/is ypN0) in approximately 40–60% of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC). Patients who achieve pCR have significantly improved survival. Therefore, the prediction of pCR is crucial for optimizing neoadjuvant therapy. Methods: To identify a gene expression signature that could predict pCR in patients with HER2+ BC, we used the nCounter Breast Cancer 360TM V2 panel to quantify the expression of 758 genes in 104 HER2+ BC samples from patients who received neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab (TCHP) chemotherapy and subsequent curative breast surgery. Data normalization, differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed using the NanoTube Bioconductor package. Using the elastic net logistic regression model with optimal hyperparameters determined by 5-fold cross-validation (5-CV), we developed a chemosensitivity score based on the expression of significant DEGs (genes with absolute log2-fold-change ≥0.5 and q-value < 0.1). We tested its predictive value for pCR using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 49.5 years. The clinical stage was II in 53 (51%) patients and III in 51 (49%) patients at diagnosis. Ninety (86.5%) patients had a HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) score of 3+, while the remaining 14 (13.5%) patients had HER2 IHC 2+ but HER2 amplification detected by in situ hybridization. Pathological evaluation of surgical specimens revealed that 55 (52.9%) patients achieved pCR. Menopausal status (p = 0.01), PAM50 intrinsic subtype (p = 0.002), hormone receptor (HR) status (p < 0.001), and HER2 IHC score (p = 0.019) were significantly correlated with the pCR rate. DEG analysis using the PAM50 intrinsic subtype, HR status, and HER2 IHC score as covariates revealed 6 downregulated DEGs and 33 upregulated DEGs in patients who achieved pCR compared to patients who did not (Table 1). The 39 DEGs were significantly enriched in nine preselected MSigDB hallmark gene sets representing immunological processes (p < 0.001). The optimal elastic net logistic regression model containing 39 DEGs achieved the mean 5-CV area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.81. The chemosensitivity score calculated using the optimal model parameters was significantly correlated with pCR after adjustment for the PAM50 intrinsic subtype, HR status, and HER2 IHC score (p < 0.001). GSEA revealed eight hallmark gene sets that were significantly up- or downregulated in samples with pCR, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (normalized enrichment score [NES] = -2.16; q < 0.001), late estrogen response (NES = -2.01; q = 0.004), early estrogen response (NES = -1.972; q = 0.005), and inflammatory response (NES = 1.53; q = 0.06). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that gene expression patterns can predict the response to neoadjuvant TCHP chemotherapy in HER2+ BC. The functional characterization of 39 DEGs suggests that the tumor microenvironment, including adjacent immune cells, plays a significant role in modulating the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HER2+ BC. Table 1. Significant DEGs Citation Format: Junghoon Shin, Ji-Yeon Kim, Eun Yoon Cho, Seok Won Kim, Jeong Eon Lee, Hyunwoo Lee, Yeon Hee Park, Jin Seok Ahn, Young-Hyuck Im. Gene expression signature as a predictor of pathological complete response to neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab treatment in locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-15-05.

Abstract 2420: Evaluating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a prognostic biomarker utilizing a tissue-free epigenomic assay in early-stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Abstract Background: ctDNA has shown promise as a prognostic biomarker in early-stage solid tumors. Current breast cancer clinical guidelines do not recommend routine screening for metastatic disease outside of clinical features suggestive of disease recurrence. The detection of ctDNA may be a useful biomarker for the management of early-stage cancer patients to identify patients who are at high risk of recurrence. Methods: Patients with stage II or III TNBC undergoing neoadjuvant docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy on a clinical trial (NCT02124902) followed by surgery were included in this study. Blood samples were prospectively collected prior to, during, and after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, post-surgery, and throughout pre-specified surveillance time points (every 6 months for 5 years). Plasma samples were analyzed using Guardant Reveal powered by Infinity, a tissue-free, multiomic assay that interrogates differentially methylated regions of DNA using an applied bioinformatics filter optimized to detect breast cancer DNA from non-cancerous cell-free DNA and estimate quantitative tumor fraction. Samples were sequenced and resulted blinded to the patients’ clinical data. Results: A total of 120 patients with evaluable plasma samples were included in this study. At baseline prior to chemotherapy, ctDNA was detected in 75% (54/72) of patients. Baseline ctDNA detection was higher in node-positive cancers (100%; 29/29) versus node-negative cancers (58%; 25/43; p<0.0001). ctDNA quantity was higher in node-positive cancers (p<0.0001), and in stage III versus stage II disease (p=0.0179). During surveillance follow-up, the sensitivity for detecting any distant metastatic recurrence was 71% (5/7). Among patients with samples drawn within one year of recurrence, the sensitivity for detecting distant recurrence was 83% (5/6) with a sample-level specificity of 98% (186/190) and a patient-level specificity of 94% (63/67). ctDNA detection prior to recurrence had a median lead time of 5.0 months (range, 4.6-5.6). Notably, the detection of ctDNA during follow-up was associated with worse recurrence-free (HR 23.3, 95% CI 2.70-201, p<0.0001) and distant-recurrence free survival (HR 29.3, 95% CI 1.86-461, p<0.0001). Conclusions: ctDNA is detected with a tissue-free MRD assay with high sensitivity and specificity for distant recurrence in early-stage TNBC. Furthermore, the presence of ctDNA during follow-up is a prognostic indicator. Additional prospective studies are needed to assess the clinical utility of ctDNA monitoring in early-stage TNBC. Citation Format: Foluso O. Ademuyiwa, Cynthia X. Ma, Katherine Weilbaecher, Rama Suresh, Lindsay Peterson, Ron Bose, Nusayba Bagegni, Caron E. Rigden, Ashley Frith, Katherine Clifton, Andrew Davis, Derek Dustin, Mingyang Cai. Evaluating circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a prognostic biomarker utilizing a tissue-free epigenomic assay in early-stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2420.

Correlation between trophoblast cell-surface antigen-2 (Trop-2) expression and pathological complete response in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab.

The prognostic and predictive role of trophoblast cell-surface antigen-2 (Trop-2) overexpression in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2-positive) breast cancer is currently unknown. We retrospectively analyzed Trop-2 expression and its correlation with clinicopathologic features and pathological complete response (pCR) in HER2-positive early breast cancer (EBC) patients treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab in the PHERGain study. Trop-2 expression at baseline was determined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary tumor biopsies by immunohistochemistry and was first classified into expressing (Trop-2-positive) or not-expressing (Trop-2-negative) tumors. Then, it was classified by histochemical score (H-score) according to its intensity into low (0-9), intermediate (10-49), and high (≥ 50). The association between clinicopathologic features, pCR, and Trop-2 expression was performed with Fisher's exact test. Forty-one patients with tissue evaluable for Trop-2 expression were included, with 28 (68.3%) Trop-2-positive tumors. Overall, 17 (41.46%), 14 (34.15%), and 10 (24.40%) tumors were classified as low, intermediate, and high, respectively. Trop-2 expression was significantly associated with decreased pCR rates (50.0% vs. 92.3%; odds ratio [OR] 0.05; 95% CI, 0.002-0.360]; p adjusted = 0.01) but was not correlated with any clinicopathologic features (p ≥ 0.05). Tumors with the highest Trop-2H-score were less likely to obtain a pCR (OR 0.03; 95% CI, 0.001-0.290, p adjusted < 0.01). This association was confirmed in univariate and multivariate regression analyses. These findings suggest a potential role of Trop-2 expression as a biomarker of resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus dual HER2 blockade and may become a strategic target for future combinations in HER2-positive EBC patients.

Secondary analysis of late major gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities in unfavorable-risk prostate cancer patients receiving docetaxel: Insights from a randomized trial.

This study sought to evaluate the late toxicity associated with neoadjuvant and concurrent docetaxel and radiation therapy in patients with prostate cancer. A secondary analysis was performed of the phase 3 multicenter randomized trial (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 05-043) including 350 patients with nonmetastatic unfavorable-risk prostate cancer. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive androgen deprivation therapy, radiation therapy, and docetaxel versus androgen deprivation therapy and radiation therapy. The study assessed the cumulative incidence rates of grade 2 and grade 3 or higher gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and sexual toxicity. A multivariable Fine and Gray's competing risks regression model adjusted for age at randomization and pelvic lymph node radiation therapy was used to evaluate the treatment effect of docetaxel on time to late genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities. The study included 338 patients who primarily had minimal or no comorbidity (74.9%) and median age 66 years (interquartile range: 61,71). At a median follow-up of 10.2 years, docetaxel was not associated with increased risk of any grade 3 or higher (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-2.67; p=.96) or grade 2 gastrointestinal (p=.75), genitourinary (p=.44), and sexual (p=.29) toxicity. Age was associated with increased grade 3 or higher (AHR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16; p=.03) and grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicity (AHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.20; p=.005). A nonsignificant trend (p=.09) toward increased late grade 3 or higher toxicity was observed for pelvic radiation therapy use. Docetaxel combined with radiotherapy has an acceptable long-term toxicity profile.

Safety and short-term efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab after neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

271 Background: Efficacy and safety of adjuvant nivolumab has been demonstrated in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery and had residual pathological disease in the CheckMate-577 trial. Although neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (DCF) is the standard neoadjuvant therapy for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Japan based on the JCOG1109 study, the safety and efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab in this population remains unclear. Here, we report the short-term safety and efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab after neoadjuvant DCF in patients with locally advanced ESCC. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who received adjuvant nivolumab after neoadjuvant DCF and surgery for locally advanced ESCC from Nov 2021 to Jun 2023 at National Cancer Center Hospital East. Pathological stage was classified by UICC-TNM 8th edition. Adverse events were assessed according to CTCAE v5.0. Disease-free survival (DFS) was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The study included a total of 33 patients with a median age of 67 years (range, 56-77), of which 29 patients were male. All patients had residual pathological disease, with ypStage I/II/III/IV of 5/1/16/11 patients. Median time from surgery to the initiation of adjuvant nivolumab was 10.6 weeks (range, 7.1-16.4 weeks). Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 27 patients (82%), with pruritus (n = 13, 39%), rash (n = 7, 21%), hypothyroidism (n=7, 21%), xerosis (n = 6, 18%), diarrhea (n = 5, 15%), hypopituitarism (n = 5, 15%), pneumonitis (n = 1, 3%), and hepatic dysfunction (n = 1, 3%). Among these TRAEs, one patient developed grade 3 of hepatic dysfunction, which resolved with corticosteroid. TRAEs which led to discontinuation of nivolumab were hepatic dysfunction (n = 1, 3%), diarrhea (n = 1, 3%), and pneumonitis (n = 1, 3%). No treatment-related death was observed. With a median follow-up of 10.3 months, 1-year DFS rate was 63.3% (95% CI, 39.8-79.7%). Among 9 patients who experienced recurrence (locoregional; n = 3, distant; n = 6), 8 patients received subsequent therapy, including systemic chemotherapy (n = 5) and salvage chemoradiotherapy (n = 3). Conclusions: The safety and short-term efficacy of adjuvant nivolumab after neoadjuvant DCF and surgery was comparable to the results of the CheckMate-577 trial. Our study suggests that adjuvant nivolumab might be a possible treatment option in patients with locally advanced ESCC patients with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant DCF followed by surgery.

Safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (Neo DCF) therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer: Real world data analysis.

365 Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin plus 5-FU (Neo DCF) is one of the standard treatments for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Japan based on the results of the JCOG1109 NExT study. As Neo DCF is both highly effective and high rate of adverse events, it is important to confirm clinical outcomes in the clinical practice and to explore clinical factors that predict treatment efficacy and adverse events (AEs) for treatment optimization. Methods: ESCC patients who were treated with Neo DCF between July 2016 and May 2023, were enrolled. Three courses of DCF (DTX [day 1]: 70 mg/m2, CDDP [day 1]: 70 mg/m2, 5-FU [continuous infusion on days 1-5]: 750 mg/m2, every 3 weeks) were planned, and prophylactic antibiotics was administered on days 5-15. We retrospectively assessed disease free survival (DFS), pathological response, AEs. Pathological response was assessed according to the Becker’s Criteria. Subgroup analyses of clinical factors related to the pathological response and AEs were also performed. Results: In total, 91 patients (median age, 62.3 years) were enrolled. Clinical stages of this cohort were 8.8% (I),16.4% (II), 69.2% (III), and 5.5% (IVA), respectively. After Neo DCF treatment, 90 patients (98.9%) underwent curative surgery. Median DFS and 3-year DFS rate were not reached and 76.9%. The incidence of pathological complete response (pCR) and major pathological response (MPR) were 11.1% (10/90) and 35.6% (32/90), respectively. There were no cases of recurrence in patients with pCR and MPR. The most common grade 3 or 4 AEs were neutropenia (58/91, 63.7 %), diarrhea (15/91, 16.5%), and thrombosis (9/91, 9.9%), respectively. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 33 patient (36.2%). Clinical T stage was significantly associated with pCR (P = 0.033). Conclusions: Neo DCF was effective and tolerable in the real-world ESCC patients in Japan.

The role of serum thymidine kinase 1 activity in neoadjuvant-treated HER2-positive breast cancer: biomarker analysis from the Swedish phase II randomized PREDIX HER2 trial

BackgroundThymidine kinase 1 (TK1) plays a pivotal role in DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation. TK1 has been studied as a prognostic marker and as an early indicator of treatment response in human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative early and metastatic breast cancer (BC). However, the prognostic and predictive value of serial TK1 activity in HER2-positive BC remains unknown.MethodsIn the PREDIX HER2 trial, 197 HER2-positive BC patients were randomized to neoadjuvant trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel (DPH) or trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), followed by surgery and adjuvant epirubicin and cyclophosphamide. Serum samples were prospectively collected from all participants at multiple timepoints: at baseline, after cycle 1, 2, 4, and 6, at end of adjuvant therapy, annually for a total period of 5 years and/or at the time of recurrence. The associations of sTK1 activity with baseline characteristics, pathologic complete response (pCR), event-free survival (EFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated.ResultsNo association was detected between baseline sTK1 levels and all the baseline clinicopathologic characteristics. An increase of TK1 activity from baseline to cycle 2 was seen in all cases. sTK1 level at baseline, after 2 and 4 cycles was not associated with pCR status. After a median follow-up of 58 months, 23 patients had EFS events. There was no significant effect between baseline or cycle 2 sTK1 activity and time to event. A non-significant trend was noted among patents with residual disease (non-pCR) and high sTK1 activity at the end of treatment visit, indicating a potentially worse long-term prognosis.ConclusionsTK1 activity increased following neoadjuvant therapy for HER2-positive BC but was not associated with patient outcomes or treatment benefit. However, the post-surgery prognostic value in patients that have not attained pCR warrants further investigation.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02568839. Registered on 6 October 2015.

Prognosis of patients with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil therapy and surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.

Docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) combination chemotherapy has been established as one of the standard neoadjuvant therapies for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, little is known about prognostic factors in patients with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant DCF followed by surgery for locally advanced ESCC who are candidates for adjuvant nivolumab. This study aimed to investigate prognostic factors in patients with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant DCF chemotherapy followed by surgery for locally advanced ESCC. This was a retrospective cohort study. This retrospective cohort study included patients who received neoadjuvant DCF followed by surgery for locally advanced ESCC between June 2014 and January 2020 at the National Cancer Center Hospital East. Among a total of 210 patients, 45 patients (21.4%) achieved a pathological complete response. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was significantly lower in patients with residual pathological disease than in those with a pathological complete response [53.5% versus 74.5%; hazard ratio (HR): 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-3.77, p = 0.01]. In patients with residual pathological disease (n = 165), multivariate analysis revealed that pathological node positivity (HR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.92-6.71, p < 0.01), supraclavicular lymph node metastasis (HR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.19-3.90, p = 0.01), and lymphovascular invasion (HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14-3.17, p = 0.02) were significantly associated with poor DFS. In this largest-to-date cohort study, patients with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant DCF followed by surgery for locally advanced ESCC had a poor prognosis. In these patients, pathological node positivity, including supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion were considered significant prognostic factors.

Pegfilgrastim for the management of neutropenia during neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in esophageal cancer patients.

Neoadjuvant docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) therapy is a new standard for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The optimal timing of pegfilgrastim with the DCF regimen to prevent febrile neutropenia (FN) remains controversial. The effectiveness of concomitant pegfilgrastim administration with continuous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion in the DCF regimen was therefore assessed. All patients who received neoadjuvant DCF for esophageal cancer were retrospectively assessed. Patients who had been scheduled to receive pegfilgrastim on days 3-5 (early group) or days 7-9 (regular group) of the DCF regimen were included. Uni- and multivariate analyses were used to assess risk factors for FN. Eighty-eight patients were included in the analysis. The 26 patients in the early group received pegfilgrastim as scheduled. In the 62 patients of the regular group, 51 received pegfilgrastim at a median of 7days after starting DCF chemotherapy. However, 11 patients in the regular group could not receive pegfilgrastim. Twenty-two patients of the regular group and 2 patients of the early group developed FN after the first session of DCF. Early administration of pegfilgrastim and grade 4 neutropenia were significantly associated with onset of FN, with multivariate analysis identifying early administration of pegfilgrastim as an independent preventive factor and grade 4 neutropenia as a risk factor, after adjusting for sex and age. Early pegfilgrastim administration is a safe approach that reduces the incidence of FN in DCF therapy. Using pegfilgrastim with continuous 5-FU infusion in the DCF regimen represents a reasonable option to prevent FN.