No soup for Atezolizumab on this one! This expensive, six drug combination did not show any benefit in any subgroup. Checkpoint inhibition does not seem to have any ground in neoadjuvant HER2+ breast cancer.
Combining standard of care (pertuzumab-trastuzumab [PH], chemotherapy) with cancer immunotherapy may potentiate antitumor immunity, cytotoxic activity, and patient outcomes in high-risk, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive early breast cancer. We report the phase III IMpassion050 primary analysis of neoadjuvant atezolizumab, PH, and chemotherapy in these patients.
Patients with a primary tumor of > 2 cm and histologically confirmed, positive lymph node status (T2-4, N1-3, M0) were randomly assigned 1:1 to atezolizumab/placebo with dose-dense doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide, followed by paclitaxel, and PH. After surgery, patients were to continue atezolizumab/placebo and PH (total: 1 year of HER2-targeted therapy); those with residual disease could switch to ado-trastuzumab emtansine with atezolizumab/placebo. Coprimary efficacy end points were pathologic complete response (pCR; ypT0/is ypN0) rates in intention-to-treat (ITT) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)–positive populations.
At clinical cutoff (February 5, 2021), pCR rates in the placebo and atezolizumab groups in the ITT populations were 62.7% (n = 143/228) and 62.4% (n = 141/226), respectively (difference –0.33%; 95% CI, –9.2 to 8.6; P = .9551). The pCR rates in the placebo and atezolizumab groups in patients with PD-L1–positive tumors were 72.5% (n = 79/109) and 64.2% (n = 70/109), respectively (difference –8.26%; 95% CI, –20.6 to 4.0; P = .1846). Grade 3-4 and serious adverse events were more frequent in the atezolizumab versus placebo group. Five grade 5 adverse events occurred (four neoadjuvant, one adjuvant; two assigned to study treatment), all with atezolizumab. Overall, the safety profile was consistent with that of atezolizumab in other combination studies.
Atezolizumab with neoadjuvant dose-dense doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide–paclitaxel and PH for high-risk, HER2-positive early breast cancer did not increase pCR rates versus placebo in the ITT or PD-L1–positive populations. PH and chemotherapy remains standard of care; longer follow-up may help to inform the long-term impact of atezolizumab.
MammaPrint did not predict distant recurrence, but it did predict patients who may benefit from extended hormonal therapy. We do have breast index, so now we have options. Breast index can predict the possibility of recurrence though by helping to determine the level of risk.
Adding Inavolisib to CKD4/6 inhibitor and AI improved progression-free survival (almost doubled 15 vs 7m) but toxicity was higher still in the single digits (hyperglycemia, diarrhea, stomatitis… all less than 6% G3/4).
Well done study showing a 20% decrease in recurrence risk when using dose dense therapy [EC]/D compared to conventional dose [FEC]/D. Sometimes it is worth it to push.
Myth busted. In aggressive breast cancer, no need to start chemotherapy now, ET and CKD4/6 inhibitors are better tolerated with significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit and same response rate.
It seems donepezil did not show any cognitive benefit when added to standard adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Unfortunately, adequate treatment for ‘chemo-brain’ remains elusive. There is data that a lipid structure, S1P, may be linked to this process and may be ‘druggable’ with some of the MS agents.
FCS Hematology Oncology Review creates a platform for our physician network to observe the most recent articles and studies available in the oncology and hematology world. By sharing these articles we are building our wealth of knowledge of new observations and treatments as they come available.
