Abstract P1-18-19: Phase II, open label, randomized, biomarker study of immune-mediated mechanism of action of neoadjuvant subcutaneous trastuzumab in patients with operable, locally advanced, or inflammatory HER2-positive breast cancer. ImmunHER trial on behalf of the Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica (GOIRC)
Authors: Musolino Antonino , Gori Stefania , Cretella Elisabetta , Marabese Alessandra , Cavanna Luigi , Frassoldati Antonio , Bisagni Giancarlo , Casarini Chiara , Bria Emilio , Carbognin Luisa , Fiorio Elena , Brandes Alba A , Zamagni Claudio , Gianni Lorenzo , Zambelli Alberto , Montemurro Filippo , Tognetto Michele , Todeschini Renata , Maglietta Giuseppe , Missale Gabriele , Silini Enrico M 
Published: March 2020

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been reported to be associated with increased therapeutic efficacy of trastuzumab/pertuzumab-based neoadjuvant therapy (NT) in patients (pts) with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC). Subcutaneous (SC) trastuzumab has non-inferior efficacy to intravenous (IV) administration, with a similar safety profile. Interestingly, SC trastuzumab has been observed to be more immunogenic than IV trastuzumab and act at different immunologic levels. Therefore, by modifying the modality of administration of trastuzumab, it could be possible to interfere with different immune pathways and exert a favorable immunomodulation in HER2-positive BC. Methods: In this non-comparative, phase II, neoadjuvant, randomized study, pts were eligible if they had previously untreated, histologically confirmed, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early-stage HER2-positive BC. Pts were treated with FEC (fluorouracil 500 mg/m2; epirubicin 75 mg/m2; cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) q21 × 3 cycles. Then, they were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive: docetaxel (75 mg/m2) plus pertuzumab (840 mg loading dose (LD), then 420 mg) plus IV trastuzumab (8 mg/kg LD, then 6 mg/kg) q21 × 4 cycles (arm A) or, docetaxel plus pertuzumab plus SC trastuzumab (fixed dose of 600 mg) q21 × 4 cycles (arm B). After surgery, pts received trastuzumab q21 × 14 cycles using the same formulation (SC or IV) of the preoperative phase. The primary endpoint was the rate of stromal TILs (sTILs) on residual disease after surgery. Tumor biopsy and posttreatment surgical samples were centrally analyzed for TILs. Blood samples were also collected during NT for tumor-specific lymphocyte cell activity analysis. Feasibility, efficacy and safety were also evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03144947. Results: Between November 2016 and September 2017, according to an adaptive Simon's two-stage optimal design, we enrolled 65 pts, of whom two were deemed ineligible for the study. Thus, 63 pts (31 in arm A and 32 in arm B) were assessed for the primary and secondary endpoints. The pathologic complete response (pCR; no invasive tumor in breast and axilla) rates were 64.5% (95% CI, 47-81) in arm A, and 59.4% (95% CI, 42-76) in arm B. The most common adverse events of grade 3 or higher were neutropenia (15 [48.4%] pts in arm A, and 11 [34.4%] in arm B), neurotoxicity (1 [3.2%], and 2 [6.2%], respectively), and diarrhea (1 [3.2%], and 1 [3.1%], respectively). There were no events of congestive heart failure. At surgery, 11 pts in arm A and 13 pts in arm B were evaluable for TIL analysis. The median value of sTILs (7.5%) on pre-treatment tumor biopsies was used as the cut-off value, and high sTIL levels were observed in 27.3% and in 46.1% of residual tumors after treatment arm A and B, respectively. There was a positive correlation between pretreatment sTILs and PD-L1 expression on stromal immune cells (Kendall’s τ =0.80). Interestingly, a significant inverse correlation was observed between PD-L1 expression on pretreatment sTILs and the T cell co-receptor CD3 expressed on posttreatment sTILs (Pearson’s ρ = -0.70). This finding was particularly evident in the arm B group (ρ = -0.85). Conclusions: NT with either SC or IV trastuzumab in combination with pertuzumab and chemotherapy had a significant effect on sTIL expression at surgery. In particular, the SC trastuzumab-based arm exerted the most relevant enrichment of sTILS in posttreatment residual tumors. These findings suggest a role for the SC administration of trastuzumab in determining favorable variations of host immune response parameters among pts with HER2-positive early BC who had residual disease after NT.

Citation Format: Antonino Musolino, Stefania Gori, Elisabetta Cretella, Alessandra Marabese, Luigi Cavanna, Antonio Frassoldati, Giancarlo Bisagni, Chiara Casarini, Emilio Bria, Luisa Carbognin, Elena Fiorio, Alba A Brandes, Claudio Zamagni, Lorenzo Gianni, Alberto Zambelli, Filippo Montemurro, Michele Tognetto, Renata Todeschini, Giuseppe Maglietta, Gabriele Missale, Enrico M Silini. Phase II, open label, randomized, biomarker study of immune-mediated mechanism of action of neoadjuvant subcutaneous trastuzumab in patients with operable, locally advanced, or inflammatory HER2-positive breast cancer. ImmunHER trial on behalf of the Gruppo Oncologico Italiano di Ricerca Clinica (GOIRC) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-18-19.