Abstract PS12-03: Letrozole and palbociclib versus 3rd generation chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in luminal breast cancer: Survival results of the UNICANCER-NeoPAL study
Authors: Delaloge Suzette , Dureau Sylvain , D'Hondt Véronique , Desmoulins Isabelle , Heudel Pierre-Etienne , Duhoux François , Levy Christelle , Lerebours Florence , Mouret-Reynier Marie Ange , Dalenc Florence , Frenel Jean-Sébastien , Jouannaud Christelle , Venat-Bouvet Laurence , Nguyen Suzanne , Callens Cécile , Gentien David , Lemonnier Jerome , Vincent-Salomon Anne , Manduzio Hélène , Cottu Paul-Henri 
Published: February 2021

Background Palbociclib is a CDK4/6 inhibitor with demonstrated survival benefits in combination with endocrine therapy in advanced luminal breast cancer (LBC). Its potential role in early breast cancer is currently explored. The NeoPAL trial compared letrozole-palbociclib (LETPAL) combination to standard chemotherapy (CT) as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with high-risk LBC. Both LETPAL and CT were associated with poor pathological response, and equivalent clinical responses, while LETPAL let to encouraging biomarker responses in Prosigna®-defined high-risk LBC. We now evaluate the survival outcomes of both groups.

Patients and Methods NeoPAL (UCBG10/4, NCT02400567) is a randomized, parallel, non-comparative phase II study. Postmenopausal women with ER-positive, HER2-negative, Prosigna®-defined luminal B, or luminal A and node-positive, stage II-III breast cancer, not candidate for breast-conserving surgery, were randomly assigned to either letrozole (2.5 mg daily) and palbociclib (125 mg daily, 3 weeks/4) during 19 weeks (LETPAL), or to FEC100 (5FU 500 mg/m2, epirubicin 100 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2) x3 21-day courses followed by docetaxel 100 mg/m2 x3 21-day courses (CT). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and invasive-disease free survival (iDFS), all measured from the date of randomization. Exploratory objectives aimed at evaluating the impact of PEPI score and residual cancer burden (RCB) on survival outcomes in both arms.

Results 53 pts were randomized in each arm (both with 11% Luminal A N+ and 89% Luminal B). 23 of the 53 pts in the LETPAL arm received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Median follow-up is 40.4 months [0-56.6]. 11 progressions have been observed (10 metastatic events, 1 regional progression), of which 3 were in the LETPAL and 8 in the control arm. Two additional iDFS events were observed in the LETPAL arm (secondary malignancies). PFS (HR = 1.01; 95%CI [0.36; 2.90], p=0.98) and iDFS (HR= 0.83; 95%CI [0.31; 2.23], p=0.71) did not differ between both arms. 40 months PFS rate is 86.7% (78.0-96.4) and 87.2% (78.1-97.4) in LETPAL and CT arms respectively. PEPI (PEPI II/II vs I: HR 0.80, 95%CI 0.18-3.67) and RCB scores (RCB II/III vs 0/I: HR 1.36; 95%CI 0.17-10.6) did not appear as independent predictors of PFS or iDFS.

Conclusions Despite its small size, NeoPAL suggests that a neoadjuvant LETPAL strategy, together with selected postoperative administration of chemotherapy, may spare chemotherapy in some pts with luminal breast cancer while allowing very good long-term outcomes.

Citation Format: Suzette Delaloge, Sylvain Dureau, Véronique D'Hondt, Isabelle Desmoulins, Pierre-Etienne Heudel, François Duhoux, Christelle Levy, Florence Lerebours, Marie Ange Mouret-Reynier, Florence Dalenc, Jean-Sébastien Frenel, Christelle Jouannaud, Laurence Venat-Bouvet, Suzanne Nguyen, Cécile Callens, David Gentien, Jerome Lemonnier, Anne Vincent-Salomon, Hélène Manduzio, Paul-Henri Cottu. Letrozole and palbociclib versus 3rd generation chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in luminal breast cancer: Survival results of the UNICANCER-NeoPAL study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS12-03.