Journal article

Anthracycline-free neoadjuvant therapy induces pathological complete responses by exploiting immune proficiency in HER2 breast cancer patients

Gianmaria Miolo, Elena Muraro, Debora Martorelli, Davide Lombardi, Simona Scalone, Simon Spazzapan, Samuele Massarut, Tiziana Perin, Elda Viel, Elisa Comaro, Renato Talamini, Ettore Bidoli, Elisa Turchet, Diana Crivellari, Riccardo Dolcetti

BMC CANCER | BMC | Published : 2014

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NC) including trastuzumab induces a high rate of pathological Complete Responses (pCR) in patients with locally advanced HER2-overexpressing Breast Cancer (BC), but is penalized by a severe cardiotoxicity when combined with anthracyclines. A phase II study was designed to assess whether an anthracycline-free NC regimen based on the early addition of trastuzumab to paclitaxel may increase the pCR rate without inducing severe cardiotoxicity in patients with locally advanced HER2-overexpressing BC. Immunomonitoring was performed to assess the contribution of patients' immunological background to the induction of clinical responses. METHODS: Stage II-III HER..

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Grants

Awarded by Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro


Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (contract 14287 to RD). The authors thank the patients and the other investigators participating in the study, and Miss S. Colussi for editing the manuscript.