Pathological complete response with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in non-metastatic triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in patients with non-metastatic triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer (TN-IBC) remains unclear, as patients with IBC have been poorly represented in pivotal clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an observational, retrospective/prospective, multicenter cohort study from 2023 to 2024 of patients with non-metastatic TN-IBC who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus multi-agent chemotherapy from September 2018 to April 2023. The median follow-up was 1.4 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.7 years]. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR). RESULTS: Overall, 63 female patients with TN-IBC were included from four cohorts. The most common regimen was pembrolizumab, taxane/carboplatin, and anthracycline/cyclophosphamide (61.9%). Among all patients, 59 (94%) underwent surgery and 4 (6.4%) experienced local and/or distant disease progression during the neoadjuvant treatment. The pCR rate was 31.7% (20/63; 95% CI 20.6% to 44.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pembrolizumab resulted in a pCR rate of 31.7% in patients with non-metastatic TN-IBC. Compared with triple-negative non-IBC, the lower pCR rate with this combination regimen highlights the need for biomarkers for better patient selection and more active treatment options for this rare and aggressive breast cancer subtype.
Source: ESMO Open
Authors: F. Lynce, C. Valenza, S.M. Niman, F. Bertucci, M. Kai, S. Ryan, E. Troll, R.M. Layman, K.A. Fanucci, A. Giordano, A. Nasrazadani, F. Nakhlis, J. Bellon, L. Warren, C. Block, S. Schumer, A. Lucci, S. Krishnamurthy, D. Trapani, F. Lerebours, F. Dalenc, C. Levy, T. Petit, M. Leheurteur, T. Bachelot, O. Tredan, J.M. Ribeiro, B. Pistilli, P. Zagami, S. Ladoire, L. Lopez Almeida, C. Zemmour, L.A. Carey, S.M. Tolaney, V. Valero, G. Curigliano, M.M. Regan, A. Goncalves, W.A. Woodward
Institutions: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, University of Milan, European Institute of Oncology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Harvard University, Institut Curie, Institut universitaire du cancer de Toulouse Oncopole, Centre François Baclesse, Institut Strauss, Centre Henri Becquerel, Centre Léon Bérard, Institut Gustave Roussy, Fondation Gustave Roussy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Centre Georges François Leclerc
Language: English
Subfield: Cancer Research
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,910
OpenAlex ID: W7124831722