1
|
de la Cruz-Merino L, Gion M, Cruz J, Alonso-Romero JL, Quiroga V, Moreno F, Andrés R, Santisteban M, Ramos M, Holgado E, Cortés J, López-Miranda E, Cortés A, Henao F, Palazón-Carrión N, Rodriguez LM, Ceballos I, Soto A, Puertes A, Casas M, Benito S, Chiesa M, Bezares S, Caballero R, Jiménez-Cortegana C, Sánchez-Margalet V, Rojo F. Pembrolizumab in combination with gemcitabine for patients with HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: GEICAM/2015-04 (PANGEA-Breast) study. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1258. [PMID: 36463104 PMCID: PMC9719636 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10363-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated a new chemoimmunotherapy combination based on the anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody pembrolizumab and the pyrimidine antimetabolite gemcitabine in HER2- advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients previously treated in the advanced setting, in order to explore a potential synergism that could eventually obtain long term benefit in these patients. METHODS HER2-negative ABC patients received 21-day cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg (day 1) and gemcitabine (days 1 and 8). A run-in-phase (6 + 6 design) was planned with two dose levels (DL) of gemcitabine (1,250 mg/m2 [DL0]; 1,000 mg/m2 [DL1]) to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). The primary objective was objective response rate (ORR). Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) density and PD-L1 expression in tumors and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) levels in peripheral blood were analyzed. RESULTS Fourteen patients were treated with DL0, resulting in RP2D. Thirty-six patients were evaluated during the first stage of Simon's design. Recruitment was stopped as statistical assumptions were not met. The median age was 52; 21 (58%) patients had triple-negative disease, 28 (78%) visceral involvement, and 27 (75%) ≥ 2 metastatic locations. Progression disease was observed in 29 patients. ORR was 15% (95% CI, 5-32). Eight patients were treated ≥ 6 months before progression. Fourteen patients reported grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events. Due to the small sample size, we did not find any clear association between immune tumor biomarkers and treatment efficacy that could identify a subgroup with higher probability of response or better survival. However, patients that experienced a clinical benefit showed decreased MDSCs levels in peripheral blood along the treatment. CONCLUSION Pembrolizumab 200 mg and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 were considered as RP2D. The objective of ORR was not met; however, 22% patients were on treatment for ≥ 6 months. ABC patients that could benefit of chemoimmunotherapy strategies must be carefully selected by robust and validated biomarkers. In our heavily pretreated population, TILs, PD-L1 expression and MDSCs levels could not identify a subgroup of patients for whom the combination of gemcitabine and pembrolizumab would induce long term benefit. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov and EudraCT (NCT03025880 and 2016-001,779-54, respectively). Registration dates: 20/01/2017 and 18/11/2016, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L. de la Cruz-Merino
- grid.411375.50000 0004 1768 164XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Medicine Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, University of Seville, Dr. Fedriani St, No. 3, Seville, 41009 Spain ,grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Gion
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411347.40000 0000 9248 5770Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Cruz
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411220.40000 0000 9826 9219Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - JL. Alonso-Romero
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411372.20000 0001 0534 3000Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de La Arrixaca-IMIB, Murcia, Spain
| | - V. Quiroga
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.418701.b0000 0001 2097 8389Department of Medical Oncology, Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B-ARGO Group), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Badalona, Spain
| | - F. Moreno
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411068.a0000 0001 0671 5785Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Andrés
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411050.10000 0004 1767 4212Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Saragossa, Spain
| | - M. Santisteban
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411730.00000 0001 2191 685XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Navarra, Spain ,grid.508840.10000 0004 7662 6114IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - M. Ramos
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.418394.3Department of Medical Oncology, Centro Oncológico de Galicia, A Coruña, Spain
| | - E. Holgado
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.414808.10000 0004 1772 3571Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital La Luz, Quironsalud, Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Cortés
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Quiron Group, Barcelona and Madrid, Spain ,grid.411083.f0000 0001 0675 8654Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain ,grid.119375.80000000121738416Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - E. López-Miranda
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411347.40000 0000 9248 5770Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - A. Cortés
- grid.411347.40000 0000 9248 5770Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - F. Henao
- grid.411375.50000 0004 1768 164XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Medicine Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, University of Seville, Dr. Fedriani St, No. 3, Seville, 41009 Spain ,grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - N. Palazón-Carrión
- grid.411375.50000 0004 1768 164XDepartment of Medical Oncology, Medicine Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, University of Seville, Dr. Fedriani St, No. 3, Seville, 41009 Spain ,grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - L. M. Rodriguez
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411220.40000 0000 9826 9219Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - I. Ceballos
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.411220.40000 0000 9826 9219Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - A. Soto
- grid.411372.20000 0001 0534 3000Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de La Arrixaca-IMIB, Murcia, Spain
| | - A. Puertes
- grid.411372.20000 0001 0534 3000Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de La Arrixaca-IMIB, Murcia, Spain
| | - M. Casas
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - S. Benito
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Chiesa
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - S. Bezares
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Caballero
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain
| | - C. Jiménez-Cortegana
- grid.411375.50000 0004 1768 164XMedical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - V. Sánchez-Margalet
- grid.411375.50000 0004 1768 164XMedical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Virgen Macarena University Hospital, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - F. Rojo
- grid.430580.aGEICAM Spanish Breast Cancer Group, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Madrid, Spain ,grid.419651.e0000 0000 9538 1950Pathology Department, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain ,CIBERONC-ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|