Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, carboplatin, and weekly trastuzumab (TCH) activity in HER2-positive early breast cancer: Results after a median follow-up of 4.5 years.
140 Background: Most patients with HER2-positive receive chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Data from adjuvant trials have shown that the combination of docetaxel, carboplatin and weekly trastuzumab (TCH) is well tolerated and as effective as anthracycline containing regimes. Previous investigations on neoadjuvant treatment with TCH showed pCR-rates in the range of 40%, however, survival data have not yet been presented. Here we present 4.5-year follow-up data for a cohort of 51 patients treated with neoadjuvant TCH. Methods: We treated 51 patients with operable HER2-positive breast cancer with a neoadjuvant schedule of docetaxel (75 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 6) q3w and trastuzumab (2(4)mg/kg) q1w. Lymph node involvement was verified by SLNB or core-cut-biopsy. Mean age at diagnosis was 55 years, 68.6% had ER positive tumors, 39.2% presented with grade 3 disease and 49% of patients were node-positive. Patients were monitored by ultrasound. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy all patients had surgery. Axillary dissection was performed in case of positive lymph node status prior to TCH. After surgery trastuzumab was continued q3w up to one year. Results: Side effects were mild, no grade III/IV toxicities occurred and no case of cardiomyopathia was observed. 21 (41.18%) patients achieved a pCR, 18 (72.0%) patients converted from cN+ to ypN0. Outcome data at a median follow-up of 53.6 months are as follows (see table). Conclusions: Outcome following neoadjuvant TCH as observed in our analysis compares well to outcome data observed in adjuvant trastuzumab trials such as HERA or BCIRG006. Particularly among patients with ER positive disease and those experiencing axillary conversion we observed an excellent outcome. Importantly, TCH was well tolerated in our cohort. Therefore our data support the use of TCH as neoadjuvant therapy regimen for patients with HER-positive breast cancer. [Table: see text]