3-year invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) of the strategy-based, randomized phase II PHERGain trial evaluating chemotherapy (CT) de-escalation in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2[+]) early breast cancer (EBC).

Authors

Javier Cortes

Javier Cortes

International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Pangaea Oncology, Quiron Group, Barcelona, Spain, Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), Barcelona, Spain, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Madrid, Spain

Javier Cortes , José Manuel Pérez-García , Manuel Ruiz-Borrego , Agostina Stradella , Begona Bermejo , Santiago Escrivá-de-Romaní , Lourdes Calvo Martínez , Nuria Ribelles , Alfonso Cortés Salgado , Cinta Albacar , Marco Colleoni , Geraldine Gebhart , Aleix Prat , Kerrou Khaldoun , Peter Schmid , Serena Di Cosimo , Crina Popa , Daniel Alcalá-López , Miguel Sampayo-Cordero , Antonio Llombart-Cussac

Organizations

International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Pangaea Oncology, Quiron Group, Barcelona, Spain, Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), Barcelona, Spain, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Madrid, Spain, International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Pangaea Oncology, Quiron Group, Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), Barcelona, Spain, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain, Institut Català d' Oncologia L'Hospitalet (ICO), Barcelona, Spain, Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, Valencia; Medicine Department, Universidad de Valencia . Oncology Biomedical Research National Network (CIBERONC-ISCIII), Madrid, Spain, Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Vall, Barcelona, Spain, Medical Oncology, Breast Cancer Unit, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain, University Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, Málaga, Spain, Medical Oncology Department, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Reus, Spain, Senologia Medica, IEO, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, IRCCS, Milano, Italy, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (H.U.B), Institute Jules Bordet, Service de Médecine Nucléaire, Brussels, Belgium, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, APHP, Tenon Hospital IUC-UPMC, Nuclear Medicine and PET Center Department, Sorbonne University & INSERM U938 - Cancer Biology & Therapeutics, Paris, France, Barts ECMC, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and Barts Hospital NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom, Department of Advanced Diagnostics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, MI, Italy, Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), Barcelona, Spain, Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR), Barcelona, Valencia, Spain

Research Funding

Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company
Roche

Background: PHERGain is assessing the feasibility of a CT-free treatment based on a dual HER2 blockade with trastuzumab and pertuzumab (HP) in patients (pts) with HER2[+] EBC using a PET-based, pathologic complete response (pCR)-adapted strategy. In an earlier analysis of this study, a total of 227 (79.7%) of 285 pts included in group B were PET-responder (RX), of whom 86 of 227 (37.9%, 95% CI, 31.6 to 44.5; p<0.0001) achieved a pCR, reaching the first primary endpoint (Perez-Garcia JM, Lancet Oncol 2021). Methods: Details of the trial design and study population have been previously reported. Here, we present the results of the second primary endpoint, 3-year iDFS, among pts included in group B who underwent surgery based on an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. In brief, group B included centrally-confirmed, stage I-IIIA, HER2[+] EBC pts that were initially treated with HP (± endocrine therapy), introducing CT in pts without PET response after two treatment cycles and/or pCR. The binomial design tested the null hypothesis that the true 3-year iDFS rate was ≤89.0% against the alternative that the 3-year iDFS was >95%. We estimated that enrolling 284 pts in group B would provide 80% power at a nominal level of one-sided α of 0.025, assuming a 25% dropout rate. Results: Between June 26, 2017 and April 24, 2019, 356 pts were randomly assigned (71 pts in group A and 285 pts in group B) and 63 (89.0%) and 267 (93.7%) pts proceeded to surgery in groups A and B, respectively. In group B, the 3-year iDFS rate for the ITT population was 95.4% (95% CI, 92.8 to 98), meeting the second primary endpoint (p<0.001). After a median follow-up of 43.3 months (range, 2.4-63.0), a total of 12 iDFS events were reported, including eight distant recurrences (3.0%), three locoregional ipsilateral recurrences (1.1%), and one non-related death (0.4%). Among group B/PET-RX pts with pCR that did not receive CT as part of study treatment (n = 86), only one patient had an invasive event (locoregional ipsilateral recurrence) for a 3-year iDFS rate of 98.8% (95% CI, 96.3 to 100.0). Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) were higher in pts allocated to group A than to group B (grade ≥3, 61.8% vs. 32.9% [p<0.001]; SAEs, 27.9% vs. 13.8% [p=0.01]). Group B/PET-RX pts with pCR presented the lowest incidence of treatment-related grade ≥3 AEs (1.2%) without any SAEs. No treatment-related deaths were reported. Conclusions: Among HER2[+] EBC pts, a PET-based, pCR-adapted strategy was associated with a substantial 3-year iDFS. These results appear comparable to those reported in several studies for the combination of neoadjuvant CT and dual HER2 blockade. This strategy identifies about a third of HER2[+] EBC pts who may safely omit CT with significantly reduced toxicity. Clinical trial information: NCT5732164.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Oral Abstract Session

Session Title

Breast Cancer—Local/Regional/Adjuvant

Track

Breast Cancer

Sub Track

Neoadjuvant Therapy

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT5732164

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 17; abstr LBA506)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.17_suppl.LBA506

Abstract #

LBA506

Abstract Disclosures