Efficacy of deescalated chemotherapy according to PAM50 subtypes, immune and proliferation genes in triple‐negative early breast cancer: Primary translational analysis of the WSG‐ADAPT‐TN trial

Abstract

In the neoadjuvant WSG‐ADAPT‐TN trial, 12‐week nab‐paclitaxel + carboplatin (nab‐pac/carbo) was highly effective and superior to nab‐paclitaxel + gemcitabine (nab‐pac/gem) in triple‐negative breast cancer regarding pathological complete response (pCR). Predictive markers for deescalated taxane/carbo use in TNBC need to be identified. Patients received 4 × nab‐pac 125 mg/m 2 (plus carbo AUC2 or gem 1,000 mg/m 2 d1,8 q21). Expression of 119 genes and PAM50 scores by nCounter were available in 306/336 pretherapeutic samples. Interim survival analysis was planned after 36 months median follow‐up. Basal‐like (83.3%) compared to other subtypes was positively associated with pCR (38% vs . 20%, p = 0.015), as was lower HER2 score ( p < 0.001). Proliferation biomarkers were positively associated with pCR, that is, PAM50 proliferation, ROR scores (all p < 0.004), higher Ki‐67 (IHC; p < 0.001). For nab‐pac/carbo, expression of immunological (CD8, PD1 and PFDL1) genes and proliferation markers (proliferation and ROR scores, MKI67, CDC20, NUF2, KIF2C, CENPF, EMP3 and TYMS) were positively associated with pCR ( p < 0.05 for all). For nab‐pac/gem, angiogenesis genes were negatively associated with pCR (ANGPTL4: p = 0.05; FGFR4: p = 0.02; VEGFA: p = 0.03). pCR after 12 weeks was strongly associated with favorable outcome (3y event‐free survival: 92% vs . 71%, p < 0.001). In early TNBC, basal‐like subtype, higher Ki‐67 (IHC) and lower HER2 score were, associated with chemosensitivity. Chemoresistance pathways differed between the two taxane based combinations. Combination of proliferation/immune markers and PAM50 subtype could allow patient selection for further deescalated chemotherapy and/or immune treatment approaches.