Anthracycline-free pre-surgery chemoimmunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer

NeoCARD: A Response-Adapted Phase II Study of Anthracycline-Free Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients With Cardiomyopathy or Elevated Risk of Cardiotoxicity

This 12–18 week treatment will test whether carboplatin, paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab before surgery can work for people with stage II–III triple-negative breast cancer who cannot receive anthracyclines because of heart problems.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 43 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina (Academic / other)
• Drugs / interventions: chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, prednisone, pembrolizumab
• Locations: 1 site (Charleston, South Carolina)
• Trial ID: NCT06845319 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a single-arm, Phase II, response-adaptive neoadjuvant protocol giving carboplatin, paclitaxel, and pembrolizumab over 12–18 weeks to patients with stage II–IIIA/B triple-negative or hormone receptor–low breast cancer who are ineligible for anthracyclines due to cardiac comorbidity. Tumor response during treatment and pathologic response at the time of surgery will be used to guide the adaptive regimen and to measure efficacy. Safety monitoring will focus on cardiac outcomes and standard chemotherapy/immunotherapy adverse events. The trial is led by the Medical University of South Carolina and opens to patients at its main campus and affiliated rural sites.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults (≥18 years) with stage II–IIIA/B triple-negative or hormone receptor‑low (ER/PR ≤10%), HER2‑negative breast cancer with a measurable tumor >1 cm who are considered at high risk for anthracycline cardiotoxicity are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with HER2‑positive disease, tumors smaller than 1 cm, those who can safely receive standard anthracycline-containing regimens, or those with contraindications to carboplatin, paclitaxel, or pembrolizumab are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this regimen could offer an effective pre-surgery treatment option that avoids anthracycline-related heart toxicity for patients with cardiac risk.

How similar studies have performed: Prior neoadjuvant trials in TNBC have shown that adding carboplatin and immunotherapy can raise pathologic complete response rates, but dedicated anthracycline‑free approaches specifically for patients with cardiac comorbidity are less well studied.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

To be eligible to participate in this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Histologically confirmed triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) or hormone receptor-low invasive breast carcinoma, with clinical anatomic Stage II or Stage IIIA/B disease as defined by the AJCC 8th Edition Breast Cancer Stating System.

   a) The invasive tumor must be hormone receptor-negative or low, defined as estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) staining present in ≤10% of invasive cancer cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

   b) HER2-negative disease, defined in accordance with current ASCO-CAP HER2 guidelines.
2. Measurable or evaluable tumor in the breast larger than 1 cm, with or without axillary involvement.
3. Patients with multifocal or multicentric disease are eligible, provided the dominant tumor focus is ER and/or PR ≤10% and HER2 negative.
4. Female or male, age ≥18 years.
5. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 2.
6. Medically fit to undergo curative-intent breast surgery per institutional standard of care.
7. No prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery for the current breast cancer (diagnostic core or vacuum-assisted biopsies allowed).
8. Ability to be followed by a cardiologist and/or primary care physician for optimization of cardiac comorbidities, as needed.
9. Adequate organ function at the time of screening, defined as:

   a) Hematologic
   1. Absolute neutrophil count ≥1,500/µL.
   2. Platelet count ≥100,000/µL.
   3. Leukocytes ≥3,000/µL.
   4. Hemoglobin ≥9.0 g/dL or ≥5.6 mmol/L (without erythropoietin dependency and without packed red blood cell transfusion within 14 days prior to testing).

   b) Renal

   a. Serum creatinine ≤1.5 mg/dL or creatinine clearance ≥50 mL/min. Note: Patients with creatinine clearance 30-50 mL/min may be enrolled at the discretion of the Principal Investigator, given that paclitaxel is primarily hepatically metabolized and carboplatin dosing can be adjusted to renal function.

   c) Hepatic
   1. AST (SGOT) and ALT (SGPT) ≤2.5 × ULN.
   2. Serum albumin ≥3.0 g/dL.
   3. Participants without a history of Gilbert's syndrome must meet one of the following:

   i. Total bilirubin ≤1.5 × IULN, or ii. Total bilirubin \>1.5 × IULN with direct bilirubin ≤ULN. d. Participants with a history of Gilbert's syndrome must have total bilirubin ≤5 × ULN.

   d) Coagulation

   a. For patients receiving anticoagulant therapy, PT and/or aPTT within the therapeutic range for the intended use of anticoagulants.

   b. For patients not receiving anticoagulant therapy, INR, PT, and aPTT ≤1.5 × ULN.
10. Breast and axillary imaging (including ultrasound and MRI) within 42 days (6 weeks) prior to registration.
11. Patients with clinically and/or radiologically abnormal axillary lymph nodes must have pathological confirmation with image-guided core biopsy or fine needle aspiration showing metastatic carcinoma.
12. Patients should undergo staging scans to exclude metastatic disease if any of the following apply:

    a) Axillary imaging shows two or more abnormal lymph nodes, or b) There are clinical signs or symptoms concerning for metastatic disease, or c) At the treating physician's discretion.
13. Patients with bilateral breast cancer are eligible if both tumors are HER2 negative and all other eligibility criteria are met (eligibility should be determined based on the higher-risk side when applicable).
14. Baseline peripheral neuropathy grade ≤2 (per CTCAE).
15. An individual of childbearing potential must be willing and able to use highly effective contraception from the time of informed consent, throughout study treatment, and for at least 6 months after the last dose of trial therapy.

    Note: Highly effective contraception is defined as methods with a failure rate \<1% per year when used consistently and correctly, and include: copper intrauterine device (IUD); bilateral tubal ligation/occlusion or other documented surgical sterilization; vasectomized partner with documented azoospermia, provided this is the sole sexual partner; or true sexual abstinence, defined as complete abstinence from heterosexual intercourse, when this is the participant's usual and preferred lifestyle. Use of hormonal contraceptive methods (including combined oral contraceptives, progestin-only pills, injectables, implants, hormonal IUDs, patches, or vaginal rings) is not permitted during the study.
16. Ability and willingness to comply with all study procedures, including scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests, and other study requirements.
17. Ability and willingness to sign and date written informed consent prior to initiation of any study-specific procedures.
18. Participants with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection must be on effective anti-retroviral therapy at registration and have undetectable viral load test on the most recent test results obtained within 6 months prior to registration.
19. Participants with evidence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection must have undetectable HBV load while on suppressive therapy on the most recent test results obtained within 6 months prior to registration, if indicated. NOTE: No testing for Hepatitis B is required unless mandated by local health authority.
20. Participants with a history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) must have been treated and cured. Participants currently being treated for HCV infection must have undetectable HCV viral load test on the most recent test results obtained within 6 months prior to randomization, if indicated. NOTE: No testing for Hepatitis C is required unless mandated by local health authority.
21. Patient is ineligible for anthracycline treatment due to at least one of the following of A, B, C, or D:

    1. Individuals identified as being at high risk for cardiotoxicity from anthracycline treatment have one or more of the following characteristics.

1\. Preexisting cardiomyopathy with ejection fraction (EF) between 25-49%. 2. Severe valvular disease on echocardiogram. 3. Previous exposure to anthracyclines. 4. Previous exposure to high dose chest wall radiation \>30Gy. 5. Participants who have experienced myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, an arterial thrombotic event, or stroke, within the last 12 months but not less than 3 months ago.

b) Medium or high risk for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) at 3 years as defined by the Cardiotoxicity Prediction Tool from Ezaz et al. \[24\]

c) Patients declining anthracycline therapy after thorough discussion regarding its significant role in treating TNBC.

d) Patients who are deemed ineligible for anthracycline due to other medical conditions not listed here, as determined by the primary oncologist and confirmed by the study PI.

Exclusion Criteria:

An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

1. Subject is planning to participate, currently participating in or has participated in a study of an investigational agent or has used an investigational device within 4 weeks prior to the first dose of study treatment.
2. Current diagnosis of metastatic or inflammatory breast cancer.
3. Patients deemed unfit to undergo curative surgery according to the standard of care.
4. Patients who have concomitant and/or previous malignancies within the last 5 years.

   Note: Participants with basal cell carcinoma of the skin, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, or carcinoma in situ (e.g., ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), carcinoma in situ of the cervix) that have undergone potential curative therapy are NOT excluded.
5. History of hypersensitivity to compounds that are similar to carboplatin and paclitaxel.
6. Has received major surgery and has not recovered adequately from the toxicity and/or complications before starting study treatment.
7. Subject has received a live vaccine within 30 days prior to the first dose of study drug. Examples of live vaccines include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella/zoster (chicken pox), yellow fever, rabies, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and typhoid vaccine. Seasonal influenza or COVID vaccines for injection are generally killed virus vaccines and are allowed; however, intranasal influenza vaccines (e.g., FluMist®) are live attenuated vaccines and are not allowed.
8. Has a diagnosis of immunodeficiency or is receiving chronic systemic steroid therapy (in dosing exceeding 10 mg daily of prednisone equivalent) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy (7-day clearance period for immunosuppressant therapy prior to starting study treatment, if applicable).
9. Has active autoimmune disease that has required systemic treatment in the past 1 year (i.e., with the use of disease-modifying agents, corticosteroids, or immunosuppressive drugs).
10. Has a history of solid organ transplant.
11. Has a history of non-infectious pneumonitis that required high-dose steroids and/or has current pneumonitis.
12. Has an active bacterial infection requiring systemic therapy.
13. Known psychiatric or substance abuse disorders that would interfere with the requirements of the trial.
14. Pregnant or breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive within the projected duration of the study, starting with the screening visit through 180 days after the last dose of trial treatment.
15. Subject is a WOCBP who has had a positive urine pregnancy test within 24 hours prior to initiation of study treatment. Females will be determined to be not of child-bearing potential with a history of hysterectomy or with postmenopausal status of \>12 months.
16. Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP \> 180 mmHg or diastolic BP \> 100 mmHg), or uncontrolled or symptomatic arrhythmia at the time of screening visit.
17. At the time of the screening visit, EF is less than 25%.

Where this trial is running

Charleston, South Carolina

• Medical University of South Carolina — Charleston, South Carolina, United States (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Abi Siva, MD — Medical University of South Carolina
• Study coordinator: Abirami Sivapiragasam

Conditions Triple Negative Breast Cancer