Can we skip radiation after lumpectomy for low-risk HER2-positive breast cancer?
Official title: SuperHERO: A Phase II Trial Evaluating Radiotherapy Omission for Low-risk HER2-positive Breast Cancer
Run by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · NCT07895511 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether patients who had breast-conserving surgery and low-risk HER2-positive breast cancer can safely skip radiation therapy while receiving HER2-targeted treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 136 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy, radiation |
| Locations | 7 sites (Basking Ridge, New Jersey and 6 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 16, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 16, 2031 |
| Study ends | October 16, 2031 |
| Registry record updated | October 29, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07895511 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults with HER2-positive breast cancer who had breast-conserving surgery and completed a predefined amount of HER2-targeted systemic therapy within 90 days of enrollment.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who did not receive sufficient systemic therapy, those outside the defined time window, or those with higher-risk features not covered by the low-risk criteria may not benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The trial investigates the safety of omitting breast radiation therapy after lumpectomy in people with low-risk HER2-positive breast cancer who are also receiving HER2-targeted therapy. Eligible participants include adults of any gender who had breast-conserving surgery and had recent systemic HER2-directed treatment, with a defined time window from surgery to enrollment. The study allows either neoadjuvant or adjuvant pathways and requires a minimum amount of systemic therapy, with specific thresholds for antibody-drug conjugates. Primary planning focuses on safety outcomes related to omitting radiation, in contrast to standard care. Recruitment is conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering locations in New Jersey.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients might avoid the side effects of radiation without compromising cancer control.
How similar studies have gone: Previous approaches omitting radiation in select low-risk groups have shown mixed results; this study asks a similar question in the HER2-positive population with targeted therapy.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: A patient cannot be considered eligible for this study unless ALL of the following conditions are met. Please contact the study PI for exceptions, or if uncertainties arise. * The trial is open to female and male patients who have undergone breast conserving surgery and have received neoadjuvant\* or adjuvant systemic therapy with a HER2-targeted therapeutic regimen. * The maximum window between surgery (neoadjuvant cohort) or last chemotherapy (adjuvant cohort) and enrollment is 90 days. * While the standard duration of neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy is at least 12 weeks, patients will be eligible if they receive a minimum of 8 weeks of systemic therapy. Patients treated with an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC; eg. T-DM1 or T-DXd) must have received at least 6 cycles of this treatment. \*For the neoadjuvant cohort: Patients are eligible if they achieved pCR with HER2-targeted preoperative treatment. Pathologic complete response is defined as ypT0/TisN0 based on surgical pathology. Patients treated with and ADC must have received at least 6 cycles of this treatment. * The patient must be ≥18 years of age. * The patient must have an ECOG performance status of 0, 1, or 2/Karnofsky performance status above 60. * Histologically or cytologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma. * The tumor must have been determined to be HER2-positive by current ASCO/CAP guidelines based on local testing results. * The tumor must have ER and PgR status assessed. * The following staging criteria must be met according to AJCC 8th edition criteria: Adjuvant cohort * Following resection, the patient's primary tumor must be ≤ 3 cm. * Surgical axillary evaluation via sentinel node biopsy or axillary dissection * Surgical lumpectomy margins must be negative for invasive cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (no ink on tumor). Neoadjuvant cohort: * Prior to neoadjuvant therapy, the patient's primary tumor must be \<5 cm by imaging studies with negative axillary nodes (cN0) based on axillary U/S, CT, PET or MRI. Physical examination alone is not sufficient documentation of cN0 status. * The patient must have undergone surgical axillary nodal evaluation demonstrating ypN0 (eg. axillary node dissection, sentinel node biopsy with at least 3 sentinel lymph nodes removed, or sentinel node biopsy followed by axillary node dissection). * Must be ypT0/TisN0 at surgery (lumpectomy); patients with residual non invasive disease (DCIS) in the surgical specimen (ypTis), are only eligible if residual DCIS spans ≤1 cm, and surgical margins are negative for DCIS. * Bilateral mammogram or MRI within 52 weeks prior to enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Definitive clinical or radiologic evidence of metastatic disease. * On the Adjuvant cohort, patients with a primary tumor \>3 cm on pathologic examination of the surgical specimen. On the Neoadjuvant cohort, patients with a primary tumor \>5 cm or with abnormal or suspicious ipsilateral axillary nodes by pretreatment imaging, unless demonstrated to be negative by cytologic or histologic examination. * Pathologically positive axillary nodes at any time including of pN0(i+) or pN0(mol+) ypN0(i+) or ypN0(mol+) disease. * Patient planning for or status-post mastectomy. * Radiographically suspicious ipsilateral or contralateral axillary, supraclavicular, infraclavicular, or internal mammary lymph nodes, unless there is histological confirmation that these nodes are negative for metastatic disease. * Suspicious microcalcifications, densities, or palpable abnormalities (in the ipsilateral or contralateral breast), or mass or non-mass enhancement on MRI (if performed) aside from the known cancer, unless biopsied and found to be benign. * Non-epithelial breast malignancies such as sarcoma or lymphoma. * Multicentric carcinoma (invasive cancer or DCIS) in more than one quadrant or multifocal disease spanning \>4 cm. If multifocal, all foci should be confined to a maximum summed tumor extent of 3 cm determined by pathological assessment. * Paget's disease of the nipple. * Synchronous contralateral invasive breast cancer or DCIS or synchronous ipsilateral invasive breast cancer of a different histology. (Patients with synchronous and/or previous contralateral LCIS are eligible). * On the Adjuvant cohort, surgical margins that cannot be microscopically assessed or are positive at pathologic evaluation. (If surgical margins are rendered free of disease by re-excision, the patient is eligible). * Treatment plan that includes regional nodal irradiation. * Patients treated for a prior invasive breast malignancy are excluded. Contralateral DCIS ≥10 years prior to enrollment is permissible. * Patients on oral, transdermal, or subdermal estrogen replacement (including all estrogen only and estrogen-progesterone formulas) are not eligible unless discontinued prior to enrollment. * Use of any investigational product within 30 days prior to enrollment.
Where it's running
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Memorial Sloan Kettering at Basking Ridge (All protocol activities)
Basking Ridge, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All Protocol Activities)
Middletown, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (All Protocol Activities)
Montvale, New Jersey, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Suffolk-Commack (All Protocol Activities )
Commack, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (All Protocol Activities)
Harrison, New York, United States Recruiting -
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (All protocol activites)
New York, New York, United States Recruiting
Show 1 more location
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Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (All protocol activities)
Rockville Centre, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Lior Braunstein, MD — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Lior Braunstein, MD
- Email: braunstl@mskcc.org
- Phone: 201-775-7446
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.