Testing MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) as Adjuvant Therapy for Triple Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer

Official Title

A Randomized, Phase III Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) as Adjuvant Therapy for Triple Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer With >/= 1 CM Residual Invasive Cancer or Positive Lymph Nodes (ypN+) After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Summary:

This randomized phase III trial studies how well pembrolizumab works in treating patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as pembrolizumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumour cells to grow and spread.

Trial Description

Primary Outcome:

• Invasive disease-free survival (IDFS)
• Severity of fatigue
• Physical function

Secondary Outcome:

• Overall survival (OS)
• Distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS)
• Incidence of adverse events
• Severity and frequency of treatment-related symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, rash, cough, and shortness of breath, musculoskeletal pain) over time of patients receiving pembrolizumab
• Emotional function and disease-related symptoms in patients receiving pembrolizumab
• Impact of treatment and treatment-related symptoms on physical function in patients without therapy
• Relationship between treatment-related symptoms and adherence to the study medication
• Resolution of treatment-related symptoms in patients receiving pembrolizumab
• Long-term quality of life and symptoms between the two treatment groups
• Role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the development of pembrolizumab associated symptoms
• Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promotor region of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes and the risk for development and severity of treatment-associated fatigue and other symptoms

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To compare invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) of patients with triple-negative (TNBC) or low estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and/or HER2 borderline breast cancer who have >= 1 cm residual invasive breast cancer and/or positive lymph nodes (ypN1mi, ypN1, ypN2, ypN3) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy randomized to receive 1 year of MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) adjuvant therapy compared to no MK-3475 (pembrolizumab), in both the entire study population and also in the PD-L1 positive subset. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
I. To compare the effects of MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) on overall survival (OS) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) between the two randomized arms for the PD-L1 positive patients and then all patients. II. To assess the toxicity and tolerability of MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) in this patient population with or without radiation therapy. BEHAVIORAL AND HEALTH OUTCOMES (BAHO) STUDY OBJECTIVES:
I. To examine the association between biomarkers of inflammation and quality of life and patient reported outcomes between the two groups during and at the end of therapy. II. To examine the long-term and late effects of treatment on patient-reported outcomes. ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVE: I. To collect tissue and whole blood for processing and banking in anticipation of future correlative studies in this patient population. OUTLINE:

Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM I (OBSERVATION): Patients receive no treatment but are monitored at standard clinical intervals during first year after randomization. Patients are examined every 12 weeks for 1 year, and every 6 months for 4 years, then annually for 5 years. ARM II (PEMBROLIZUMAB): Patients receive pembrolizumab intravenously (IV) over 30 minutes on days 1 and 22. Cycles repeat every 42 days for 52 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients may undergo radiation therapy within 12 weeks of last breast cancer operation or after treatment. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 6 months for 5 years, then annually thereafter until 10 years from treatment randomization.

View this trial on ClinicalTrials.gov