Citations

1107 Background: The role of axillary ultrasound (AUS) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to assess for residual nodal disease in patients presenting with node positive breast cancer remains unclear. ACOSOG Z1071 is a prospective multi-institutional trial evaluating sentinel node biopsy in patients with biopsy proven node positive breast cancer (T0-4, N1-2, M0) receiving NAC. Herein we report on the secondary objective evaluating the correlation of lymph node (LN) features on AUS with residual nodal disease. Methods: AUS images from diagnosis and after NAC were centrally reviewed for cortex size, LN size and LN morphology. Morphologic features were defined as: type I, no visible cortex, type II, < 3 mm hypoechoic cortex, type III, > 3mm hypoechoic cortex, type IV, generalized lobulated hypoechoic cortex, type V, focal hypoechoic cortical lobulation, and type VI, totally hypoechoic node with no hilum. Type I and II are considered normal. Results: Surgical and imaging data are available on 294 patients. Median age was 50 years (range 23-93 years), mean initial tumor size 3cm (0 to 15cm) and clinical stage II in 64.5% and III in 35.5%. The maximum LN diameter decreased after NAC (mean 22mm pre-NAC to 14mm post-NAC)(p<0.0001); however, there was no significant difference after NAC between the pathologically N+ (13mm, range 5-46mm) and N0 cases (12mm, range 3-32mm)(p=0.13). LN cortical thickness correlated with residual nodal disease after NAC (p-value = 0.04). Using a cutoff point of cortical thickness of 3 mm, the sensitivity was 33% (48/145) and specificity 80% (66/82). AUS morphological features after NAC was associated with false negative rate 62%, false positive rate 28%, sensitivity 38%, and specificity 72%. Conclusions: AUS after NAC is useful to assess nodal response. Cortical thickness was the best predictor of residual nodal metastasis. LN size and morphological features do not reliably exclude residual nodal metastasis in patients after NAC. [Table: see text]

Abstract Background: Locoregional recurrence (LRR) is a concern after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Absolute risk of LRR and risk factors associated with LRR among women with node positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy on ACOSOG Z1071 were examined. Methods: ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology) enrolled cT1-3, N1-2 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2009-2011. All patients underwent axillary dissection. Data was analyzed for locoregional recurrence-free survival (LR-RFS) and multivariable analysis performed to identify factors impacting locoregional recurrence. Results: Of 756 women enrolled, 701 patients were eligible. Median follow-up was 4.0 years (range 0.03–6.2). 39 pts (5.6%) experienced LRR (32 LRR alone and 7 LRR concurrent with metastatic disease) and 96 patients (13.7%) died. LR-RFS was lowest in patients with triple negative tumors (TNBC) (87.6% at 3 years), followed by HER2-positive tumors (94.1%) compared with Hormone Receptor (HR) positive/HER2-negative tumors (96.9%). Residual in-breast disease was present in 57% of patients undergoing BCT and 73% of patients undergoing mastectomy (p&lt;0.0001). LRR was higher in BCT compared to mastectomy (p=0.018), however when evaluated by subtype there was no significant difference in LRR by BCT vs mastectomy. There was no difference in LRR by clinical T stage at presentation or pathologic N stage, however LRR increased with higher pathologic T stage (p=0.006). Overall LRR was lower in patients who achieved a pathologic complete response (pCR) across all tumor subtypes (0% in HR positive/HER2-negative, 2.1% in TNBC, 4% in HER2-positive at 3 years) than in non-pCR patients (HR=0.37, p=0.04). By tumor subtype, pCR was associated with a lower LRR in patients with TNBC (HR=0.17, p=0.019), but was not significantly different by pCR in HER2-positive (HR=0.50, p=0.31) or HR-positive/HER2-negative tumors (HR=inestimable). In the multivariable model, factors associated with increased LRR risk were tumor subtype (TNBC and HER2-positive tumors, p&lt;0.0001), lack of pCR in the breast (p=0.013), breast conservation surgery (p=0.018) and omission of adjuvant radiation therapy (p=0.010). Predictors of locoregional recurrence UnivariableMultivariableVariableHR (95% CI)p-valueHR (95% CI)p-valueClinical T stageT0-T2REF0.34REF0.087T3-T41.38 (0.72-2.65) 1.87 (0.91-3.84) Tumor BiologyHR+/Her2-REF0.002REF&lt;0.0001Her2+1.49 (0.65-3.45) 2.11 (0.89-5.00) Triple negative3.59 (1.68-7.68) 5.53 (2.53-12.13) Path CR breastNoREF0.019REF0.013Yes0.35 (0.15-0.84) 0.27 (0.09-0.76) Path CR breastNoREF0.064REF0.81Yes0.51 (0.25-1.04) 0.67 (0.29-1.59) SurgeryBCTREF0.067REF0.018Mastectomy0.55 (0.29-1.04) 0.43 (0.22-0.87) RadiationYesREF0.033REF0.010No2.18 (1.06-4.48) 2.60 (1.26-5.39) Conclusion: In patients with node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, early LRR is higher in TNBC and HER2-positive tumors. In TNBC patients pCR is associated with lower LRR than residual disease. In this contemporary cohort of node-positive, HER2-positive tumors treated with anti-HER2 therapy, patients achieving a pCR had low LRR rate. Adjuvant radiation appears to be important for locoregional control regardless of pCR. Citation Format: Boughey JC, Ballman KV, McCall LM, Mittendorf EA, Hunt KK. Predictors of locoregional recurrence after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery for node positive breast cancer: Results from ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-09-01.

Abstract The addition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy extends survival among patients with HER2+ breast cancer. Prior work showed that trastuzumab and chemotherapy augments HER2 extracellular domain (ECD)-specific antibodies. The current study investigated whether combination therapy induced immune responses beyond HER2-ECD and, importantly, whether those immune responses were associated with survival. Pretreatment and posttreatment sera were obtained from 48 women with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer on NCCTG (now Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology) studies, N0337 and N983252. IgG to HER2 intracellular domain (ICD), HER2-ECD, p53, IGFBP2, CEA, and tetanus toxoid were examined. Sera from 25 age-matched controls and 26 surgically resected HER2+ patients were also examined. Prior to therapy, some patients with metastatic disease had elevated antibodies to IGFBP2, p53, HER2-ICD, HER2-ECD, and CEA, but not to tetanus toxin, relative to controls and surgically resected patients. Treatment augmented antibody responses to HER2-ICD in 69% of metastatic patients, which was highly associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS; HR = 0.5, P = 0.0042) and overall survival (OS; HR = 0.7, P = 0.038). Augmented antibody responses to HER2-ICD also correlated (P = 0.03) with increased antibody responses to CEA, IGFBP2, and p53, indicating that treatment induces epitope spreading. Paradoxically, patients who already had high preexisting immunity to HER2-ICD did not respond to therapy with increased antibodies to HER2-ICD and demonstrated poorer PFS (HR = 1.6, P &lt; 0.0001) and OS (HR = 1.4, P = 0.0006). Overall, the findings further demonstrate the importance of the adaptive immune system in the efficacy of trastuzumab-containing regimens. Cancer Res; 76(13); 3702–10. ©2016 AACR.

Abstract Background: The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z1071 trial (Alliance) reported a false negative rate (FNR) of 12.6% with sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in women presenting with node-positive breast cancer. Proposed methods to decrease the FNR include clip placement in the positive node at initial diagnosis with confirmation of resection of the clipped node at surgery and inclusion of residual metastatic cells identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for cytokeratins and disease measuring &lt;0.2mm on H&E in the definition of node positivity after chemotherapy. Herein we evaluate the impact of these methods on FNR. Methods: Z1071 was a prospective multi-institutional trial in which women with clinical T0-4,N1-2,M0 breast cancer underwent both SLN surgery and axillary dissection (ALND) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The primary endpoint defined nodal metastasis as disease &gt;0.2mm on H&E. Slides were submitted for central IHC staining when H&E-negative, unless performed locally. For this analysis, we expanded the definition of node positivity to include metastases less than 0.2mm on H&E and metastatic deposits identified by IHC. In 171 cases, a clip was placed in the node at initial biopsy and in these cases the SLNs and ALND were evaluated by x-ray or pathology to document clip location. FNR in the clip cohort is reported using the primary endpoint definition of node positive disease (&gt;0.2mm on H&E). Results: In the 113 cases where the clip was found in the SLN the FNR was 6.4% (1.8-15.5%). In the 29 cases where the clip was found in the ALND specimen, the FNR was 22.2% (6.4-47.6%). IHC was available on 470 of 525 patients with cN1 disease and 2 SLNs resected. Using the definition of H&E metastasis &gt;0.2mm, the FNR in these patients was 11.3% (34/301, 8.0-15.4%) which decreased to 8.7% (27/311, 5.6-11.8%) when including any disease &lt;0.2mm. SLNs from 16 patients had disease &lt;0.2mm in size. Seven patients previously classified as false negative SLN changed to true positive with identification of disease in the SLN. Nine patients changed from node-negative to node-positive with the only disease being &lt;0.2mm disease found in the SLN. Nodal pathologic complete response rate changed from 36.0% to 33.8% with the inclusion of metastases &lt;0.2mm. NResidual disease identified in SLNs or ALNDFNR (%)95% CINode positive definitionSLN metastases &gt;0.2mm by H&E470301 (64.0%)11.38.0-15.4SLN metastasis any size on IHC or H&E470311 (66.2%)8.75.6-11.8Clip locationClip in SLN11462 (54.4%)6.41.8-15.5Clip in ALND2918 (62.1%)22.26.4-47.6Clip location unknown2920 (69.0%)14.33.0-36.3Clip not placed354207 (58.5%)13.59.1-18.9 Conclusion: Placement of a clip at initial diagnosis of node positive disease with identification of the clip during the SLN surgery reduces the FNR. Use of IHC with inclusion of metastases &lt;0.2mm in the definition of residual nodal disease in women with node positive breast cancer after chemotherapy also improves the accuracy of SLN surgery. Use of one or both of these methods should be considered when performing SLN in this setting. Citation Format: Judy C Boughey, Karla V Ballman, William F Symmans, Linda M McCall, Elizabeth A Mittendorf, Gretchen M Ahrendt, Lee G Wilke, Bret Taback, Kelly K Hunt. Methods impacting the false negative rate of sentinel lymph node surgery in patients presenting with node positive breast cancer (T0-T4,N1-2) who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy – Results from a prospective trial – ACOSOG Z1071 (Alliance) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-01-02.

Purpose The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Z1071 trial reported a 12.6% false-negative rate (FNR) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in cN1 disease. Patients were not selected for surgery based on response, but a secondary end point was to determine whether axillary ultrasound (AUS) after NAC after fine-needle aspiration cytology can identify abnormal nodes and guide patient selection for SLN surgery. Patients and Methods Patients with T0-4, N1-2, M0 breast cancer underwent AUS after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. AUS images were centrally reviewed and classified as normal or suspicious lymph nodes. AUS findings were tested for association with pathologic nodal status and SLN FNR. The impact of AUS results to select patients for SLN surgery to reduce the FNR was assessed. Results Postchemotherapy AUS images were reviewed for 611 patients. One hundred thirty (71.8%) of 181 AUS-suspicious patients were node positive at surgery compared with 243 (56.5%) of 430 AUS-normal patients (P < .001). Patients with AUS-suspicious nodes had a greater number of positive nodes and greater metastasis size (P < .001). The SLN FNR was not different based on AUS results; however, using a strategy where only patients with normal AUS undergo SLN surgery would potentially reduce the FNR in Z1071 patients with ≥ two SLNs removed from 12.6% to 9.8% when preoperative AUS results are considered as part of SLN surgery. Conclusion AUS is recommended after chemotherapy to guide axillary surgery. An FNR of 9.8% with the combination of AUS and SLN surgery would be acceptable for the adoption of SLN surgery for women with node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.