This study aims to explore the best combination patterns of radiotherapy and immunotherapy for advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer that poses significant therapeutic challenges. Because mTNBC tumors do not express estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), or HER2, patients with this subtype cannot receive benefits from endocrine therapy or HER2-targeted treatments, leaving chemotherapy as the main treatment option. However, the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapy drugs is limited and they often come with severe side effects. This leads to short durations of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and the development of drug resistance, which can cause the cancer to recur and spread. Recently, the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has offered new therapeutic prospects for mTNBC. Inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1, such as Pembrolizumab, Atezolizumab, and Toripalimab, have demonstrated some effectiveness in clinical trials, especially in patients with PD-L1-positive tumors. Yet, the overall response to immunotherapy remains low, and there is a risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which require vigilant monitoring. To address the shortcomings of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, researchers are investigating innovative treatment strategies. These include targeting additional immune checkpoint molecules within the tumor microenvironment, developing novel chemotherapy drugs, and integrating immunotherapy with other treatments like radiotherapy. Local radiotherapy can substantially stimulate the immune system, increasing the antigenicity of cancer cells and enhancing the ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to recognize and attack cancer cells. Although combined radiotherapy and immunotherapy have shown promise in treating other types of cancer, the most effective combination patterns, optimal radiotherapy dosing schedules, and the most suitable patient groups for advanced breast cancer, particularly mTNBC, are not well defined. This study seeks to identify the best combinations of radiotherapy and immunotherapy for advanced breast cancer, with the aim of improving survival rates and setting new standards for treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
5 Gy × 5 fractions, once a day, beginning on the day within 4 weeks before the initiation of cycle of toripalimab and chemotherapy
8 Gy × 5 fractions, once a day, beginning on the day within 4 weeks before the initiation of cycle of toripalimab and chemotherapy
8 Gy × 3 fractions, once every other day, beginning on the day within 4 weeks before the initiation of cycle of toripalimab and chemotherapy
Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
RECRUITINGProgression-free survival at 6 months (6m-PFS rate)
Progression-free survival at 6 months (6m-PFS rate) is defined as the percentage of patients who have not experienced disease progression or death due to any cause at the 6-month mark after starting treatment.
Time frame: 6 months
Progression-free survival (PFS)
Progression-free survival (PFS) is defined as the time from treatment initiation to disease progression or death from any cause.
Time frame: Up to 3 years
Overall survival (OS)
Overall survival (OS) is defined as the time from treatment initiation to death from any cause.
Time frame: up to 3 years
Objective Response Rate
Objective response rate (ORR) is defined as the percetage of patients achieving a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) according to RECIST v.1.1.
Time frame: up to 3 years
Duration of response
Duration of response (DOR) is defined as the duration from response initiation (when either CR or PR is first determined) to progression or death, whichever occurs first.
Time frame: up to 3 years
Number of participants with treatment-related adverse events
Adverse events are assessed by CTCAE v5.0
Time frame: up to 3 years
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10 Gy × 3 fractions, once every other day, beginning on the day within 4 weeks before the initiation of cycle of toripalimab and chemotherapy
0.5 Gy twice-a-day × 2 days, on the first 2 days of the first 4 cycles of toripalimab and chemotherapy (total 8Gy)
Toripalimab (240 mg IV, d1, Q3W)
Regimens to be selected from: (1) Nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2 IV, days 1, 8, Q3W) (2) Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m² IV, days 1 and 8, Q3W) + carboplatin (AUC=2 IV, days 1 and 8, Q3W)