NEOADJUVANT WEEKLY NAB-PACLITAXEL PLUS CARBOPLATIN FOLLOWED BY DOXORUBICIN PLUS CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE WITH BEVACIZUMAB ADDED CONCURRENTLY TO CHEMOTHERAPY FOR OPERABLE TRIPLE-NEGATIVE INVASIVE BREAST CANCER

Purpose: This phase II neoadjuvant study investigated whether nab paclitaxel, carboplatin and bevacizumab given before neoadjuvant doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) produced higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in triple- negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with historical results achieved with standard anthracycline/taxane regimens. Patients and Methods: Eligible patients with operable TNBC ≥2 cm received four cycles of carboplatin (area under the curve 6, day 1) plus nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m 2 , days 1, 8 and 15) every 28 days, followed by four 14-day cycles of AC neoadjuvantly, with bevacizumab 10 mg/kg every 14 days for the rst 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy,  resuming postoperatively to complete 1 year of antibody treatment. In breast pCR and pCR (breast + nodes) were primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. Results: Due to slow accrual, the study was closed after enrollment of 42 of 60 planned patients. Of the 38 patients who underwent surgery (ef cacy population), 22 (58%) achieved an in-breast pCR and 19 (50%) achieved a pCR (breast + nodes). Neutropenia was the most common Grade 3/4 adverse event (57% Grade 3 and 31% Grade 4), but only 1 patient required hospitalisation and IV antibiotics for neutropenic fever. Other Grade 3/4 events included anaemia (24%), thrombocytopenia (29%) and peripheral neuropathy (Grade 3, 5%). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a substantially higher pCR rate, both in-breast and breast + nodes, with the combination of nab paclitaxel plus carboplatin followed by AC, with concurrent bevacizumab, versus historic pCR rates with anthracycline-taxane regimens alone, supporting further investigation of this regimen, preferably in molecularly driven subsets, for the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with TNBC. Key words: Bevacizumab, breast cancer, carboplatin, nab-paclitaxel, neoadjuvant, triple-negative