Title
Shorter Anthracycline-Free Chemo Immunotherapy Adapted to Pathological Response in Early Triple Negative Breast Cancer (SCARLET), A Randomized Phase III Study

Description
This phase III trial compares the effects of shorter chemotherapy (chemo)-immunotherapy without anthracyclines to usual chemo-immunotherapy for the treatment of early-stage triple negative breast cancer. Paclitaxel is in a class of medications called anti-microtubule agents. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Carboplatin is in a class of medications known as platinum-containing compounds. It works in a way similar to the anticancer drug cisplatin, but may be better tolerated than cisplatin. Carboplatin works by killing, stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells. Cyclophosphamide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and may kill cancer cells. It may also lower the body's immune response. Docetaxel is in a class of medications called taxanes. It stops cancer cells from growing and dividing and may kill them. Doxorubicin is an anthracycline chemotherapy drug that damages DNA and may kill cancer cells. Pembrolizumab may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Shorter treatment without anthracycline chemotherapy may work the same as the usual anthracycline chemotherapy treatment for early-stage triple negative breast cancer.

Objective
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To assess whether participants with early stage triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) randomized to receive anthracycline-free, taxane-platinum neoadjuvant chemotherapy with pembrolizumab have non-inferior breast cancer event-free survival (BC-EFS) compared to participants randomized to taxane-platinum-anthracycline neoadjuvant chemotherapy with pembrolizumab.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare pathological complete response (pCR) and residual cancer burden (RCB) rates by randomized arm.

II. To compare pCR and RCB rates between randomized arms by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) status.

III. To compare BC-EFS between randomized arms in the TIL-enriched and non-TIL enriched subgroups.

IV. To compare distant relapse-free survival and overall survival by randomized arm.

V. To compare invasive breast cancer-free survival after surgery between randomized arms in pCR and residual disease groups.

VI. To compare the safety and tolerability by randomized arm among those that initiate therapy.

TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OBJECTIVE:

I. To evaluate concordance and accuracy of an automated stromal TIL (sTIL) algorithm versus (vs.) central pathologist assessed sTILs quantification.

PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOME (PRO) OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare patient-reported fatigue at 3 weeks after the last neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) dose and, separately, at 18 months after randomization, using the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Fatigue-7a in participants undergoing NAST with taxane-platinum-anthracycline chemo-immunotherapy vs taxane-platinum chemo-immunotherapy. (Quality of Life, Primary) II. To compare physical function experienced by participants undergoing neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NAST) with taxane-platinum-anthracycline chemo-immunotherapy vs taxane-platinum chemo-immunotherapy, within 3-5 weeks post last neoadjuvant systemic therapy dose using the PROMIS-29 Profile physical function subscale score. (Quality of Life, Secondary) III. To compare physical function experienced by participants undergoing NAST taxane-platinum-anthracycline chemo-immunotherapy vs taxane-platinum chemo-immunotherapy at 18 months post registration using the PROMIS-29 Profile physical function subscale score. (Quality of Life, Secondary) IV. To compare other PROMIS-29 Profile subscale scores (sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, social, pain interference, and pain sensitivity) and GP5 question response by arm within 3-5 weeks post last neoadjuvant systemic therapy dose and at 18 months post registration. (Quality of Life, Exploratory) V. To compare the GP-5 item scores by arm within 3-5 weeks post last neoadjuvant systemic therapy dose and at 18 months post registration. (Quality of Life, Exploratory) VI. To compare select patient-reported outcomes using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) by arm. (Patient-Reported Symptoms of Treatment)

BANKING OBJECTIVE:

I. To bank physical specimens and digital slides for future correlative studies.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients receive paclitaxel intravenously (IV), carboplatin IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then receive doxorubicin IV, cyclophosphamide IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then undergo surgery. Patients may receive pembrolizumab after surgery. Patients may optionally undergo collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

ARM II: Patients receive docetaxel IV, carboplatin IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then undergo surgery. Patients may receive pembrolizumab after surgery. Patients may optionally undergo collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

Patients are followed up every 6 months for the first 2 years and then annually until 5 years from registration.

Treatment Active Comparator: Arm I (usual chemo-immunotherapy)
Patients receive paclitaxel IV, carboplatin IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then receive doxorubicin IV, cyclophosphamide IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then undergo surgery. Patients may receive pembrolizumab after surgery. Patients may optionally undergo collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

Experimental: Arm II (shorter chemo-immunotherapy)
Patients receive docetaxel IV, carboplatin IV, and pembrolizumab IV on study. Patients then undergo surgery. Patients may receive pembrolizumab after surgery. Patients may optionally undergo collection of blood samples throughout the trial.

Key Eligibility For full study eligibility, please see this study's ClinicalTrials.gov record.

Applicable Disease Sites
Breast

Participating Institutions
UW Health 1 S. Park Medical Center; UW Health Carbone Cancer Center Rockford; UW Health Eastpark Medical Center; UW Health University Hospital