TILGen: A Program to Investigate Immune Targets in Breast Cancer Patients - First Results on the Influence of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Würfel F, Erber R, Hübner H, Hein A, Lux MP, Jud S, Kremer A, Kranich H, Mackensen A, Häberle L, Hack C, Rauh C, Wunderle M, Gaß P, Rabizadeh S, Brandl AL, Langemann H, Volz B, Nabieva N, Schulz-Wendtland R, Dudziak D, Beckmann M, Hartmann A, Fasching P, Rübner M (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Breast Care Karger

Book Volume: 13

Pages Range: 8-14

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1159/000486949

Abstract

Background: Despite advancements in the treatment of primary and metastatic breast cancer, many patients lack a durable response to these treatments. Patients with triplenegative breast cancer (TNBC) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive breast cancer who do not have a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) have a very poor prognosis. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been identified as a predictive marker for pCR after NACT in TNBC and HER2-positive breast cancer. These patient populations could also be suitable for novel treatment strategies including neoepitope-based therapies. This work analyses the effect of TILs on the pCR in neoadjuvantly treated patients in the TILGen study and presents the procedures aimed at establishing neoepitope-based therapies in this study. Methods: Neoadjuvantly treated HER2positive and TNBC patients were eligible for the presented analysis concerning the association between TILs and pCR. A total of 146 patients could be identified within the TILGen study. TILs were evaluated as percentage of stromal tumor tissue in core biopsies at primary diagnosis. The phenotype 'lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer' (LPBC) was associated with pCR by logistic regression adjusted for estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, HER2 status, age at diagnosis, and grading. Results: LPBC was seen in 24 (16.4%) patients. In this patient group, 66.7% achieved a pCR, while the pCR rate was 32.8% in patients with a low TIL count. The adjusted odds ratio was 6.60 (95% confidence interval 2.02-21.56; p < 0.01). Conclusion: TILs are a strong predictor of pCR in TNBC and HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Implications for the use of this information including the effect on prognosis might help to identify patients most likely to benefit from a neoepitope-based therapy approach. (C) 2018 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg

Authors with CRIS profile

Franziska Würfel Professur für Translationale Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe Ramona Erber Institute of Pathology Hanna Hübner Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Alexander Hein Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Sebastian Jud Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Anita Kremer Department of Medicine 5 – Haematology and Oncology Hannah Reimann Department of Medicine 5 – Haematology and Oncology Andreas Mackensen Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin V Carolin Hack Medizinische Fakultät Marius Wunderle Professur für Translationale Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe Paul Gaß Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hanna Langemann Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Naiba Nabieva Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Diana Dudziak Professur für die Biologie Dendritischer Zellen Matthias Beckmann Lehrstuhl für Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde Arndt Hartmann Lehrstuhl für Allgemeine Pathologie und Pathologische Anatomie Peter Fasching Professur für Translationale Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe Matthias Rübner Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Additional Organisation(s)

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Klinische Forschung

Involved external institutions

NantWorks LLC US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Würfel, F., Erber, R., Hübner, H., Hein, A., Lux, M.P., Jud, S.,... Rübner, M. (2018). TILGen: A Program to Investigate Immune Targets in Breast Cancer Patients - First Results on the Influence of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes. Breast Care, 13(1), 8-14. https://doi.org/10.1159/000486949

MLA:

Würfel, Franziska, et al. "TILGen: A Program to Investigate Immune Targets in Breast Cancer Patients - First Results on the Influence of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes." Breast Care 13.1 (2018): 8-14.

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