LAUSR

Abstract Background Neoadjuvant treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in general implies different chemotherapy regimens administered in sequence. PARP inhibitors like olaparib have revealed clinical benefit in TNBC harboring BRCA germline mutations, but were ineffective when tested as monotherapy for BRCA WT metastatic breast cancer. While combining a PARP inhibitor with chemotherapy may be beneficial, such therapy is limited by bone marrow toxicity. Methods In the phase 2 PETREMAC trial (NCT02624973), we assessed the efficacy of primary olaparib monotherapy for 10 weeks, followed by chemotherapy, in TNBC (T > 2 cm). Tumor biopsies and blood leucocytes for targeted DNA sequencing of 360 cancer-related genes were collected prior to therapy and after 10 weeks on olaparib. Results 31 patients with TNBC were included (mean tumor size 59 mm; range 33-97). Olaparib monotherapy was well tolerated, yielding a clinical CR in 5 and a PR in 15 patients (all-over objective response rate; ORR 64%). Olaparib had no major impact on subsequent chemotherapy toxicity. The average pretreatment mutation rate was 3.3 indels/point mutations per tumor with no differences in mutation burden recorded between responders and non-responders or BRCA carriers vs. non-carriers. Among five patients harboring pathogenic BRCA1/2 mutations (4 germline, 1 somatic) all responded to olaparib, and n = 3/5 obtained pathological complete response. Interestingly, mutations in genes associated with DNA damage repair (ATRX, BRCA1/2, EMSY, MSH6, PARP10, PPM1D) occurred in n = 9/20 olaparib responders, but in none of the 11 non-responders (p = 0.011). Non-responders were characterized by mutations in oncogenic pathways (PIK3CA, AKT1, KRAS, IGF2R, NF2 and TGFBR2) in 7 out of 11 tumors (P = 0.00013). No significant association was observed between TP53 mutations (recorded in 23/31 tumors) and response to olaparib. Targeted DNA sequencing is ongoing for biopsies taken after 10 weeks of olaparib monotherapy; the results will be presented. Conclusions Olaparib yielded a high response rate when administered to treatment-naive, large TNBC, indicating a potential role in sequential neoadjuvant therapy, for patients both with and without BRCA1/2 germline mutations. Clinical trial identification NCT02624973; 2015-002816-34. Legal entity responsible for the study Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Funding Det Regionale Samarbeidsorganet/Helse Vest, AstraZeneca. Disclosure H.P. Eikesdal: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pierre Fabre; Honoraria (self): Amgen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Honoraria (self): HAI Interaktiv AS; Honoraria (self): Dagens Medisin; Honoraria (self): Brysol-Mayers-Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Research grant / Funding (institution): Abbvie. E.S. Blix: Honoraria (self): Pfizer. B. Gilje: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (self): Roche; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Astellas Oncology; Research grant / Funding (institution): Celgene; Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pierre Fabre. E.A. Janssen: Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Pfizer. J. Geisler: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Novartis; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Honoraria (self), Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Pierre Fabre; Honoraria (self), Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Brystol-Myers-Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: AstraZeneca; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Pfizer. T. Aas: Honoraria (self): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self): Roche. S. Knappskog: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Pfizer; Licensing / Royalties: Patent EP2389450 A1,Patent WO 2012/010661.. P.E. Lonning: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (self): Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (self): Novartis; Honoraria (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Pierre Fabre; Honoraria (self): Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Laboratorios Farmaceuticos Rovi; Licensing / Royalties: Cytovation. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.