Study of Immunotherapy in Combination With Chemotherapy in HER2-negative Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and highly aggressive subtype of locally advanced breast cancer representing approximately 5% of all breast cancers that requires immediate aggressive treatment. Significant progress has been made in recent years using a combination of treatments, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Accumulating data indicate a prognostic and/or predictive impact for immune-response variables in BC. Recent data, suggest that PD-L1 is overexpressed in a significant number of BC, notably in IBC and may have significant prognostic or predictive value. Furthermore it may be targeted to restore or boost functional antitumor immunity. Pembrolizumab, a PD-1-directed monoclonal antibody is already registered and has an out-standing activity in advanced melanoma and NSCLC patients, with promising results in several other tumor types, including triple-negative BC, and a favorable profile of tolerance. Thus, potential benefits of pembrolizumab in combination with a conventional cytotoxic backbone may be considered as high in HER2-negative IBC. The aim of the study is to assess the pathological complete response rate following neoadjuvant EC-paclitaxel chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab and to assess if neoadjuvant chemotherapy with anthracycline-based induction in combination with pembrolizumab exposes IBC patients to significant toxicity. rates.