The addition of pembrolizumab (pembro) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is standard of care for the treatment of early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) after KEYNOTE-522 trial demonstrated improved pathologic complete response (pCR) rates with the combination. However, the optimal treatment strategy for TNBC remains uncertain as questions persist about which patients benefit from pembro and the best treatment schedule and regimen. We identified real-world clinical characteristics and treatment variables associated with response to NAC plus pembro. Patients with early TNBC treated with NAC plus pembro between February 2020 and September 2023 were identified. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression to identify factors associated with pCR. Cox proportional hazard prediction models were used to identify predictors of invasive disease-free survival and overall survival in this cohort. A pCR was achieved in 75 (63.6%) of 118 patients. Age at diagnosis (P = .04), Ki-67 (P = .004), duration from start of pembro to surgery (P = .006) and NAC to surgery (P = .01), number of cycles of pembro (P = .04) and NAC (P = .02), and completion of at least 8 cycles of pembro (P = .015) and NAC (P = .015) were each significantly associated with pCR in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, patients younger than 55 years at time of diagnosis (vs age > 55 years) and those completing at least 8 cycles of pembro remained predictive of pCR (OR’s 2.50, 2.49, P = .035 and .037, respectively). In this real-world analysis of patients with TNBC treated with NAC plus pembro, younger age and the completion of at least 8 cycles of pembrolizumab were associated with pCR.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or more and is associated with worse outcomes in patients with breast cancer, resulting in an increased incidence of breast cancer, recurrence, and death. The incidence of obesity is increasing, with almost half of all individuals in the United States classified as obese. Patients with obesity present with unique pharmacokinetics and physiology and are at increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, which leads to specific challenges when treating these patients. The aim of this review is to summarize the impact of obesity on the efficacy and toxicity of systemic therapies used for breast cancer patients, describe the molecular mechanisms through which obesity can affect systemic therapies, outline the existing American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines for treating patients with cancer and obesity, and highlight additional clinical considerations for treating patients with obesity and breast cancer. We conclude that further research on the biological mechanisms underlying the obesity–breast cancer link may offer new treatment strategies, and clinicals trials that focus on the treatment and outcomes of patients with obesity and all stages of breast cancer are needed to inform future treatment guidelines.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is an aggressive and fatal disease with a median survival of 36 months. With the advent of genetic sequencing to identify individual genomic profiles and acquired tumor-specific pathways, targeted therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, including the treatment strategy in mCRPC. Poly(adenosine 5ʹ-diphosphate) ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are oral drugs that target mutations in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway, which are found in approximately 27% of prostate cancer patients. In May 2020, the first PARP inhibitor, olaparib, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for men with mCRPC with HHR gene mutations based on the findings of the Phase III PROfound trial that showed improved overall survival in men with mCRPC who received olaparib and whose disease had progressed on a novel hormonal agent. This review summarizes the current evidence and clinical utility of olaparib as treatment in men with mCRPC. We describe the mechanism of action of PARPi, key clinical trials of olaparib in men with mCRPC, and ongoing Phase II and III clinical trials investigating olaparib in combination therapy and as front-line therapy in mCRPC.

Background: Loss of HER2 “positivity” can occur in patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant treatment, but the incidence of HER2‐positivity loss after neoadjuvant dual HER2‐targeted treatment plus chemotherapy, the current standard‐of‐care for most early stage HER2‐positive breast cancers, is not well described. Previous studies that report the HER2 discordance rate after neoadjuvant treatment also do not include the novel HER2‐low category. In this retrospective study, we determine the incidence and prognostic impact of HER2‐positivity loss, including the evolution to HER2‐low disease, after neoadjuvant dual HER2‐targeted therapy with chemotherapy.Methods: Clinicopathologic data for patients with stage I‐III HER2+ breast cancer diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 were reviewed in this single institution retrospective study. Patients who received dual HER2‐targeted treatment with chemotherapy were included, and HER2 status before and after neoadjuvant therapy was interrogated.Results: A total of 163 female patients were included in the analysis with a median age of 50 years. A pathologic complete response (pCR as defined by ypT0/is) was achieved in 102 (62.5%) of 163 evaluable patients. Among the 61 patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant therapy, 36 (59.0%) had HER2‐positive and 25 (41.0%) had HER2‐negative residual disease. Of the 25 patients with HER2‐negative residual disease, 22 (88%) of patients were classified as HER2‐low. After a median follow‐up of 3.3 years, patients who retained HER2‐positivity after neoadjuvant treatment had a 3‐year IDFS rate of 91% (95% CI, 91%–100%), while patients who lost HER2‐positivity had a 3‐year IDFS rate of 82% (95% CI, 67%–100%).Conclusion: Almost half of patients with residual disease following neoadjuvant dual HER2‐targeted therapy plus chemotherapy lost HER2‐positivity. The loss of HER2‐positivity may not confer negative prognostic impact, although the results were limited by short follow‐up time. Further research on the HER2 status after neoadjuvant treatment may help guide treatment decisions in the adjuvant setting.

Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) is an anti-Trop-2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for use in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This study explores whether Trop-2 expression serves as a biomarker of excellent response versus non-response to sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in HER2-negative MBC. Trop-2 expression was determined from patients with HER2-negative MBC categorized as non-responders and excellent responders to SG. Excellent response was defined by a complete or partial response and a progression-free survival (PFS) greater than the median of the cohort. Non-response was defined by progressive disease within 3 months. Trop-2 expression was determined based on percentage of cells staining and a histochemical score (H-score). Of the 15 patients with HER2-negative MBC (8 non-responders/7 excellent responders), the median Trop-2 expression rate was 100 % in both groups (p=0.3). H-score was also similar between the groups, with a median H-score of 270 (range 25-300) in non-responders and 280 (range 120-290) in responders (p=1.0). Lower Trop-2 percent expression was associated with shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.014; 95 % CI, 0-0.52; p=0.018), although Trop-2 expression by H-score was not predictive of PFS (HR: 0.994; 95 % CI, 0.987-1.002; p=0.12). One non-responder had an H-score of 25, which may represent a complete lack of Trop-2 expression. In this study, Trop-2 expression did not predict excellent response versus non-response to SG in patients with HER2-negative MBC. Low Trop-2 expression, as determined by percentage staining, was predictive of shorter PFS, although the same association was not observed using the H-score. A complete lack of Trop-2 expression may predict SG ineffective, which requires further investigation.

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic agent used primarily to treat atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. However, the drug also has many adverse effects, including pulmonary toxicity, and a wide range of pulmonary diseases have been reported. Amiodarone-induced eosinophilic pneumonia is a relatively rare adverse effect with an incidence ranging between 5 and 13% [1]. The majority of cases have been diagnosed with lung biopsy, with only one prior reported case diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) [2]. This report describes the second documented case of amiodarone-induced eosinophilic pneumonia diagnosed by eosinophilia on BAL cytology. In this case, complete cessation of symptoms occurred after discontinuation of amiodarone and treatment with corticosteroids. An updated review of the literature of amiodarone-induced eosinophilic pneumonia is also detailed.