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Chemotherapy

Radiation, Immunotherapy, and Chemotherapy for Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Phase 2
Waitlist Available
Led By Manali Bhave, MD
Research Sponsored by Emory University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
HER2 negativity defined as ISH non-amplified or IHC 0 or IHC 1+
ER and PR negativity defined as ≤ 10% of cells expressing hormonal receptors via IHC analysis
Must not have
Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring IV antibiotics
Known additional malignancy requiring active treatment
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up from start of radiation therapy to death, assessed up to 2 years
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

"This trial is testing whether radiation therapy combined with pembrolizumab (immunotherapy) and different chemotherapy drugs can effectively treat patients with triple negative breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the

Who is the study for?
This trial is for individuals with PD-L1 positive metastatic triple negative breast cancer. Participants should have cancer that has spread from the original site to other body parts. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, but typically include factors like age, health status, and previous treatments.
What is being tested?
The study tests high dose radiation therapy combined with pembrolizumab (an immunotherapy drug) and chemotherapy drugs (paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel or carboplatin and gemcitabine). The goal is to see if this combination can effectively kill tumor cells in patients with a specific type of advanced breast cancer.
What are the potential side effects?
Potential side effects may include typical reactions to radiation such as skin changes and fatigue; immune-related issues from pembrolizumab like inflammation; plus chemotherapy effects including nausea, hair loss, blood cell count changes, nerve damage, and allergic reactions.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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My cancer is HER2 negative.
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My cancer is not driven by estrogen or progesterone.
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My breast cancer is PD-L1 positive, triple-negative, and has spread to at least 2 places.
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My cancer is PD-L1 positive with a score of 10 or higher.
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I have a cancer spot that can be treated with strong radiation.
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I am 18 years old or older.
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I can take care of myself but might not be able to do heavy physical work.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
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I am currently on IV antibiotics for a serious bacterial or fungal infection.
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I am currently being treated for another type of cancer.
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I have had treatment for triple negative breast cancer before starting pembrolizumab.
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I regularly use steroids or medications that suppress my immune system.
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The cancer spread I'm treating with radiation hasn't been radiated before.
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My brain disease has not been treated.
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I do not have uncontrolled fluid buildup in my chest or abdomen.
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I have had a stem cell or organ transplant in the past.
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I have high calcium levels in my blood that aren't managed.
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I have an autoimmune disease that needs treatment with medication.
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I have a history of lung conditions.
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I am HIV positive with a CD4 count below 200.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~from start of radiation therapy to death, assessed up to 2 years
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and from start of radiation therapy to death, assessed up to 2 years for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Progression-free survival (PFS)
Secondary study objectives
Incidence of adverse events (AEs)
Objective response rate (ORR)
Overall survival (OS)

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Treatment (radiation, pembrolizumab, chemotherapy)Experimental Treatment11 Interventions
Patients undergo radiation therapy once every other day for 3 doses. Beginning within 48 hours of their first dose of radiation therapy, patients receive standard of care pembrolizumab IV on day 1 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients also receive 1 of 3 standard of care chemotherapy options: nab-paclitaxel IV on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle, or paclitaxel IV on days 1, 8, and 15 of each cycle, or carboplatin IV and gemcitabine IV on days 1 and 8 of each cycle. Cycles of nab-paclitaxel and paclitaxel repeat every 28 days and cycles of carboplatin and gemcitabine repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Additionally, patients undergo a biopsy at baseline and 2 weeks after radiation therapy and also undergo CT scans, bone scans and blood sample collections throughout the trial.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Biospecimen Collection
2004
Completed Phase 3
~2020
Bone Scan
2015
Completed Phase 2
~50
Carboplatin
2014
Completed Phase 3
~6120
Pembrolizumab
2017
Completed Phase 3
~2810
Paclitaxel
2011
Completed Phase 4
~5370
Gemcitabine
2017
Completed Phase 3
~1920
Computed Tomography
2017
Completed Phase 2
~2740
Radiation Therapy
2017
Completed Phase 3
~7250
Nab-paclitaxel
2014
Completed Phase 3
~1950
Biopsy
2014
Completed Phase 4
~1090

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Emory UniversityLead Sponsor
1,697 Previous Clinical Trials
2,603,889 Total Patients Enrolled
National Cancer Institute (NCI)NIH
13,924 Previous Clinical Trials
41,017,922 Total Patients Enrolled
Manali Bhave, MDPrincipal InvestigatorEmory University
1 Previous Clinical Trials
27 Total Patients Enrolled
~14 spots leftby Feb 2025