Adjuvant Chemoradiation and Biomarkers of Response in High-risk Breast Cancer

Description

Breast cancer is often treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In patients with advanced breast cancer, (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy is often given prior to surgical removal (lumpectomy and/or mastectomy). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been consistently shown to down-stage primary breast tumors and convert positive underarm lymph nodes to pathologically negative nodes. Residual disease discovered after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy indicates an increased risk for recurrence and poor overall survival. The combination of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation after surgery (adjuvant chemoradiation) may improve local and distant recurrence outcomes in high risk breast cancer patients. Chemoradiation is a standard treatment for many cancers and is universally associated with improvements in local recurrence, however, it has not historically been given as post-surgery breast cancer treatment.

The study will evaluate the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of chemoradiation therapy in high-risk breast cancer patients. Radiation has been associated with various effects on immune cells. The study will also examine the effects of this combination on the immune cells.

Participants on this trial will be treated (per approved clinical guidelines) with capecitabine or Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) depending on Her2 status while receiving radiation at the same time. Participants will have their blood drawn at various timepoints during treatment and follow up. Participants will also be asked to complete surveys asking about overall health and wellbeing.