Results: The overall pCR rate, defined as no invasive residuals in breast and axilla, was 20.5 %. The highest pCR rate of 57% was observed in patients below 40 years of age with triple negative or grade 3 tumors. Independent factors for mid-course response and pCR were: young age, non-T4 tumors, high grade, and hormone receptor status, the strongest single predictive factor. Within the biological subtypes grading was an independent factor to predict pCR for luminal tumors, clinical tumor stage for the HER2 like tumors and age for the triple negative ones. Grading gave independent information for mid-course response within the triple negative group. No factor predicted mid-course response within the other groups.Conclusion: Grading and age can identify subgroups within the luminal and triple negative patients who have an increased benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

NCT 00567554, www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Background State-of-the art therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) suitable for platinum-based re-treatment includes bevacizumab-containing combinations (eg, carboplatin/paclitaxel, carboplatin/gemcitabine) or the most active non-bevacizumab regimen: carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). This head-to-head trial compared a standard bevacizumab-containing regimen versus carboplatin/PLD combined with bevacizumab. Methods In this multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial, eligible patients had histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma with first disease recurrence >6 months after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, and were aged ≥18 years with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2. Patients were stratified by platinum-free interval, residual tumour, prior anti-angiogenic therapy, and study group language, and centrally randomised 1:1 using randomly permuted blocks of size two, four, or six to six intravenous cycles of carboplatin (AUC 4, day 1) plus gemcitabine (1000 mg/m 2 , days 1 and 8) every 3 weeks or six cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5, day 1) plus PLD (30 mg/m 2 , day 1) every 4 weeks, both given with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) until disease progression or toxicity. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Efficacy data were analysed in the intention-to-treat population (all randomised patients). Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This completed study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01837251.

With regard to effectiveness in terms of response and PFS, Tc remains the standard of care in patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. However, comparable OS rates and a favorable toxicity profile make Tw another viable treatment option in this setting.

Adjuvant treatment with oral ibandronate did not improve outcome of patients with high-risk early breast cancer who received dose-dense chemotherapy.

Abagovomab s.c. vaccination is safe and well tolerated. The long vaccination schedule tended to be more effective with regard to AB3-induction and cellular cytotoxicity.

Background: In most patients with ovarian cancer, diagnosis occurs after the tumour has disseminated beyond the ovaries. In these cases, post-surgical taxane/platinum combination chemotherapy is the "gold standard". However, most of the patients experience disease relapse and eventually die due to the emergence of chemotherapy resistance. Histone deacetylase inhibitors are novel anticancer agents that hold promise to improve patient outcome.

No abstract