Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39644440›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer (Tokyo, Japan)2025

Efficacy and feasibility of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy for early-stage triple-negative and estrogen receptor low, HER2-negative breast cancer: a Japanese single-institution real-world study.

Yosuke Aoyama, Yukinori Ozaki, Rika Kizawa, Jun Masuda, Saori Kawai, Mami Kurata, Tetsuyo Maeda, Kazuyo Yoshida, Nami Yamashita, Meiko Nishimura and 6 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Yosuke AoyamaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0081-9115
Yukinori OzakiBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8064-648X
Rika KizawaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1275-9228
Jun MasudaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Saori KawaiBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Mami KurataBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Tetsuyo MaedaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Kazuyo YoshidaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Nami YamashitaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7182-1090
Meiko NishimuraBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7285-9426
Mari HosonagaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Ippei FukadaBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7272-3708
Fumikata HaraBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Takayuki KobayashiBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
Toshimi TakanoBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8417-5291
Takayuki UenoBreast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan. takayuki.ueno@jfcr.or.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9080-9377

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy and adjuvant pembrolizumab have been established as the optimal systemic therapies for patients with early stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, their efficacy and feasibility in the Japanese population remain unexplored.

methodsThis study included patients with early stage TNBC or low estrogen receptor (ER) positivity (1-9%) with human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2- (HER2-) negative breast cancer who received neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy from October 2022 at Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research. Information regarding clinicopathological features, systemic therapy, treatment outcomes, and adverse events of patients who underwent surgery by February 2024 was retrospectively collected.

resultsOverall, 69 patients received neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel therapy, and 46 underwent surgery by February 2024. The median age of the patients was 53.5 years, and 80.4% and 19.6% had stage II and III disease, respectively. TNBC and ER-low HER2-negative breast cancer accounted for 82.6% and 17.4% cases, respectively. Overall pathological complete response rate was 56.5%, with 87.5% in patients with ER-low HER2-negative tumors. The completion rates for neoadjuvant pembrolizumab, chemotherapy, and pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy were 65.2%, 56.5%, and 52.2%, respectively. Furthermore, 80.4% and 15.2% of patients experienced grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events and immune-related adverse events, respectively, and 34% experienced unexpected hospitalization during neoadjuvant treatment.

conclusionsThe efficacy and safety profiles of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in the Japanese population are consistent with previous reports. This regimen may have therapeutic potential against ER-low HER2-negative tumors and TNBC.

Indexed as

Antibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsNeoadjuvant TherapyTriple Negative Breast NeoplasmsAdultAgedCarboplatinEast Asian PeopleErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansJapanMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPaclitaxelAntibodies, Monoclonal, HumanizedCarboplatinERBB2 protein, humanErb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine KinasesPaclitaxelpembrolizumabReceptors, EstrogenER-low HER2-negative tumorPembrolizumab plus chemotherapyTriple-negative breast cancer

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.