Peripheral blood eosinophil count is associated with response to chemoimmunotherapy in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Introduction

There is evidence for an association between peripheral blood eosinophil count (PBEC) and response to cancer immunotherapy; however, such data is limited in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Patients & methods: This report presents patients (n = 14) who received a combination of durvalumab and paclitaxel for mTNBC (NCT02628132).

Results

There was a statistically significant correlation (p = 0.028) between an increase in PBEC (>300/mm3) during treatment and response to the combination therapy. Survival analysis showed a statistically significant association between progression-free survival and increased PBEC, after therapy (p = 0.005). A similar trend existed for overall survival, although it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.167).

Conclusion

This is the first study to report on eosinophilia in mTNBC treated with chemoimmunotherapy and supports a role for eosinophils in immunotherapy for mTNBC.