Early drop of circulating tumor cells (CTC) and increase of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) combined with bevacizumab in HER2-negative inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) in multicenter phase II trial BEVERLY 1.

10510 Background: CTC detection in blood is an independent prognostic factor in primary breast cancer with a detection rate from 20 to 25% (Pierga CCR 2008). Changes in the CTC HER2 status compared to primary tumor have been reported. Predictive value of CEC for response to anti-angiogenic agents is debated. Methods: CTC and CEC were detected in 7.5 ml and 4 ml of blood respectively in the neoadjuvant setting of HER2 negative IBC (T4d) patients (pts) enrolled in the phase II multicenter trial BEVERLY 1, evaluating bevacizumab (15mg/kg q3w) in combination with sequential neoadjuvant CT of 4 cycles of FEC followed by 4 cycles of Docetaxel. The CellSearch System, combining EpCAM immunomagnetic selection followed by anti-cytokeratin (A45B/B3) and anti-HER2 staining for CTC and CD146 IMS and CD105 staining for CEC. Results: From 12/08 to 09/10, 101 pts were included and 92 were evaluable for CTC and CEC. At baseline, 37 pts out of 92 had ≥ 1 detectable CTC (40%, 95%CI 30-50%). No correlation was found between ...