A Pilot Study Evaluating the Immunologic Status of Patients With HER2+ Breast Cancer

A Pilot Study Evaluating the Immunologic Status of Patients With HER2+ Breast Cancer

This is a pilot study to gather preliminary data on the baseline immunologic status of patients with HER-2(+) breast cancer and to establish an immune monitoring laboratory for future clinical trial.

This is a pilot study to gather preliminary data on the baseline immunologic status of patients with HER-2(+) breast cancer and to establish an immune monitoring laboratory for future clinical trial. We will ask up to 10 patients with HER-2(+) breast cancer in stable condition and in reasonable health to participate in this study. The study will establish an immune monitoring for correlative studies done in patients with HER-2(+) breast cancer. The immunologic tests that will be done are ELISpot, lymphocyte proliferation, intracellular cytokine staining, lymphocyte immunophenotyping, and ELISA.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age >= 18 years of age

• Histologically documented breast cancer (hormone receptor (ER/PR) status may be either positive or negative) with or without metastatic disease.

• HER-2(+) as determined by one of the following measurements. NOTE: HER-2(+) assessment may have been on initial diagnosis and need not be repeated for metastatic lesions

  • Immunohistochemistry (IHC) 3+, or
  • FISH + (HER-2 gene signal to centromere 17 signal >2)

• No transfusion dependent patients and no transfusion within 30 days of leukopheresis

• Documented labs within 7 days of donation consisting of:

  • WBC > 4.0 K/ul & < 11.0 K/ul
  • platelet count > 150,000/mm3
  • hemoglobin > 11.0 g/dl.
  • Hematocrit > 33 %

• Weight > 110 lbs

• No blood donation in last 8 weeks (blood samples taken for standard of care less then 30 cc/week are acceptable)

• Patients must not have active or unresolved infection.

• No cold or flu sympton at time of donation

• No prior myocardial infarction or active cardiac disease (e.g. congestive heart failure, clinically significant cardiac valvular disease or arrhythmia requiring medications, angina pectoris, uncontrolled hypertension, clinically significant pericardial effusion)

• All patients must give signed written informed consent.

• ECOG Performance Score of 0 or 1.

• Women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test

Exclusion Criteria:

• The presence of another active malignancy
• Pregnant, lactating, or nursing
• Patients with prior myocardial infarction or active cardiac disease (e.g. congestive heart failure, clinically significant cardiac valvular disease or arrhythmia requiring medications, angina pectoris, uncontrolled hypertension, clinically significant pericardial effusion)