Randomized Pivotal Trial to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Preoperative Focused Microwave Thermotherapy Plus Preoperative Chemotherapy Versus Preoperative Chemotherapy Alone for Cytoreduction of Large Breast Cancer in Female Patients With Intact Breast

This randomized multicenter Phase III clinical trial is intended to provide histopathological and clinical information on an innovative, minimally-invasive approach (focused microwave thermotherapy) to the preoperative treatment of breast cancer, using a minimally invasive focused microwave phased array device, the Medifocus, Inc. APA 1000 Breast Thermotherapy Treatment System (heat treatment). Subjects with large primary operable breast cancer, in the intact breast, with clinical tumor size greater than or equal to 3.5 cm (including tumor classification T2 or T3), clinically node negative N0 or node positive (N1 or N2) with distant metastasis (M1) or without distant metastasis (M0) will be randomized (ratio 1:1) to receive (1) preoperative thermotherapy combined with preoperative anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy and standard of care versus (2) preoperative anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy and standard of care alone. The anthracycline-based regimen will be limited to those of the current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for dose/drug/schedule at the time of patient enrollment. In both arms of the study, standard of care including breast imaging, drugs, and radiation therapy will be provided to all eligible subjects during and following the preoperative regimen. At the clinical discretion of the treating physician, subjects that are estrogen-receptor positive may receive Tamoxifen therapy the day following the completion of chemotherapy. Radiation therapy to the breast tissues and lymph nodes will be given as part of the standard of care for eligible subjects. Treatment Arm I (new arm) regimen includes three preoperative thermotherapy treatments at intervals corresponding to the first three cycles of anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy plus standard of care. The addition of preoperative thermotherapy to preoperative anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy may improve the tumor response rate in terms of shrinkage (the primary endpoint) and may increase the option to perform breast conservation (a secondary endpoint) compared to that achieved with preoperative anthracycline-based combination chemotherapy and standard of care alone. Note: Since there is no consensus combination drug regimen for neoadjuvant treatment of large breast cancer tumors, each study site will use its own standard of care which will include other chemotherapy/drug agents commonly used in combination with an anthracycline (Doxorubicin (trade name Adriamycin) or Epirubicin (trade name Ellence)), which is the study base drug type.

The rationale for including patients that have distant metastasis (M1) at enrollment in this study is as follows. Traditionally, patients with stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer and an intact primary breast tumor have been treated with chemotherapy and radiation for palliation of symptoms, because this metastatic condition is considered to be an incurable disease. In some cases, surgery has been considered for stage IV patients with large, symptomatic breast lesions to control local wound complications and to improve quality of life. However, four recent retrospective peer-reviewed studies have suggested that removing the primary tumor may lead to an improvement in overall survival.

The investigator or designee will fully explain the nature of the study to the subject, along with the aims, methods, anticipated benefits, potential hazards and discomfort that participation might entail. After the nature of the study has been explained and all the subject's questions have been answered, and if the subject agrees to participate in the study, the informed consent will be reviewed and signed by the subject.

Each subject will be treated by thermochemotherapy (new arm) or chemotherapy alone (control arm) and followed for 90 days after surgery during the study. Patients will be followed annually as practiced as standard of care by each participating institution - patients will be followed for tumor recurrence and future medical intervention related to the patient's breast cancer.

Thermotherapy is administered in an out-patient setting. During thermotherapy which is completed in approximately 60 minutes or less, the patient is treated in the prone position on a treatment bed. After administering a local anesthetic, to guide the treatment a minimally invasive combination microwave/temperature probe is placed in the tumor under ultrasound guidance. The thermotherapy treatment is adjusted in accordance with patient comfort.