Table 2 Detailed characteristics of studies included regarding treatment regimens, efficacy (pCR) outcomes and safety outcomes in BRCA-mutated and wild-type TNBC groups

Silver [44]

Four cycles of Cisplatin at 75 mg/m² every 21 days

4/26–15.4%

2/2–100%

Severe toxicity was uncommon.

One patient had a grade 4 elevation of AST/AST.

There were nine grade 3 toxicities reported: tinnitus, neutropenia, fatigue, hyperkalemia, elevation of ALT/ALT, nausea, myalgia, skin toxicity, and GI toxicity.

Telli [42]/ PrECOG 0105

Four cycles of carboplatin (on days 1 and 8) + gemcitabin (1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), + iniparib (5.6 mg/Kg on days 1,4,8, and 11) every 21 days

22/73–33%

9/17–53%

All patients had at least one treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE). The most common treatment-related TEAEs were fatigue, nausea, neutropenia or neutrophil count decreased, alopecia, anemia, dysgeusia, diarrhea and rash.

All grade 4 TEAEs occurred in patients receiving six cycles of treatment. There were no deaths during the study.

Kaklamani [41]/NCT01372579)

Four cycles of carboplatin AUC 6 iv + eribulin 1.4 mg/m² (day 1 and 8) every 21 days

11/27–40%

2/3–66.7%

Overall the combination was well tolerated with mostly grade 1 and 2 toxicities. One patient had febrile neutropenia. Overall eribulin was dose reduced in 13 patients and carboplatin was dose reduced in eight patients mostly due to neutropenia.

One patient received only one cycle of therapy and discontinued due to intolerance.

Sharma [45]/ PROGECT

Six cycles of Carboplatin AUC 6 + docetaxel 75 mg/m² every 21 days

75/ 133–56.3%

16/27–59.3%

Twenty-eight percent of patients experienced one or more grade 3/4 adverse events. Eighty-three percent of patients completed all 6 cycles of treatment. Twelve percent of patients discontinued treatment prematurely (6.0% because of toxicity). No treatment related deaths were reported

Hahnen [21]/ Gepar Sixto

Carboplatin AUC 1–5 + paclitaxel 80 mg/m²+ doxorubicin 20 mg/m²once a week for 18 weeks+ bevacizumab 15 mg/kg iv every 3 weeks

66/120–55%

17/26–65.4%

Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, grade 3 or 4 anaemia, grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 or 4 diarrhoea were significantly more common in the carboplatin group than in the no-carboplatin group.

Loibl [28]/ BrighTNess

Segment I-Paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 weekly for 12 doses+ Carboplatin AUC 6 every 3 weeks for four cycles+ veraparib 50 mg orally twice a day.

Segment II-Paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 weekly for 12 doses+ Carboplatin AUC 6 every 3 weeks for four cycles

142/270 (52.3%)

80/136 (58.8%) (Total 222/406–54.7%)

26/46–56.5%

12/24–50%

(Total 38/70–54.3%)

Incidences of haematological and gastrointestinal adverse events (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia, nausea, and vomiting) were increased with carboplatin containing regimens during segment 1 treatment.

Sella [46]

Four cycles of doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide

(600 mg/m2) every 2 weeks 12 weekly cycles of paclitaxel (80/m2) with carboplatin

(AUC 1.5)

10/23 (45.0%)

10/14 (64.0%)

Grade 3/4 neutropenia was the most common haematological toxicity and observed in 42.5% of patients, however only two cases were complicated with fever.

No treatment-related deaths were reported.