Background
TNBC, death, tumor, breast cancer
TUMOR, BREAST CANCER
Despite ongoing improvements in screening programs and increasing awareness, breast cancer (BC) remains a significant cause of death [Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive T-cell immunotherapy, and tumor vaccine immunotherapy became promising novel treatment approaches in TNBC [Activity of immunotherapy might be influenced by the chemotherapy backbone and particular attention must be paid to the complex interplay of chemotherapy and the immune system. The question arises, if chemotherapeutic agents differ in their influence on immune cells and hence, if the administered chemotherapeutic agents are equally compatible with immune-related therapies. For the here presented analysis, aiming to determine the particular effects of either epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (EC) or docetaxel (D) on immune cells without the interference of previous treatments, the ABCSG-34 study served as a basis. In this trial patients with BC of luminal or triple negative subtype were included and received either upfront EC followed by D or a reverse sequence with upfront D and then EC [