Influenza vaccination in breast cancer patients during subcutaneous trastuzumab in adjuvant setting

Despite the current recommendation for influenza vaccination in cancer patients with active oncological therapy, limited data are available on the efficacy of vaccination in cancer patients receiving targeted therapies. We aimed to investigate the immunogenicity and tolerability of influenza vaccination in breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab in adjuvant setting.

A prospective open-label multicenter study was performed including patients with breast cancer during trastuzumab treatment in adjuvant setting and healthy controls. Blood samples were taken before, 4 weeks after, and 12 weeks after a single dose of trivalent influenza vaccine containing inactivated A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) pdm09, A/Hongkong4801/2014 (H3N2), and B/Brisbane/60/2008. Levels of serum antibody titers to hemagglutinin for H1N1 and influenza B strains were measured.

Twenty breast cancer patients and 37 controls were included in the study. No difference in seroprotection rate between trastuzumab-treated patients and controls was observed for either H1N1 (100% in both groups) or B strain (78.9% vs. 89.2%, p value = 0.423). A statistically significant increase in geometric mean titers from baseline was seen in both groups and was evident both 4 weeks and 12 weeks after vaccination. Adverse events in the trastuzumab-treated group were uncommon and mild with only one serious adverse event not related to vaccination.

Breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab in adjuvant setting seem to benefit from influenza vaccination in terms of immunogenicity without increasing the risk for adverse events. The current data support the recommendation to offer influenza vaccination in breast cancer patients treated with this type of targeted therapy.