Abstract RF3-01: Clinical outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus non-lobular breast cancer (NLC) assessed by expert pathologists, an artificial intelligence (AI) CDH1 classifier, and AI-derived tumor microenvironment (TME) biomarkers in

Abstract Background: Approximately15% of invasive breast cancers are Invasive Lobular Cancer (ILC) with differingclinical outcomes than non-lobular breast cancer (NLC). Digital pathologyenables high-throughput biomarkers and morphology analysis. The TME,particularly TILs is a robust prognostic factor in localized breast cancer.Here, we detail the prognostic importance of ductal vs lobular histology,manually and with AI, combined with manual and novel AI-derived TME metrics inearly (<5y) and late (>5y) recurrence with 15-years of follow-up inTAILORx. Methods: H&E whole slideimages (WSI) from 8,422 patients were reviewed by 16 breast pathologists who completedcentral review for grade, TILs (www.tilsinbreastcancer.org) and histology (WHOclassification). The same H&E dataset was evaluated with an AI-based CDH1-classifier(Paige.AI). In addition, a zero-shot AI model (Case45) generated a panel of TMEbiomarkers (TIL abundance, spatial TIL levels with proximity to cancer cellsand degree of cancer cell-fibroblast contact) combined into a single TME-riskscore. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using multivariable Cox models adjustedfor age, tumor size, Oncotype DX 21-gene recurrence score (RS; Exact Sciences),adjuvant therapy (endocrine vs chemo-endocrine), and centrally determined grade,histology (ILC vs NLC), and manual TILs. Similar analysis were performed usingthe CDH1-classifier rather than central histology, and TME risk score. Results: Centralpathology review revealed ILC in 11.9% of cases, and NLC in 88.1% (77.7% ductal,10.4% non-ductal). Concordances ratesbetween the pathologists were 0.837 and 0.494 (Fleiss’ Kappa) for histology andgrade, respectively, with ICC of 0.968 for TILs. Both centralized pathologyreview (11.9%) and the CDH1-AI classifier (11.2%) demonstrated that ILC has consistentlyhigher risk of recurrence than NLC between years 5-15, but not before; there was a 4.9% overall survival (OS)-difference between ILC vs NLC at 15years. For manual TILs, estimated hazard ratio (HR) for a 10-point differencein TILs was 1.06 (95% CI 1.00, 1.13 p=0.04) for distance recurrence freeinterval (DRFI). AI-derived TME-risk stratified DRFI from 95.7% to 90.9% at 10years, and from 92.1% to 86.9% at 15 years (HR per standard deviation (SD)1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.40, p<0.0001). This association remained significantafter adjustment for clinicopathologic factors including 21-gene RS (HR per SD1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.25, p=0.005). Conclusion: ILC(identified by manual review or CDH1-AI classifier) is associated with higherlate recurrence risk and death than NLC at 15 years after diagnosis in TAILORx, the majority of whom received a 5-yearcourse of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Furthermore, both manual TILs andAI-derived TME analysis provide independent risk stratification in addition to 21-geneRS in HR+/HER2− node-negative breast cancer. These findings haveimplications for considering up to a 10-year course of adjuvant ET in womenwith ER+, HER2−, node-negative ILC, even when there is a low 21-gene RS. Citation Format: R. Salgado, R. Gray, G. Broeckx, C. Desmedt, A. Li, G. Van den Eynden, Z. Kos, B. Acs, T. Tramm, E. Stovgaard, C. Focke, L. Comerma Blesa, A. Hida, M. Lacroix-Triki, E. Provenzano, F. Pareja, S. Maley, N. Villena, H. Montgomery, E. Li-Ning-Tapia, A. Lazar, S. Badve, S. Loi, J. Sparano, The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group, TAILORx Investigators. Clinical outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus non-lobular breast cancer (NLC) assessed by expert pathologists, an artificial intelligence (AI) CDH1 classifier, and AI-derived tumor microenvironment (TME) biomarkers in TAILORx [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr RF3-01.

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Journal
Clinical Cancer Research
Published
2026-02-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1158/1557-3265.sabcs25-rf3-01
Primary Topic
Breast Cancer Treatment Studies
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Abstract RF3-01: Clinical outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus non-lobular breast cancer (NLC) assessed by expert pathologists, an artificial intelligence (AI) CDH1 classifier, and AI-derived tumor microenvironment (TME) biomarkers in

Fresia Pareja, Zuzana Kos, Akira I. Hida, Balazs Acs et al.
Clinical Cancer Research
Breast Cancer Treatment Studies
article

Abstract RF3-01: Clinical outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus non-lobular breast cancer (NLC) assessed by expert pathologists, an artificial intelligence (AI) CDH1 classifier, and AI-derived tumor microenvironment (TME) biomarkers in

Fresia Pareja, Zuzana Kos, Akira I. Hida, Balazs Acs, L. Comerma Blesa, S. S. Badve, J. Sparano, R. J. Gray, S. Loi, A. Li, R. Salgado, TAILORx Investigators, S. Maley, C. Focke, E. Provenzano, N. Villena, A. Lazar, T. Tramm, G. Broeckx, M. Lacroix-Triki, The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group, H. Montgomery, E. Li-Ning-Tapia, E. Stovgaard, C. Desmedt, G. Van den Eynden
article en

Abstract

Abstract Background: Approximately15% of invasive breast cancers are Invasive Lobular Cancer (ILC) with differingclinical outcomes than non-lobular breast cancer (NLC). Digital pathologyenables high-throughput biomarkers and morphology analysis. The TME,particularly TILs is a robust prognostic factor in localized breast cancer.Here, we detail the prognostic importance of ductal vs lobular histology,manually and with AI, combined with manual and novel AI-derived TME metrics inearly (<5y) and late (>5y) recurrence with 15-years of follow-up inTAILORx. Methods: H&E whole slideimages (WSI) from 8,422 patients were reviewed by 16 breast pathologists who completedcentral review for grade, TILs (www.tilsinbreastcancer.org) and histology (WHOclassification). The same H&E dataset was evaluated with an AI-based CDH1-classifier(Paige.AI). In addition, a zero-shot AI model (Case45) generated a panel of TMEbiomarkers (TIL abundance, spatial TIL levels with proximity to cancer cellsand degree of cancer cell-fibroblast contact) combined into a single TME-riskscore. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using multivariable Cox models adjustedfor age, tumor size, Oncotype DX 21-gene recurrence score (RS; Exact Sciences),adjuvant therapy (endocrine vs chemo-endocrine), and centrally determined grade,histology (ILC vs NLC), and manual TILs. Similar analysis were performed usingthe CDH1-classifier rather than central histology, and TME risk score. Results: Centralpathology review revealed ILC in 11.9% of cases, and NLC in 88.1% (77.7% ductal,10.4% non-ductal). Concordances ratesbetween the pathologists were 0.837 and 0.494 (Fleiss’ Kappa) for histology andgrade, respectively, with ICC of 0.968 for TILs. Both centralized pathologyreview (11.9%) and the CDH1-AI classifier (11.2%) demonstrated that ILC has consistentlyhigher risk of recurrence than NLC between years 5-15, but not before; there was a 4.9% overall survival (OS)-difference between ILC vs NLC at 15years. For manual TILs, estimated hazard ratio (HR) for a 10-point differencein TILs was 1.06 (95% CI 1.00, 1.13 p=0.04) for distance recurrence freeinterval (DRFI). AI-derived TME-risk stratified DRFI from 95.7% to 90.9% at 10years, and from 92.1% to 86.9% at 15 years (HR per standard deviation (SD)1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.40, p<0.0001). This association remained significantafter adjustment for clinicopathologic factors including 21-gene RS (HR per SD1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.25, p=0.005). Conclusion: ILC(identified by manual review or CDH1-AI classifier) is associated with higherlate recurrence risk and death than NLC at 15 years after diagnosis in TAILORx, the majority of whom received a 5-yearcourse of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Furthermore, both manual TILs andAI-derived TME analysis provide independent risk stratification in addition to 21-geneRS in HR+/HER2− node-negative breast cancer. These findings haveimplications for considering up to a 10-year course of adjuvant ET in womenwith ER+, HER2−, node-negative ILC, even when there is a low 21-gene RS. Citation Format: R. Salgado, R. Gray, G. Broeckx, C. Desmedt, A. Li, G. Van den Eynden, Z. Kos, B. Acs, T. Tramm, E. Stovgaard, C. Focke, L. Comerma Blesa, A. Hida, M. Lacroix-Triki, E. Provenzano, F. Pareja, S. Maley, N. Villena, H. Montgomery, E. Li-Ning-Tapia, A. Lazar, S. Badve, S. Loi, J. Sparano, The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group, TAILORx Investigators. Clinical outcomes of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus non-lobular breast cancer (NLC) assessed by expert pathologists, an artificial intelligence (AI) CDH1 classifier, and AI-derived tumor microenvironment (TME) biomarkers in TAILORx [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr RF3-01.

Clinical Cancer ResearchVol. 32(4_Supplement)
University of Copenhagen (DK), Pace University (US), BC Cancer Agency (CA), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US), Montefiore Medical Center (US), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US), University of British Columbia (CA), Emory University (US), Breast Cancer Research Foundation (US), Aalborg University Hospital (DK), Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (AU), Institut Gustave Roussy (FR), Aarhus University Hospital (DK), Karolinska Institutet (SE), Matsuyama University (JP), Massachusetts General Hospital (US), Matsuyama Shimin Hospital (JP), VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology (BE), Antwerp University Hospital (BE), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US), Parc de Salut (ES), Saiseikai Matsuyama Hospital (JP), Montefiore Hospital (GB), Mariaziekenhuis (BE), Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum (DE), Addenbrooke's Hospital (GB), NRG Oncology (US), NSABP Foundation (US), IT University of Copenhagen (DK), Aalborg University (DK)
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Openalex Percentile: Top 50%
Breast Cancer Treatment Studies
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