Latest Results from Immunotherapy Clinical Trials in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Cancer immunotherapy has evolved enormously in the recent years with better understanding of immune reactions, immune microenvironment and immunosurveillance. Breast cancer is characterized by large heterogeneity, a fact which rather complicated
the development and the approval of novel therapeutic options in comparison to the majority of other solid tumors since each subtype has required a unique scientific approach and different targets and goals.
Triple negative breast cancer is considered the most aggressive of the breast cancer subtypes with limited treatment options and worse outcome compared to others. This article summarizes some of the early clinical studies and the recently presented phase III clinical study of immunotherapy checkpoint inhibitors in this difficult setting.
Breast cancer is the commonest solid tumor affecting females worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer relating mortality.1 The impact on women and their families, the morbidity and the change of millions of lives remains enormous. Cytotoxic drugs or hormonal agents have remained for decades the backbone of treatment.
Fortunately, with the recognition of distinct subtypes of breast adenocarcinoma with variable natural course
and prognosis, the therapeutic options have broadened with the addition of biological agents
targeted therapies, monoclonal antibodies and recently immunotherapy drugs. The latest have changed
the outcome of many solid tumors once seemed fatal, such as melanoma, lung cancer, renal cancer, etc.
We have now data that some of these drugs work in specific cases of breast cancer. In this mini review we will try to put the current knowledge and data of immunotherapy in triple
negative breast cancer.
Clin Trial Pract Open J. 2019; 2(1): 10-13. doi: 10.17140/CTPOJ-2-105
