Home / Health / Early Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Breast Cancer
Early Immunotherapy Shows Promise in Breast Cancer
24 Oct
Summary
- Early immunotherapy showed clinical activity in stage I triple-negative breast cancer.
- Immunotherapy altered the tumor immune microenvironment, increasing lymphocytes.
- The study explored treatment de-escalation for selected patients without chemo.
The POP-DURVA clinical trial, presented at the ESMO Congress, investigated the addition of two immunotherapy injections before surgery for patients with localized stage I triple-negative breast cancer. Conducted within the UNLOCK program, the study evaluated durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy, in patients with tumors measuring less than two centimeters and specific immune cell presence. The primary goal was to detect an early signal of activity and understand treatment response mechanisms.
Results indicated clinical activity in a subset of patients after just two immunotherapy administrations. Approximately 11% achieved a major pathological response, with one patient showing no residual tumor cells post-treatment. This suggests immunotherapy can induce substantial anti-tumor effects even without concomitant chemotherapy, offering hope for treatment de-escalation.
Beyond tumor shrinkage, POP-DURVA revealed significant changes in the tumor microenvironment. Immunotherapy boosted the mobilization of immune cells, increasing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tertiary lymphoid structures. Molecular analyses also showed increased expression of immune activation genes, indicating immunotherapy's ability to reshape the immune environment and promote anti-tumor immunity.
Further research aims to identify biological characteristics differentiating patients sensitive to immunotherapy from those requiring chemotherapy. The UNLOCK program's goal is to develop 'precision immunology' to better select patients for treatment de-escalation, limiting exposure to intensive therapies while maintaining cure rates.
