Dr. Arun on Immunogenicity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Banu Arun, MD, professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses immunogenicity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Immunotherapy is very interesting and very complicated, explains Arun. It has garnered a lot of excitement in the field of TNBC. The first studies with PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors such as the KEYNOTE-012 trial showed very promising results with an 18% response rate. However, the subsequent KEYNOTE-086 study showed only a 4.7% response rate.

It is clear that single-agent immunotherapy is not the path forward, explains Arun. Physicians have to determine the right subgroup and the right combinations. There are many ongoing studies with combinations, either with chemotherapy or other targeted agents, including PARP inhibitors, says Arun.

Trials that use biomarkers to help physicians identify which subgroup will benefit most will be of the utmost importance, says Arun. Currently, physicians are still putting patients with a very heterogeneous group of cancers in the same bucket and trying to understand the results.