3. First Immunotherapy for Breast Cancer
In March, the Food and Drug Administration approved the PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor Tecentriq (atezolizumab) plus Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) as the first immune-based therapy for breast cancer. A recent study showed that the combination delayed disease progression and improved survival in people with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Starting immunotherapy sooner also offers benefits. Other research showed that adding Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to chemotherapy before surgery for TNBC improved the chances of achieving a pathological complete response—meaning no evidence of remaining cancer and a lower risk of relapse.
