Combination Therapy Trial Nearly Doubles Breast Cancer Cure Rates

A phase 3 clinical trial found that adding nivolumab, a targeted immunotherapy drug, to chemotherapy nearly doubled cure rates for patients with the most common type of breast cancer, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2-negative (HER2–). This finding signals a potential shift in treatment strategies.

Building on the success of combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma, researchers from Australia’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Center demonstrated its effectiveness for ER+/HER2– breast cancer, which accounts for 70% of the 2.3 million breast cancer cases diagnosed globally in 2020.

These cancers respond to estrogen, promoting tumor growth, and current treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, or hormone therapy, sometimes paired with targeted drugs.

The CheckMate 7FL trial explored whether nivolumab could improve outcomes for early-stage, high-risk ER+/HER2– patients. Nivolumab blocks the PD-1 receptor on immune T cells, preventing cancer cells from evading detection and enabling T cells to destroy tumors.

Enhanced Response Rates with Nivolumab

Nivolumab Nearly Doubles Pathological Complete Response Rates Compared to Placebo

In the trial, 510 patients received chemotherapy with either nivolumab or a placebo. Nivolumab-treated patients achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) rate of 24.5%, nearly double the 13.8% seen in the placebo group. Among PD-L1 biomarker-positive patients, pCR rates rose to 44% versus 20% with placebo.

“These patients are likely cured, as no cancer cells were detected in their breast or lymph nodes post-treatment,” said Professor Sherene Loi, the study lead. Longer follow-up will reveal if improved pCR rates translate to better event-free survival (EFS).

While promising, nivolumab raised safety concerns. Side effects like hair loss, nausea, anemia, and fatigue were common, with serious adverse events, including five deaths, reported in the nivolumab group.

Despite these issues, researchers remain optimistic, calling the findings a milestone in neoadjuvant treatment for ER+/HER2– breast cancer.

Read Original Article: New Atlas

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