The benefits of adding immunotherapy to chemo for triple-negative breast cancer

Adding pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, to neoadjuvant chemotherapy brought about significant results in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer, according to results from the KEYNOTE-522 trial.

This study is the first randomized, phase 3 trial of immune therapy in early triple-negative breast cancer. Researchers—led by Peter Schmid, FRCP, MD, PhD, St. Bartholemew’s Hospital London, London, UK—assessed the addition of pembrolizumab to preemptive neoadjuvant chemotherapy. They concluded that this combination significantly improved pathologic complete response rates and event-free survival. Of note, these benefits were seen across all subgroups.

These results were shared at SABCS 2019.