Immunotherapy

Research on treating Metastatic Breast Cancer:

Researchers have been looking at immunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer differs from one person to another, depending on where cancer has spread. Treatment can vary quite a bit and must be tailored to your needs. It focuses on preventing recurrences, reducing pain, and maintaining your quality of life. There are four types of immunotherapy that researchers are studying to treat metastatic breast cancer:

• Checkpoint Inhibitors
• Cancer Vaccines
• Adoptive T Cell Therapy
• Monoclonal Antibodies

What are Checkpoint Inhibitors?

The immune system has certain checkpoints that help to keep it from attacking normal cells in the body. These checkpoints can also weaken the immune system’s attack on cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that prevent certain checkpoints from working that makes the immune response stronger. 

Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor. It’s a type of immunotherapy that has shown results in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. It works by blocking specific antibodies that make it harder for the immune system to fight cancer, allowing the body to fight back more efficiently. The FDA has approved several drugs for use in melanoma and metastatic lung cancer. Clinical trials on checkpoint inhibitors are in progress for people with metastatic or triple-negative breast cancer.

What are Cancer Vaccines?

Cancer vaccines work by stimulating a type of immunity that attacks and kills cancer cells. The first FDA approved cancer vaccine, sipuleucel-T (Provenge), was created for people with metastatic prostate cancer. This vaccine has been shown to increase the overall survival rate of people with metastatic prostate cancer.

Researchers are studying many vaccine strategies for breast cancer patients and some researchers believe that breast cancer vaccines may work best when combined with other therapies. Vaccines can take months to cause an immune response, so they may not be appropriate for very late-stage cancers. But they may still play an important role when used with other therapies. Research in this area is in progress.

What is Adoptive T Cell Therapy?

A T cell is a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in the immune response. Adoptive T cell therapy involves removing your T cells, modifying them to improve their activity, and then injecting them back in your body. Several research studies are in progress to test this approach in people with metastatic or triple-negative breast cancer.

What are Monoclonal Antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies attack specific parts of a cancer cell. They are made in a laboratory and Monoclonal antibodies can work alone. They can also be “conjugated,” which means they can be joined to a radioactive particle or a chemotherapy drug. There are monoclonal antibodies available for the treatment of breast cancer. 

• Trastuzumab (Herceptin) targets the HER2 positive protein, which is found on some breast cancer cells.
• Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla), a conjugated monoclonal antibody and is attached to a chemotherapy drug. It also targets the HER2 positive protein.
• Pertuzumab (Perjeta) was FDA approved in 2017 Trusted Source for the post-surgery combination treatment of early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. It’s a conjugated monoclonal antibody, and it can be attached to trastuzumab or other chemotherapy drugs. It targets the HER2 positive protein.

Researchers are currently studying more of other monoclonal antibodies as treatments for advanced breast cancer.

What are the Side Effects of Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is generally considered to have fewer side effects than other types of cancer treatment. Some people may still experience side effects. The possible side effects may include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Weakness
• Low blood pressure
• Rashes

More serious effects can occur in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and other organs. The vaccines cause mild side effects. You will also experience injection site reactions, such as itching or redness. These tend to lessen with time. 

You can also consider taking part in a clinical research trial. Many of these trials are for people who have metastatic breast cancer and who are currently receiving other types of cancer treatment. Immunotherapy works by raising the body’s natural defenses to fight off cancer.