Immunotherapy for Early-Stage Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Is Earlier Better?

Abstract

Purpose of review: In this narrative review, we discuss the optimal timing of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in early triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the landscape of predictive biomarkers for the use of immunotherapy, and the mounting literature suggesting a benefit for an early use of ICI.

Recent findings: TNBC is associated with a poor prognosis relative to other breast cancer subtypes, and until recently, the treatment of TNBC was limited to cytotoxic chemotherapy. In 2021, the immune-checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, was approved in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with high-risk early stage TNBC. This approval changed the treatment paradigm of early TNBC concomitantly raised several challenges in clinical practice, pertaining to patient selection, toxicity management, and post-neoadjuvant treatment, among others. The introduction of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has transformed the treatment landscape for early TNBC. However, several challenges, including patient selection, toxicity management, and the identification of predictive biomarkers, need to be addressed. Future research should focus on refining the timing and duration of immunotherapy, optimizing the chemotherapy partner, and exploring novel predictive biomarkers of response or toxicity.

Keywords: Adjuvant therapy; Early breast cancer; Immunotherapy; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Triple negative breast cancer.