How Does Immunotherapy Work?
Unlike chemo (which directly kills cancer cells), immunotherapy:
✔ Activates your immune system to recognize and attack cancer.
✔ Can create long-lasting responses (memory effect).
✔ Works best for tumors with high PD-L1 protein or MSI-H/dMMR biomarkers.
Immunotherapy Drugs for Breast Cancer
1. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) – Most Common
- Approved for:
- Metastatic TNBC (PD-L1-positive).
- Early-stage TNBC (given with chemo before surgery).
- How it works: Blocks PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, freeing immune cells to attack cancer.
2. Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) – For Advanced TNBC
- Used with chemo (nab-paclitaxel) for PD-L1+ metastatic TNBC.
3. Other Emerging Options
- Sacituzumab govitecan (Trodelvy): Antibody-drug combo for metastatic TNBC.
- Clinical Trials: Testing immunotherapy in HER2+ and ER+ cancers.
