Immunotherapy

Recently, Tecentriq became the first immunotherapy to be approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, a particularly difficult type of breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of cancer that usually has a high rate of disease recurrence (returning) within the first 5 years after diagnosis.

The immune system attacks foreign substances by making large numbers of antibodies. These are proteins that attach to a specific protein on the cell called an antigen.

In March 2019, the FDA approved Tecentriq (atezolizumab), a PD-L1 inhibitor, in combination with Abraxane (paclitaxel protein-bound), for use in adults with locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer whose tumors cannot be removed by surgery and express PD-L1, as identified by an FDA-approved test. This is the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for patients with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.

Claire White discusses the role of the FDA in evaluating new and promising treatments such as CAR T-cell therapy and the complexity of getting approvals.

Nurse Navigator Claire White describes the way she tells her patients what CAR T-cell therapy is and how it works.