Chemotherapy-free combination halves progression of advanced breast cancer

A new drug combination that does not require chemotherapy reduces the risk by 48 percent. risk of breast cancer progression According to the study, the advanced type is HER2+/ER+.

Test results PATRICIAconducted by the academic research group SOLTI, were presented at the American Society of Medical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 Congress, which runs until June 4 in Chicago (USA).

About half of patients with HER2+ breast cancer, characterized by the presence of a protein that promotes rapid growth of breast cancer cells, are also estrogen receptor positive (ER+).

However, there is molecular heterogeneity within this group that may explain differences between patients, and for this reason the PATRICIA study was the first to molecularly select patients with ER+/HER2+ advanced breast cancer, SOLTI reports.

Among the participants A. combination treatment with hormone therapy, trastuzumab and palbocicliband it has been observed to significantly delay the time of progression of the disease.

In summary, the analysis’ findings suggest that patients whose tumors express estrogen receptor-related genes (73 in total) benefit from alternative therapyas the risk of disease progression was reduced by almost half compared to traditional treatment (consisting of chemotherapy and trastuzmab).

Vice President of SOLTI, Eva Ciruelosand Director of the Institute of Cancer and Blood Diseases of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Alex Pratthey note, “With this therapeutic alternative, the median time to progression for patients with the experimental treatment is 9.1 months compared with 7.5 months with conventional treatment.”

“This is the first study to demonstrate that molecular selection of patients with HER2+/ER+ advanced breast cancer has prognostic value and allows for novel chemotherapy-free treatment combinations,” they add.

As for the benefits this entails, experts claim that these combinations “not only demonstrate more effective than conventional treatment“But they provide an opportunity to improve patient tolerance and quality of life.”