Sara Hurvitz, MD

Sara Hurvitz, MD, medical oncologist, UCLA Medical Center, discusses the results of a study looking at pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Inhibiting the PD-1 pathway showed activity in advanced TNBC in a previous phase I study.

In this study, a heavily pretreated population of patients with TNBC tolerated pembrolizumab well. Durable responses were observed.

There remains a need for breast cancer doctors to understand how to manage toxicities associated with immunotherapies.

Articles

Pembrolizumab for TNBC

Sara Hurvitz, MD, medical oncologist, UCLA Medical Center, discusses future treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

BRCA-like or basal-like breast cancer that is triple-negative is particularly aggressive. Platinums may be more effective in this space.

Many pharmaceutical companies are not looking at PARP inhibitors in large studies because of the results of 1 negative trial.

Many TNBCs have downregulation of BRCA proteins where inhibiting PARP may be particularly effective.

Some studies are also looking at antibodies and antibody-directed therapies to inhibit the NOTCH pathway.

Videos

The Future of the Treatment of TNBC

Sara Hurvitz, MD, medical oncologist, UCLA Medical Center, discusses patient outcomes associated with PIK3CA mutations.

A number of studies have analyzed the outcomes of patients with a PIK3CA mutation.

Preclinical data suggest the PIK3CA mutation may make tumors resistant to trastuzumab.

Trastuzumab-na&iuml;ve patients with HER2 amplification and a PIK3CA mutation seem to do better than those who do not. Patients with a PIK3CA mutation who are treated with trastuzumab seem to do worse.

Patients with a PIK3CA mutation have a lower chance of having a pathologic complete response.

Sara Hurvitz, MD | Authors

Articles

Pembrolizumab for TNBC

The Future of the Treatment of TNBC

Patient Outcomes and <em>PIK3CA</em> Mutations