Dr. Opyrchal on the Current State of Biomarkers in TNBC

Mateusz Opyrchal, MD, PhD, associate professor, Department of Medicine, Oncology Division, Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses the current state of biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Identifying actionable biomarkers in breast cancer and other solid malignancies remains an ongoing challenge, Opyrchal says. In TNBC, PD-L1 expression has shown correlation with improved likelihood of response; however, some clinical trials have not corroborated this evidence.

Despite the inconclusive findings from clinical trials, the checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in combination with nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) is approved for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test.

Identifying additional biomarkers that can target chemotherapy-resistant TNBC in the neoadjuvant setting may have a significant effect on how to sensitize patients with immunotherapy in the future, concludes Opyrchal.