Dr. Roussos Torres on the Importance of Preclinical Models in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Evanthia Roussos Torres, MD, oncology fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses the importance of preclinical models in HER2-positive breast cancer.

A missing but necessary component of immunotherapy research in HER2-positive breast cancer is the use of preclinical data, says Roussos Torres. This could answer the question as to why there are responders and non-responders to this type of therapy. Preclinical work can help guide decisions regarding combinations and clinical trial development, Roussos adds. This could propel this area of breast cancer research forwards, she explains.

For example, the epigenetic modulator entinostat has shown signals of improvement in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of mice with HER2-positive tumors, making it more amenable to checkpoint inhibition. This approach may improve response rates in HER2-positive breast cancer.