In a recent study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published in JAMA, adding neoadjuvant camrelizumab to stand chemotherapy before surgery significantly improved the pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with early or locally advanced TNBC.
Here’s what you need to know:
- The study looked at 441 patients with stage II or III TNBC
- Patients received either camrelizumab or a placebo combined with chemotherapy before surgery
- 57% of patients treated with camrelizumab had a pathologic complete response, compared to 45% of those treated with chemotherapy alone
- This benefit was seen regardless of other factors like tumor stage or lymph node involvement
- A pathologic complete response means there was a complete disappearance of cancer in the surgically removed breast. Patients with a pCR generally have a more prolonged time to cancer recurrence, and improved survival however more time is needed to confirm this.
Side Effects
The combination treatment was generally well-tolerated:
- Serious side effects occurred in about 35% of patients getting camrelizumab, compared to 23% with chemotherapy alone
- Most side effects were manageable and similar to what is expected with standard chemotherapy
About Camrelizumab
Camrelizumab is a type of immunotherapy know as an anti-PD-1 antibody which has demonstrated antitumor activity in previous studies in advanced or metastatic TNBC.
What This Means for Patients
This new combination could become an important option for treating early-stage TNBC. It may help more patients become cancer-free after initial treatment. However, it’s important to discuss the potential benefits and risks with your doctor to determine if this approach might be right for you. Remember, while these results are encouraging, more research is needed to fully understand the long-term benefits of adding camrelizumab to chemotherapy for TNBC.
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References:
Shao Z-M, Chen L, Li H, et al. Neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus chemotherapy for early or locally advanced triple-negative breast cancer (CamRelief): a randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial. Presented at: 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; December 10-13, 2024; San Antonio, TX. Abstract GS-306.
Chen L, Li H, Zhang H, et al. Camrelizumab vs placebo in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with early or locally advanced triple-negative breast cancer: The CamRelief randomized clinical trial. JAMA. Published online December 13, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.23560
