IMMUNE CHECKPOINT BLOCKADE IN BREAST CANCER THERAPY

Abstract

Despite advances in early detection and treatment, breast cancer remains the deadliest oncopathology for women worldwide. Today there is an urgent need for new approaches to this disease treatment. Recently, immune therapy, especially inhibitors of immune checkpoints, has taken the lead when fighting against cancer. Blocking immune checkpoints is an effective approach to enhance the effector T cell function. Immune checkpoint blockers, namely inhibitors of cytotoxic T−lymphocyte−associated antigen 4 (CTLA−4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD−1) and ligand 1 of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD−L1) are approved by the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) to be used in various solid tumors, refractory cancers with microsatellite instability, classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. In March 2019, the first inhibitor for the treatment of breast cancer was approved, i.e. atezolizumab (anti−PD−L1) in combination with nab−paclitaxel in the patients with metastatic triple−negative breast cancer, which aroused the interest of experts in the study of immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of these patients. The review presents the results of using the inhibitors of immune control points in monotherapy and in combination with standard methods of antitumor treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy, targeted therapy) in patients with breast cancer. Information on potential biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in breast cancer is presented. Key words: breast cancer, checkpoint inhibitors, biomarkers of response.