MIAMI BEACH – Promising strategies in development each aim to optimize an individual patient’s ability to respond to immunotherapy in advance.
Augmenting infiltration of T cells into the breast so their levels will be high enough to mount a formidable response is one tactic. In addition, preimmunotherapy radiation or cryoimmunotherapy to release neoantigens – so the immune system has something to which to respond – are additional avenues being explored, Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, MD, PhD, said in a video interview at the annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference, held by Physicians’ Education Resource.
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Even as individual agents in development show promise, including peptide vaccines, the future of immunotherapy in breast cancer is likely combination treatment, said Dr. Mittendorf, associate professor in Breast Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Dr. Mittendorf’s institution receives funding to support vaccine clinical trials from Galena Biopharma, Antigen Express, Genentech, AstraZeneca and EMD-Serono.