Comprehensive immune profiling reveals factors associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in triple negative breast cancer

Identification of biomarkers indicative of treatment response is critical for making informed decisions about whether to combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy for more effective cancer management. In a cohort of 23 stage I-III triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients treated with either neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone or NAC combined with the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, mRNA expression profiling identified differences in the immune microenvironment associated with varying response to treatment. Further study is warranted to determine if comprehensive immune profiling could inform optimal neoadjuvant treatment selection in TNBC and prevent the unnecessary application of immunotherapy in cases where chemotherapy alone is likely to be sufficient.