Immunotherapy in Breast Cancer: What’s the Latest?

Post On : 23 Jun ,2025

Breast cancer is the most often diagnosed cancer in Australian women, and research into more effective therapies continues. One of the most promising new advances is immunotherapy which uses the immune system’s power to fight cancer. While immunotherapy has already shown effective in treating melanoma and lung cancer, it is now showing genuine promise for specific forms of breast cancer.

What is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy refers to a range of treatments that stimulate or restore the immune system’s ability to recognise and attack cancer cells. These therapies may include checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell transfer. Unlike chemotherapy, which targets cancer cells directly, immunotherapy boosts the body’s natural defences.

Focus on Triple Negative Breast Cancer

One area where immunotherapy has shown particular promise is in treating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). This aggressive subtype doesn’t have hormone receptors or the HER2 protein, which makes it less responsive to standard hormone therapies. However, immunotherapy, specially checkpoint inhibitors like atezolizumab and pembrolizumab, has shown encouraging results when used alongside chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), improving progression-free survival for some patients.

Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Closer Look

Checkpoint inhibitors function by blocking specific proteins that prevent immune cells from attacking tumours. These treatments effectively lift the ‘brakes’ on the immune system by focusing on checkpoints such as PD 1 or PD L1. After successful clinical trials, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given the green light to several checkpoint inhibitors for use in advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Emerging Clinical Trials

Researchers across the country, including at leading institutions like the breast cancer health centre QLD, are participating in new clinical trials to better understand the role of immunotherapy in early stage breast cancer. Trials are looking into combination therapies, dose regimes and biomarkers that can predict which patients would benefit the most. These trials are critical in identifying how immunotherapy might be personalised for each patient.

Potential Side Effects

As with any treatment, immunotherapy can come with side effects. Fatigue, skin rash, diarrhoea and organ inflammation, such as in the lungs or liver, are all common symptoms. Unlike chemotherapy, which frequently results in hair loss and nausea, immunotherapy adverse effects are typically associated with an overactive immune response. Close monitoring by oncology teams is required to appropriately manage these responses.

Access and Availability in Australia

Access to immunotherapy for breast cancer is gradually improving. While immunotherapy is not yet a routine first line treatment, it is becoming more widely available thanks to clinical trials and special access programmes. The Breast Cancer Health Centre QLD is one of several organisations working to raise availability and awareness among patients and health professionals alike.

Conclusion

While many types of breast cancer are still in their early stages, immunotherapy is paving the way for a new era in personalised cancer treatment. Thanks to ongoing research and improved access through facilities like the Breast Cancer Health Centre QLD, more women may soon reap the benefits of these innovative therapies. As we deepen our understanding, immunotherapy is poised to become a vital weapon in the battle against breast cancer.