RESEARCH MATTERS
Study Shows Potential for Maintenance Therapy in Aggressive Breast Cancer
University of Hawai‘ i Cancer Center researchers, led by Director Dr. Naoto T. Ueno and Assistant Professor Dr. Toshiaki Iwase, conducted a phase II clinical trial exploring pembrolizumab as a maintenance therapy for aggressive breast cancers, including Inflammatory Breast Cancer( IBC) and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer( TNBC). The study, conducted at their former institution, MD Anderson Cancer Center, was published in Clinical Cancer Research.
Aggressive breast cancer subtypes are difficult to treat and often return despite chemotherapy, which, while effective, can cause severe side effects. Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, uses the body’ s immune system to target cancer cells and may offer a less toxic, more targeted alternative.
“ This study explored whether immunotherapy could maintain disease control after chemotherapy, and identified potential biomarkers for treatment response,” said Dr. Ueno.
The trial showed a 60 % disease control rate over four months with manageable toxicity. Researchers also identified high baseline T-cell clonality as a potential biomarker for longer disease control, offering insight into which patients may benefit most from pembrolizumab.
Patient Deborah Sumulong, who had struggled with chemotherapy’ s harsh side effects, reported significantly improved quality of life while on pembrolizumab.“ I experienced less fatigue, only mild colitis, and recent scans showed the cancer was completely gone,” she said.
Dr. Iwase emphasized the need for larger trials to confirm the biomarker findings and refine patient selection. The study highlights pembrolizumab’ s potential as a promising maintenance therapy for aggressive breast cancers.
Toshiaki Iwase, MD, PhD, and Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office
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