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New breast cancer therapy could slow disease progression and extend life

2025-06-02 07:31:00, Shëndeti CNA

A study has found that a new triple therapy for aggressive, advanced breast cancer slows the progression of the disease, delays the need for further chemotherapy and helps patients live longer.

The combination treatment consists of two targeted drugs: inavolisib and palbociclib, and the hormonal therapy fulvestrant. This therapy delayed disease progression by an average of 17.2 months, compared with 7.3 months in the control group, and patients who received inavolisib were able to postpone subsequent chemotherapy treatment by almost two years longer than patients in the control group.

The results of the study, funded by Roche, were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The international trial involved 325 patients from 28 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, France and Germany.

Experts said this demonstrated the potential of triple therapy to target PIK3CA-mutated HR+, HER2- breast cancer - a common form of the disease.

About 70% of patients have HR+, HER2- breast cancer. PIK3CA mutations are found in 35% to 40% of HR+ breast cancers and are associated with tumor growth, disease progression, and resistance to treatment.

Dr. Nisharnthi Duggan, research information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “These results are really positive news for people living with a type of breast cancer that is difficult to treat. The study showed that adding inavolisib to treatment plans increased life expectancy. What’s more, it also delayed the progression of people’s cancer and the need for chemotherapy, which could improve quality of life. We hope that more research like this will help to give people better cancer treatment options and more time to live with their loved ones.”

In the trial, more than half of the patients had disease that had already spread to three or more organs. The researchers used liquid biopsy blood tests of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to determine whether the patients had a PIK3CA mutation. Participants were then assigned to receive either the inavolisib-based regimen or a combination of palbociclib, fulvestrant, and an artificial pill.

The new drug inavolisib works by blocking the activity of the PIK3CA protein.

Nick Turner, professor of molecular oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, led a UK branch of the study.

"These results give us confidence that this treatment could become the new preferred option for patients who have HR+, HER2- breast cancer with a PIK3CA mutation, as it has shown significant improvements in both survival and quality of life."

Taken from The Guardian