Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women, and about two lacs fifty thousand women are diagnosed each year. Women who have a family history of breast cancer are likely to be at increased risk of it. However, breast cancer can occur from cells in either the ducts or lobules, but ductal tumours are more common.

Some women have symptoms of breast cancer before the diagnosis, and it can change the way the nipple feels. So, if you are also facing symptoms like a lump in the breast or the armpit, you must visit a doctor as it may be a symptom of breast cancer, as we have always heard precaution is better than cure.

There are different types of breast cancers, and so is the diagnosis for each one of them. So, let’s discuss a bit about what immunotherapy approaches are best for breast cancer? So that you also have a clear picture of it.

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy improves the person's natural ability; immunotherapy finds and destroys the cancer cells. For example, in a study of over 50 000 women with breast cancer, 5-year survival was 77% in TNBC compared to 93% of other breast cancer subtypes. 

However, one must know that people with triple-negative breast cancer may benefit from immunotherapy than those with other subtypes of breast cancer. Immunotherapy is more likely to benefit people with gene mutations or people whose tumour cells have higher protein levels. 

Some research suggests that immunotherapy works best when it's given early during the treatment of breast cancer. Immunotherapy for breast cancer is still being explored and tested extensively in clinical trials. However, as of 2019, there are only two immunotherapies approved to treat breast cancer. 

First is the atezolizumab plus protein-bound paclitaxel for triple-negative breast cancer. The second is Pembrolizumab, a single treatment to treat metastatic cancer that surgery cannot remove. 

Currently, breast cancers are treated through surgery only if it is diagnosed at an early stage. And later, depending upon the stage of breast cancer, the treatments may include hormonal therapy, surgery, and radiation.

Breast Cancer Treatment With Immunotherapy

Breast cancers were once difficult to treat with immunotherapy because it is immunologically cold. However, new drugs have shown that they can treat breast cancer better than any chemotherapy or other sessions.

When the immunotherapeutic approaches are combined with other sequences such as chemotherapy, radiation, vaccine, etc., it enhances the treatment of breast cancer very effectively. As the research is still going on about the immunotherapy approaches as they can boost the efficacy of treatments.