A specific therapy is also available in Italy for the treatment of the most aggressive form of breast cancer, the triple negative one. This was announced by the pharmaceutical company Gilead, explaining that the therapy is “the only one to date” for the treatment of this form of breast cancer: it is sacituzumab govitecan as a monotherapy indicated for patients with inoperable triple negative breast cancer or metastatic who have received two or more previous systemic therapies, at least one for advanced disease. For this treatment Gilead has obtained reimbursement approval from the Italian Medicines Agency (Aifa).
Triple negative breast cancer
Triple negative breast cancer is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and accounts for approximately 15% of all breast cancers. It is diagnosed more frequently in younger women. The 5-year survival rate is 12%, compared to 28% for other forms. The progenitor of its class, sacituzumab govitecan is a drug-conjugated antibody directed against the Trop-2 antigen, an overexpressed protein in this and other neoplasms.
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The approval is based on the Phase III Ascent study, which showed that sacituzumab govitecan improved overall survival in second-line treatment compared to physician-chosen chemotherapy. “The Italian scientific community has long awaited the arrival of this innovative and specific treatment for triple negative metastatic breast cancer, a disease for which until now we did not have specific tools – he concludes Saverio Cinieri, president Aiom, Italian Association of Medical Oncology – today in Italy there are more than 37 thousand people with metastatic breast cancer. The triple negative form, which accounts for 15% of breast cancer diagnoses, does not have estrogen, progesterone and HER2 protein receptors. It does not respond to hormone therapy or drugs that target HER2. It is the most aggressive form, in which the risk of distant relapse increases rapidly from diagnosis and peaks in the first three years. It should also be considered that triple negative breast cancer often affects young women who are in the midst of family and professional life “.
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