Evaluating chemotherapy options for patients with triple negative breast cancer

This article looked at the use of a platinum based chemotherapy (cisplatin) to a non-platinum based chemotherapy for patients with triple negative breast cancer.

Most breast cancers have on their surface some proteins called receptors that help the breast cancers grow. These can be hormone receptors (estrogen or progesterone, the main female sex hormones) or HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2). Treatments often target these receptors (targeted therapies), thus stopping the growth of the cancer. Cancers that do not have any of these receptors on their surface are called triple negative breast cancers. Without these receptors, targeted therapies did not prove any benefits in patients with triple negative breast cancer. Therefore, treating these patients can be challenging using only chemotherapy to kill cancer cells. A few small studies have shown that triple negative breast cancers may be more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs based on platinum, such as cisplatin (Platinol).

53 patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer took part in this study. These patients did not receive any treatment for breast cancer before the study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either docetaxel plus cisplatin (platinum-based treatment group – 27 patients) or docetaxel plus capecitabine (non-platinum chemotherapy – 26 patients). 

After approximately 2 year of follow up, 63% of patients treated with the platinum-based chemotherapy responded to treatment compared to only 15.4% in the non-platinum treatment group. Progression-free survival (the time without the cancer progressing after starting treatment) was more than double for patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy compared to non-platinum chemotherapy (10.9 months versus 4.8 months). In addition, overall survival (defined as the time patients survived since treatment ) was also greatly increased for patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy compared to the non-platinum chemotherapy group (32.8 months versus 21.5 months). Both treatments were well tolerated. 

Overall this study showed that patients with advanced triple negative breast cancer responded better to platinum-based chemotherapy, with improved survival rates and similar side effects compared to non-platinum chemotherapy.

However, this study included a very small group of patients. Future studies including larger populations of patients are expected to confirm the findings of this research.