THE ESSENTIAL
- 85% of breast cancers are hormone-dependent (estrogen and/or progesterone receptors) or HER2-positive (HER2 is an overexpressed protein on the cell surface).
- The Collectif Triplettes Roses wishes to improve access to innovation through a project to set up a national platform for clinical trials for patients suffering from triple negative breast cancer.
He is “poorly known” and “particularly aggressive”. These are the words used by the Collectif Triplettes Roses, created a year earlier, to talk regarding triple negative breast cancer. In a press release published on February 21, the association, which carries the voice of patients suffering from this disease, indicates that this tumor affects 15% of French women affected by breast cancer, i.e. 9,000 new cases per year. This pathology mainly affects young women. And for good reason, 40% of women with triple negative breast cancer are under 40 years old.
Access to innovative treatments “as a matter of urgency”
According to the data of the collective, the risks of recidivism are high. They are estimated at 30% in the three months following the announcement of the diagnosis. As for the median survival, it is 14 months in the event of recurrence with metastases. Clearly, triple negative breast cancer, which has no markers (hormone receptors or HER2 protein) is difficult to treat. In addition, the methods available to treat this tumor are not very effective. This is why the Collectif Triplettes Roses campaigns to make accessible “urgently” innovative treatments, such as vaccinotherapy, immunotherapies or conjugated antibodies. She also asks for “provide new therapeutic alternatives to patients at an impasse”.
The use of two treatments approved last year
“In 2021, our mobilization enabled early access to 2 innovative treatments in France for metastasized triplets”, the association said. The first treatment is “Sacituzumab Govitecan”, sold under the Trovaldy brand. It is an antibody conjugated to chemotherapy, which is available for patients who have previously received two lines of systemic treatment. The second is “Pembrolizumab” (trade name Keytruda), an immunotherapy available to patients as a first-line treatment.
