Current approaches to systemic treatment of <i>BRCA</i>-associated triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract

BRCA-associated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by high sensitivity to DNA-damaging cytotoxic drugs. The use of well-known BRCA1/2-specific antitumor agents – platinum derivatives and PARP inhibitors – has been discussed for a long time in the context of the treatment of metastatic BRCA-associated TNBC. Neoadjuvant regimens based on the use of anthracyclines and taxanes are the standard of drug therapy for primary BRCA-associated breast cancer. At present, there are few data regarding the addition of platinum drugs to anthracycline-taxane neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of primary BRCA-associated TNBC. This review details the various treatment options for both primary and metastatic BRCA-associated TNBC. It has been shown that the development of new strategies for the neoadjuvant chemotherapy of patients with primary BRCA-associated TNBC is an urgent clinical need to reduce the risks of recurrence and progression.

Keywords

• <i>brca1/2</i> mutations
• neoadjuvant chemotherapy
• pathological complete response
• triple-negative breast cancer
• metastatic breast cance