(ANSA) - ROME, AUGUST 23 - A specific therapy for the treatment of the most aggressive form of breast cancer, the triple negative one, is also available in Italy.
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 monotherapy indicated for patients with unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer 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 is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and accounts for about 15% of all breast cancers.
It is diagnosed more frequently in younger women.
The 5-year survival rate is 12%, compared with 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.
The approval is based on the phase III Ascent study, which showed that sacituzumabgovitecan improved overall survival in second-line treatment compared to chemotherapy chosen by the treating physician.
"The Italian scientific community has long been waiting for 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 - concludes Saverio Cinieri, president of Aiom, Italian Association of Medical Oncology - today they live in Italy more than 37,000 people with metastatic breast cancer The triple negative form, which includes 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.
This 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 find themselves in the midst of family and professional life ". (ANSA).