New Breakthrough in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Treatment: A Study on the Clinical Efficacy and Safety of the Combination of Carrilizumab and Apatinib in Dual-Targeted Neoadjuvant Therapy

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of dual-targeted neoadjuvant therapy combining carrilizumab with Apatinib in patients with triple-negative breast cancer. Methods This study collected data from 76 patients with triple-negative breast cancer, confirmed as PD-L1 positive (CPS ≥ 1%) via immunohistochemistry and core needle biopsy, treated at Cangzhou Central Hospital from March 2021 to March 2022. Patients were randomly divided into a control group (n=38) and an observation group (n=38). Based on the standard AT chemotherapy regimen, the control group received treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor carrilizumab, while the observation group was treated with a combination of carrilizumab and the anti-angiogenic drug Apatinib. After completing neoadjuvant therapy, the objective response rate, major pathological response rate, pathological complete response rate, breast conservation rate, CD4+ T lymphocyte subpopulation levels, vascular endothelial growth factor levels, and Ki-67 and PD-L1 expression were compared between the two groups. Results After four cycles of neoadjuvant therapy, the observation group showed a superior major pathological response rate, pathological complete response rate, and elevated CD4+ T lymphocyte levels compared to the control group (P < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of high Ki-67 expression in the observation group (P < 0.05), and the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor were lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). Although the breast conservation rate was relatively higher in the observation group, the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). The incidence of adverse events was similar in both groups, except for a higher rate of hand-foot syndrome in the observation group (P > 0.05). Conclusion The dual-targeted neoadjuvant therapy for triple-negative breast cancer showed considerable clinical efficacy in reducing tumor burden and was acceptably safe.