Does immunotherapy treat triple-negative breast cancer?

Triple-negative breast cancer does not use the usual hormone or HER2 signals to drive its growth, so hormone-blocking and HER2-directed medicines are not the main options. An immune-based medicine may be considered for selected situations, often with chemotherapy before or after surgery, or for disease that has returned or spread.

The decision may involve biopsy findings, stage, previous treatment, and overall health. Immunotherapy can cause the immune system to inflame healthy tissues, including the skin, bowel, lungs, thyroid, or liver. Regular visits and blood tests help the team identify changes early.

Ask how your biopsy results and stage affect the recommendation, whether chemotherapy is planned with immunotherapy, and how surgery fits into the sequence. Discuss fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, other medicines, autoimmune conditions, and previous immune reactions. Keep a record of new symptoms between appointments.

Contact the treatment team about new shortness of breath, persistent cough, severe diarrhoea, repeated vomiting, a spreading rash, yellow eyes, marked weakness, fever, or changes in vision. Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, fainting, confusion, or swelling of the face or throat. Prompt assessment can prevent a serious reaction from worsening.

What do my tumour tests show? Is treatment before surgery recommended? Which symptoms should I report the same day? How will breast imaging and examinations track response? What is the plan if side effects require a pause?