DESCRIPTION:

This presentation will discuss emerging biomarkers of treatment response, resistance, and toxicity in breast cancer. The potential role of the gut microbiome as a biomarker of therapeutic response and treatment-related toxicity, including opportunities for longitudinal profiling and future microbiome-directed interventions will be explored. Heterogeneity within triple-negative breast cancer, including differences in response to immunotherapy across rare histologic subtypes and patterns of treatment resistance and relapse will also be examined. Collectively, these illustrate opportunities for more biologically informed and individualized approaches to breast cancer treatment, aiming to maximize efficacy and reduce side-effects for patients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Describe the emerging role of gut microbiome as a potential biomarker of response to therapy in breast cancer.
• Discuss the potential role of gut microbiome in gastrointestinal toxicity from targeted breast cancer therapies.
• Recognize heterogeneity in immunotherapy response across histologic subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer and its implications for treatment and future research.