Prediction of Radiotherapy Efficacy in Patients With Triple-negative Breast Cancer (TNBC-RT2023)

Recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) occurs in around 30% of patients within 3 years of treatment. For some TNBC patients, recurrence occurs on average 2.6 years after treatment, while for others recurrence does not occur early. TNBC patients can therefore be divided into two groups: those with early recurrence and those who respond well to treatment.

At present, there are no biomarkers to differentiate these two groups. Some studies suggest that radiation-induced inflammatory cytokines may stimulate the development of new metastases. Gene expression profiling or protein signatures have not been able to define such biomarkers.

The aim of this research protocol is to recruit patients to evaluate if the elevation of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-5 and IL-6 in plasma collected during radiotherapy can be used to predict TNBC patients at high risk of recurrence.