A biomarker is a gene, protein, or molecule produced by the body or tumor in a person with cancer that tells a doctor something about the cancer cells. MBC experts studied biomarkers to develop new recommendations for doctors on how to use biomarker information to carefully make MBC treatment decisions.
This month, we continue with the second post in our 3-part series explaining 3 biomarkers in these new recommendations: deficient mismatch repair/microsatellite instability (dMMR/MSI-H), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and NTRK fusion.
People who participated in clinical trials helped contribute to the strong evidence that supports these recommendations. Clinical trial participation continues to be important to gather new information about other biomarkers that do not have strong evidence for recommendations.
Click the links below to read about the new biomarker recommendations, how the dMMR/MSI-H, TMB, and NTRK fusion biomarkers help doctors make treatment decisions, and about current clinical trials related to these biomarkers.
Biomarkers for Guiding MBC Treatment
- LUNGevity Foundation/Living Beyond Breast Cancer: This page describes the importance of MBC biomarker testing and a step-by-step guide to talking about and receiving biomarker testing
- MedPage Today (Article and Video): Megan Kruse, MD, Talks About Biomarkers for Systemic Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer
- Journal Article: Biomarkers for Systemic Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer
dMMR/MSI-H Biomarker
- Merck: What Are MSI-H and dMMR Cancers?
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Biomarker Tests
- Breastcancer.org: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) for MSI-H or dMMR Breast Cancer
- Breastcancer.org: Dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli®) for dMMR Breast Cancer
- Current clinical trials: MBC Trials for MSI-H Biomarkers
TMB Biomarker
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Biomarker Tests
- Practice Update: Pembrolizumab in People With MBC With High TMB
- Medicine Matters: TAPUR Trial Confirms Pembrolizumab Benefit in TMB-High MBC
- Breastcancer.org: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) for High TMB Breast Cancer
- Current clinical trials: MBC Trials for TMB Biomarkers
- Current clinical trials: MBC Trials for Tumor Mutations
NTRK Biomarker
- American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Biomarker Tests
- OncLive: Entrectinib for NTRK Fusion-Positive Breast Cancer
- Breastcancer.org: Larotrectinib (Vitrakvi®) for NTRK-Positive Breast Cancer
- Current clinical trials: MBC Trials for NTRK Biomarkers
Last Modified on November 12, 2024