Clinicians should regularly evaluate recent clinical trial data to make informed decisions on the most appropriate treatment plan, particularly as new targeted therapies, as well as new indications for existing targeted therapies, become FDA-approved.

Triple-negative breast cancer continues to be labeled with a poor prognosis secondary to the fact that it tends to be more aggressive and poses a greater risk of recurrence. Because it lacks the receptors that many drugs have been designed to target, the standard of practice remains chemotherapy. Therefore, research has been focused on trying to identify other therapeutic targets for which agents already exist or are currently being developed. Within recent years, PD-L1 inhibition is being studied in trials as a new avenue for treatment options in these patients. Current evidence demonstrates increased benefit when using these agents in combination with chemotherapy.

Pharmacists should be aware of the new data and recommendations for targeted therapies, and how they relate to improvements in clinical efficacy and quality of life. It is also important to be aware of the potential for unique and potentially severe adverse events that can occur with these therapies.