A dynamic understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is essential for uncovering the mechanisms behind treatment response and disease progression. At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Professor Jieqiong Liu from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, presented an innovative translational study (Abstract #1022) exploring the efficacy and safety of a novel combination therapy in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who had failed second-line or later treatments. The team employed single-cell sequencing to analyze TME changes before and after treatment with KN046, a bispecific anti-CTLA-4/PD-L1 antibody, and KN026, a bispecific anti-HER2 antibody. The results revealed distinct immunological  differences between responders and non-responders and identified the baseline macrophage-to-lymphatic endothelial cell (Mϕ/LEC) ratio as a predictive biomarker of treatment response. This study offers new insights into individualized care strategies for breast cancer.

At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, multiple cutting-edge oncology studies were presented. Among them were two studies led by Professor Biyun Wang from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. One was a prospective, single-arm phase II clinical trial (Abstract #1101) evaluating the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab in combination with albumin-bound paclitaxel and cisplatin (the AP regimen) as a first-line treatment for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). Results showed a median PFS of 11.8 months and median OS of 27.1 months, with manageable toxicity. The second study, an ongoing trial (Abstract #TPS1122), aims to predict treatment response to T-DXd in HER2-positive breast cancer brain metastases using68Ga-FAPI PET-CT to assess tumor metabolic heterogeneity. The trial is actively recruiting patients.This article specifically introduces two studies.

The 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting took place from May 30 to June 3 in Chicago. At this high-profile event, Professor Kun Wang from Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital presented the much-anticipated results of the neoCARHP study (Abstract LBA500) during an oral session. The study, which focuses on early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, offers an innovative head-to-head comparison between a carboplatin-free THP regimen and the traditional carboplatin-containing TCbHP regimen. The findings revealed that the THP regimen was non-inferior to TCbHP in terms of pathological complete response (pCR), with a significantly better toxicity profile. This important discovery not only provides a new therapeutic option for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer but also reflects a patient-centered approach to treatment—marking a shift toward more precise and individualized care. Following the presentation, Oncology Frontier interviewed Professor Wang to discuss the study’s background, significance, and what the future holds for HER2-positive breast cancer treatment.