Ep 82: Rewriting the Story of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer with Dr. Sara Tolaney - The Patient from Hell Podcase
In this compelling episode of The Patient From Hell, host Samira Daswani sits down with Dr. Sara Tolaney, a renowned breast cancer specialist, to explore the rapidly advancing landscape of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Their discussion covers groundbreaking developments in treatment, from targeted therapies to immunotherapy, as well as the unique challenges patients face at both early-stage and metastatic levels. With her signature warmth and deep expertise, Dr. Tolaney offers valuable guidance for patients and caregivers, shedding light on the evolving path forward and the hope that comes with it.
Key Highlights:
- Transforming Early-Stage TNBC Treatment – Dr. Tolaney explains how integrating neoadjuvant chemotherapy with immunotherapy has dramatically improved outcomes, pushing pathologic complete response rates beyond 60%.
- Breakthroughs in Metastatic TNBC – This conversation underscores the importance of biomarker testing and highlights new innovations like antibody-drug conjugates, which have significantly extended survival for many patients..
- Enhancing Symptom Management – The episode emphasizes the growing role of patient-reported outcomes and digital tools, such as health apps, in providing real-time support and empowering self-management of treatment side effects.
About our guest:
Dr. Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, is a globally recognized leader in breast cancer research and treatment. She serves as Chief of the Division of Breast Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Associate Director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers, and a Senior Physician at Dana-Farber. Additionally, she holds a faculty position as Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Tolaney earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and her medical degree from UC San Francisco before completing her internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins University. She then pursued fellowships in hematology and medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and later obtained a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health.
Her research focuses on advancing innovative breast cancer therapies while reducing treatment toxicity. Her work demonstrating the effectiveness of a low-risk regimen for early-stage node-negative HER2-positive cancers has shaped both national and international treatment guidelines. She has been instrumental in developing cdk 4/6 inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and immunotherapies for breast cancer and currently leads multiple registration studies and investigator-initiated trials in these areas.
Dr. Tolaney has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, with her work featured in leading medical journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and JAMA Oncology.
Key Moments:
At 8 minutes: "It used to be that if someone had a triple-negative breast cancer, we would often take someone to surgery and then after surgery give them some chemotherapy to kill any stray cells that might've gotten into the bloodstream and integrate radiation as needed. But we've really changed our approach very dramatically over the last few years where we've learned that if someone has an early stage, stage two or three triple-negative breast cancer, it is actually very critical that they not go to upfront surgery, but in fact get chemotherapy with immunotherapy prior to surgery."
At 22 minutes: "When compared head to head to chemo, [Trodelvy] not just improved how long someone's cancer was controlled, but in fact, you know, more than doubled survival in triple-negative disease when compared to standard chemo. And then the other antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) was the one we alluded to earlier, trastuzumab deruxtecan, which works in patients who have some level of HER2 expression in the tumor, where it also has had a very impressive benefit."
At 36 minutes: "In fact, that's why we're here. So we want you to be calling us so that we can help manage these things. But I think with these new apps, I mean, it's really nice because they're also trying to do what you were suggesting is teach the patients also how to manage some of these things. So if you tell the app that, 'I've actually had two bowel movements today,' the app can tell you back, 'Well, please take two tablets of Imodium,' for example, and see now how you respond to that."
Disclaimer: All content and information provided in connection with Manta Cares is solely intended for informational and educational purposes only. This content and information is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
This episode is sponsored by Gilead Oncology. Gilead had no involvement or input in the podcast content. Gilead Oncology is working to transform how cancer is treated. We are innovating with next-generation therapies, combinations, and technologies to deliver improved outcomes for people with cancer. From antibody drug conjugates and small molecules to cell therapy-based approaches, our portfolio and pipeline assets are creating new possibilities for people with cancer.
