Abscopal Effect after Radioembolization for Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Setting of Immunotherapy

The abscopal effect, whereby localized treatment to 1 tumor results in destruction of other untreated sites, is a rare phenomenon, described primarily in case reports. In melanoma, by combining treatments that augment the immune response with interventions (e.g., external-beam radiotherapy) that produce tumor antigens and danger signals from cell death, the abscopal effect can be triggered in as many as 25% of patients (1). In the context of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), abscopal effects have been reported in preclinical studies but not in human patients.

Source: Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology : JVIR - February 16, 2018 Category: Radiology Authors: Amy R. Deipolyi, Jacqueline F. Bromberg, Joseph P. Erinjeri, Stephen B. Solomon, Lynn A. Brody, Christopher C. Riedl Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research