How do tyrosine kinase inhibitors treat TNBC in older adults?

Question

Hello doctor,

My friend was taking her grandmother to a cancer specialist. The doctor said something about neoplasm and how it relates to epidermal growth factor receptors. She has got AQ’s triple-negative breast cancer, which I am not really sure what that means. They mentioned exosomes, too, and that is confusing. I think they might be giving her some kind of tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment, but I am not sure how that works. It is hard to follow all this medical stuff.

Is that a common treatment?
How long do oncology treatments like these usually last?
Are there any side effects?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

A neoplasm is a general term that refers to an abnormal growth of cells, which can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) means that the cancer cells do not have three common receptors that are often found in breast cancers: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.

Because TNBC lacks these receptors, it does not respond to hormone therapy.

This makes TNBC more aggressive and harder to treat; treatments like chemotherapy are required.

Now, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a protein found on the surface of cells that helps them grow and divide. In some cancers, EGFR is overactive, causing cells to grow uncontrollably.

Exosomes, which the doctor mentioned, are tiny particles released by cells, including cancer cells. They carry signals that can influence the behavior of other cells and may play a role in how cancer spreads or how resistant it is to treatments.

Oncology treatments can vary depending on the stage and spread of the cancer and how the patient responds to the treatment. Chemotherapy, for example, is typically given in cycles that can last several months.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors can cause

Fatigue.
Diarrhea.
Skin rash.
Nausea.
Low blood cell counts.

A physical examination by a doctor in a hospital is a must.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards.