In 2018, Joan was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at 82 and underwent a mastectomy. After the surgery, Joan’s doctor ordered an immunohistochemistry (IHC) test. The test reported low levels of PD-L1, a critical marker for immunotherapy. Since these results indicated Joan was not a candidate for targeted PD-L1 immunotherapy based on current clinical guidelines, her doctor recommended chemotherapy, which Joan declined due to possible side effects. With limited treatment options, Joan’s cancer progressed.
In 2022, she turned to BostonGene. The BostonGene Tumor PortraitTM test uncovered high PD-L1 through comprehensive tumor profiling, a finding that was subsequently confirmed by a PD-L1-specific IHC test. With these new test results, Joan was finally able to begin targeted PD-L1 immunotherapy.
To date, Joan has responded well to the new targeted treatment regimen. After only three months since the start of her new immunotherapy regimen, Joan’s PET/CT scans showed tumor shrinkage and fewer metastases.