Anti-Nausea Drug Associated with Improved Survival in Women with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

A recent breakthrough study has revealed that a widely used anti-nausea medication may significantly enhance survival prospects for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, especially those with the aggressive triple-negative subtype. Conducted by researchers from Monash University and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the study analyzed data from 13,811 women in Norway diagnosed between 2008 and 2020. These women received chemotherapy combined with anti-nausea drugs used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

The study's findings, published in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, demonstrated that women who took the anti-nausea drug aprepitant during their chemotherapy had an 11% reduced risk of cancer recurrence and a 17% lower chance of death from breast cancer over a ten-year period. Importantly, this association was not observed with other anti-nausea medications, highlighting a potential unique benefit of aprepitant.

The impact was even more pronounced among women with triple-negative breast cancer, a subtype known for its aggressive nature and limited targeted treatment options. In this group, the use of aprepitant was linked to a 34% reduction in recurrence risk and a 39% decrease in mortality. Dr. Aeson Chang from Monash’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences emphasized that triple-negative breast cancer typically has poorer outcomes and fewer effective therapies, making these findings particularly promising.

The researchers suggest that repurposing existing drugs like aprepitant, with well-known safety profiles, could expedite development of new treatment strategies. Dr. Chang and Professor Erica Sloan highlighted the significance of these results, advocating for further studies to explore the potential of extending aprepitant use beyond current guidelines to improve long-term outcomes.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting remains a common side effect for early-stage breast cancer patients, affecting up to 60%. Current guidelines recommend aprepitant mainly for chemotherapy regimens with a high risk of inducing nausea. However, these new findings open avenues for broader application of the drug.

Lead author Dr. Edoardo Botteri expressed enthusiasm about the potential implications, noting that larger, prospective clinical trials are necessary to confirm these observational results and to understand the underlying mechanisms. "If future research supports these findings, it could lead to updated treatment protocols that incorporate aprepitant to improve survival, particularly in hard-to-treat subtypes," he stated.

In summary, this innovative research underscores the potential of using existing medications to improve cancer care. Expanding the use of aprepitant during chemotherapy could offer a simple yet effective way to enhance survival outcomes for women with early-stage and triple-negative breast cancer.