Evaluation of the Role of Immune Checkpoints in Response to Breast Cancer Neoadjuvant Therapy

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the second most common cause of death after lung cancer. In epidemiological studies, its prevalence is 22-26%, and the mortality risk due to breast cancer is around 18%. It is known that the immune system has an important role in tumor development or tumor destruction. Recent studies have shown that tumor cells acquire escape mechanisms to escape host immunity in the tumor microenvironment. Studies have reported that immune checkpoints are elevated in many types of cancer and have a poor prognosis. Up or down regulation of immune checkpoints is observed to protect breast cancer cells from the anti-tumor responses of the immune system. There are also immune checkpoints found in plasma in soluble form, and the number of studies evaluating soluble immune checkpoints in cancers is very limited in the literature. Measurement of soluble immune control points is easier than those expressed on the surface, and many markers can be evaluated at the same time. There are very few studies in the literature evaluating soluble immune checkpoints in breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of soluble immune checkpoints in predicting the response to neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced breast cancers.