Analyzing and comparing three approaches of treating BRCA mutated Breast cancer: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and PARP inhibitors.

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers for women across the world. However, the possibility of breast cancer increases with the inheritance of a mutated BRCA1/BRCA2 gene. This mutation increases the chances of cells replicating to form tumor cells and eventually leading to cancerous cells. Even though the mortality rate of breast cancer has been decreasing, there are millions of women being diagnosed with this disease. Thus, this paper analyzes and compares three popular types of therapy for the same: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, and PARP inhibitors. Chemotherapy is a common choice of therapy due to its non-specific action and is especially efficient for malignant tumors, but it is associated with various side effects arising from healthy cells being targeted. Immunotherapy, a newer class of therapy, weaponizes the patient’s immune system to better recognize and target cancerous cells but is marred with high costs and possibilities of autoimmune diseases. PARP inhibitors, a therapy that specifically targets BRCA mutated cancers, targets the DNA repair pathways and uses synthetic lethality to cause cell apoptosis, but the cancer may develop resistance to it over time. This paper critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of these three approaches, with a focus on their mechanism of action, side-effects, and cost. By comparing these modalities, this paper aims to determine the treatment that would result in the best patient outcomes in those with BRCA mutated breast cancer.