Finnish researchers have found a clue that helps explain why some breast tumours respond better to immunotherapy than others. In samples of living tumour tissue taken directly from patients, they found that a softer tumour environment helps cancer cells evade the immune system.
Understanding this physical environment could help identify patients who are unlikely to benefit from immunotherapy and steer them towards alternative treatments. The discovery brings research closer to more personalised medicine, in which not only the tumour is analysed but also the tissue surrounding it.
