4D Path presented groundbreaking findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting, demonstrating that their QPOR™ platform can predict breast cancer patient response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, even in patients with low stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), traditionally thought to be treatment-resistant. A study conducted with prominent research institutions analyzed biopsy images and revealed that patients with low TILs and low immune heterogeneity, as identified by the QPOR Immune Heterogeneity Index (IHI), experienced a 66% response rate compared to 25% in those with high heterogeneity.
This development is critical for oncologists as it offers a new tool to personalize treatment plans, potentially leading to better outcomes for patients previously deemed unlikely to benefit from chemotherapy. The ability to identify responders among the low-TILs population could significantly alter treatment strategies and expand treatment options for a substantial group of breast cancer patients. This discovery directly addresses a critical unmet need in oncology: accurately predicting treatment response, especially for those traditionally considered less responsive to standard therapies.
The study results highlight the QPOR platform’s ability to identify low immune heterogeneity as a stronger predictor of response than TIL levels alone. In triple-negative breast cancer, patients with low TILs and low heterogeneity had a remarkable 74% response rate, surpassing even those with high TILs. This suggests that immune heterogeneity, measured by the QPOR platform, could become a crucial factor in treatment decisions.
This breakthrough has the potential to transform breast cancer treatment. By providing oncologists with a tool to identify potential responders even among patients with low TILs, the QPOR platform may lead to more effective and personalized chemotherapy strategies, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding access to beneficial treatment. This advance reinforces the importance of exploring novel biomarkers and leveraging computational analysis to personalize cancer care.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
