A new approach to treating metastatic breast cancer may allow some patients to avoid chemotherapy, at least initially.In a small early-stage trial, researchers tested four chemo-free targeted therapies in 29 patients with HR-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.The regimen combines hormone therapy with medicines that target two key pathways that drive tumor growth. During the first six months, 97% of the participants experienced clinical benefit, according to the results.Patients went a median of nearly 25 months before their cancer progressed. And after about 39 months of follow-up, nearly 93 percent were still alive.Researchers say several women had long-lasting responses—including one who has remained on the regimen for more than six years.This regimen is given primarily through pills and injections under the skin, potentially making treatment easier for patients and avoiding some of the drawbacks of chemotherapy.The lead author says, “Although these findings need to be confirmed in larger randomized clinical trials, …They suggest that some patients may eventually have an effective alternative to chemotherapy as their first treatment."Source: Journal of the National Cancer InstituteAuthor Affiliations: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYU Langone Health, Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Columbia University Medical Center .Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter