Patients with germline BRCA gene mutations and a history of early-onset breast cancer who underwent a bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy and/or a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy had lower rates of recurrence, secondary breast and/or ovarian malignancies, and death than those who did not undergo these surgeries, according to the results of a study presented by Matteo Lambertini, MD, PhD, of the University of Genova–IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Abstract GS1-08).

A combination of the oral drugs acalabrutinib and venetoclax may be more effective at improving progression-free survival and minimizing serious adverse events in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) compared with one of two standard multidrug treatment regimens, according to recet findings presented by Brown et al at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 1009).

Recent data suggest that a plant-based diet rich in fiber may help to improve the outlook for people with precursor conditions that can lead to multiple myeloma. The research, which involved a 12-week controlled diet with additional health coaching for 20 patients as well as experiments in mice, is reportedly the first interventional study to demonstrate that fiber-focused dietary modifications have the potential to slow the progression of blood cancers. The study was presented by Urvi A. Shah, MD, Assistant Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition (Abstract 671).

A recent analysis of pancreatic cancer data in young adults (aged 15–39) has found that although there is an increase in incidence, the mortality rate remains stable. According to Patel et al, who published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the rise in incidence is primarily due to an increase in the detection of smaller, early-stage endocrine cancer, and not an increase in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The investigators explained that their findings reflect the detection of previously undetected disease, rather than a true increase in cancer occurrence.