© 2025 HSP News Service, L.L.C.
Researchers have identified a molecular biomarker in triple-negative breast cancers that may inform when beta blockers can play a role in “switching off” tumor progression. These findings were published by Lam et al in Science Signaling. When stress hormones are released by the body’s nervous...
Rechallenge with the HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) after grade 1 interstitial lung disease (ILD) appeared to be safe in a diverse real-world population, including many patients with breast cancer, as presented during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 The ...
Investigators have developed and tested a hybrid reading strategy for screening mammography images with artificial intelligence (AI) that includes reads from radiologists and a stand-alone AI interpretation of mammograms with an uncertainty quantification. According to study findings published in...
A group of experts from seven professional societies have published a joint position statement in the Journal of Bone Oncology on the management of aromatase inhibitor–associated bone loss (AIBL) as a guide for osteoporosis specialists and oncologists. This position statement acts as an update on...
In a patient-level meta-analysis reported in The Lancet, Braybrooke et al of the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group found that adding subsequent years of aromatase inhibitor treatment (AIT) for women with early estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer who had already received 5...
The results of a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open revealed an epidemiologic association between postmastectomy implant-based breast reconstruction for any breast tumor and both B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas of the breast. According to Kinslow et al, this includes diffuse large...
Clinically significant fatigue was associated with increased inflammation in breast cancer survivors, according to study findings published in BMC Women's Health. The study authors also suggested that an increase in inflammatory markers from clinical fatigue could lead to breast cancer recurrence. ...
Various artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms submitted as part of a challenge demonstrated the ability to identify different breast cancers during screening mammography, according to the results of a study published in Radiology. Ensemble models of the top submitted algorithms indicated that the ...
In a study reported as a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Hahn et al found that the proportion of U.S. patients with breast cancer undergoing annual surveillance imaging was lower in the post– vs pre–COVID-19 period, with no significant difference in recurrence or progression being observed. Study ...
In a French-Belgian phase III trial (ASTER 70s) reported in The Lancet, Brain et al examined the survival benefit of adding adjuvant chemotherapy to hormone therapy in women aged ≥ 70 years with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with high-risk disease on the basis of genomic...
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–cleared artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm was able to detect and correctly localize almost one-third of interval breast cancers in a retrospective evaluation of screening digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), findings published in Radiology showed. The...
Despite advances in early cancer detection, racial and ethnic minority individuals seem to be more likely to have a late-stage diagnosis of cancers that have a recommended screening. A large study by the American Cancer Society that examined the association between neighborhood-level segregation...
The risk of death does not appear to increase with the use of menopausal hormone therapy in women with early-onset, BRCA-mutated breast cancer who began hormone supplementation after diagnosis, based on preliminary data presented during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 “Management of early surgical...
Resistance training can provide many benefits, including increased muscle mass; decreased adipose tissue; and improved metabolism, bone density, strength, and mobility. However, data are limited on the association between resistance training and the development or exacerbation of lymphedema, a...
In the phase III ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 trial, the combination of the TROP2-directed antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan-hziy plus the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in previously untreated patients with PD-L1–positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer significantly reduced the risk of...
In an individual patient-level meta-analysis reported in The Lancet Oncology, Villacampa et al found that the HER2DX assay risk score was prognostic for event-free survival outcomes in patients with early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer. Study Details Systematic review of the literature...
How ER-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer tumors respond to a short course of hormonal treatment may help to determine whether more aggressive treatment options are necessary for each patient or not, according to translational findings published in eBioMedicine. Tumor subtype changes after 2...
In a prospective study (POSITIVE) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Peccatori et al investigated breastfeeding patterns among women who had a live birth after treatment of hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. Study Details Between December 2014 and December 2019, 518 women who...
Aprepitant, a commonly used antiemetic, led to improvements in patient outcomes when given during chemotherapy treatment for patients with non-luminal early breast cancer. Patients showed better prognoses and survival advantages, particularly among those with triple-negative breast cancer. Study...
Weight-associated risk for developing breast cancer after menopause may be higher among women with cardiovascular disease compared with those without cardiovascular disease and women with or without type 2 diabetes, according to the results of two prospective European cohort studies, which were...
Mammograms can detect breast cancer early before symptoms appear, and regular screening decreases the risk of dying from breast cancer. But a recent survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania shows that some Americans appear to be confused about...
Investigators have found that two common types of hormone therapy may alter breast cancer risk in women before age 55. Women treated with unopposed estrogen hormone therapy (E-HT) were less likely to develop the disease than those who did not use this type of hormone therapy. Additionally, women...
Panoramic photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) with machine learning assistance could be a safe, noninvasive, and sensitive alternative to mammography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for breast cancer screening, according to study results that were published in Nature...
Erika Hamilton, MD, Director, Breast Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, provides a look at “where we stand in 2025” in the field of oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) for patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. She discusses the first and only FDA-approved oral SERD, elacestrant, indicated for use after CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy in patients with ESR1 mutations; reviews agents still being tested in clinical trials, such as imlunestrant and camizestrant; and highlights the role of oral SERDs as both monotherapies and in novel combinations. As Dr. Hamilton explains, “there haven’t been novel endocrine backbones [for these patients] since fulvestrant.”
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Kirby et al, 10-year follow-up of the phase III UK IMPORT LOW trial has shown that partial-breast and reduced-dose radiotherapy continue to be associated with similar ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) outcomes compared with whole-breast radiotherapy...
Breast cancer survivors may have a slightly lower risk of developing Alzheimer dementia compared with cancer-free individuals, according to the results of a study published by Jeong et al in JAMA Network Open. “The risk of Alzheimer dementia is a crucial aspect of overall well-being among breast...
Providing a brief, 90-day course of preoperative endocrine therapy to older women with early-stage, estrogen receptor–positive, invasive breast cancer may significantly alter both patient preferences and physician recommendations regarding adjuvant radiation therapy, according to data presented...
Based on the findings of the VERITAC-2 trial, treatment with the selective PROTAC (proteolysis targeting chimera) estrogen receptor degrader vepdegestrant yielded statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in patients with ESR1-mutant, estrogen...
ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline update on the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in early-stage breast cancer.1 The update includes recommendations based on findings from trials released after the published guideline in 2017, including data from nine randomized trials...
This is Part 1 of The Role of Oral SERDs in Metastatic Breast Cancer, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Komal Jhaveri, Erika Hamilton, and Aditya Bardia discuss the treatment of a 61-year-old female patient who presents with bone pain 18 months after completion of adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for an enlarged, suspicious axillary lymph node. A computed tomography scan shows numerous liver and bone metastases, and a liver biopsy confirms estrogen receptor–positive, progesterone receptor–negative, HER2-negative carcinoma consistent with breast primary. Circulating tumor DNA testing reveals an ESR1 Y537S mutation, and she has no BRCA1/2 mutations. The patient has a history of ventricular tachycardia and bipolar disorder, both controlled with medications known to cause QTc prolongation. In the conversation that follows, the faculty review first-line treatment options for this patient with ESR1 Y537S–mutated metastatic breast cancer, including selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDs) both alone and in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors, as well as the impact of her comorbidities on treatment selection. They also review the recent results of SERENA-6 and discuss whether they would be applicable to this patient.
Early detection of an ESR1 mutation, leading to a switch of endocrine therapy, led to an almost doubling in progression-free survival in the SERENA-6 trial, the global registrational study in patients with metastatic breast cancer for the investigational oral selective estrogen receptor degrader...
In the phase III DESTINY-Breast09 trial, first-line treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) plus the monoclonal antibody pertuzumab significantly delayed disease progression by more than 1 year—nearly doubling the time of disease control—over standard...
In a phase III Japanese trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Saito et al examined the efficacy of adding 5 mg of olanzapine to triplet antiemetic therapy in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in the overall phase when given after receipt of anthracycline-cyclophosphamide...
A healthy gut microbiome prior to chemotherapy could help protect against cardiotoxicity as a result of breast cancer therapy, according to new findings presented by Antoniades et al at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Cardio-Oncology 2025 annual conference. Background Cardiotoxicity is a...
Whether a patient’s breast cancer was detected through symptoms or routine screening mammography significantly affected their risk for advanced disease or death, according to a study published recently in Radiology: Imaging Cancer. Patients with symptom-detected breast cancer had higher odds of...
This is Part 3 of Novel Therapies for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Brain Metastases, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Carey Anders, Rani Bansal, and Sarah Sammons discuss the treatment of a patient with a history of ER/PR-negative, HER2-positive de novo metastatic breast cancer to the liver and brain. The 39-year-old patient initially responded well to systemic therapy and localized brain treatments but later developed symptomatic HER2-positive leptomeningeal disease (LMD), confirmed by brain MRI and lumbar puncture. In the conversation that follows, the faculty review effective systemic therapies like trastuzumab deruxtecan and the HER2CLIMB regimen of tucatinib, capecitabine, and trastuzumab. They discuss current approaches to LMD, including radiation therapy (with considerations for proton-based strategies to preserve cognitive function) and emphasize the crucial role of early palliative care for symptom management and support when dealing with LMD.
A common germline variant in the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) (rs562556, V474I) gene rather than a mutation in a breast cancer tumor may be the driving force in significantly increasing the risk of breast cancer metastasis and reducing survival in women with the disease....
This is Part 1 of Novel Therapies for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Brain Metastases, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Carey Anders, Rani Bansal, and Sarah Sammons discuss the treatment of a patient with a cT2N1, grade 3, ER/PR/HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma. The 35-year-old female patient is premenopausal and achieved a pathologic complete response (pCR) after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy, lumpectomy, and radiation. She began 1 year of ovarian suppression, aromatase inhibitor, and trastuzumab plus pertuzumab, but in the final month of her adjuvant treatment, she developed dizziness and nausea. Despite pCR, patients with HER2-positive localized breast cancer face a higher risk of intracranial recurrence (approximately 10%–12%), often without extracranial disease. In the conversation that follows, the faculty review treatment considerations for this patient—including when to consider neurosurgical resection, focused radiation therapy, or other systemic therapies—and discuss ongoing trials seeking to potentially prevent intracranial recurrence in patients with residual disease, such as CompassHER2 RD.
In a phase III trial (NSABP B-51–RTOG 1304) reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Mamounas et al examined regional nodal irradiation for activity in preventing invasive breast cancer recurrence or death from breast cancer in patients who had negative axillary nodes after neoadjuvant...
In this installment of The ASCO Post’s Living a Full Life series, Guest Editor Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, spoke with Stephen R. Grobmyer, MD, FACS, about his clinical and research career in oncology, the challenges and rewards of moving to Abu Dhabi and building a state-of-the-art cancer center, and...
The risk of developing breast implant–associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) could be higher among women with breast cancer and BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who received textured breast implants as part of their postmastectomy reconstructive surgery compared with patients lacking the genetic...
Erika Hamilton, MD, Director, Breast Cancer Research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, reviews data from the global, randomized, phase III VERITAC-2 study, which compared vepdegestrant, an oral PROTAC (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera) estrogen receptor degrader, to fulvestrant among patients with ER-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. Vepdegestrant is the first PROTAC to be evaluated in a phase III trial (Abstract LBA1000).
In a phase III trial (OASIS-4) reported at the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting and in The New England Journal of Medicine, Cardoso et al attempted to determine whether the neurokinin-targeted therapy elinzanetant reduced the risk of vasomotor symptoms from endocrine therapy for patients with hormone...
The disparities in breast cancer incidence and mortality rates between Black and White women in the United States have been well documented. Studies over the past decade consistently show that although Black women have a 4% lower breast cancer incidence rate than White women, they are still between ...
With the approval of HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate options for treating patients with breast cancer across different HER2 expression levels, accurate assessment of HER2 expression has become more important than ever. And a recent study may provide a solution to the challenge of accurate...
“Inavolisib plus palbociclib and fulvestrant significantly improved overall survival compared with placebo plus palbociclib/fulvestrant…. This is the first time overall survival has been significantly improved by a PI3K pathway–targeted drug,” said Nicholas Turner, MD, PhD, FRCP,FMedSci, who...
In a long-term follow-up of an Israeli phase II trial reported in a research letter in JAMA Oncology, Evron et al compared prophylactic radiation therapy (RT) of the contralateral breast vs surveillance in BRCA pathogenic variant carriers with early-stage breast cancer. Study Details In the...
Patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy demonstrated moderate changes in their cardiac function over a period of several years, and patients who received a maximum left anterior descending artery dose had a modest worsening in both systolic and diastolic function, according to the...
Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, of City of Hope, and Rebecca Alexandra Dent, MD, FASCO, of National Cancer Centre Singapore, review the results of a biomarker analysis of the DESTINY-Breast06 trial, which evaluated trastuzumab deruxtecan after endocrine therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer (Abstract 1013). They also discuss findings from the SERENA-6 and EMBER-3 trials, also presented at ASCO 2025, and what all this new data means for the sequencing of endocrine therapy in patients with breast cancer.
Neil M. Iyengar, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, reviews several studies that aimed to answer two questions: does menopausal hormone therapy (HRT) impact overall survival and breast cancer–specific mortality in younger women diagnosed with high-risk disease (Abstract 10506); and do GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), a class of weight-loss medications, have cancer risk reduction properties (Abstracts 10507 and 10508).