Distant Metastasis–Free Survival With Adjuvant vs No Adjuvant Chemotherapy According to Genomic and Clinical Risk in Early Breast Cancer
In an updated analysis of the European phase III MINDACT trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Martine Piccart, MD, and colleagues found confirmatory evidence of the initial finding of a high rate of distant metastasis–free survival among patients with high–clinical-risk but low–genomic-risk...
No Benefit Found for Everolimus Plus Adjuvant Hormone Therapy in High-Risk Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Everolimus plus hormone therapy improves outcomes in the advanced disease setting but apparently not in the adjuvant setting, according to the results of the UNIRAD trial, presented as a part of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Virtual Plenary program.1 “In the UNIRAD study, after...
Time to Treatment Initiation for Breast Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Single-Institution Study
In a single-institution study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Hawrot et al found that there was no increase in time to treatment initiation after histologic diagnosis in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, they did find...
William J. Gradishar, MD, on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: NCCN Guidelines Update
William J. Gradishar, MD, of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discusses the latest recommendations from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for treating patients with triple-negative breast cancer; data on early-stage and advanced disease; and the role of checkpoint inhibitors, antibody-drug conjugates, and PARP inhibitors.
DCIS Biologic Risk Signature May Predict Risk of Recurrence and Radiation Benefit After Breast-Conserving Surgery
Women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and elevated decision scores had a significantly higher risk of ipsilateral breast events and a greater relative benefit from radiation therapy compared to women with lower decision scores, according to research presented by Mann et al at the Society of...
Improving the Prognostic Accuracy of Residual Cancer Burden After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer
An analysis of 546 patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated that residual cancer burden is prognostic for overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and distant relapse–free survival, according to research presented by White et al at the Society of Surgical...
Pembrolizumab vs Chemotherapy in Previously Treated Patients With Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: KEYNOTE-119
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Eric P. Winer, MD, FASCO, and colleagues, the phase III KEYNOTE-119 trial showed no significant improvement in overall survival with pembrolizumab vs investigator’s choice of chemotherapy in the second- or third-line treatment of metastatic triple-negative...
Persistent Use of Low-Value Breast Cancer Surgeries Designated for Deimplementation by Choosing Wisely
In a retrospective cohort study reported in JAMA Surgery, Wang et al found persistent use of low-value breast cancer surgeries designated for deimplementation by the Choosing Wisely program, with a wide interfacility variation in use of these procedures. Study Details The study used National Cancer ...
Novel HER2-Targeted Therapies Pose Sequencing Challenges
With three new HER2-targeted therapies approved in the past 15 months alone, the treatment landscape for patients with metastatic breast cancer has become increasingly crowded. In the third-line setting and beyond, there are now at least eight HER2-targeted agents approved by the U.S. Food and Drug ...
Study Finds Regularly Drinking Sugar-Sweetened Soda May Increase Total and Breast Cancer Mortality
New research published by Koyratty et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that patients with breast cancer who drink sugar-sweetened beverages regularly are at increased risk for death from any cause, and from breast cancer in particular. Compared to women who never or...
FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee to Review Status of Six Indications Granted Accelerated Approval
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the agency will hold a public meeting of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee on April 27 to 29 to discuss six indications granted accelerated approval that have since reported results from confirmatory trials that have not...
Older Breast Cancer Survivors May Consider Discontinuing Screening Mammography in the Setting of Limited Life Expectancy
Newly issued mammography screening guidelines for breast cancer survivors aged 75 and older recommend discontinuing routine mammography for those with a life expectancy of less than 5 years and considering discontinuation of routine screening for those with a life expectancy between 5 and 10 years. ...
Miami Breast Cancer Conference: Genomic Assays Show Utility in Predicting Pathologic Complete Response Rate in Pre- and Postmenopausal Patients With Breast Cancer
New data from the prospective Neoadjuvant Breast Symphony Trial (NBRST), which demonstrated the predictive and prognostic abilities of the MammaPrint and BluePrint assays and underpinned their preoperative utility in pre-and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer, were presented at PER’s Miami...
Miami Breast Cancer Conference: Updated DESTINY-Breast01 Results Show Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-nxki Delivers Durable Responses
In updated results from the pivotal DESTINY-Breast01 trial, trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (T-DXd) demonstrated high rates of durable responses consistent with prior results, with encouraging progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. These...
New Global Breast Cancer Initiative Highlights Renewed Commitment to Improve Survival
A major new collaborative effort, the Global Breast Cancer Initiative, was introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO), with the objective of reducing global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year until 2040, thereby averting an estimated 2.5 million deaths. In recognition of International ...
Outcomes With Internal Mammary and Medial Supraclavicular Nodal Irradiation in Stage I to III Breast Cancer
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Philip M. Poortmans, PhD, Department of Radiation Oncology of the Iridium Netwerk and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, and colleagues, 15-year outcomes of the phase III EORTC 22922/10925 trial show continued reduction in...
Salpingo-Oophorectomy to Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk in Women With BRCA1 or BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants May Also Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
In a study reported in JAMA Oncology, Choi et al found that risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer within 5 years after surgery, with evidence of longer-term risk reduction among those with BRCA1...
Increase in Diagnosis of Node-Positive and Stage III Breast Cancer After Screening Interruption Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
A new report from Italy published by Toss et al in ESMO Open noted an increase in diagnoses of node-positive and stage III breast cancer after a 2-month interruption in breast cancer screening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings support recommendations for a quick restoration of breast...
Adherence to Adjuvant Hormonal Therapy Among Commercially Insured Women With Breast Cancer
In a study reported in JCO Oncology Practice, Zhao et al found that 5-year adherence to adjuvant hormonal therapy was low among commercially insured women with breast cancer in the United States. The retrospective observational study used data from the IBM MarketScan Research Databases to identify...
Miami Breast Cancer Conference: Study Examines Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Hispanic and Black Patients
Few studies documenting the benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer have been conducted in minority populations. A single-institution study reported at PER's Miami Breast Cancer Conference, held virtually this year, confirmed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy improved axillary disease in...
Effect of Clinical Breast Examination Screening on Stage at Diagnosis and Breast Cancer Mortality
In an Indian study reported in the British Medical Journal, Mittra et al found that breast cancer screening with clinical breast examination vs active surveillance resulted in younger age and significant downstaging of disease at diagnosis of breast cancer, a significant reduction in breast cancer...
Study Finds Missing Annual Mammogram Increases Risk of Death From Breast Cancer
Regular mammography screening substantially reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer, according to a large study of over half a million women published by Stephen W. Duffy, MSc, and colleagues in the journal Radiology. Researchers said women who skipped even one scheduled mammography screening...
Updates From Selected Clinical Trials in Breast Cancer
Each year, following the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), The ASCO Post asks Jame Abraham, MD, FACP, to offer his picks of the most important and most clinically relevant research presented at this meeting. The following are summaries of studies that caught Dr. Abraham’s attention from ...
PHOEBE Trial: Pyrotinib/Capecitabine vs Lapatinib/Capecitabine in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Previously Treated With Trastuzumab
In a prespecified interim analysis of the Chinese phase III PHOEBE trial reported in The Lancet Oncology, Xu et al found that the combination of the irreversible pan-HER inhibitor pyrotinib plus capecitabine significantly prolonged progression-free survival vs lapatinib plus capecitabine in...
I Let Science, Not Emotion, Dictate My Treatment
I had my first experience with cancer when I was just 3 or 4 years old and complained to my mother that my “tummy hurt.” I was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, the same cancer my 18-month-old brother died of before I was born. I remember being in the hospital for weeks at a time and being known by...
The CARG-BC Score: Novel Tool for Predicting Chemotherapy Toxicity in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Allison Magnuson, DO, of the University of Rochester Medical Center & Wilmot Cancer Institute, and Mina S. Sedrak, MD, MS, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, along with colleagues, have developed a novel risk tool—the Cancer and Aging...
Prognostic Tool RSClin Introduced for Early Breast Cancer
Data from the TAILORx study and several National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) trials have been used to develop a new prognostic tool, RSClin, which aims to individualize the estimate of recurrence risk in early breast cancer and to more accurately predict the risk-reduction...
Can Weight Loss During Treatment and Follow-up Affect Breast Cancer Outcomes?
Research published by Martel et al in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network examined body mass index (BMI) data for patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer—and found a 5% weight loss in patients over 2 years was associated with worse outcomes. Weight gain over the same...
Trends in Germline Genetic Testing in Women Diagnosed With Breast or Ovarian Cancer
In a study of germline genetic testing in women diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Allison W. Kurian, MD, MSc, and colleagues found that undertesting persists in patients with ovarian cancer, and that most pathogenic variants are found in 20 breast ...
Addition of Adjuvant Pertuzumab to Chemotherapy Plus Trastuzumab in Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: 6-Year Follow-up of the APHINITY Trial
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Martine Piccart, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the preplanned second interim analysis of overall survival in the phase III APHINITY trial showed no significant benefit of the addition of adjuvant pertuzumab to chemotherapy plus trastuzumab after a...
Have Breast Cancer Mortality Rates Stopped Declining for Younger Women?
Breast cancer death rates have stopped declining for women in the United States younger than age 40, ending a trend that existed from 1987 to 2010, according to a report published by Hendrick et al in Radiology. Breast cancer is the most common nonskin cancer and the second most common cause of...
Elacestrant for Heavily Pretreated Patients With ER-Positive, HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer
In a phase I trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, and colleagues identified activity of the oral selective estrogen receptor (ER) degrader (SERD) elacestrant in postmenopausal women with heavily pretreated ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, including...
Expert Point of View: Shoshana Rosenberg, ScD, MPH
Shoshana Rosenberg, ScD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, weighed in on the implications of these findings. “The study underscores the importance of addressing psychosocial health in survivorship. it targeted a particularly...
Meditation and Education Interventions May Improve Depressive Symptoms in Young Breast Cancer Survivors
A diagnosis of breast cancer and subsequent treatment may increase the risk of depression, especially among younger women with breast cancer. A new study showed that behavioral interventions—specifically mindfulness meditation and survivorship education classes—may reduce depressive symptoms, as...
Expert Point of View: William Gradishar, MD
William Gradishar, MD, the Betsy Bramsen Professor of Breast Oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Deputy Director for the Clinical Network of the Lurie Cancer Center, commented on the findings of the ASCENT biomarker analysis in the closing panel discussion. The...
Is Trop-2 Expression Associated With Benefit From Sacituzumab Govitecan-hziy?
The antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (sacituzumab govitecan) is beneficial in previously treated patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, irrespective of Trop-2 expression, according to a biomarker analysis of the phase III ASCENT trial.1 Although greater efficacy...
Study Examines Pregnancy Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors
Breast cancer survivors of child-bearing age appear to have a more difficult time becoming pregnant than the general population, and when they do become pregnant, they have a higher risk of preterm labor and need for cesarean section. Fortunately, most women deliver healthy babies, but they are...
Expert Point of View: Neil M. Iyengar, MD
Neil M. Iyengar, MD, Assistant Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, has researched the links between breast cancer and lifestyle. He provided comments on these two abstracts from the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) for The ASCO Post. “These two...
Can a High-Carbohydrate Diet Increase the Risk for Breast Cancer?
A growing body of evidence is showing a strong association between diet and breast cancer risk and survival, particularly high glycemic load and sugar intake. Two large population studies at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium supported these observations.1,2 Findings from the Nurses’...
Role of Twitter in Identifying Barriers to Care Among Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Information shared by women with metastatic breast cancer on social media platforms like Twitter may be a timely source of data for policymakers hoping to improve care and outcomes for these patients, according to a study published by Shimkhada et al in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance. Role of...
Breast Cancer–Specific Mortality by Race/Ethnicity and 21-Gene Recurrence Scores
In a U.S. population–based cohort study reported in JAMA Oncology, Hoskins et al found that among patients with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer, Black women were more likely than White women to have a high Oncotype DX 21-gene recurrence score. Researchers also found that breast...
Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care Has Been ‘Profound,’ According to WHO
More than a year since the new coronavirus crisis began, its impact on cancer care has been stark, with “50% of governments (having) cancer services partially or completely disrupted because of the pandemic,” said André Ilbawi, MD, of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department of...
Margetuximab-cmkb vs Trastuzumab in Heavily Pretreated Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: SOPHIA Trial
As reported in JAMA Oncology by Hope S. Rugo, MD, and colleagues, the phase III SOPHIA trial has shown significantly prolonged progression-free survival with margetuximab-cmkb plus chemotherapy vs trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who experienced disease...
Protein-Truncating and Rare Missense Variants in Breast Cancer Risk Genes: Association With Disease Risk
In a study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, members of the international Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) identified the risk of disease associated with germline protein-truncating and rare missense variants of putative susceptibility genes in a large population of breast ...
Expert Point of View: Virginia Kaklamani, MD
Press conference moderator Virginia Kaklamani, MD, of UT Health San Antonio, and Leader of the Breast Cancer Program, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, weighed in on this study. “This study compared patients’ reports with physicians’ reports about the severity of symptoms. It is a...
Severity of Patients’ Symptoms May Be Underrecognized During and After Breast Radiotherapy
Physicians may commonly underrecognize radiation-associated symptoms and their severity compared with self-reports of patients with breast cancer, according to a large study comparing patient-reported outcomes with physician assessments of four common radiation-associated symptoms: pain, pruritus, ...
New Surveillance Mammography Screening Guidelines Issued for Breast Cancer Survivors Aged 75 and Older
A nationwide panel of experts has developed the first mammography guidelines for older survivors of breast cancer, providing a framework for discussions between survivors and their physicians on screening in survivors’ later years. The guidelines, published today by Rachel A. Freedman, MD, MPH, and ...
Addition of Adjuvant Palbociclib to Ongoing Endocrine Therapy in HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Early Breast Cancer: PALLAS Trial
As reported in The Lancet Oncology by Erica L. Mayer, MD, and colleagues, the second interim analysis of the phase III PALLAS trial showed no improvement in invasive disease–free survival with the addition of adjuvant palbociclib to ongoing endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor...
Prevalence of and Risk Associated With Breast Cancer Predisposition Genes: U.S. Population-Based Study
In a U.S. population-based, case-control study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Hu et al identified the prevalence of and risk associated with germline pathogenic variants in established and candidate breast cancer predisposition genes. Study Details The study involved 32,247 women...
Finding Hope With Cancer
Sometimes there just is no escaping cancer. I thought I had done everything right. I was diligent about adhering to my annual physical exams, including mammograms, and routinely performed breast self-exams to spot any early changes in my breasts. Still, in the summer of 2015, I was diagnosed with...
