The risk of developing breast cancer may be increased among some women who undergo menopause prior to age 46, according to a recent study published by Allen-Brady et al in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Background Early menopause occurs in women aged 40 to 45 years. Primary ...
Cancer screening may cost more than $40 billion annually in the United States, according to a recent study published by Halpern et al in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Study Methods and Results In the recent modeling study, investigators used national health-care survey and cost resources data to ...
The results of routine blood tests could be used to speed up cancer diagnoses among patients with abdominal symptoms, according to a recent study published by Rafiq et al in PLOS Medicine. Background Most patients who report symptoms of abdominal pain or bloating to their physicians are referred...
A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model may prove to be effective at predicting which patients with breast cancer are likely to develop chronic pain, according to a recent study published by Park et al in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. The findings may help physicians to better understand...
A model-based analysis reported in JACC: CardioOncology by Busschaert et al suggested that the heart-sparing deep inspiration breath-hold vs free-breathing radiation therapy technique is cost-effective—despite increasing treatment time—and may improve the long-term cardiovascular health of patients ...
In an analysis from the NRG Oncology/NSABP B-42 trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Priya Rastogi, MD, and colleagues found that the 70-gene MammaPrint assay findings did not predict the distant recurrence benefit of extended letrozole therapy vs placebo in patients with...
This is Part 3 of Next-Generation Therapies for Metastatic Hormone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer: Where Are We Headed?, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Virginia Kaklamani, William Gradishar, and Komal Jhaveri discuss the management of endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer. The patient is a 66-year-old postmenopausal woman who was originally diagnosed with a right ER 30% PR 20% HER2 2+ breast cancer. She underwent a partial mastectomy showing a 2.1-cm tumor and one positive lymph node; her Oncotype recurrence score was 35. She received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy and then started treatment with aromatase inhibitor (AI) and abemaciclib. While on abemaciclib, she presents with shortness of breath, and imaging shows a pleural effusion and lung nodules. A lung biopsy confirms ER 20% PR 0% HER2 1+ breast cancer. In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss whether antibody-drug conjugates are an option in the first-line setting for endocrine-resistant disease; how to approach sequencing of antibody-drug conjugates; and the appropriate management of toxicities associated with these agents.
This is Part 2 of Next-Generation Therapies for Metastatic HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Where Are We Headed?, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Virginia Kaklamani, William Gradishar, and Komal Jhaveri discuss the management of PIK3CA-mutated metastatic breast cancer. The patient is a 45-year-old premenopausal woman who was originally diagnosed with a right ER 90% PR 80% HER2 1+ breast cancer. She underwent a partial mastectomy, which revealed a 1.5-cm tumor with one positive lymph node. After receiving adjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy, she began treatment with ovarian function suppression (OFS), an aromatase inhibitor (AI), and abemaciclib. She completed 2 years of abemaciclib and continued OFS and AI. Now, 2 years later, she presents with increased fatigue and weight loss. Imaging shows two liver lesions and multiple bone metastases, and a liver biopsy confirms ER 50% PR 40% HER2 1+ breast cancer. In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss combination treatment options for PIK3CA-mutated metastatic breast cancer; the importance of clinical trials; adverse events associated with PI3K inhibitors; and more.
This is Part 1 of Next-Generation Therapies for Metastatic HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Where Are We Headed?, a three-part video roundtable series. Scroll down to watch the other videos from this roundtable. In this video, Drs. Virginia Kaklamani, William Gradishar, and Komal Jhaveri discuss the management of ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer. The patient is a 54-year-old postmenopausal woman who was initially diagnosed with a left ER 90% PR 30% HER2 1+ breast cancer. She underwent a partial mastectomy, revealing a 2.3-cm tumor that was lymph node negative. Her Oncotype recurrence score was 21. After receiving radiation therapy, she completed 5 years of treatment with an aromatase inhibitor, but now 2 years later presents with back pain. Imaging shows three lesions in the lumbar spine, and a biopsy confirms ER 80% PR 40% HER2 1+ breast cancer. In the conversation that follows, the faculty discuss the utility of next-generation sequencing in the first-line setting; patient considerations when deciding on treatment after disease progression; the role of oral SERDs in ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer; and more.
Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP, of Fred Hutch Cancer Center, discusses her presentation on new therapeutic strategies for HER2-positive metastatic disease including brain metastases. Dr. Hurvitz is Senior Vice President and Director, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch.
Patients with BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer following treatment, according to a recent study published by Evans et al in Genetics in Medicine. Background Previous research has estimated that the risk of developing breast cancer by the age...
The results of a contemporary U.S. population–based cohort study published by Giannakeas et al in JAMA Oncology revealed that patients with unilateral breast cancer had an increased risk of breast cancer–related death after developing contralateral disease. Although the findings also showed a...
Guest Editor’s Note: Chemotherapy and its side effects can lead to decreased physical activity and poor diet quality, resulting in unfavorable changes in physical functioning and quality of life. However, adopting healthy behaviors during cancer treatments can be challenging because of physical,...
In a study reported in NEJM Evidence, Joseph A. Sparano, MD, and colleagues found that a risk score integrating the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) with clinicopathologic factors—the RSClin tool—performed well in predicting risk of late distant recurrence in patients with breast cancer. Study...
Kristin Rojas, MD, FACS, of the University of Miami, shares key points from her discussion on improving sexual health during breast cancer treatment. Dr. Rojas is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, Division of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami Health System. She presented her talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer East.
Joseph A. Sparano, MD, FACP, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discusses his presentation on premenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive early breast cancer. Dr. Sparano is the Ezra M. Greenspan, MD, Professor in Clinical Cancer Therapeutics, Chief of the Division of Hematology Oncology, and Deputy Director of the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He presented his talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer East.
Paolo Tarantino, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, shares key points from his discussion on the current and future landscape of antibody-drug conjugates. Dr. Tarantino is an Advanced Research Fellow in the Breast Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. He is also affiliated with the European Institute of Oncology. Dr. Tarantino presented his talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer East.
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO, of UCLA Health/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares key points from his discussion on novel therapies targeting the estrogen receptor. Dr. Bardia is Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of Translational Research Integration. He presented his talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer West.
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Matikas et al, the prespecified end-of-study analysis of the European phase III PANTHER trial showed significant improvements in outcomes with tailored dose-dense vs standard adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with high-risk early breast cancer. As...
In a U.S. study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Steven J. Katz, MD, MPH, and colleagues found that many women with early breast cancer and indications for genetic testing do not undergo said testing. Study Details The study involved data from 1,412 women aged 20 to 79 years...
Researchers have found that many eligible breast cancer survivors may not be receiving genetic counseling and testing, according to a recent study published by Katz et al in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Background A growing proportion of cancer treatment and survivorship care relies on...
Some patients with a genetic predisposition for cancer may not qualify for genetic screenings under the current guidelines, according to a recent study published by Samadder et al in JCO Precision Oncology. Researchers are investigating how to advance personalized medicine and tailor prevention and ...
Heather McArthur, MD, MPH, talks about immunotherapy for high-risk, early-stage breast cancer. Dr. McArthur is Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Director of the Breast Cancer Program at Simmons Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Houston. She presented her talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer West.
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO, of UCLA Health/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares key points from his discussion on the current and future landscape of antibody-drug conjugates. Dr. Bardia is Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Director of Translational Research Integration. He presented his talk at the Annual International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer West.
The search for biomarkers of response to immunotherapy is high on the list of cancer-related research efforts. A new classifier in triple-negative breast cancer is showing promise and is currently being validated in the I-SPY2.2 trial, according to Laura van ’t Veer, PhD, Professor of Laboratory...
Gender-affirming testosterone therapy may have a potential protective benefit in transmasculine patients at risk of breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Heng et al in Breast Cancer Research. Background To treat their gender dysphoria, some transmasculine patients undergo...
Researchers have developed a novel prompt, embedded in electronic health records, to flag older patients with early-stage breast cancer who may be at risk of unnecessary sentinel lymph node biopsy, according to a recent study published by Carleton et al in JAMA Surgery. Background “In breast...
In patients with triple-negative early breast cancer deemed to be at high risk for recurrence, 1 year of adjuvant avelumab did not significantly improve disease-free survival but did significantly improve overall survival and risk of distant disease–free survival events. The results from the...
Hormone-modulating therapy used to treat patients with breast cancer may be associated with a 7% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias later in life, according to a recent study published by Cai et al in JAMA Network Open. Background About 67% of patients with breast...
In an Australian single-center trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ramchand et al found that denosumab prevented bone loss vs placebo in premenopausal women with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer receiving estradiol suppression therapy. Study Details In the double-blind...
In a single-center study reported in JAMA Network Open, Kerollos Nashat Wanis, MD, PhD, and colleagues found that women with breast cancer and a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant who underwent breast-conserving therapy had a 71% rate of 10-year bilateral mastectomy–free survival. Study Details The study...
In a 5-year update of the phase II ATEMPT trial reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Tarantino et al found that 1 year of adjuvant ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) was associated with “outstanding” long-term outcomes in patients with stage I HER2-positive breast cancer. Study Details In...
Researchers have developed a novel tool that may help to predict the risk of experiencing peripheral neuropathy following treatment with taxanes in patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Engvall et al in npj Precision Oncology. The findings may aid physicians in...
In a Canadian study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Hahn et al evaluated the impact of certain predictive models for local and invasive local recurrence in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery with or without adjuvant radiotherapy for pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)....
On November 16, 2023, capivasertib (Truqap) was approved for use with fulvestrant for patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer with one or more PIK3CA/AKT1/PTEN alterations, following disease progression on at least one endocrine-based...
The antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab tirumotecan extended overall survival as well as progression-free survival vs chemotherapy in patients with previously treated triple-negative breast cancer, according to the results of OptiTROP-Breast01, a phase III study presented at the 2024 ASCO Annual...
In a Danish study reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Schmidt et al, it was found that living alone and being unemployed were associated with reduced adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy among premenopausal women with breast cancer. Study Details The study involved data from a...
Results from the ECOG-ACRIN EAZ171 trial—reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Schneider et al—showed that germline predictors of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy were not associated with an increased risk of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in Black women with early-stage breast...
Investigators have identified disparities in the rates of breast reconstruction following mastectomy among American Indian and Alaskan Native women compared with non-Hispanic White women, according to a recent study published by White et al in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Background Breast...
Both tai chi and cognitive behavioral therapy may reduce insomnia and inflammation and bolster antiviral defenses in breast cancer survivors, according to a recent study published by Irwin et al in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Background Chronic insomnia—one of the most prominent symptoms...
In a French study (CANTO) reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Soldato et al found that increasing pretreatment exercise levels was associated with a longer distant recurrence–free interval up to a threshold exercise level in patients with primary breast cancer. The benefit of exercise...
Milana Bergamino Sirvén, MD, PhD, of Spain’s Institute of Cancer Research, discusses her findings on molecular profiling of patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-positive early-stage breast tumors after short-term preoperative endocrine therapy. This study suggests that such profiling may help clinicians identify those patients with a favorable prognosis for adjuvant endocrine therapy and those who may require additional treatment (Abstract 560).
Ciara C. O’Sullivan, MD, MBBCh, of Mayo Clinic, discusses three studies of treatment for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and their clinical implications: the EMERALD trial of eribulin and taxane; the Patricia Cohort C trial of palbociclib plus trastuzumab and endocrine therapy; and DB07 on trastuzumab deruxtecan with or without palbociclib.
Researchers have uncovered the impact of chemotherapy on the gut microbiome in patients with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Otto-Dobos et al in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Background Chemotherapy is known to cause behavioral side effects, including cognitive decline....
For hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer that has progressed on CDK4/6 inhibition plus endocrine therapy, the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib plus fulvestrant significantly reduced the risk of further disease progression in the phase III postMONARCH study.1 “The postMONARCH ...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Javier Cortés, MD, PhD, and colleagues, the phase III AMEERA-5 trial of first-line treatment with the selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) amcenestrant plus palbociclib vs letrozole plus palbociclib in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive,...
Acupuncture may be effective at reducing the hormonal side effects of endocrine therapy in women with breast cancer, according to a recent study published by Lu et al in Cancer. Background Although endocrine therapy—which is capable of blocking the hormone signaling that drive some types of...
Research examining fertility and attempts at pregnancy among young women after a breast cancer diagnosis has been hampered by short-term follow-up and a lack of prospective assessment of pregnancy attempts. However, a long-term study investigating fertility outcomes among young women who reported...
As reported in The New England Journal of Medicine by Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues, interim analysis of the phase III NATALEE trial has shown improved invasive disease–free survival with the addition of...
As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Sandoval et al, after a diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer, the magnitude of preexisting socioeconomic status–related inequalities in quality of life increased over time for patients in the multicentric French CANTO cohort. “When we talk about ...