Breast Cancer

Scientists have identified a novel way metastatic breast cancer cells can bypass targeted therapy. Breast cancer cells with an active PI3K/mTOR pathway treated with a PI3K inhibitor are able to turn up a different pathway, the Janus family of kinases, and continue to grow.

Triple-negative breast cancer patients with primary invasive cancer did not benefit from adjuvant combination chemotherapy plus bevacizumab compared to chemotherapy alone.

Combining histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors with PARP inhibitors or cisplatin has the potential to be an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, according to preclinical research presented this week at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

A small study analyzing neurocognitive function in women undergoing chemotherapy to treat their breast cancer shows that some of the common cognitive issues experienced by breast cancer patients tend to occur not only post-chemotherapy, but also prior to chemotherapy treatment.

Combining an investigational agent called PD 0332991 with letrozole improved progression-free survival over letrozole alone in women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, according to a study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium this week.

A large cohort study found that black women with early-stage invasive breast cancer were significantly less likely than white patients to undergo the less invasive axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy. Black women also had a higher rate of lymphedema, due largely to that difference in treatment modalities.

Increasing the dose of fulvestrant from 250 mg to 500 mg yielded a longer median overall survival as well as a lower overall risk of death in women with locally advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, according to results from the CONFIRM trial.

Breast cancer patients 35 years and younger, even those with luminal-like disease, derive more benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy than do older patients, according to a German study presented at SABCS.

Patients who took tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for ER-positive breast cancer for 10 years had both a reduced risk of recurrence and better overall survival compared to patients who stopped after 5 years, according to results of the ATLAS study presented at SABCS.

To kick off SABCS 2012, we discuss the use of molecular testing for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer patients in the clinical setting with Dr. Antonio Wolff of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, one of the presenter's during the "Practical Use of Molecular Profiling" session at this year's symposium.

A new study shows that adding a new three-dimensional breast imaging technique called tomosynthesis to digital mammography can increase diagnostic accuracy and reduce false-positive rates.

A study examining the association of treatment outcome and body mass index (BMI) among breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant therapy found no difference in terms of benefit from therapy based on patients’ BMI.

A new drug combination of lapatinib (Tykerb) and capecitabine (Xeloda) shrunk brain tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer patients whose cancer had spread to the brain, showing it is active as a first-line brain metastases treatment with similar efficacy to whole-brain radiotherapy.

A US and European team has developed a 3D technique that produces sharper breast images than those available with standard CT scanners, allowing earlier and more accurate detection of breast tumors.

A large study of the impact of patient navigation (PN) on breast cancer management has found that women who receive PN are diagnosed faster than non-navigated women, and the difference is most striking among biopsied women.

Until more data are available, we reserve bisphosphonates for women with evidence of decreased bone mineral density who are at increased risk of fracture and for those on clinical trials.

In this review we describe the current evidence for use of bisphosphonates as part of the adjuvant treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer.

At present, caution is urged in use of osteoclast-targeted therapy in early-stage breast cancer patients. Not all are at risk for therapy-induced bone loss, and the majority are not at risk for recurrence following adjuvant therapy. Toxicities exist, and there is financial cost to consider.

A new imaging method--optical imaging mammography--is being developed as a tool that aims to provide a better way to identify breast cancer and to monitor patients’ responses to localized treatment.

A large collaborative sequencing study using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas shows basal-like breast cancers share similar genetic origins and features with serous ovarian tumors.

In a study using mouse models, researchers found evidence that metabolic dysregulation induced by dietary factors can stimulate breast growth and confer breast cancer risk.

The FDA has approved an ultrasound device shown to be capable of detecting small masses in dense breasts. The device is indicated for use in combination with mammography for breast cancer screening.

We speak with Clifford Hudis, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, about the recent advances in breast cancer treatment and the top news to come out of this year’s ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium.

Several presentations at the ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium addressed important questions in triple-negative breast cancer: are there promising new treatment approaches for these patients and how can we identify which patients are high risk?

The 18-month results of the phase III BOLERO-2 trial were presented at the ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium, confirming earlier survival results.

Final results of the RIBBON-2 trial show that adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to chemotherapy does not improve overall survival in advanced breast cancer patients who have been previously treated for their metastatic disease.

A new device called MarginProbe may soon be available to help surgeons determine the minimal amount of tissue to be removed during a lumpectomy and reduce re-excision rates.

In this video, Tari A. King, MD, of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses what to look for at this year’s ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium.

In assessing the value of innovations in breast cancer radiotherapy, it is important to consider not only the basis of their impact on mortality, local recurrence, and cosmesis; emphasis should also be placed on factors such as treatment tolerance, convenience, and delayed morbidities.

With the publication of mature experiences using accelarated partial breast irradiation (APBI) and accelerated whole breast irradiation (AWBI), the use of shortened courses of radiotherapy has become increasingly popular.