Breast Cancer

In 2001, a grandmother with breast cancer inspired Anthony Leanna, then 10 years old, to start the Heavenly Hats Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that provides free headwear to cancer patients nationwide.

When used as first-line therapy for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, docetaxel (Taxotere) plus trastuzumab (Herceptin) (TH) has similar efficacy to docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (TCH), but the toxicity profiles differ, finds a randomized phase III trial presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology

Postmenopausal women who are receiving tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer have a reduced risk of relapse and death if they switch to the aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin) after several years

Five-year follow-up data from the STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene) trial show that the drugs are similarly effective for preventing invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high risk for the disease, that raloxifene (Evista) was somewhat less effective at preventing noninvasive breast cancer, and that raloxifene is associated with a 30% lower risk of thromboembolic events than tamoxifen.

Capecitabine (Xeloda)/paclitaxel (XP) is at least as efficacious as epirubicin (Ellence)/paclitaxel (EP) as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer, data from a randomized, multicenter phase III trial show

Adding docetaxel (Taxotere) to anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy reduces the risk of relapse, new primaries, and death among women with node-positive breast cancer, first data from the BIG 2-98 trial show.

Johns Hopkins scientists have found that a method they developed to screen body fluids for certain kinds of cells and some of their genetic blueprint is twice as accurate at spotting breast cancer cells as a pathologist's view with a microscope.

Women most at risk for developing breast cancer were the least likely to realize it according to a recent national survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

At the 42nd American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Atlanta, Eli Lilly and Co announced results of a phase II trial evaluating its thoracic cancer drug pemetrexed (Alimta) in first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Low blood levels of vitamin D may worsen the bone loss associated with exemestane (Aromasin), an aromatase inhibitor commonly given to postmenopausal women with breast cancer

YM BioSciences Inc announced that treatment has been started in its phase II trial combining tesmilifene with docetaxel (Taxotere).

Weight gain, particularly after menopause, is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women

The aromatase inhibitors (AIs) anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are significantly more effective than the selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) tamoxifen in preventing recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are likely to replace SERMs as first-line adjuvant therapy for many patients. However, AIs are associated with significantly more osteoporotic fractures and greater bone mineral loss. As antiresorptive agents, oral and intravenous bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), and zoledronic acid (Zometa) have efficacy in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer treatment-related bone loss, or skeletal complications of metastatic disease. Clinical practice guidelines recommend baseline and annual follow-up bone density monitoring for all patients initiating AI therapy. Bisphosphonate therapy should be prescribed for patients with osteoporosis (T score < -2.5) and considered on an individual basis for those with osteopenia (T score < -1). Modifiable lifestyle behaviors including adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing exercise, and smoking cessation should be addressed. Adverse events associated with bisphosphonates include gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity, and osteonecrosis of the jaw. These safety concerns should be balanced with the potential of bisphosphonates to minimize or prevent the debilitating effects of AI-associated bone loss in patients with early, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Tamoxifen as a breast cancer prevention drug has little impact on overall mortality rates for most "high-risk" women, according to a new study.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University, the Center for Breast Care at the Women's Center at Boca Raton Community Hospital, and MeVis, the Center for Diagnostic Systems and Visualization at the University of Breman, Germany, have developed new techniques to aid clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Dr. Maitland DeLand, a radiation oncologist at LSU School of Medicine, New Orleans, and president of OncoLogics, Inc, in Lafayette, La, has found that following radiotherapy for breast cancer, exposing women to low-energy nonthermal light-emitting diode (LED) photomodulation can significantly reduce painful, treatment-interrupting skin reactions.

The aromatase inhibitors (AIs) anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are significantly more effective than the selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM) tamoxifen in preventing recurrence in estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are likely to replace SERMs as first-line adjuvant therapy for many patients. However, AIs are associated with significantly more osteoporotic fractures and greater bone mineral loss. As antiresorptive agents, oral and intravenous bisphosphonates such as alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), and zoledronic acid (Zometa) have efficacy in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis, cancer treatment-related bone loss, or skeletal complications of metastatic disease. Clinical practice guidelines recommend baseline and annual follow-up bone density monitoring for all patients initiating AI therapy. Bisphosphonate therapy should be prescribed for patients with osteoporosis (T score < -2.5) and considered on an individual basis for those with osteopenia (T score < -1). Modifiable lifestyle behaviors including adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing exercise, and smoking cessation should be addressed. Adverse events associated with bisphosphonates include gastrointestinal toxicity, renal toxicity, and osteonecrosis of the jaw. These safety concerns should be balanced with the potential of bisphosphonates to minimize or prevent the debilitating effects of AI-associated bone loss in patients with early, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Women undergoing treatment for cancer say they are being treated differently because of their appearance, according to a survey released by Look Good...Feel Better, the nationwide cancer support program.

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, have received a $2.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the effects of Tibetan yoga in women with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy.

Tamoxifen as a breast cancer prevention drug has little impact on overall mortality rates for most "high-risk" women, according to a new study.

A novel laser engineered to home in on tiny tumors may someday enhance early detection of cancers in breast, skin, and other tissues, researchers report.

Bayer HealthCare announced findings from a study using Bayer Diagnostics' serum HER2/neu test that demonstrated metastatic breast cancer patients whose serum HER2/neu levels decreased by less than 20% experienced decreased benefit from trastuzumab (Herceptin)-based therapy.

Researchers from the Intergroup Exemestane Study have shown for the first time that postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer who switched to the drug exemestane (Aromasin) after taking tamoxifen for 2 to 3 years following initial treatment had a 15% lower risk of dying than those who continued to take tamoxifen.

Over the past 20 years we have witnessed the emergence of a new generation of aromatase inhibitors as valuable antiestrogens in the management of both advanced and early-stage breast cancer. In addition, the list of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents useful in the control of breast cancer has grown considerably. The emergence of anthracyclines was a major chemotherapeutic step forward in the 1980s, and the taxanes have clearly been the agents with the greatest impact on breast cancer treatment over the past decade. The end of the past 2 decades has been characterized by a greater understanding of the molecular biology of breast cancer, rational drug design, and the development of agents that disrupt specific cellular targets and pathways. The development of better prognostic and predictive assays that employ a panel of genes involved in the malignant and metastatic phenotype promises to allow clinicians to better select patients who could forgo adjuvant chemotherapy. Finally, adjunctive and supportive therapy of breast cancer has evolved substantially over the past 20 years. This review will highlight some of the landmark accomplishments during this time, and offer a glimpse at where we might be 20 years from now.

Cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) have been reported with an increasing frequency over the past few years. ONJ is most often identified in patients with cancer who are receiving intravenous bisphosphonate therapy but it has also been diagnosed in patients receiving oral bisphosphonates for nonmalignant conditions. The condition involves exposed bone of the maxilla or mandible. Although it is often associated with a recent dental surgical procedure, spontaneous ONJ can also occur. Patients commonly present with symptoms. Through case reporting and clinical experience, there is a suggestion that the incidence of ONJ in patients with cancer receiving intravenous bisphosphonates ranges between 1% and 10%. Management of ONJ focuses on maximizing oral health, conservative actions with mouth rinses, antibiotics, and avoidance of unnecessary invasive dental procedures. The currently available data on ONJ are reviewed here.

Preliminary research suggests that the substance interleukin (IL)-21 might improve the effectiveness of the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) in treating HER2-positive breast cancer. Laboratory and animal study findings suggest that this happens because the IL-21 boosts the cancer-killing activity of immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells, which attack the tumor.

A long-term, multicenter study has shown that the reduction in breast and ovarian cancer risk resulting from oophorectomy&#151;the removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes in women at genetically high risk for these diseases&#151;varies according to the type of genetic mutation present. Specifically, women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene have a greater reduction in ovarian cancer risk following the surgery, while those with BRCA2 mutations have a larger decrease in breast cancer risk. The study results were presented in Atlanta at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.

New 23-month follow-up data from the HERceptin Adjuvant (HERA) study, one of the largest breast cancer trials ever carried out, show that trastuzumab (Herceptin) following standard chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of death by 34% for women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

Acceptance of expensive new technologies often rests on their proven cost-effectiveness within specific clinical scenarios. A recent article (Plevritis et al: Cost-effectiveness of screening BRCA1/2 mutation carriers with breast MRI. JAMA 295:2374-2384, 2006) suggested that adding breast MRI screening may be cost-effective for women of certain ages who carry BRCA1/2 gene mutations. To shed light on this subject, Cancer Care & Economics (CC&E) spoke with noted breast imaging expert Elsie Levin, MD, medical director of the Faulkner-Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Centre in Boston.

The Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) compared and contrasted the efficacy and side effects of tamoxifen, the established agent, with raloxifene (Evista)&#151;a medicine that is currently used for the prevention of osteoporosis in high-risk postmenopausal women, but also reduces the incidence of breast cancer.