Breast Cancer

Empathy and cultural sensitivity enable navigators to be effective champions for patients with cancer. This is the third in a series of articles about patient navigation.

In just over 5 years, the growth and development in the field of breast cancer have been astronomical. Julie Nangia, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, discusses the recent explosion of knowledge about non-BRCA genes, and the significant progress in therapies targeted to BRCA mutation carriers.

Cryotherapy delivered through frozen gloves and socks during paclitaxel (Taxol) infusion dramatically reduced objective and subjective symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in a small study of patients with breast cancer.

Patients whose cancers have metastasized to the brain or central nervous system are often excluded from clinical trials, but now, new guidelines may help researchers identify appropriate clinical trials in which these people may be included.

Changes in cognitive function, or chemobrain, are common among patients who survive breast cancer. However, limited efforts have been put in to understanding or managing these cognitive changes in survivors. Now, there is a web site that can help with just that.

The first large, multicenter trial to investigate the effect of acupuncture in treating aromatase inhibitor-induced joint symptoms in women with breast cancer reported a statistically significant reduction in pain with acupuncture use.

Trastuzumab (Herceptin) did not reduce cardiac function in women with node-positive, HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer, according a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of data from 61 studies to determine whether people who stay up all night for work have an increased risk of developing cancer.

The oldest known cases of multiple myeloma and breast cancer have been discovered in two Egyptian mummies which were found in the pharaonic necropolis of Qubbet el-Hawa in Aswan, Egypt.

Results of a large study showed that postmenopausal women who lost 5% or more of their body weight were 12% less likely to develop breast cancer than those whose weight remained stable; those who lost 15% or more reduced their risk by 37%.

Based on results from the phase III OlympiAD trial, the FDA approved olaparib (Lynparza), a PARP inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with germline BRCA-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have previously received chemotherapy. HR-positive patients must also have had prior endocrine therapy.

Though women presenting with breast pain are often sent by their clinicians for different types of breast cancer testing — typically undergoing mammography, an ultrasound, and a physical exam — a new study reveals that breast pain is not necessarily an indicator of cancer.

Some younger women with breast cancer may soon have a new first-line treatment option. Ribociclib (Kisqali), has been granted a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for use in combination with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as frontline treatment for pre- or perimenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

A new study shows that using the targeted agents lapatinib (Tykerb) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) together, combined with an aromatase inhibitor (AI), significantly reduced the risk of death or progression in women with HER2-positive/HR-positive metastatic breast cancer compared with each single targeted agent in combination with an AI.

The combination of olaparib (Lynparza) and durvalumab (Imfinzi) for pretreated patients with germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm), HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer shows great promise for future treatment.

The FDA has approved a novel breast-specific stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) device known as GammaPod as a treatment for patients with early breast cancer, based on findings from a 17-patient study.

Mothaffar Fahed Rimawi, MD, explains the importance of targeting treatments for patients with low levels of HER2 protein based on their genetic mutations, and the possible use of immunotherapy for these patients.

The FDA has approved the combination of pertuzumab (Perjeta), trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer at high risk for recurrence.

Results of a new study show that adding ribociclib (Kisqali) to standard endocrine therapy with temporary ovarian suppression significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) when used as a first-line treatment for

This PARP inhibitor therapy is more effective than chemotherapy in extending progression-free survival and reducing risk of death from BRCA-positive breast cancer.

Shortening the intervals between chemotherapy cycles or administering the drugs sequentially compared to current techniques reduces early-stage breast cancer recurrence and mortality, study shows.

Trastuzumab (Herceptin) biosimilar MYL-1401O (Ogivri; trastuzumab-dkst), which is co-developed by Mylan and Biocon, has just been approved by the FDA for HER2-positive patients with breast cancer or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, the same indications as trastuzumab.

Although much success has been seen, 15% of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer will recur. Outcomes for those patients need to be improved, said Sara M. Tolaney, MD.

Three CDK 4/6 inhibitors—palbociclib (Ibrance), ribociclib (Kisqali), and abemaciclib (Verzenio)— are game-changers in the field of breast cancer, explained Richard S. Finn, MD.

The FDA has approved fulvestrant (Faslodex) for use in combination with the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio) to treat patients with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have progressed after endocrine therapy.