Breast Cancer

Thought leaders from NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center highlight the latest groundbreaking breast cancer research being conducted at their institution.

With the revolution in our understanding of cancer’s basic molecular biology, it is increasingly evident that subgroups of cancer originating from specific regions of the body have unique natural histories and respond to very different therapeutics. For example, the importance of BRCA mutations, which define a subset of ovarian cancers impressively sensitive to PARP inhibitors, has striking altered the management of this group of gynecologic malignancies.

Kelly E. Westbrook, MD, discusses the 3-year follow-up data on the KRISTINE trial in stage II or III HER2-positive breast cancer.

Sylvia Adams, MD, discusses the biology of triple-negative breast cancer, data sparking excitement in the field, and intriguing trials on the horizon.

Shubhada Dhage, MD, FACS, discusses the role of surgery and other therapeutic modalities in breast cancer and explained the shift toward de-escalated treatments and less morbid surgical management strategies.

The FDA is updating the prescribing information and Patient Package Insert for CDK4/6 inhibitors to include a warning that the treatments in rare cases may cause severe inflammation of the lungs.

Alexander A. Hindenburg, MD, discusses novel agents and ongoing clinical trials supporting their future application in metastatic, hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

New strategies to address resistance in patients with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer are in the works, thanks to a greater understanding of the cell-signaling networks activated during the course of disease.

Nina D’Abreo, MD, explains how treatment is being tailored to women with early-stage, HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

Douglas K. Marks, MD, discusses data from a small subset of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer enrolled in the PHENIX trial, which was presented at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Risk-reducing therapies, such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, or aromatase inhibitors, should be administered to women who are at an increased risk for breast cancer and at a low risk for adverse events associated with these medications.

The FDA has granted an orphan drug designation to neratinib (Nerlynx) for the treatment of patients with breast cancer who have brain metastases.

Michael E. Hurwitz, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, Yale Cancer, Center, discusses the various patient cohorts in the ongoing phase I/II PIVOT-02 trial.

The European Commission has approved the frontline combination of atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic PD-L1–positive triple-negative breast cancer, according to Roche (Genentech), the manufacturer of the PD-L1 inhibitor.

The FDA is hoping to improve the armamentarium for male patients with breast cancer through the issuance of industry guidelines aimed at encouraging the inclusion of male patients in breast cancer clinical trials.

Although CDK4/6 inhibitors are remaking the treatment landscape for patients with estrogen receptor–positive metastatic breast cancer, questions about optimal sequencing and strategies for attacking resistance and progression remain unsettled.

Treatment decisions for older patients with breast cancer should be individualized based on the fitness and frailty of the patient, making the use of geriatric assessment tools an essential element of care, according to Armin Shahrokni, MD, MPH.

A greater focus on studying mechanisms for therapies that penetrate the blood–tumor barrier and the expansion of clinical trial eligibility criteria are opening the door for advancements that may help patients with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to the brain, according to Carey K. Anders, MD.

Pink Luminous Advocacy Project's Breast Awareness app is the first multilingual, unisex breast self-examination application.

Matthew P. Goetz, MD, consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses treatment beyond progression on CDK4/6 inhibitors in hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer.

Dejan Juric, MD, discusses the significance of the alpelisib approval and the importance of developing a plan for the management of adverse events.

Although hormonal manipulation was an established part of breast cancer treatment long before the underlying biology of the disease was characterized, advancements in the understanding of estrogen receptor signaling are rapidly changing the therapeutic landscape.

Matthew P. Goetz, MD, consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses the treatment landscape of estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer and advances made within the last 5 years.

Leticia Varella, MD, discusses the progression of available treatments in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Experts from Emory University School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, highlight the exciting research being conducted at their respective institutions.