Breast Cancer

Treatment with anthracyclines was proven to be beneficial for patients with high-risk, HER2-negative, early-stage breast cancer, according to a joint analysis of the Anthracyclines in Early Breast Cancer (ABC) trials.

Cynthia Ma, MD, PhD, associate professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, discusses the METRIC trial in triple-negative breast cancer.

Cynthia Ma, MD, provides insight on the potential of glembatumumab vedotin (CDX-011) and immunotherapies on the horizon in the field of triple-negative breast cancer.

Collective findings from clinical trials show that, for women with early-stage breast cancer who have a low 21-gene recurrence score, adding chemotherapy to standard hormonal therapy does not show a difference in survival.

In terms of neoadjuvant therapies for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, dual anti–HER2-directed agents seem to have the most benefit.

Joseph Sparano, MD, associate chairman, Clinical Research, Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, associate director, Clinical Research, Albert Einstein Cancer Center, discusses the ways in which the role of endocrine therapy has evolved over the years as a treatment for patients with breast cancer.

Although there has been in increase in promising novel regimens available for patients with breast cancer in recent years, oncologists should carefully consider whether each agent would provide a significant enough benefit to offset its associated toxicities, cost, and the time and commitment by the patient it requires.

Recent findings from clinical trials exploring neoadjuvant treatment in patients with triple-negative breast cancer may provide answers to several questions surrounding early-stage disease.

A 5-year assessment showed that neratinib reduced the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by 26% compared with placebo as extended adjuvant therapy for patients with HER2-positive early stage breast cancer following 12 months of trastuzumab.

A team of researchers take a retrospective look at the patterns of how, when, and to whom palliative options are presented to patients with metastatic breast cancer, as an approach for gaining insight on how to improve care for patients with late-stage, terminal cancers.

A study of women treated with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus (Afinitor) plus exemestane for their advanced breast cancer found that daily use of a steroid-based mouthwash markedly decreased the incidence and severity of stomatitis.

Carlos Becerra, MD, physician, Texas Oncology, discusses a study examining the combination of ribociclib and letrozole in patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

Hope S. Rugo, MD, professor of Medicine and director of the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program at the UCSF Hellen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the results of the SWISH trial, which examined a dexamethasone-based mouthwash for the prevention of everolimus/exemestane stomatitis in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Allison W. Kurian, MD, MSc, discusses 2 clinical trials utilizing multigene panels to uncover previously undetected risks in patients with breast and ovarian cancer.

Joanne Blum, MD, PhD, FACP, physician, Texas Oncology, discusses the key takeaways from the phase III ABC (anthracyclines in early breast cancer) trials, which compared docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide versus anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy regimens in patients with high-risk, HER2-negative breast cancer.

Nicholas J. Robert, MD, medical oncology, hematology, Virginia Cancer Specialists, US Oncology, discusses the MA.17R trial, which explored an extension of adjuvant letrozole for 5 years after completing an initial 5 years of aromatase inhibitor therapy alone or preceded by tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.

Erika P. Hamilton, MD, director, Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Program, principal investigator, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a phase Ib study examining ONT-380 in combination with trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, and what potential the combination has in the neoadjuvant setting.

Maura Dickler, MD, discusses findings from the recent phase II study exploring abemaciclib as a single agent in patients with HR-positive breast cancer, along with an upcoming phase III trial looking at combination strategies.

Joanne L. Blum, MD, PhD, discusses the design and phase III results from the ABC trials, and what impact the encouraging findings could have in patients with HER2-negative breast cancer.

Henry M. Kuerer, MD, PhD, professor of Surgery, PH and Fay Etta Robinson Distinguished Professor in Research, Breast Surgical Oncology, executive director, Breast Programs, director, Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship Training Program, Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the challenges associated with treating patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Anees B. Chagpar, MD, associate professor of Surgery (Oncology) and director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, discusses how surgical oncologists should approach the treatment of a patient with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Kevin S. Hughes, MD, co-director, Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center, medical director, Bermuda Cancer Genetics and Risk Assessment Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses treatment with radiation therapy for patients with ER-positive breast cancer.

A marketing authorization application has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency for neratinib as a potential extended adjuvant therapy for patients with HER2-positive early stage breast cancer following 12 months of trastuzumab.

Hyman B. Muss, MD, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill, Breast Cancer, Geriatric Oncology Program, Mary Jones Hudson Distinguished Professorship in Geriatric Oncology, discusses assessing treatment response in patients with metastatic breast cancer.