Breast Cancer

Trastuzumab deruxtecan demonstrated a 64% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with physician's choice of treatment in patients with advanced HER2-positive unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer who previously received ado-trastuzumab emtansine.

Yara Abdou, MD, discusses racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes in patients enrolled to the phase 3 RxPONDER trial.

The Breast Cancer Index test reliably identified premenopausal women undergoing adjuvant endocrine therapy for early-stage, hormone receptor–positive breast cancer who would derive benefit from the addition of ovarian function suppression.

Non-Hispanic Black patients with hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative breast cancer were more likely to have worse outcomes vs non-Hispanic White, Asian, and Hispanic patients, according to an analysis of the phase 3 RxPONDER trial.

A clinically meaningful improvement in invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival was observed with the addition of adjuvant abemaciclib to endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative, node-positive early breast cancer, according to results of a prespecified overall survival analysis of the monarchE study.

The addition of 1 year of everolimus to adjuvant endocrine therapy did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival or overall survival in patients with high-risk, hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

The combination of ribociclib plus endocrine therapy yielded a 46% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death compared with chemotherapy in pre/perimenopausal patients with aggressive hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

Chemotherapy prior to treatment with endocrine therapy could increase the risk of cancer-related cognitive impairment compared with endocrine therapy alone in women with breast cancer, irrespective of menopausal status.

Tumor microenvironment of metastasis doorway density—a biomarker of distant metastatic recurrence—is higher in Black women vs White women with estrogen receptor–positive/HER2-negative breast cancer who have residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Dr Leone discusses the distinguishing features of male breast cancer, the benefits and limitations of current treatments, and the importance of raising awareness about this breast cancer subset to propel further research.

Matthew P. Goetz, MD, discusses the impact of the phase 3 PALOMA-2 trial in estrogen receptor–positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

Alison K. Conlin, MD, discusses the inception of the HER2-low breast cancer treatment landscape.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare has approved trastuzumab deruxtecan for the treatment of adult patients with HER2-positive unresectable or recurrent breast cancer after prior chemotherapy, which includes trastuzumab and a taxane.

The increasing role of antibody-drug conjugates have led to questions of sequencing for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, whereas new data for first-generation PD-L1 inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab have shaken up the treatment paradigm for others.

Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, discusses the evolution of targeted therapies in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Dr Oppong discusses factors that contribute to the ongoing disparity in breast cancer deaths among Black women vs White women, the importance of increased access to high-quality screening, and the need for more inclusive research efforts to close the gaps in breast cancer diagnosis and care.

The addition of eganelisib to atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel demonstrated evidence of a long-term progression-free survival benefit when used as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer according to updated data from the phase 2 MARIO-3 trial.

CYNK-101 demonstrated synergistic activity when used in combination with avelumab through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against PD-L1–positive non–small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and bladder cancer cell lines, according to preclinical data.

Research in breast cancer has led to remarkable progress in the understanding and management of the disease, but the oncology community can always do more to optimize treatment outcomes for patients.

Emerging novel therapies, new stratification factors, and sequencing challenges because of the new classifications for patients with breast cancer will be topics of discussion at the 40th Annual Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium® during the breast cancer sessions.

The Chemotherapy Foundation Symposium® returns to New York City for its 40th annual meeting with a 3-day program that will deliver the latest updates across the gamut of oncology care.

Hope Rugo, MD, discusses the challenges of differentiating between HER2-low and HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and prognostic differences in HER2+ and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued final guidance supporting use of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab, for adults with triple-negative breast cancer.

Fulvestrant plus palbociclib improved outcomes following an aromatase inhibitor plus palbociclib for patients with estrogen receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer with rising ESR1 mutation, according to updated findings from the phase 3 PADA-1 trial.

Data presented at the ESMO Congress 2022 highlighted advances across treatment modalities, including landmark data for trials in melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer, as well as early data that made headlines in a subgroup of patients with colon cancer.