International Congress on the Future of Breast Cancer East

Joyce O'Shaughnessy, MD, outlines the current role and ongoing research of CDK4/6 inhibitors in the treatment of patients with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative early stage breast cancer.

Neratinib-based combinations, antibody-drug conjugates, and bispecific antibodies represent novel and effective treatment options for patients with pretreated HER2-mutant and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, but the successful integration of these regimens into care will require further investigation into current definitions of HER2 positivity.

The emergence of novel agents like trastuzumab deruxtecan and tucatinib in the HER2-positive breast cancer treatment paradigm have served to markedly improve outcomes for those with this disease, according to Mark Pegram, MD, who added that the future looks bright.

Charles M. Perou, PhD, discusses the role of intrinsic tumor subtyping in treatment decisions and outcomes for patients with breast cancer.

Adrienne G. Waks, MD, highlights clinical trials that are studying emerging treatment escalation and de-escalation strategies in early stage HER2-positive breast cancer, elaborates on the future of immunotherapy in this setting, and explains the significance of establishing new biomarkers.

Premenopausal patients with early hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer can benefit from chemotherapy, although it is still debatable whether that benefit stems from the chemotherapy itself or the ovarian function suppression that happens as a result of chemotherapy.

Adrienne G. Waks, MD, discusses the continued evaluation of immunotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, discusses the relationship between ovarian function suppression and chemotherapy benefits in premenopausal patients with HR–positive breast cancer.

William Gradishar, MD, discusses the significance of drug development in HER2-positive breast cancer.

The future of therapeutic vaccines in breast cancer will be dependent on their use in combination with standard anticancer drugs, checkpoint antagonists, and distinct checkpoint inhibitors, Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD.

Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH, discusses tailoring HER2-directed therapies in the treatment of patients with breast cancer. 

Selective estrogen receptor degraders are becoming increasingly important in the treatment of ER-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Chemoimmunotherapy combinations have transformed the treatment landscape for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, but balancing potential efficacy with the risk of toxicity with these regimens is critical in both the metastatic and early-stage settings.

By adapting adjuvant therapy based on responses to preoperative therapy, investigators may be able to change long term outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, creating a paradigm shift in the space.

Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, discusses treatment options beyond chemotherapy in patients with high-risk breast cancer.

Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE, shares how to utilize available data with CDK4/6 inhibitors in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings to optimize outcomes for patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.

Terry P. Mamounas, MD, MPH, FACS, discusses common recurrence rates in breast cancer.

The growing number of treatments within the HER2-positive breast cancer armamentarium signals a need to redefine and tailor neoadjuvant and adjuvant strategies to individual patients.

Sara M. Tolaney, MD, MPH, discusses appropriately deescalating treatment to reduce toxicities in stage I HER2-positive breast cancer.

The optimal sequence of therapies for patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer must be an individualized one, and should be dependent on the presence and/or level of central nervous system disease.