Videos

A study involving nearly 30,000 patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer has found that up to 60% of these women received imaging tests such as CT, bone, and PET scans that were not medically justified, contrary to national guidelines.

Constance D. Lehman, MD, PhD, explains how tomosynthesis, otherwise known as 3D mammography, is already recognized as the new standard of care in terms of breast cancer screening.

The antibody–drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132) received a breakthrough therapy designation based on phase II trial data showing a response rate of 31% in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic TNBC. However, treatment advances are lagging behind those seen in other breast cancer phenotypes.

Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, MD, PhD, discusses nelipepimut-S (NeuVax), a peptide derived from HER2 protein combined with granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor that is currently being investigated as a single-agent, in combination with standard-of-care therapies, and in multiple settings and subtypes of breast cancer.

Gunter von Minckwitz, MD, director of the German Breast Group Research Institute, discusses lessons learned from clinical trials examining neoadjuvant therapies in patients with breast cancer.

Debu Tripathy, MD, chair, Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the use of ixabepilone as a treatment for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

There is a subset of low-risk patients with ductal carcinoma in situ for whom surgery alone is optimal and the Oncotype DX DCIS Score is a useful assay for identifying these individuals.

Pathologic complete response may still have a role in accelerated neoadjuvant approvals for select patients with early stage breast cancer, despite the fact that it remains an unproven surrogate endpoint.

Amy Robach, breast cancer survivor and Good Morning America news anchor, describes her diagnosis of a 2 cm tumor in her right breast that appeared isolated on ultrasound and other subsequent scans.

The combination of the alpha-specific PI3K inhibitor alpelisib (BYL719) and fulvestrant (Faslodex) demonstrated promising early efficacy and mild toxicity in heavily pretreated postmenopausal women with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Among patients with HR+/HER2- or triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) improved time to treatment discontinuation, time to next treatment, and had a favorable safety profile compared with paclitaxel.

Carboplatin shows promise in treating metastatic BRCA-mutated triple negative breast cancer.

William F. Symmans, MB, ChB, Division of Pathology/Lab Medicine, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the institution's Moon Shots program for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Kimberly L. Blackwell, MD, medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses using the word "cure" in patients with breast cancer who have not had recurrences of disease.

The past decade of biomarker research has led to the introduction of several multigene prognostic tests that are now routinely used in clinical decision making to assist the se-lection of patients for adjuvant chemotherapy, and several other tests have emerged with potential clinical utility.

Among the bright spots in the treatment of patients with breast cancer are the successes achieved in the management of HER2-positive disease. And, therapeutic options are continuing to expand, owing to the advent of novel anti-HER2–targeted agents and multitargeted HER2 receptor blockade.

Kimberly L. Blackwell, MD, discusses recent studies examining emerging agents in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Erika P. Hamilton, MD, Director, Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancer Research Program; Principal Investigator, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses ONT-380, a novel HER2-specific inhibitor. Most oral HER2-inhibitors block not only HER2, but other proteins such as EGFR.

The FDA has approved palbociclib (Ibrance) for use in combination with fulvestrant in pretreated patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Benjamin D. Smith, MD, associate professor and research director of breast radiation oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, discusses complications with mastectomy versus lumpectomy for early breast cancer.

Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, who has pioneered many clinical advances in the treatment of women with breast cancer, was honored in the Breast Cancer category with a 2015 Giants of Cancer Care® award, a program that the Intellisphere® Oncology Specialty Group launched to honor leaders in the field.

Although metastatic breast cancer remains incurable for most women, recent research offers important new guidance for clinicians managing patients across the spectrum of advanced disease.