Articles related to BREAST CANCER

Up to half of all patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer will eventually acquire brain metastases, which are associated with reduced overall survival and decreased quality of life. This comprehensive review examines current recommendations in 1st, 2nd, and later line therapies, discusses the status of novel agents, and provides recommendations to standardize care.

This randomized, open-label, phase III trial compared elacestrant, a novel, oral selective ER degrader, vs. standard of care endocrine monotherapy in patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer who had one-two lines of endocrine therapy, required pretreatment with a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, and ≤ 1 chemotherapy. Elacestrant showed a significant PFS improvement versus SOC both in the overall population and in patients with ESR1 mutations.

Per guidelines, cancers with HER2 expression with a score of 3+ was considered HER2-positive. Cancers with scores of 0 and 1+, or those with an IHC score of 2+ and a negative ISH result, have been characterized as HER2-negative. These guideline-directed binary distinctions — HER2-positive vs HER2-negative — have until now guided physicians’ treatment decisions. New research suggests that patients with HER2-2+, ISH-negative breast cancer present a clinical picture closer to that of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Which AEs are most common with immunotherapy? Most concerning? Are some patients more likely to experience AEs? Should immunotherapy be used for patients with a pre-existing autoimmune condition? Do AEs predict response? Moffitt’s Dr. Hatem Soliman addresses these and other questions in this interview.

A literature review involving 24 recent studies yielded an update to ASCO’s recommendations on appropriate use of breast cancer biomarker assay results to guide adjuvant endocrine and chemotherapy decisions in early-stage breast cancer.

The NR2F1 gene normally prevents pre-malignant cells from spreading to other parts of the body. HER2 suppresses NR2F1, allowing pre-cancerous cells to move to other organs where they can become cancerous.