Final analysis of results from a randomised clinical trial of lapatinib and trastuzumab given before surgery in patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer has found that women who had no signs of residual disease after treatment (known as a pathological complete response, pCR) survived longer without the cancer returning than patients who did not. This […]
Category: Cancer
Researchers reveal which benign breast disease is most likely to develop into cancer
Benign breast diseases (BBD), which are non-cancerous disorders of the breast, such as lumps, are known to increase the chances of subsequent breast cancer. Now a team of Spanish researchers have found that the way BBD is detected as part of a national screening programme is an indication of which are more likely to become […]
New research reveals effects of COVID-19 on breast cancer screening, treatment and care
An increase in deaths could be prevented by ensuring older women do not miss final screening During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries paused their breast cancer screening programmes. A new study, presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference, suggests that the disruption to screening could result in an increase in the proportion of women […]
Genetic test identifies invasive lobular carcinomas that are at high risk of recurring
New results presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference show that a test, which looks at the activity of 70 genes in breast cancer tissue, is possible to use in the clinic to identify patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) that is at high risk of recurring and progressing. Adjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy, […]
Bridging the age gap: two studies show how older breast cancer patients can be treated more effectively
Women with breast cancer who are aged older than 70 years are sometimes not offered surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy because doctors believe their patients will not be able to tolerate these treatments and will derive little benefit from them. These decisions may contribute to worse breast cancer survival rates for older women than for younger […]
Pattern of gut bacteria linked to effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients
Researchers studying the activity of gut bacteria in breast cancer patients have found a possible link with how well their chemotherapy works. The study, presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference, included a small group of women who were being treated with chemotherapy before surgery. In some women, where the chemotherapy seemed to eliminate […]
Spotting breast cancer that has spread to the brain before it causes symptoms could improve survival
Breast cancer patients whose disease has spread to their brains fare better if their metastases are picked up before they begin to cause symptoms, according to a study presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference. Breast cancer that spreads to the brain is becoming more common and it is one reason why the disease […]
‘Social smokers’ face disproportionately high risk of death from lung disease and lung cancer
‘Social smokers’ are more than twice as likely to die of lung disease and more than eight times as likely to die of lung cancer than non-smokers, according to research presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. [1] The study also shows that the risk of lung cancer death for ‘social smokers’ – those […]
Breast cancer drug, olaparib, depletes store of immature eggs in mouse ovaries
Fertility preservation counselling should be considered for young women before treatment with the drug, say researchers Australian researchers have shown for the first time that a new drug used to treat breast cancer patients damages the store of immature eggs in the ovaries of mice. The authors of the study, which is published in Human […]
First comparison of dangers of tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes and water pipes
Any smoking and vaping technique may increase risk of COVID-19 infection and death Smoking and vaping, whether by means of tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes or waterpipes, stiffens the arteries, causes inflammation and damages DNA, leading to a variety of health problems, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal [1]. In addition, smoking and […]