A major study of women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – a breast condition that can become invasive cancer – has shown that surgery to remove the tissue followed by radiotherapy offers better protection compared to surgery alone. The study, presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference, followed patients for up to 27 […]
The mode of detection of high-risk breast cancers is linked to patient prognosis
Breast cancers that are detected in the interval between national screening programme mammograms have a worse prognosis than those detected at the time of a screening, even if they have the same biology, according to research presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference. Analysis of results from over eight years’ follow-up of the international […]
Increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women treated for breast cancer can be predicted with computer analysis of routine scans
Automated analysis of breast cancer patients’ routine scans can predict which women have a greater than one in four risk of going on to develop cardiovascular disease, according to research presented at the 12th European Breast Cancer Conference. Women who have been treated for breast cancer may have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease […]
HER2 positive breast cancer patients live longer if drugs given before surgery eradicate tumour: final results of nine-year survival outcomes from NeoALTTO BIG-06 trial
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 […]
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 […]