Breast Cancer Research
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Whole- and Partial-Breast Radiation Effective at Preventing Breast Cancer from ReturningPosted: December 19, 2018
In women with early-stage breast cancer, two clinical trials have shown that both whole- and partial-breast radiation therapy are effective at preventing the cancer from returning after breast-conserving surgery.
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Can Topical Drugs Help Prevent Breast Cancer?Posted: December 4, 2018
Researchers are testing a topical-gel form of the drug tamoxifen to see if it can help prevent breast cancer as effectively as the oral form of the drug but with fewer side effects.
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Gene Tied to Alzheimer’s May Be Associated with Cancer-Related Cognitive ProblemsPosted: November 9, 2018
Findings from a clinical study and a mouse study may shed light on genetic risk factors for developing cancer-related cognitive problems in older breast cancer survivors. The results suggest a gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease may play a role.
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Two Drugs Work Together to Block ‘Master Regulator’ of Breast, Other CancersPosted: September 4, 2018
Arsenic trioxide and retinoic acid work together to target the master regulator protein Pin1, a new study shows. In cancer cell lines and mice, the drug combination slowed the growth of triple-negative breast cancer tumors.
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Ribociclib Approval Expanded for Some Women with Advanced Breast CancerPosted: August 20, 2018
FDA has expanded the approved uses of ribociclib (Kisqali) for women with advanced breast cancer, including new uses in pre- and postmenopausal women. It’s the first approval under a new FDA program to speed the review of cancer drugs.
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Liquid Biopsy May Predict Risk of Breast Cancer Returning Years LaterPosted: August 15, 2018
Using a liquid biopsy to test for tumor cells circulating in blood, researchers found that, in women with breast cancer, the presence of these cells could identify women at risk of their cancer returning years later.
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TAILORx trial finds most women with early breast cancer do not benefit from chemotherapyPosted: June 3, 2018
Findings from the TAILORx clinical trial show chemotherapy does not benefit most women with early breast cancer. The new data, released at the 2018 ASCO annual meeting, will help inform treatment decisions for many women with early-stage breast cancer.
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Easing Concerns about Giving Research Study Participants Their Genetic Test ResultsPosted: June 1, 2018
Do cancer study participants want to receive their genetic test results? A recent study involving women with a history of breast cancer tested an approach for returning genetic research results and evaluated the impact those results had on the women.
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Moving Beyond BMI: Low Muscle Mass May Affect Cancer SurvivalPosted: April 30, 2018
Researchers compared the risk of death for women with breast cancer who had low skeletal muscle mass, or sarcopenia, at the time of their cancer diagnosis and women who had adequate muscle mass.
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Higher Risk of Heart Failure Seen in Some CancersPosted: March 26, 2018
Some people who have been treated for breast cancer or lymphoma have a higher risk of developing congestive heart failure than people who haven’t had cancer, results from a new study show.
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Abemaciclib Approval Expands Initial Treatment Options for Advanced Breast CancerPosted: March 20, 2018
FDA has approved the CDK4/6 inhibitor abemaciclib (Verzenio) as a first-line treatment in some women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Under the approval, the drug must be used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor.
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Can Oxygen “Microbubbles” Make Radiation Therapy More Effective?Posted: February 20, 2018
A new study in mice raises the possibility that using microscopic, oxygen-carrying bubbles may improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer.
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Olaparib Approved for Treating Some Breast Cancers with BRCA Gene MutationsPosted: January 29, 2018
The drug olaparib (Lynparza®) is the first treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with metastatic breast cancer who have inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.
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Acupuncture May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint Pain for Breast Cancer PatientsPosted: January 8, 2018
Joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with breast cancer can cause some women to stop taking the drugs. Reducing their symptoms may translate into better adherence to therapy.
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Study Tracks the Evolution of Treatment Resistance in Metastatic Breast CancerPosted: November 7, 2017
A new study suggests that the cells in treatment-resistant tumors in women with metastatic breast cancer share important characteristics that could potentially make tumors vulnerable to therapies that otherwise might not have been considered.
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TMIST Trial Aims to Provide Clarity on Breast Cancer Screening ApproachesPosted: October 30, 2017
A large nationwide clinical trial called TMIST has been launched to compare two techniques used for mammograms: tomosynthesis, often called 3D mammography, and standard 2D digital mammography.
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Abemaciclib Approved by FDA for Advanced or Metastatic Breast CancerPosted: October 26, 2017
FDA approved abemaciclib (Verzenio™) for the treatment of some people with advanced or metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer whose disease has progressed after treatment with hormone therapy.
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Extensive Lymph Node Removal Doesn't Improve Survival in Some Women with Early-Stage Breast CancerPosted: October 10, 2017
Long-term results from a large clinical trial confirm that, for some women with early-stage breast cancer who have lumpectomy as their surgical treatment, a less extensive lymph node biopsy approach is sufficient.
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Timing and Sequence Critical for Immunotherapy CombinationPosted: October 3, 2017
When given at the same time, two immune checkpoint inhibitors were ineffective against breast cancer growth in mice, a new study found. The combination was more effective and safer if the two inhibitors were given in a specific sequence.
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FDA Expands Approval of Fulvestrant for Advanced Breast CancerPosted: September 22, 2017
FDA has expanded its approval of fulvestrant (Faslodex®) as a standalone treatment for postmenopausal women with advanced HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have not previously undergone endocrine therapy.
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Long-Term Nerve Damage Possible after Chemotherapy for Breast CancerPosted: September 19, 2017
Many women who receive taxane-based chemotherapy to treat breast cancer experience long-term nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, data from a large clinical trial show.
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Bringing the Investigational Breast Cancer Drug Endoxifen from Bench to Bedside with NCI SupportPosted: August 31, 2017
Researchers recognized the potential of endoxifen as a treatment for breast cancer and, with NCI support, developed the compound into a drug now being tested in clinical trials.
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Modified Stem Cells Deliver Chemotherapy to Metastatic TumorsPosted: August 30, 2017
Researchers have used modified stem cells to deliver a cancer drug selectively to metastatic breast cancer tumors in mice. The stem cells target metastatic tumors by homing in on the stiff environment that typically surrounds them.
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Neratinib Approved by FDA for HER2-Positive Breast CancerPosted: August 23, 2017
FDA has approved neratinib for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer who have finished at least 1 year of adjuvant therapy with trastuzumab.
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Survivors of Breast Cancer Differ on Who Should Manage Follow-Up CarePosted: August 2, 2017
Many survivors of early-stage breast cancer prefer that their oncologist handle aspects of routine medical care usually overseen by primary care practitioners, leading to concerns about gaps in care.
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Large Study Verifies Cancer Risk for Women Carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 MutationsPosted: July 12, 2017
Results from the first large prospective study of breast and ovarian cancer risk in women with inherited mutations in the BRCA 1 or BRCA2 genes confirm the high risks estimated from earlier, retrospective studies.
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Trastuzumab Emtansine Improves Survival in Previously Treated Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast CancerPosted: June 14, 2017
Two clinical trials show that trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) improves survival compared with other standard treatments for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after treatment with other HER2-targeted drugs.
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Genomic Study Seeks Clues to Help Explain Breast Cancer DisparitiesPosted: June 13, 2017
Using one of the largest collections of tumor samples from African Americans with breast cancer, researchers tried to assess the extent to which the molecular characteristics on these tumors might help to explain breast cancer disparities.
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Study estimates number of U.S. women living with metastatic breast cancerPosted: May 18, 2017
A new study shows that the number of women in the United States living with distant metastatic breast cancer (MBC), the most severe form of the disease, is growing. This is likely due to the aging of the U.S. population and improvements in treatment.
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Counseling Improves Survivorship Plan Implementation for Low-Income Breast Cancer SurvivorsPosted: May 16, 2017
In a randomized trial, low-income women who role-played talking with their doctor about their survivorship care plan in a counseling session reported receiving more of their recommended care than women who did not get counseling.
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In an Era of Precision Medicine, Testing New Approaches to Breast Cancer ScreeningPosted: May 9, 2017
Researchers are testing individualized approaches that could identify those at risk of breast cancer who need to be screened and testing screening intervals that are appropriate for each person’s level of risk.
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FDA Approves Ribociclib, Expands Palbociclib Approval for Metastatic Breast CancerPosted: April 10, 2017
The FDA has approved a new targeted therapy, ribociclib, and expanded its earlier approval of another targeted therapy, palbociclib, for some women with metastatic breast cancer.
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For Some Breast Cancer Survivors, Drug May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint PainPosted: January 4, 2017
Researchers have found that duloxetine (Cymbalta®), a drug most commonly used to treat depression, may also reduce joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in some women being treated for early-stage breast cancer.
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Prescription Subsidies Reduce Breast Cancer Treatment DisparitiesPosted: November 30, 2016
A new study has found that subsidies for prescription drugs can improve the use of adjuvant therapy in women with early-stage breast cancer and help reduce disparities in the use of these proven treatments among black and Hispanic women.
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Ribociclib Improves Progression-Free Survival for Some Women with Metastatic Breast CancerPosted: November 14, 2016
First-line therapy consisting of ribociclib plus letrozole (Femara®) improves progression-free survival for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, according to the interim results of a phase III clinical trial.
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NCI launches largest-ever study of breast cancer genetics in black womenPosted: July 6, 2016
The Breast Cancer Genetic Study in African-Ancestry Populations initiative is a collaborative research project that will identify genetic factors that may underlie breast cancer disparities. It is the largest study ever to investigate how genetic and biological factors contribute to breast cancer risk among black women.
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Extended Adjuvant Therapy Beneficial for Some Women with Breast CancerPosted: June 22, 2016
Results from a recent clinical trial showed that extending adjuvant therapy with an aromatase inhibitor to 10 years after initial treatment can have important benefits for postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.
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Vitamin D Deficiency May Promote Spread of Some Breast CancersPosted: April 14, 2016
Low vitamin D levels are associated with metastasis in women with breast cancer, suggests a new study.
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BRCA Testing Rates High in Young Women with Breast CancerPosted: March 1, 2016
Testing for genetic mutations strongly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer has risen dramatically among women younger than age 40 who are diagnosed with the disease, according to a new study.
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Treatment Helps Preserve Fertility for Some Women with Breast CancerPosted: March 12, 2015
In a large clinical trial, giving a hormone-suppressing drug helped some younger women with breast cancer get pregnant after completing cancer treatment.
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In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Targeting an AddictionPosted: October 26, 2015
A new approach to disrupting genes that promote the development and spread of tumors may hold promise for treating an aggressive and difficult-to-treat type of breast cancer.
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TCGA study identifies genomic features of invasive lobular breast carcinomaPosted: October 8, 2015
Investigators with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network have identified molecular characteristics of a type of breast cancer, invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), that distinguishes it from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), the most common invasive breast cancer subtype.
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TAILORx Trial Shows Women at Low Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence May Forgo ChemotherapyPosted: September 28, 2015
Initial findings from the Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment, or TAILORx, finds that women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer have a low risk of recurrence based on a test for the expression of 21 genes.
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Meta-Analysis Finds Benefits of Adjuvant Bisphosphonates for Postmenopausal Breast CancerPosted: September 9, 2015
Bisphosphonates can reduce the rate of breast cancer recurrence in bone, according to a meta-analysis of randomized trials of bisphosphonates as adjuvant therapy for women with early-stage breast cancer.
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Risk of Breast Cancer Death is Low After a Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma in SituPosted: August 26, 2015
Women who are diagnosed with a condition called ductal carcinoma in situ generally have a low risk of dying from breast cancer, a new study has found.
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Palbociclib Improves Survival in Women with Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast CancerPosted: July 24, 2015
An interim analysis of the PALOMA3 trial shows that palbociclib plus fulvestrant extends the progression-free survival of some women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer.
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Changing patterns in survival for U.S. women with invasive breast cancerPosted: July 20, 2015
Large-scale study helps clarify factors associated with breast cancer survival in women of all ages.
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Many Women with Dense Breasts May Not Need Additional ScreeningPosted: June 22, 2015
Breast density is just one of several factors that should be taken into account in determining the need for additional cancer screening, study suggests.
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Two Drugs that Hit One Target Improve Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast CancerUpdated: February 26, 2015
Combining two drugs that target the HER2 protein, trastuzumab (Herceptin®) and pertuzumab, with chemotherapy is a new treatment option for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, according to final results from a large clinical trial.
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FDA Grants Palbociclib Accelerated Approval for Advanced Breast CancerPosted: February 11, 2015
Palbociclib (Ibrance) is approved to be used in combination with letrozole (Femara) to treat postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.
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Premenopausal women who received ovarian suppression treatment along with tamoxifen had a lower risk of breast cancer recurrencePosted: December 11, 2014
A clinical trial sponsored and supported by NCI showed that suppressing ovarian function reduced breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women receiving the drug tamoxifen after surgery for early-stage breast cancer.
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New treatment option for young women with hormone-sensitive breast cancerPosted: June 1, 2014
A drug used for treating breast cancer, known as exemestane, is more effective than a common breast cancer prevention drug, tamoxifen, in preventing breast cancer recurrence in young women who also receive post-surgical treatment to suppress ovarian function. The combined results of the Tamoxifen and Exemestane Trial and Suppression of Ovarian Function Trial were presented at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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Study in mice shows that an aggressive type of breast cancer is linked to an inflammatory proteinPosted: April 14, 2014
Aberrant expression of an inflammatory protein, nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2), may enhance the progression and metastasis of an aggressive and less common form of breast cancer, known as the estrogen receptor-negative type of disease.
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Trastuzumab Benefits Women with Locally Advanced or Inflammatory Breast CancerUpdated: April 7, 2014
Women treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy before surgery and trastuzumab again after surgery had a reduced risk of the disease recurring or progressing compared with women who received pre-surgical chemotherapy but no trastuzumab, according to a study published in the January 30, 2010, Lancet.
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Breast Cancer Startup Challenge announces ten winning teams of entrepreneurs; Promising technologies identified to speed cancer researchPosted: March 5, 2014
Ten winners of a world-wide competition to bring emerging breast cancer research technologies to market faster were announced today by the Avon Foundation for Women, in partnership with NCI and the Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI). Avon is providing $250,000 in funding for this Challenge.
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NIH study confirms risk factors for male breast cancerPosted: February 19, 2014
Pooled data from studies of about 2,400 men with breast cancer and 52,000 men without breast cancer confirmed that risk factors for male breast cancer include obesity, a rare genetic condition called Klinefelter syndrome, and gynecomastia.
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Ten Years of Tamoxifen Reduces Breast Cancer Recurrences, Improves SurvivalPosted: March 20, 2013
Taking adjuvant tamoxifen for 10 years after primary treatment leads to a greater reduction in breast cancer recurrences and deaths than taking the drug for only 5 years, according to the results of a large international clinical trial.
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NIH scientists identify molecular link between metabolism and breast cancerPosted: February 5, 2013
A protein associated with conditions of metabolic imbalance, such as diabetes and obesity, may play a role in the development of aggressive forms of breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their colleagues.