Breaking Research News from sources other than Breastcancer.org
Comments
-
debbew (and others,) I am ignorant on the issue of hormonal therapy, as I was diagnosed with triple negative cancer. Is there some either-or treatment for hormone positive treatments, like, you can do chemo OR you can do hormonal therapy? I'm thinking of the often used either-or of mastectomy OR lumpectomy with rads.
0 -
debbew, great post. I failed letrozole after 24 months. Makes me feel a little better about it.
Mountain Mia, hormonal therapy is usually an ‘addition to’ treatment. But it can be used alone without surgery, radiation or chemo.
Thanks Karen. Good luck to you, 11 years cancer free - congrats. How were your lung mets found?
0 -
MountainMia, as marijen noted, (anti)hormonal treatment is often offered for ER positive bc in conjunction with other possible treatments. I've read that about half of women prescribed hormonal treatment are non-compliant (and guessing the actual percentage is even higher, since I'm sure many women don't inform their doctors that they have stopped or reduced their dosage).
0 -
Course and predictors of post‐traumatic stress disorder in a cohort of psychologically distressed patients with cancer: A 4‐year follow‐up study
BACKGROUND
Scant evidence exists on the long‐term course of cancer‐related post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is among the few studies worldwide, and the first in the South‐East Asian region, to prospectively evaluate PTSD in patients with cancer using gold‐standard clinical interviews. The objective of the study was to assess the course and predictors of PTSD in adult patients with cancer in a South‐East Asian population.
METHODS
A prospective, longitudinal study was conducted in a cohort of 469 consecutively recruited patients (aged ≥18 years) with various cancer types within 1 month of diagnosis at a single oncology referral center. Only patients who had significant psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale total cutoff score ≥16) underwent the PTSD module of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (SCID) at at 6‐months follow‐up. All patients completed the SCID at the 4‐year follow‐up assessment regardless of their initial Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score.
RESULTS
In an analysis combining patients who had both full and subsyndromal PTSD, there was a 21.7% incidence of PTSD at the 6‐month follow‐up assessment (n = 44 of 203 SCID‐interviewed patients), with rates dropping to 6.1% at the 4‐year follow‐up assessment (n = 15 of 245 SCID‐interviewed patients). Patients with breast cancer (compared with those who had other types of cancer) were 3.68 times less likely to develop PTSD at 6‐months, but not at 4‐years follow‐up.
CONCLUSIONS
The overall rates of PTSD decreased with time, but one‐third of patients (34.1%) who were initially diagnosed had persistent or worsening PTSD 4 years later. There is a need for early identification of this subset of patients who have cancer with PTSD to design risk‐targeted interventions. Cancer 2018;124:406‐16. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
0 -
I found the following article very frustrating for its lack of details about the vaccine/studies; I believe they must be referring to the study in this announcement for a HER2/neu-targeted breast cancer vaccine, TPIV110.
New cancer vaccine shows promise, helped kill cancer cells in patient
A vaccine undergoing testing at the Mayo Clinic has reportedly removed cancer cells in a breast cancer patient. Florida resident Lee Mercker became the first patient to participate in a clinical trial for a new vaccine after being diagnosed in March with early-stages of the disease [DCIS].
Dr. Saranya Chumsri says the vaccine helps the body fight cancer cells.
"It's supposed to stimulate a patient's own immune response so that the immune cells like t-cells would go in and attack the cancer," Chumsri said.
For Mercker, it worked. She says it was just a 12-week process...
[Chumsri] says eventually, they hope it can be used to prevent cancer entirely.
Chumsri says they've made such incredible strides because of people who participate in the clinical trials. She says they've got trials for all stages of cancer, even having Stage 4 cancer patients showing positive results.
If you'd like to learn more about how to join a clinical trial at Mayo Clinic, call 1-855-776-0015.
Edited to add: Here's a more informative article:
0 -
Imaging tumor stiffness could help enhance treatment for breast and pancreatic cancer
Magnetic resonance elastography was able to visualise and measure how stiff and dense tumours are in mice. The technique, which can be implemented on conventional clinical MRI scanners, may help select the best treatment course for some cancer patients.
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found that using their new type of scan could assess the contribution of collagen to relative stiffness across a number of different tumour types.
This in turn could identify tumours in which there is the potential to use new drugs designed to 'weaken' the structure holding together tumours—thereby giving other drugs access to cancer cells in the centre of the tumour...
Initial studies established that collagen was key to keeping breast and pancreatic cancers stiff and inaccessible to treatments. In contrast, tumours arising from the nervous system, such as some forms of childhood cancer and brain tumours, were relatively soft and lacking in collagen.
The study, published in the journal Cancer Research today, was largely funded by the European Union, Cancer Research UK and the Rosetrees Trust...
the researchers found that the administration of collagenase resulted in a clear overall reduction in the elasticity and viscosity of breast tumours in mice—both of which fell by around a fifth.
The ICR researchers found that MR elastography provided extra details about tumour structure and density in addition to the information about growth and size given by standard MRI scans.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-10-imaging-tumor-stiffness-treatment-breast.html
0 -
Jane McClelland posted this today on my Repurposed Drugs FB group:
The drug Repertaxin may be a way of targeting this rogue CXCR2 receptor in breast cancer. I was recently investigating this drug for prostate cancer. Here is some info on its use in combination with chemo for gastric cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26847910/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191007123245.htm
0 -
Clinical Challenges: Brain Mets in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Multidisciplinary approach key as patients with brain metastases live longer
Over the last decade, there has also been a shift in the treatment of breast cancer with brain metastases, with clinicians now considering the use of systemic therapy in place of or in addition to local therapy, according to Jane Meisel, MD, of Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta.
"In the past a lot of trials excluded these patients, but now more and more are including them, particularly patients with stable metastases after radiation," Meisel said. "Getting this type of real-world data, in this rapidly changing field, is more important than ever."
"... we ... see patients living 5 years or longer with brain metastases," Lin said.
0 -
This is not breaking but very informative.
Neuropathy in the Cancer Patient: Causes and Cures
Identifying the causes of neuropathy in cancer patients can be difficult. This review looks at the common causes of neuropathy in cancer patients, as well as effective therapies—and even preventions.
0 -
Breast Cancer Brain Metastases: New Initial Therapy Options
September 17, 2019
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/917894?src=mk...
0 -
'How Long Do I Have?' Tackling Oncology's Most Difficult Question
It's a question that cuts to the heart of patients' concerns.
Even with the help of big data and online prognostic tools, immunotherapies and targeted treatments have made this question very difficult to answer. This is where prognosticating becomes more of an art than a science, and one that requires a careful, step-by-step approach based on clinical experience and intuition.
0 -
Concordance of Genomic Variants in Matched Primary Breast Cancer, Metastatic Tumor, and Circulating Tumor DNA
The MIRROR Study
Purpose: Genetic heterogeneity between primary tumors and their metastatic lesions has been documented in several breast cancer studies. However, the selection of therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer and the search for biomarkers for targeted therapy are often based on findings from the primary tumor, mainly because of the difficulty of distant metastasis core biopsies. New methods for monitoring genomic changes in metastatic breast cancer are needed (ie, circulating tumor DNA [ctDNA] genomic analysis). The objectives of this study were to assess the concordance of genomic variants between primary and metastatic tumor tissues and the sensitivity of plasma ctDNA analysis to identify variants detected in tumor biopsies.
Patients and Methods: Next-generation sequencing technology was used to assess the genomic mutation profile of a panel of 54 cancer genes in matched samples of primary tumor, metastatic tumor, and plasma from 40 patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Results: Using Ion Torrent technology (ThermoFisher Scientific, Waltham, MA), we identified 110 variants that were common to the primary and metastatic tumors. ctDNA analysis had a sensitivity of 0.972 in detecting variants present in both primary and metastatic tissues. In addition, we identified 13 variants in metastatic tissue and ctDNA not present in primary tumor.
Conclusion: We identified genomic variants present in metastatic biopsies and plasma ctDNA that were not present in the primary tumor. Deep sequencing of plasma ctDNA detected most DNA variants previously identified in matched primary and metastatic tissues. ctDNA might aid in therapy selection and in the search for biomarkers for drug development in metastatic breast cancer.
August 15, 2019
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/916337?src=mk...
JCO Precis Oncol. 2019;2019(3)
0 -
On-treatment Biomarkers Can Improve Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Research August 09, 2019
Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is increasingly given preoperatively to shrink breast tumours prior to surgery. This approach also provides the opportunity to study the molecular changes associated with treatment and evaluate whether on-treatment sequential samples can improve response and outcome predictions over diagnostic or excision samples alone.
Conclusion: Changes in gene expression measured in sequential samples from breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy resulted in the identification of a potentially novel on-treatment biomarker and suggest that established prognostic tests may have greater prediction accuracy on than before treatment. These results support the potential use and further evaluation of on-treatment testing in breast cancer to improve the accuracy of tumour response prediction.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/915855?src=mk...
Breast Cancer Res. 2019;21(73)
0 -
Sunday Is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
October 13, 20198:00 AM ET
Heard on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday
NPR's Lulu Garcia Navarro talks to Dr. Filipa Lynce, a medical oncologist, and Julia Maues, a woman living with metastatic breast cancer, about what more can be done to fight the deadly disease.
{Quick listen: 6:45 in length}
https://www.npr.org/2019/10/13/769848661/sunday-is...
0 -
MacroGenics looks to future with breast cancer drug margetuximab
June 3, 2019
A small biotech, MacroGenics, took the market by surprise earlier this year with some surprising data from its margetuximab – essentially a tweaked version of Roche's Herceptin (trastuzumab) where a few amino acid mutations are enough to produce a stronger cellular response to cancer.
0 -
New Cancer Vaccine Shows Shows Early Promise In Human Clinical Trials
Doctors say a new vaccine undergoing clinical trials at the Mayo Clinic has effectively removed cancer cells, providing new hope for cancer survivors.
0 -
'Unacceptable' delays in diagnosing secondary {metastatic} breast cancer
One in four patients with secondary {metastatic} breast cancer had to visit their GP three or more times before they got a diagnosis, a survey suggests.
A breast cancer charity said there should be more awareness that the disease can spread to other parts of the body.
Breast Cancer Now said it was "unacceptable" that some people whose cancer had spread were not getting early access to treatments which could alleviate symptoms and improve their quality of life.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49999404?ocid=soci...
{Kudos to Breast Cancer Now for this advocacy work!}
0 -
Multigene Testing for All Patients With Breast Cancer Is Cost-Effective
- JAMA Oncology Published online October 3, 2019. The authors of this cost-effectiveness microsimulation modeling study estimated the incremental lifetime effects, costs, and cost-effectiveness of multigene testing for all patients with breast cancer. The authors found unselected, high-risk multigene testing to be cost-effective compared with testing based on family history or clinical criteria for both the UK and US healthcare systems. This study provides evidence to support the expansion of genetic testing to all women with breast cancer.https://www.practiceupdate.com/C/90665/56?elsca1=e...https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/full...doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.3323
0 -
Unraveling the Mystery of What Gives Exceptional Responders Their Superpower
A Conversation With Isaac S. Kohane, MD, PhD
{About a year old but an interesting discussion about Exceptional Responders.}
https://www.ascopost.com/issues/august-25-2018/unr...
0 -
Following NCCN Guidelines for Metastatic Breast Cancer Results in Lower Costs for Patients, According to New Study
Guideline Discordance and Patient Cost Responsibility in Medicare Beneficiaries With Metastatic Breast Cancer
A new study from the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), published in the October 2019 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, finds that direct costs for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients increase dramatically when their treatment differs from recommendations in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®). Previous studies have found that guideline discordant care results in higher health care costs overall[1], but this is the first study to look specifically at the cost burden for patients.
0 -
Talking about Toxicity — "What We've Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate"
Improving communication with patients about treatment risks and benefits has long been recognized as a critical priority. But perhaps a necessary first step is for investigators to communicate with clinicians openly and specifically about the toxic effects of treatment.October 10, 2019
N Engl J Med 2019; 381:1406-1408
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1908310https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1908310...
{NEJM allows access to two articles per month without subscription.}0 -
I'm sorry: Why I lost my love for medicine
Anonymous | Physician | July 31, 2019
{A physician reflects on his/her disillusion with the practice of medicine and commitment to redeem a sane existence in the wake of a broken system. Link provided by a physician friend.}
https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2019/07/im-sorry-why-...
0 -
Lumpie, I registered and read the Talking about Toxicity — "What We've Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate" article. Thank you so much for sharing that one. Very, very helpful.
0 -
Current Breast Cancer Statistics
- CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians The authors used large, national databases to provide updated data on incidence, mortality, survival, and screening among female breast cancer patients in the US. Despite a small increase in the breast cancer incidence rate over the past 5 years, mortality from breast cancer continues to decline. There remains a black–white disparity in breast cancer mortality, with the highest death rate seen in black women aged <50 years. In 6 states, breast cancer is now the leading cause of death in black women. Access to high-quality prevention, early detection, and treatment should be improved to optimize outcomes in this population.
0 -
Recorded webinar, Brain Metastasis: Emerging Treatments and Reasons to be Hopeful, is now available for viewing.
Join Dr. Nancy Lin, Director of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as she discusses diagnosis, symptom management, emerging treatments and reasons to be hopeful with Julia Maues, a metastatic breast cancer patient advocate. This program is in collaboration with Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Young Survival Coalition.
@ 1 hour in length
https://www.sharecancersupport.org/brain-metastasi...
Presented by sharecancersupport.org
0 -
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Lead KATE2 Author Suggests Atezolizumab Benefits HER2+ Breast Cancer Subgroup
Adding atezolizumab may improve outcomes in HER2+ breast cancer with PD-L1 expression.
Safety Analysis Supports Adjuvant T-DM1 Use in Early HER2+ Breast Cancer
Michael Untch, MD, PhD, discusses a secondary analysis of safety results from the phase III KATHERINE trial.
FDA Updates Neratinib Label in HER2+ Breast Cancer
Review the new safety data included in neratinib's labeling supplement.
Fixed-Dose Subcutaneous Pertuzumab Combo Shows Noninferiority in HER2+ Breast Cancer
The fixed-dose subcutaneous injection formulation plus intravenous chemotherapy had noninferior pharmacokinetics versus standard IV infusions of the regimen in patients with HER2-positive early disease.
0 -
New treatment combination could work against broader array of cancer cells, study finds [but no trials for bc with this combo yet]
In a proof of concept study, the researchers demonstrated that combining a PARP inhibitor with a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor delivered a one-two punch to non-small cell lung cancer tumors, which are normally not associated with mutations in BRCA genes. The research, conducted in mouse models and cell lines, outlines the mechanistic action of the combination. The DNMT inhibitor triggers an effect that mimics a BRCA mutation in the cancer cell so the cell responds to the lethal effects of the PARP inhibitor, which prevents repair of damage to a tumor cell's DNA, triggering cell death.
"When combined, these agents cause interactions that significantly disrupt cancer cells' ability to survive DNA damage," said study senior author, Feyruz V. Rassool, PhD, professor of radiation oncology at UMSOM. "Our findings could expand the use of PARP inhibitors beyond the minority of inherited cancers that it now treats."
..."Finding a new paradigm to attack cancer cells is very exciting, especially when researchers can make use of drugs that are already on the market and have been well tested for efficacy and toxicity," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-10/uoms-ntc101319.php
0 -
Is it possible to prevent breast cancer metastasis?
Study reveals how blood vessels in the bone marrow protect dormant tumor cells, suggests a way to kill them in their sleepJanuary 21, 2019
Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle may have found a way to essentially smother cancer cells in their sleep, preventing them from ever waking up and forming deadly metastatic tumors.
It's always been assumed that dormant cells cannot be killed by any kind of chemotherapy because they're not dividing," said Ghajar, who runs the Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments at Fred Hutch. "But what we're showing is that's not true. They're relying on survival signaling in their microenvironment, in this case specifically from blood vessels within the bone marrow. And if you can take away that signaling, you can sensitize them to chemotherapy."
...a clinical trial could be three to five years away....
https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2019...
0 -
Sounds like the title of a horror movie “Kill Them in Their Sleep”. That’s awesome!
0
