We really need to rethink how we diagnose and treat breast cancer

We have more evidence that the way we deal with breast cancer is all wrong. A new study published today in JAMA Oncology found that the radiation and mastectomy surgeries that thousands of women with early-stage breast cancer undergo may not save lives. But overall, the surgeries that up to 60,000 women undergo each year have not been followed by a reduction of later-stage disease and death.

 An Expert Explains How Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Care Contribute to Poor Outcomes for Black Women

White and Black people are diagnosed with breast cancer at roughly the same rate, but Black people are more likely to die from the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention2. Between the years 2014-2018, CDC data shows that 27 out of 100,000 Black women died from breast cancer compared to 19 out of 100,000 white women. (The death rate for other groups of color is lower than Black women or white women.)

 Doctors Suggest Less Chemo, Surgery for Some Cancer Treatments

Researchers explore leaner approaches aimed at sparing patients tough side effects—and costs.

 Good News for Women With Breast Cancer: Many Don’t Need Chemo Image

Many women with early-stage breast cancer who would receive chemotherapy under current standards do not actually need it, according to a major international study that is expected to quickly change medical treatment. “We can spare thousands and thousands of women from getting toxic treatment that really wouldn’t benefit them,” said Dr. Ingrid A. Mayer, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, an author of the study. “This is very powerful. It really changes the standard of care.”

 Good News on Early Breast Cancer: Herceptin Treatment Can Be Shortened

A large new study that followed thousands of women with early-stage breast cancer for a median of more than five years has found that those treated with Herceptin for only six months did just as well as those who got it for a year — and they suffered fewer side effects.

 Is a Revolution in Cancer Treatment Within Reach?

Right now, two relatively new classes of cancer drugs are displacing traditional chemotherapy for many types of cancer and giving metastatic patients, in particular, more time. Many of these advances employ a person’s own immune system to eliminate cancer cells, rather than using chemotherapy or radiation to do the extinguishing. These are modern immunotherapy drugs and antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs.

 The latest discovery in breast cancer treatment is a win for research that puts patients, not drugs, first

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study that’s made waves in the medical community. The trial assessed the usefulness of chemotherapy for a specific, common variant of breast cancer, and found that thousands of women may not actually need to undergo the intensive, painful treatment as part of their cancer-fighting regimen. The finding will likely benefit patients and their families, and the healthcare systems that look after them.

Decades of Data Fail to Resolve Debate on Treating Tiny Breast Lesions

Over the years, investigators have come to conclude that the old model of cancer — that a few aberrant cells will grow, spread and inevitably become a deadly cancer if not destroyed — is wrong.

Doubt Is Raised Over Value of Surgery for Breast Lesion at Earliest Stage

As many as 60,000 American women each year are told they have a very early stage of breast cancer — Stage 0, as it is commonly known — a possible precursor to what could be a deadly tumor. And almost every one of the women has either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and often a double mastectomy, removing a healthy breast as well. Yet it now appears that treatment may make no difference in their outcomes.

Breast Cancer Treatments

Breast cancer treatments are different for each patient, but the main goals are to eliminate the body of cancer and prevent the disease from coming back. The treatment choice your physician will discuss depends on the breast cancer type; size; if the cancer has spread in your body (stage); receptor features such as estrogen, progesterone, and HER2; menopause status; other health conditions; and most importantly your personal preference.

New Therapies Show Significant Efficacy in Breast Cancer

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Danielle Roman, PharmD, BCOP, oncology clinical pharmacy specialist at Allegheny Health Network, discussed updates in treatments for breast cancer, including HER2–low, HR–positive, HER2, and triple negative breast cancers. Both immunotherapies and targeted therapies are showing significant promise in these areas, offering patients new treatment options.

The Trap of Treatment Dogma

Researchers recently announced that many women diagnosed with breast cancer might be able to skip chemo. A group of doctors argued the same, half a century ago—and were ridiculed.