Breaking Research News from Breastcancer.org

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Textured Implants May Be Linked to Breast Cancer Recurrence, Study Suggests
October 20, 2020
A small study found that women who had textured implants for reconstruction after breast cancer surgery had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of the breast cancer coming back. Read more...

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Adding Tecentriq to Chemotherapy Before Surgery for Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Improves pCR Rates
October 21, 2020
Adding Tecentriq to chemotherapy before surgery for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer offered higher pathologic complete response rates than chemotherapy alone, no matter the PD-L1 status of the cancer. Read more...

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Studies Show Conflicting Results With Tecentriq and Chemotherapy for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
October 23, 2020
When treating locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer for the first time, adding Tecentriq to Taxol did not improve survival, while adding Tecentriq to Abraxane did improve survival. Read more...

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Interval Breast Cancers Found Between Regular Screening Mammograms Seem More Aggressive
October 27, 2020
Breast cancers found in between regular screening mammograms — called interval cancers by doctors — were more likely to have aggressive characteristics, and women diagnosed with them were more likely to die from breast cancer compared to breast cancers found by routine screening. Read more...

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Early Results Suggest Ibrance Plus Faslodex as First Treatment Improves Outcomes for Metastatic Hormone-Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
October 27, 2020
Adding Ibrance to Faslodex as a first treatment for advanced-stage or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that either came back (recurred) more than 1 year after completing 5 or more years of hormonal therapy or was metastatic at first diagnosis improved progression-free survival compared to Faslodex alone. Read more...

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Pathologic Complete Response to Targeted Therapy Before Surgery Linked to Better Survival for Early-Stage HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
October 30, 2020
Women diagnosed with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer treated with Herceptin and Tykerb before surgery who had a pathologic complete response (pCR) had better survival than women who didn't have a pCR. Read more...

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Can Some Older Women With Early-Stage HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Skip Chemotherapy?
October 30, 2020
Certain woman age 70 to 80 may be able to skip chemotherapy after surgery for early-stage HER2-positive disease and be treated with Herceptin alone. Read more...

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FDA Approves Immunotherapy Keytruda for PD-L1-Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
November 13, 2020
On Nov. 13, 2020, the FDA approved the immunotherapy Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy to treat unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative, PD-L1-positive breast cancer. Read more...

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Exercise Plus Mindfulness Training May Ease Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors, Small Study Suggests
December 5, 2020
A combination of exercise and mindfulness training seems better at easing fatigue in breast cancer survivors than either technique alone, according to a small study. Read more...

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Does Taking Beta Blockers Affect HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Survival?
December 9, 2020
There may be a link between taking beta blockers, a heart medicine, before being diagnosed with advanced-stage HER2-positive breast cancer and worse survival after being treated with anti-HER2 medicines. Read more...

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Some Older Women With Early-Stage Hormone-Receptor-Positive, Node-Positive Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemotherapy
December 16, 2020
Postmenopausal women diagnosed with early-stage hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with one to three positive lymph nodes and an Oncotype DX Recurrence Score of 25 or lower being treated with hormonal therapy after surgery can safely skip chemotherapy. Read more...

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FDA Approves Margenza Plus Chemotherapy for Pretreated Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
December 17, 2020
On Dec. 16, 2020, the FDA approved the targeted therapy Margenza in combination with chemotherapy to treat people diagnosed with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have been treated previously with two or more anti-HER2 regimens, at least one of which was for metastatic disease. Read more...

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Following Diet Plan to Reduce Diabetes Risk Means Better Survival for Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
December 17, 2020
Women diagnosed with stage I to stage III breast cancer who more closely followed a diet designed to reduce the risk of diabetes had better survival than women who didn't follow the diet as strictly. Read more...

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Doctors May Not Recognize Severity of Radiation Side Effects in Certain Breast Cancer Patients
December 18, 2020
It's common for doctors to fail to understand the severity of radiation therapy side effects in women treated with radiation after lumpectomy, especially younger women and Black women. Read more...

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Most Women Treated for Breast Cancer Take Dietary Supplements, Many Not Aware of Interactions With Hormonal Therapy
December 21, 2020
Up to 80% of women treated for breast cancer take at least one dietary supplement, but many women are not aware that the supplements they're taking may interact with hormonal therapy medicines. Read more...

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Pregnancy Is Safe After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Study Shows
December 21, 2020
Women who have been treated for breast cancer are less likely than the average woman to get pregnant and have a higher risk of certain complications, such as preterm labor, but most deliver healthy babies and childbirth has no effect on their long-term survival. Read more...

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Some Older Women With Early-Stage Hormone-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer May Be Able to Skip Radiation After Lumpectomy
December 22, 2020
Some women age 65 and older diagnosed with early-stage hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer with a low risk of the cancer coming back who have lumpectomy followed by hormonal therapy treatment may be able to skip radiation therapy after surgery. Read more...

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Mindfulness Meditation, Survivorship Classes Ease Depression in Younger Women Treated for Breast Cancer
December 22, 2020
Mindfulness meditation and survivorship education classes eased symptoms of depression in younger women treated for breast cancer. Read more...

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Adding Surgery to Standard Treatments Linked to Better Survival for Certain Types of Metastatic Breast Cancer
January 5, 2021
Having surgery along with systemic treatments or with systemic treatments and radiation therapy can improve survival for women diagnosed with metastatic hormone-receptor-positive or HER2-positive breast cancer. Read more...

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Most Women Satisfied With Choice to Go Flat After Mastectomy, but Choice Not Supported by Many Surgeons
January 11, 2021
Nearly 75% of women surveyed who opted for mastectomy without reconstruction were satisfied with the results, but almost 25% said their decision to go flat was not supported by their surgeons. Read more...

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New Tool Helps Predict Risk of Severe Chemotherapy Side Effects in Older People With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
January 20, 2021
By combining eight factors, a new tool called the Cancer and Aging Research Group-Breast Cancer score helps predict whether older people diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will have serious side effects from chemotherapy. Read more...

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Oncotype DX Results Appear Less Accurate in Black Women Diagnosed With Certain Early-Stage Breast Cancers
January 29, 2021
Black women diagnosed with stage I to stage III estrogen-receptor-positive, axillary node-negative breast cancer were more likely to die from breast cancer than white women with similar diagnoses and similar Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Scores. Read more...

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First Screening Mammography Guidelines for Older Breast Cancer Survivors Recommend Individualized Approach
February 3, 2021
The first screening mammography guidelines for breast cancer survivors age 75 and older encourage people and their doctors to come to a decision that is individualized for each person after discussing the benefits and risk of screening mammograms, as well as the person's preferences. Read more...

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Metformin Seems to Lower Risk of Estrogen-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer in Women With Type 2 Diabetes
February 8, 2021
Women with type 2 diabetes who take metformin to control their blood sugar appear to have a lower risk of estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer. Read more...

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Scalp Cooling Reduces Hair Loss by Lessening Chemotherapy Absorbed by Hair Follicles
February 16, 2021
A study offers a first peek at the biology behind scalp cooling by finding that scalp cooling dramatically reduces the amount of chemotherapy medicine absorbed by the hair follicles. Read more...

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Combination Hormonal Therapy Seems More Effective for Men With Hormone-Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer
February 16, 2021
The combination of either tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor plus a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue reduced levels of estradiol, a form of estrogen, more than tamoxifen alone in men diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Read more...

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Chemotherapy Doesn't Seem to Increase Risk of COVID-19
February 16, 2021
Compared to people diagnosed with cancer who were not being treated with chemotherapy, people with cancer receiving chemotherapy didn't have a higher risk for developing COVID-19. Read more...

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People Diagnosed With Cancer Have Higher Risk of COVID Infection and Complications
February 23, 2021
Compared to people not diagnosed with cancer, people who have been diagnosed with cancer have a higher risk of being infected with COVID-19 and having more severe complications if they are infected. Read more...

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3D Mammogram Disparities: Black and Low-Income Women Often Denied Access
March 4, 2021
Over the last 10 years, women of color, as well as women with less education and lower incomes, have had less access to 3D screening mammograms compared to white women and women who are more educated and well-off financially. Read more...

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Breast Cancer Risk Drops Within 5 Years of Prophylactic Ovary and Fallopian Tube Removal in Women With BRCA Mutations
March 11, 2021
Surgery to remove the healthy ovaries and fallopian tubes reduces the risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in the first 5 years after surgery. The age at which a woman has the surgery seems to affect risk reduction more in women with a BRCA1 mutation than in women with a BRCA2 mutation. Read more...