SABCS--2016 Dec 6-10

Jennj99738 · December 2016

Hi, I wonder if there is any way to get the paper from this presentation from Benjamin Smith, MD that occurred on Tuesday: Radiation implications post neoadjuvant therapy

I have searched everywhere but I can't find anything. Thank you! I was hoping to use this information to make a decision regarding having radiation.

JohnSmith · December 2016

The Immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) combined with Eribulin (Halaven) shows promise for TNBC.
http://www.onclive.com/conference-coverage/sabcs-2016/pembrolizumab-eribulin-combo-shows-promise-for-tnbc

This trial in ongoing and the data is not mature. Patients need to be followed longer to determine benefit. Another update will be provided in Summer 2017. However the early results offer a glimmer of hope. As some have expected, TNBC are benefiting by Immunotherapies since they typically present a higher tumor burden (which the immune system can see once the "parking brake" is released with checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda). TNBC also tend to have higher immune cells called lymphocytes or TILs in or near the tumor, which is good since they can attack the cancer once the "brake" is released.

The phase II portion of the study continues to enroll participants with metastatic TNBC (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02513472)
12 different states across the US are still enrolling patients.

This is just one clinical trial. As a reminder, throughout the US and Canada, there are ~250 different trials for breast cancer that involve some type of Immunotherapy.

voraciousreader · December 2016

john...yes...the Stanford study was presented at SABCS

voraciousreader · December 2016

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/1612...

Jenn...i think this is the study you are referring to....Dr. Smith published his study in 2012 and then he and another researcherbuilt on his recent study.

Good luck with your decision

voraciousreader · December 2016

regarding the earlier study regarding brachytherapy....it was a very important study...while braytherapy is approved by most insurance companies...it still is considered experimental. I am happy to hear that the researchers are looking for that "sweet spot

voraciousreader · December 2016

john...for decades...clinicians have been using older, CHEAP meds "off label." Agreed.Their safety has been well established.

Regarding getting these meds quickly approved via the FDA for off label use is a thorny topic. Clinical trials cost lots of money. Since these drugs are often older, there is little money to be made by pharmaceutical companies so there is no reason or incentive to do a clinical trial to study other usages.

That is why these meta-analyses are important

Jennj99738 · December 2016

Thank you for checking. I don't think that's what he presented this year. This one was about neoadjuvant therapy and pathological complete response. I'll keep looking. Thanks again, though.

ChiSandy · December 2016

The article about the EndoPredict test being more accurate than OncotypeDX in predicting 5 & 10- yr recurrence rates in respective “low risk” patients sent a chill down my spine. My OncotypeDX score was 16—should I have insisted on chemo? Would its very real risks at my age (now nearly 66) and with my comorbidities have been outweighed by the benefits? Or would my life expectancy have been the same, whether dying of heart disease or metastases, regardless?

voraciousreader · December 2016

sandy...i always remind myself that I made the best informed clinical treatment decision based on the best available eidence at the time. My cousin was diagnosed a few years after me and two months before Pejerba was approved for HER 2 positive bc. She was and still is pretty upset because she was not offered the protocol.

It is pretty common for many of us to stay current with respect to enlightening ourselves about bc news...BUT...we must not let it fuel our insecurities. There is nothing good about that kind of worrying. It will rob us from enjoying precious time. With each passing day, i think less and less about having HAD cancer. It has NEVER and WILL NEVER define me. I did my active treatment. I am a good girl and take my AI every, single, day and begrudgingly see my team so they can remind me that I AM a cancer patient. That said, please be gentle and kind to yourself. We are all in this together....take comfort in knowing it is ok to be frightened from time to time....we all are....but draw strength in knowing that for so many of us, cancer is a very treatable disease

farmerlucy · December 2016

Thanks so much much to all involved in keeping us informed re:SABCS 2016.

I am most interested in knowing if the BCI test is proving valuable, since I'm coming up on five years. The only thing I found was this press release.https://www.breastcancerindex.com/files/press-rele...

KathyL624 · December 2016

I agree Sandy! After reafing that article I too am worried about my low oncotype score. I am trying to take comfort in the various studies that have shown the reliability of oncotype

Hopeful82014 · December 2016

This is rather interesting http://www.cancernetwork.com/SABCS-2016/precision-endocrine-therapy-possible-breast-cancer-patients

Hopeful82014 · December 2016

The above presents some interesting questions, in light of the study below:

http://www.cancernetwork.com/SABCS-2016/ais-linked-reduced-endothelial-function-postmenopausal-breast-cancer-survivors?GUID=D53A0013-69D7-4B59-83CC-F2AF978428FB&XGUID=&rememberme=1&ts=12122016

voraciousreader · December 2016

regarding the associated cardio risk...i mentioned on another thread that while there is a significant difference in this small co hort of patients, we must keep in mind that these results need verification from a larger group...AND... for people like myself who are already at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, it appears, more cardio screening is necessary. I began seeing a cardiologist prior to my bc diagnosis at age 53.

I think it is prudent to consider our other health risks since many of us will survive our bc diagnosis. What many women will generally forget is that heart disease and stroke is the leading cause of death in women

Hopeful82014 · December 2016

I felt this (from the 2nd link) "Use of anastrozole appeared associated with a significant reduction in large artery elasticity as compared to exemestane and letrozole cases," Blaes said. "There was no association between the length of time on an aromatase inhibitor and the Endo-PAT ratio." was an interesting example of the balancing acts sometimes required (between a rock and a hard place?) in light of the following from the first link: "Taken together, these findings suggest that when this particular SNP is present in postmenopausal breast cancer patients, anastrozole may be the preferred aromatase inhibitor over letrozole or exemestane." (Italics added)

I suspect that as time goes by we'll see much more information of this sort. It's great to have these insights, even as it potentially complicates treatment decisions.

Hopeful82014 · December 2016

I haven't read the complete study but would be curious to know what percentage were on AIs (and for how long) and whether the post-breast cancer deaths could be attributed to an increased risk of heart disease possibly due to AI use.

http://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/sabcs-2016/bre...

Moderators · December 2016

New Scalp Cooling System Can Reduce Hair Loss From Chemotherapy: 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 8, 2016

Several studies have shown that cooling the scalp to a very low temperature can help reduce hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. In this podcast, Julie Nangia, M.D., assistant professor of medicine, Baylor College of Medicine talks about the study results she presented at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on the Orbis Paxman Hair Loss Prevention System. The study was the first prospective, randomized trial on a scalp cooling system and found that about 50% of the women who used the cooling system kept most of their hair.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Nangia explain:

how the Orbis Paxman Hair Loss Preservation System works
how the type of chemotherapy regimen the women were on affected the results
why doing a prospective, randomized trial was important

Running time: 9:54

Listen now.

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Liquid Tumor Biopsies -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 8, 2016

"An exciting but early time."

Oncologist Philomena McAndrew talks about the exciting, but still early research on what's called by a variety of names: liquid tumor biopsies, circulating tumor cells, and cell free DNA and what the development of these tests might mean for patients in the future.

Running time: 1:59

Listen now.

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Scalp Cooling -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 9, 2016

Breastcancer.org Chief Medical Officer and Founder Marisa Weiss, M.D. offers her take on a new device that may help women keep quite a bit of their hair during chemotherapy.

Running time: 2:11

Listen now.

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Experimental Buparlisib Offers Benefits, But Side Effects Too Toxic: 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 9, 2016

The experimental medicine buparlisib helps treat metastatic hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has been treated with an aromatase inhibitor, but grew after being treated with Afinitor (chemical name: everolimus) and Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane). In this podcast from the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Ruth O'Regan, M.D., professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Wisconsin and one of the researchers who did the phase III BELLE-3 trial, discusses the results of the study and explains why the mechanics of how buparlisib work are promising, even if buparlisib probably isn't the right medicine to treat breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. O'Regan talk about:

how buparlisib works
why inhibiting the PI3 kinase pathway may help treat metastatic, hormone-receptor-positive disease that has stopped responding to hormonal therapy
buparlisib's unacceptable side effects
how she plans to talk to her patients about buparlisib

Running time: 5:04

Listen now.

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Male Breast Cancer Advocacy -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 9, 2016

"I've been on a roll of male breast cancer advocacy."

Breast cancer survivor Michael Singer was staffing the Male Breast Cancer Coalition booth at the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. In this mini podcast, he talks about his diagnosis and how he works to raise awareness that men can be breast cancer patients, too.

Running time: 3:27

Listen now.

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Overcoming Hormonal Therapy Side Effects -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 10, 2016

Breastcancer.org Chief Medical Officer and Founder Marisa Weiss, M.D. talks about the importance of sticking with a hormonal therapy treatment plan and ways to deal with any side effects.

Running time: 1:50

Listen now.

Larkspur · December 2016

A friend of mine has just sent me a link to an article from the Stanford Medicine News Center that discusses this research in some detail:

http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2016/12/stud...

Larkspur · December 2016

Re the research at Stanford on drug interactions: a friend of mine has just sent me a link to an article from the Stanford Medicine News Center that discusses this research in some detail:

http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2016/12/stud...