Statins may reduce HF hospitalization after chemotherapy for breast cancer

Among women undergoing chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer, statin exposure reduced risk for hospitalization due to HF by up to 66%, according to a retrospective population-based cohort study presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.

https://www.healio.com/cardiology/hf-transplantation/news/online/%7Bc0d6836e-04c9-42c2-bb83-432df05b3f95%7D/statins-may-reduce-hf-hospitalization-after-chemotherapy-for-breast-cancer

Lower breast cancer risk in RA unexplained by hormonal risk factors

"We found a decreased risk of breast cancer in patients with RA, and a similar decrease in risk of RA in patients with a history of breast cancer," Wadström and colleagues wrote. "We did not find evidence to support that the decreased risk of breast cancer was due to known risk determinants. Thus, we were ultimately unable to explain the origins of this association. Antihormonal therapy as used in secondary breast cancer pharmacoprevention does not seem to increase RA risk."

https://www.healio.com/rheumatology/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/online/%7B84027b49-610f-4986-aa64-c13b37c0ead7%7D/lower-breast-cancer-risk-in-ra-unexplained-by-hormonal-risk-factors

Just posting here because I got an email last evening from the Metastatic Breast Cancer Project, in which I am a participant (meaning I gave them samples and access to my medical records.) They are not exactly a clinical trial, but a data aggregator and interpreter.

In part the email said this:

We are continuing to process and analyze data, obtain clinical data from medical records, and prepare datasets for public release. We continue to engage with the scientific community to make sure the project data that are currently publicly available can help drive their research forward. We are also hard at work behind the scenes upgrading our infrastructure, designing new surveys and websites, and developing pilot projects to explore new ways for the MBCproject to collect and analyze data.

While these efforts remain underway, our laboratory operations at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard are on hold. As a result, saliva and blood kits will not be sent to patients until normal operations resume. If you have recently sent one in, we will be able to process kits that are already in transit. We will provide updates on kit delivery when we are back to being fully operational. The Broad Institute has paused these and other operations to convert a CLIA-certified testing center into a laboratory that can process COVID-19 patient samples.

So, sadly, it seems, Covid 19 is interfering with MBC research.

Pre-diagnostic 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in relation to tumor molecular alterations and risk of breast cancer recurrence

i read a study (when I was first diagnosed) done in Ireland and they believed Low Vitamin D played a role in Breast Cancer and well.

I'm glad that they are looking at this more closely but just want to push back a little and say that all of this is still in correlation phase rather than causation here. Even if lower vitamin D were associated with breast cancer, it doesn't by any stretch mean that increasing vitamin d levels would reduce the rate.

Lumpie,

Thanks for posting the report on resection of liver metastases. I saw that a few days ago and sent it to my MO. She was resistant when I wanted to do a microwave ablation of my largest liver lesion last summer, wanting to go into systemic treatment immediately instead. But it seems to have helped me, and this article is very helpful for others.

I had a partial liver resection in 2015 for a solitary liver met. I have been very happy with that choice.

Immunomedics' Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Trial Halted Early Due to Compelling Efficacy

Positive results for clinical trial of sacituzumab govitecan for TNBC

https://www.pharmalive.com/immunomedics-triple-negative-breast-cancer-trial-halted-early-due-to-compelling-efficacy/

Revolutionary Machine Learning Company Identifies Two Possible Treatments for Intractable Breast Cancer Type

The two therapy treatments successfully completed final in vitro organoid testing at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, demonstrating "significant synergistic interaction" in killing malignant tumor cells, with statistically "low-to-no adverse effects" on healthy cells. With these results, Pattern Computer will proceed to the next phase of preclinical testing.

https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/state/revolutionary-machine-learning-company-identifies-two-possible-treatments-for-intractable-breast-cancer-type/article_30e6c4d7-2269-53b7-8045-94ac01d3a431.html

Urban vs. rural residence and outcomes in older breast cancer patients

• Article
• Figures & Data
• Info & Metrics
• PDF

Abstract

Background: 20% of the US population resides in rural areas, yet is served by 3% of oncologists, and 7% of non-oncology specialists. Access to care issues can be compounded by lower socioeconomic status (SES) in rural areas, yet this issue is unexplored among older patients with breast cancer. Methods: Using SEER-Medicare, 109,608 patients diagnosed at ≥65y with breast cancer between 2000 and 2011 were identified. Residence status was combined with Federal Poverty levels: urban (high-, medium- and low-poverty); rural (high-, medium- and low-poverty). Five-year overall survival (OS) and healthcare utilization (HCU: visits to primary care provider [PCP], oncologist, non-oncology specialist, emergency department) were examined using urban/low-poverty as reference. The residence, HCU, mortality association was examined using mediation and moderation analyses. Results: Median age was 76y; 12.5% were rural, 15.6% high-poverty. 5y OS: 5y OS was 69.8% for rural and 70.9% for urban. Both urban- and rural/high-poverty patients had a 1.2-fold increased mortality hazard. Rural/high-poverty patients had a higher rate of PCP (Y1: IRR=1.23; Y2-Y5: IRR=1.19) and ED visits (Y1: IRR=1.82; Y2-Y5: IRR=1.43), but lower non-oncology specialist visit rates (Y1: IRR=0.74; Y2-Y5: IRR=0.71). Paucity of non-oncology specialist visits mediated 23%-57% of excess mortality risk. The interaction between residence/SES and paucity of non-oncology specialist visits accounted for 49%-92% of excess mortality risk experienced by rural/high-poverty patients vs. urban/low-poverty. Conclusions: Urban-rural residence mortality differences among older breast cancer patients are highly predicated by poverty level. Impact: Rural/high-poverty patients demonstrate less use of non-oncology specialists compared to urban/low-poverty, with disparities moderated by specialist use.

• Received November 12, 2019.
• Revision received February 12, 2020.
• Accepted April 10, 2020.

• Copyright ©2020, American Association for Cancer Research.