FORCE's eXamining the Relevance of Articles for You (XRAY) program looks behind the headlines of cancer news to help you understand what the research means for you.
XRAY is a reliable source of hereditary cancer research-related news and information.
Learn more about the XRAY program
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Guideline : Breast surgeons recommend genetic testing for all breast cancer patients
Relevance: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Anyone diagnosed with breast cancer
The American Society of Breast Surgeons published statement on genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer on February 10, 2019. It includes recommendations about who should be tested. Among these is the recommendation that all breast cancer patients get genetic testing, as well as women who do not have breast cancer but fit the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. (3/25/19)
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Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : Prevalence of BRCA founder mutations in Bahamian women
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Bahamanian women
The Bahamas has the highest known frequency of BRCA mutations among people diagnosed with breast cancer. This study reviewed whether population-based BRCA testing (testing everyone regardless of family or personal history of cancer) would be an effective approach for finding mutation carriers in the Bahamas. (3/4/19)
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Article : Promise of a cure for cancer is too good to be true
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with cancer
The Jerusalem Post published an article titled, “A cure for cancer? Israeli scientists may have found one.” The story profiled a small Israeli company called Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies that has been working on developing new cancer treatments since 2000. The article relied almost entirely on an interview with the company’s chairperson of the board who made a series of unsubstantiated claims that included that, in a year’s time, the company will offer a complete cure for cancer. (2/12/19)
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Article : The cost of cancer care and impact of financial hardship on treatment
Most relevant for: Anyone diagnosed with cancer
Several recent studies on the cost of cancer care show the negative effects on cancer patients. We review an article by Kaiser Health News and associated studies about the financial impact of breast cancer treatment and cost of precision medicine. (2/8/19)
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Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : The impact of palbociclib (Ibrance) on overall survival for metastatic breast cancer patients in the PALOMA-3 trial
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: People with metastatic, hormone-positive breast cancer
The PALOMA-3 clinical trial showed that a new CDK4/6 inhibitor in combination therapy improved progression-free survival of women treated for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer in women with prior disease progression after endocrine therapy. This XRAYS reviews a newly published study in the New England Journal of Medicine that looks at overall survival in the original PALOMA-3 study. (1/23/19)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/shutterstock_235862704 (1).jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : Inherited breast cancer in Nigerian women
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Nigerian women or women of Nigerian descent who have breast cancer
A new study shows that among Nigerian women, one in eight cases of breast cancer is due to an inherited mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 or TP53. (12/5/18)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/shutterstock_611125751.jpg)
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : Can population-based DNA sequencing find more people at risk for hereditary cancers?
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Women over age 30
It is well documented that many BRCA mutation carriers are missed using current family history-based screening approaches. As a result, experts are beginning to call for population-based BRCA genetic testing—an organized effort to screen all women like we do for breast and cervical cancer. A recent study looked at whether a population-based genetic testing approach would better identify mutation carriers compared with current practice. (11/17/18)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/Unknown_1.jpeg)
Article : The importance of racial diversity in clinical trials
Most relevant for: People who are a member of a racial or ethnic minority group
This article by journalists Caroline Chen and Riley Wong looks at racial disparities between participation in clinical trials and the population of people with cancer. (11/6/18)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/AdobeStock_116736752.jpeg)
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : Surgeon attitude impacts rate of genetic testing after a breast cancer diagnosis
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Young women diagnosed with breast cancer who have not yet had genetic testing
A study in JAMA Surgery this year examined the factors that impact genetic testing after a breast cancer diagnosis. This study suggests that the attitudes of attending surgeons about genetic testing have the most impact on whether patients receive testing. (10/6/18)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/surgeon consultation 100318-AdobeStock_183419848.jpeg)
Relevance: Medium-Low
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Study : A new method for determining whether genetic variants in BRCA1 increase cancer risk
Relevance: Medium-Low
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Most relevant for: People who have a Variant of Uncertain Significance in a gene associated with cancer risk.
Ever since BRCA1 was discovered, researchers have been trying to understand which of the thousands of possible DNA changes in this gene increase cancer risk and which are harmless changes. A new study in Nature reports how a cutting-edge technology called “genome editing” may be used to classify changes—known as variants of uncertain significance-in BRCA1 as harmful or harmless. Once validated, this same technology may be used to classify variants in other genes. (9/29/18)
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