Keyword: medicine

Guideline : Can MammaPrint guide treatment decisions?

Relevance: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with ER-positive, Her2-negative early-stage breast cancer with 0-3 positive nodes

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) updated its guidelines for MammaPrint, a genomic tumor test that guides treatment decisions for patients with early-stage invasive breast cancer. The update was based on results from the MINDACT study (11/16/17). 

Article : Preimplantation genetic diagnosis and hereditary cancer

Relevance: Medium-High

Quality of Writing: High

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Most relevant for: people with an inherited mutation linked to cancer risk

Andrew Joseph’s piece for STAT, “A baby with a disease gene or no baby at all: Genetic testing of embryos creates an ethical morass,” focuses on  preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the emerging ethical issue in the field of reproductive medicine: What to do when patients seeking to get pregnant select embryos with DNA that could lead to a disease or a disability.  (11/8/17)

Study : Can chemotherapy before surgery fuel breast cancer metastasis?

Relevance: Medium-Low

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

Most relevant for: Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

Some breast cancer patients are given neoadjuvant (before surgery) chemotherapy. However, some recent studies have raised concerns that neoadjuvant treatment might actually trigger cancer spread in certain situations. In the current study, researchers used mouse models and human breast cancers to explore this possibility. (10/10/17)

Study : Do physicians recommend breast cancer screenings based on guidelines?

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Women at average risk for breast cancer

Several guidelines help physicians decide when a woman should begin screening for breast cancer and how often she should be screened. However, are these guidelines put into use in the clinic? (8/8/17)

Study : Gaps in genetic testing and decision-making for women with early-stage breast cancer

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Most relevant for: People diagnosed with early stage breast cancer

Genetic testing for cancer risk is now more affordable and easier to obtain. As a result, many breast cancer patients are tested without ever seeing a genetic counselor. Genetic testing results affect treatment decision making, but they can be confusing, especially if patients do not receive genetic counseling. This study looks at breast cancer patients’ experiences following genetic testing and how testing results affect surgical decision making. (7/14/17)

Study : Routine breast cancer screening leads to overdiagnosis

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-Low

Most relevant for: Women at average risk for breast cancer

Routine breast cancer screening for women of average risk has been controversial for many years because some believe that the benefits do not outweigh the risks. Recent headlines covering a study in Denmark suggests that routine breast cancer screening leads to “overdiagnosis” of breast cancer. (4/4/17)

Study : Research suggests exercise is safe for breast cancer patients at risk for lymphedema

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

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Most relevant for: People with, or at high risk for lymphedema after breast cancer

Patients and health care providers are often concerned about how exercise affects lymphedema (swelling in the arm or hand) in breast cancer survivors or other women who have had lymph node biopsy at the time of mastectomy. Research on this topic has been mixed. A new study suggests that exercise after breast cancer treatment does not lead to lymphedema or worsen existing lymphedema. However, because this study was small, more work needs to be done to understand the relationship between exercise and lymphedema in cancer survivors. (2/22/17)

Study : Breast cancer screening should be tailored to a woman’s risk factors and breast density

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

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Most relevant for: Women who are at high risk for breast cancer due to family history, dense breasts, LCIS, or multiple biopsies

The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends a screening mammogram every other year for women ages 50-74 who are at average risk for breast cancer. But do all patients in this category benefit from this screening regimen? 10/18/16

Study : Extending aromatase inhibitor duration to 10 years lowers recurrence for ER/PR+ breast cancer patients

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for:

Hormonal therapy reduces the risk of recurrence for women with early-stage breast cancer that is ER-and/or PR-positive. Standard therapy lasts 5 years. A new study looks at whether extending one type of hormonal therapy, known as aromatase inhibitor therapy, to 10 years lowers recurrence rates even more for these women. (7/26/16)

Study : Early research on a drug to prevent breast cancer

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

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Most relevant for: Women with a BRCA1 mutation

Many researchers are interested in non-surgical options to reduce the higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer in BRCA mutation carriers. This research study identified a type of drug, called a “RANK ligand inhibitor,” that may prevent breast cancer. Among mice that were genetically engineered to have no BRCA1 genes, those that were given the drug developed tumors less frequently than those that did not. While this is an exciting early study for BRCA mutation carriers, more work and human clinical trials need to be done before this can be used as a prevention therapy in humans. (7/12/16)

Update added 11/24/19: The RANK ligand inhibitor, denosumab is currently being studied as a possible breast and ovarian cancer preventive agent in human clinical trials.