Breast Cancer | Specialty

The OncLive Breast Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of breast cancer, including those that are triple negative, hormone receptor positive, and/or HER2 positive. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on treatment advances and ongoing research in breast cancer.

New Developments on Horizon in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

March 10th 2014

In the last decade, there have been tremendous improvements in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer with new HER2-targeted agents improving survival in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings.

Trastuzumab/Eribulin Combo Safe and Effective in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

March 10th 2014

The first-line combination of trastuzumab and eribulin mesylate demonstrated an ORR of 71.2% with a median PFS of 11.6 months in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer.

Dr. Verma on the Future of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

March 8th 2014

Sunil Verma, MD, MSEd, FRCPC, associate professor, University of Toronto, chair, Breast Medical Oncology, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, provides an outlook on the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Emerging DCIS Strategies Look Beyond Surgery

March 8th 2014

Success rates for lumpectomies or mastectomies are high with respect to survival, with up to 98% long-term survival rates for surgery and/or radiotherapy, but what if similar results could be achieved by substituting targeted medications for therapy?

What's Ahead for BRCA Genetic Testing and Counseling?

March 8th 2014

The US Supreme Court's landmark decision last June, mandating that an individual's genes cannot be patented, transformed the genetic testing landscape and opened the marketplace to a host of new and complicated testing options.

Next-Generation Sequencing Revolutionizes Discovery of Novel Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer

March 8th 2014

The most promising novel therapeutics in development for patients with breast cancer focus primarily on targeting activating mutations in combinations that are based on findings from next-generation sequencing.

Dr. Tripathy on Adjuvant Bisphosphonates in BC

March 7th 2014

Debu Tripathy, MD, co-leader, Women's Cancer Program, University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses using adjuvant bisphosphonates as a treatment option for patients with breast cancer.

Dr. Boughey on Surgical Resection of Stage IV BC

March 7th 2014

Judy C. Boughey, MD, associate professor of surgery, director, Breast Surgical Oncology Training Program, Mayo Clinic, discusses surgical resection of the primary breast tumor in patients with stage IV breast cancer.

Blackwell Explores Emerging Trends in Treating HER2 Metastatic Breast Cancer

March 7th 2014

Since its approval in 1998 to treat metastatic breast cancer, the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab has dramatically expanded life expectancy and improved quality of life for women diagnosed with HER2-positive disease.

Canadian Breast Screening Study Reignites Controversy Over Mammograms

March 7th 2014

The large Canadian study that has caused a stir by indicating that mammograms are of no use in women aged 40 to 59 years, and in fact can lead to over-diagnosis of breast cancer, is flawed and misleading

Dr. Silverstein Describes Oncoplastic Surgery

March 6th 2014

Melvin J. Silverstein, MD, FACS, director, Breast Program Hoag Memorial Hospital, professor of surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, describes oncoplastic surgery.

Minimizing Axillary Surgery for Patients With Node-Positive Breast Cancer

March 6th 2014

As advances in systemic therapy improve our ability to individualize breast cancer treatment, and improve response rates and outcomes, it is important to reevaluate the most appropriate form of local-regional management.

Dr. Muss on AIs With or Without mTOR Blockade

March 6th 2014

Hyman B. Muss, MD, discusses optimizing the administration of endocrine therapies with or without mTOR inhibitors for patients with HR-positive metastatic breast cancer

Study Supports First-Line Eribulin Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer

March 5th 2014

Eribulin mesylate (Halaven) proved safe and effective as first-line therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer in final phase II clinical trial results

Dr. Leyland-Jones on Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tools

March 3rd 2014

Brian Leyland-Jones, MBBS, PhD, director, Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Research, discusses the development of breast cancer risk assessment tools.

Some With Micropapillary Urothelial Carcinoma May Benefit From HER2-Targeted Treatment

February 27th 2014

Some patients with micropapillary urothelial carcinoma face a three-fold risk of cancer death because their disease amplifies HER2 and overexpresses its protein product, and there may be a role for treatment of the condition with HER2- targeted agent trastuzumab, which has vastly increased the odds of survival for eligible patients with breast cancer.

Integrating Genetic Counseling Into an Oncology Practice Can Benefit High-Risk Families

February 26th 2014

Genetic counseling-including testing and risk assessment-is one of the most rapidly growing areas of oncology and has become the standard of care for patients with a personal and family history of breast, ovary, or colon cancer.

Dr. Tripathy on Markers of Resistance in Breast Cancer

February 26th 2014

Debu Tripathy, MD, co-leader, Women's Cancer Program, University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses markers of resistance in patients with HER2+ breast cancer.

Preventative Ovarian Surgery in BRCA1 Mutation Carriers More Beneficial Before Age 35

February 24th 2014

For the first time, physicians have a clearer understanding of the optimum age for prophylactic oophorectomy in patients with BRCA mutations who want to reduce their risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and breast cancer.

Dr. Jhaveri on T-DM1 in the Neoadjuvant Setting

February 21st 2014

Komal L. Jhaveri, MD, assistant professor, Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses T-DM1 for neoadjuvant breast cancer treatment.