Dr. Ahmed on Key Strategies for Managing Breast Cancer Brain Metastases

Kamran A. Ahmed, MD, an assistant member in the Department of Radiation Oncology and the Department of Immunology at Moffitt Cancer Center, and an assistant professor in the Department of Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Florida, discusses key strategies to manage patients with breast cancer and brain metastases.

The primary strategy that is in place for the majority of patients with breast cancer that has spread to the brain is local therapies, says Ahmed. The cornerstone is still radiation therapy and potentially surgery. Additionally, several agents in the breast cancer space have been shown to result in good outcomes, as well as the potential to improve intracranial progression. Specifically in the HER2-positive space, data have come out on HER2-specific TKIs in addition to other targeted agents.

Additionally, other agents are also under investigation in the hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative, and triple-negative breast cancer space that will hopefully show positive outcomes in the future, concludes Ahmed.