Breast Cancer

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Patient satisfaction was higher amongst women who underwent chest wall perforator flap technique when compared with other techniques.| Image Credit: AdobeStock_ H_Ko.jpeg

Patient Satisfaction Higher With Certain Breast Reconstruction Techniques

By Sabrina McCrear

August 12th 2025

Patient satisfaction was higher amongst patients who underwent a chest wall perforator flap reconstruction surgery as part of their breast cancer treatment when compared with other surgical techniques.

Supplemental breast cancer screenings criteria leaves Black women ineligible despite high percentage of false-negative mammograms. | Image Credit: breastcancerscreening-H_Ko.jpeg

Supplemental Breast Cancer Screening Law Renders Many High-Risk Black Women Ineligible

By Sabrina McCrear

August 5th 2025

Black women are at a higher risk for breast cancer mortality due to social determinants of health and lack of inclusivity in breast cancer genome research. | Image credit: Stafeeva - stock.adobe.com.jpeg

Social Disparities Increase Breast Cancer Mortality for Black Women

By Sabrina McCrear

July 27th 2025

Early-onset breast cancer found to be associated with certain hormone therapy usage in younger women. | Image Credit: Chinnapong - stock.adobe.com

Hormone Therapy Use May Impact Early-Onset Breast Cancer Risk

By Sabrina McCrear

July 26th 2025

Menopausal hormone therapy is associated with a higher risk of developing certain breast cancer subtypes. | Image Credit: vectorfusionart - stock.adobe.com

Hormone Therapy Use Differentially Associated With Breast Cancer Subtypes

By Sabrina McCrear

July 16th 2025

Advances in CDK4/6 Inhibitor Use in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer: 2024 Updates

Experts discuss the impact of CDK4/G inhibitor use, including medication cost, total care costs, toxicity profiles, and strategies to manage and optimize patient outcomes in high-risk early breast cancer.

Watch the latest AJMC Peer Exchange on Advances in CDK4/6 Inhibitor Use in High-Risk Early Breast Cancer: 2024 Updates

More News

What Is the Relationship Between Hormone-Modulating Therapies and Incidence of Neurodegenerative Diseases?

March 24th 2020

What Is the Relationship Between Hormone-Modulating Therapies and Incidence of Neurodegenerative Diseases?

Two hormone-modulating breast cancer therapies (HMTs), tamoxifen and steroidal aromatase inhibitors, were associated with a decrease in the number of women who received a diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Specifically, the 2 HMTs were associated with significant decreases in diagnoses of Alzheimer disease and dementia.

Does Treatment Begin and End Sooner With Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant Chemotherapy?

March 13th 2020

Does Treatment Begin and End Sooner With Neoadjuvant or Adjuvant Chemotherapy?

Patients who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy tend to be younger, with larger tumors and greater nodal involvement. But differences in their 30- and 90-day mortality rates compared with those of patients treated adjuvantly are clinically insignificant.

Did Medicaid Expansion Impact Cancer Diagnosis Rates?

March 12th 2020

Did Medicaid Expansion Impact Cancer Diagnosis Rates?

Investigators tracked time to treatment for 3 types of cancer in states that expanded Medicaid coverage on January 1, 2014, comparing rates before and after the expansion. Patients with new diagnoses of invasive breast, colon, or lung cancers aged 40 to 64 years were included in the analysis.

Does Method of Communication Influence a Woman's Understanding of Familial Breast Cancer Risk?

March 5th 2020

Does Method of Communication Influence a Woman's Understanding of Familial Breast Cancer Risk?

Thirty-seven percent of women prefer to receive their lifetime risk of breast cancer through numbers and words, while 73% prefer a combination of lifetime and 10-year age-related risk.

PAPER OF THE WEEK: Mammogram Practices Don't Match the Evidence

March 1st 2020

PAPER OF THE WEEK: Mammogram Practices Don't Match the Evidence

Of the women in the 2017 study over age 75, 63% had a mammogram.

Mammography Screening Improves Outcomes Among African American and White American Patients With TNBC

February 29th 2020

Mammography Screening Improves Outcomes Among African American and White American Patients With TNBC

Screening mammography is important for reducing race- and ethnicity-associated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) disparities among African American and white American patients. At present, there is a 40% higher mortality rate among African American women compared with white American women.

Mammography in Women Older Than 75 Does Not Confer an Additional Survival Benefit

February 25th 2020

Mammography in Women Older Than 75 Does Not Confer an Additional Survival Benefit

Recommendations abound for when women at average risk for breast cancer should begin yearly mammography screening, ranging from age 40 to 50. Questions remain, however, on the optimal age at which to stop. However, with over 50% of women older than age 75 still undergoing mammography, is there a truly safe age at which to stop what has been shown to be a life-saving practice if it does not decrease their mortality from breast cancer?

Longer Time to First Treatment Beneficial for Breast Cancer

February 22nd 2020

Longer Time to First Treatment Beneficial for Breast Cancer

When time to first treatment ranged from 31 to 90 days for patients with breast cancer, doctors had more time for extensive diagnostic workups without compromising survival rates.

Is Targeted Treatment in the Future for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

February 15th 2020

Is Targeted Treatment in the Future for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer?

The 5-year survival rate for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is about 77%. The recurrence rate is highest in the first 3 years after treatment, but falls off at the 5-year mark—although the survival rate at this time point tends to be lower. Because TNBC cells lack the hormone receptors for estrogen and progesterone and do not overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene, treatment often involves chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Targeted treatments are not used with TNBC.

CMS Agrees to Cover NGS for Medicare Patients With Breast, Ovarian, Other Cancers

January 28th 2020

CMS Agrees to Cover NGS for Medicare Patients With Breast, Ovarian, Other Cancers

Allison Inserro Mary Caffrey

CMS said it is expanding coverage of next generation sequencing (NGS) for use as a diagnostic for patients with germline breast and ovarian cancer, paving the way for Medicare beneficiaries to receive more personalized medicine. However, an advocate said the wording of CMS' decision could actually limit testing access for some women with breast or ovarian cancer.

Dr Banu Arun on Technologies to Expand Access to Genetic Counseling

December 15th 2019

Dr Banu Arun on Technologies to Expand Access to Genetic Counseling

There are new technologies that allow for genetic counseling services through which the provider does not even need to get that involved in the process, said Banu Arun, MD, medical oncologist, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Dr Erica Mayer on Improving Patient Adherence to Hormonal Therapies

December 14th 2019

Dr Erica Mayer on Improving Patient Adherence to Hormonal Therapies

Listening to patient concerns and issues and communicating with them can really help providers keep patients with breast cancer adherent to their hormonal therapies, said Erica Mayer, MD, MPH, assistant professor, medicine, Harvard Medical School.

December 14th 2019

Personalizing Breast Cancer: How Liquid Biopsy Testing for ctDNA, CTCs Can Promote Preventive Care

Matthew Gavidia

Two abstracts on liquid biopsy tests revealed the potential of analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in promoting heightened decision-making by clinicians for patients with early-stage and metastatic breast cancer.

December 14th 2019

Oral Paclitaxel Reveals Superior Confirmed Response, Survival in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer, Compared With IV Paclitaxel

Matthew Gavidia

In phase 3 trial results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, oral paclitaxel with encequidar, the first orally administered paclitaxel, was shown to exhibit superior confirmed response and survival with less neuropathy for patients with metastatic breast cancer compared with intravenous (IV) paclitaxel.

Dr Rita Nanda Discusses What Findings of I-SPY2 Mean for Future Breast Cancer Treatments

December 13th 2019

Dr Rita Nanda Discusses What Findings of I-SPY2 Mean for Future Breast Cancer Treatments

Rita Nanda, MD, associate professor, medicine, The University of Chicago Medicine, outlines the design of the I-SPY2 clinical trial and what the results have been so far.

Dr Corey Speers on Challenges Adopting Personalized Radiation Therapy

December 13th 2019

Dr Corey Speers on Challenges Adopting Personalized Radiation Therapy

Ensuring that prognostic or predictive tests to help make decisions regarding radiation therapy are accurate and clinically validated remains a challenge, said Corey Speers, MD, PhD, assistant professor, radiation oncology, University of Michigan.

December 13th 2019

Age Associated With Benefit Derived From Chemotherapy for Women With Luminal Breast Cancer, MINDACT Trial Finds

Matthew Gavidia

Data from the MINDACT trial revealed that among women with luminal breast cancers (hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative by local pathology) with a high clinical risk and low genomic risk, those aged 40 to 50 years had a greater, but insignificant, benefit from chemotherapy than patients older than 50.

Dr Nadine Tung Discusses When to Refer Patients for Germline Testing

December 13th 2019

Dr Nadine Tung Discusses When to Refer Patients for Germline Testing

The bar for who should get genetic testing for breast cancer keeps getting lowered, and oncologists have to keep informed about which results should trigger a referral for germline testing, said Nadine Tung, MD, director, Cancer Risk and Prevention Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and associate professor, medicine, Harvard Medical School.

Dr Eileen Rakovitch Outlines Use of Biomarkers to Treat Breast Cancer

December 13th 2019

Dr Eileen Rakovitch Outlines Use of Biomarkers to Treat Breast Cancer

Using biomarker tests can help personalize care for women with ductal carcinoma in situ and determine the risks of using or not using radiation, said Eileen Rakovitch, MD, MSc, FRCPC, professor, department of radiation oncology, University of Toronto.

December 12th 2019

Measuring Therapeutic Intervention Impact, Receptiveness for Patients With Breast Cancer

Matthew Gavidia

In 3 abstracts presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quality of life were measured for different therapeutic interventions aiming to either heighten tumor detection or ease chemotherapy-induced effects.

December 12th 2019

Trastuzumab Deruxtecan Demonstrates Durable Efficacy in Phase 2 DESTINY-Breast01 Trial

Matthew Gavidia

Results from the phase 2 DESTINY-Breast01 clinical trial show the novel efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan in providing durable benefit to heavily pretreated patients having undergone other HER2-targeted treatments.

December 12th 2019

Follow-Up Data From Second OS Analysis of APHINITY Reveal Growing Impact of Pertuzumab Within Patient Subgroups

Matthew Gavidia

Overall survival was shown to be greater but insignificant in patients administered pertuzumab compared with placebo, while subgroups of lymph node–positive and hormone receptor–negative patients were distinguished as major beneficiaries, according to the results of the second interim analysis of APHINITY presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.

Incidence Rates of Early-Stage Breast and Colorectal Cancer Increased Following Enactment of ACA

November 7th 2017

Incidence Rates of Early-Stage Breast and Colorectal Cancer Increased Following Enactment of ACA

Jaime Rosenberg

With the ACA putting emphasis on preventive care, there has been an immediate increase in breast and coloreactal cancer screenings. A recent study found that incidence rates of early-stage breast and colorectal cancer increased in 2014, but did not vary for late-stage breast and colorectal cancer.

September 5th 2017

Mammography Device Approved by FDA Gives Patients Control Over Pressure Levels

Christina Mattina

The FDA has approved the first 2D digital mammography system that lets patients adjust the level of compression applied to their breast during the imaging procedure.

November 10th 2016

Medical Home Transformation and Breast Cancer Screening

Amy W. Baughman, MD, MPH Phyllis Brawarsky, MPH Tracy Onega, PhD, MS Tor D. Tosteson, ScD Qianfei Wang, MS Anna N.A. Tosteson, ScD Jennifer S. Haas, MD, MSc

Breast cancer screening may not improve in early medical home implementation.

October 14th 2016

Breast Cancer Death Rates Drop, but Racial Disparities Linger

Christina Mattina

Data released by the CDC today indicate that while breast cancer deaths are on the decline, black women still have worse outcomes than white women. The report also noted disparate trends in breast cancer incidence among different races and age groups.

October 13th 2016

What We're Reading: Awaiting Alzheimer's Drug Clinical Trial Results

What we’re reading, October 13, 2016: researchers, Alzheimer’s patients, and their families anxiously await the results of a clinical trial that could help slow the disease’s progress; many breast cancers detected by mammograms are overtreated even though they likely would not be fatal on their own; stock prices fall for Humana and Cigna as CMS says a minority of their patients are in plans rated 4 stars or higher.

November 30th 2015

Does Telephone Scheduling Assistance Increase Mammography Screening Adherence?

Colleen A. Payton, MPH Mona Sarfaty, MD Shirley Beckett, AAS Carmen Campos, MPH Kathleen Hilbert, RN

The authors describe a quality improvement intervention that focuses on directly scheduling mammogram appointments for women who lack adherence despite written outreach letters.

November 13th 2015

Testing Novel Patient Financial Incentives to Increase Breast Cancer Screening

Elizabeth Levy Merrick, PhD, MSW Dominic Hodgkin, PhD Constance M. Horgan, ScD Laura S. Lorenz, PhD Lee Panas, MS Grant A. Ritter, PhD Paul Kasuba, MD Debra Poskanzer, MD Renee Altman Nefussy, BA

This study tested 3 financial incentives encouraging breast cancer screening (mammograms) among women deemed overdue. None were effective overall; "person-centered" incentives worked in the most recently screened subgroup.

March 21st 2014

Narrow Networks a Challenge for Patients with Cancer

Katie Sullivan, MA

Despite ACA stipulations, patients with cancer may face new barriers to care as they shop for healthcare plans on the state and federal insurance exchanges.

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