Clinical Pathways

Competing breast cancer tests vie for attention from clinicians and payers at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

BioNTech AG, a drug developer that specializes in cancer immunotherapies, announced last month new results from a clinical performance evaluation study of a molecular in vitro diagnostic test for quantitative detection of mRNA expression of certain genes.

In a multicenter study, only 1 in 5 women at increased risk of breast cancer reported a strong need for tamoxifen preventive therapy, according to a report published Monday.

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), researchers found that starting mammography screening at age 30 may benefit women with at least 1 of 3 risk factors: dense breasts, a personal history of breast cancer, or a family history of breast cancer.

Fibroblasts play a role in the spread of cancer, and a recent study showed that breast tumors can boost their growth by recruiting bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stromal cells to primary breast tumors

The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania will become the 28th member institution to join the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), it was announced Tuesday.

A recent review looked at the role lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a secreted glycoprotein that transports small lipophilic ligands, might play in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and the possibility of potential LCN2-targeting agents.

A recent study sought to learn more about how estrogen receptor signaling occurs in vivo in normal and cancerous tissue.

Researchers recently reported findings from a study designed to determine patient attitudes about mammographic reporting of breast arterial calcification (BAC), result of the BAC communication, and subsequent action.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is using artificial intelligence (AI) to process screening mammographies after a retrospective study found that AI can measure breast density—a risk factor for having tumors that could be missed during a scan—at the screening level of an experienced radiographer.

A new study offers insights into ways to improve breast cancer screening with a new understanding of how genetic risk variants affect disease progression and mode of detection. The study found that the presence of certain rare mutations was indicative of increased risk from interval breast cancers and death.

As with other kinds of surgery, patients undergoing operations for breast cancer can experience persistent postsurgical pain, which can negatively affect quality of life. Researchers in Tokyo conducted a study to see if they could determine the predictive value and accuracy of an acute pain trajectory, measured by pain intensity at 1 day after the surgery and pain prevalence at 6 months later.

The field of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) has witnessed a slow and steady progress over the past few years. Here are a few recent developments with utilizing and measuring PROs.

A recent trial sought to assess the effect of palbociclib on overall survival (OS) and the efficacy of subsequent therapy in patients with hormone receptor–positive (HR+), HER2-negative advanced breast cancer.

A recent study looked to use real-world data to support the value of pathway regimens designed to create high-quality, affordable treatment in breast cancer care.

Women with HER2-positive early breast cancer with small tumors have similar disease-free survival and lower risk of cardiac toxicity with a 9-week course of adjuvant trastuzumab compared with those treated for 1 year, according to a study presented at the ESMO 2018 Annual Congress. A second study showed that a 6-month course of adjuvant trastuzumab was cost-effective compared to 12 months.

A recent study looked at regimens concordant with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in order to describe categories of nonconcordant treatments; evaluate patient- and provider-level factors associated with nonconcordance; and determine the impact of nonconcordance on mortality, Medicare spending, and rates of healthcare utilization.

This week, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) published new guidelines for patients centered around neuroendocrine tumors.

In a study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Care Symposium last month, researchers looked to assess the adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer and the impact on outcomes.

A recent retrospective analysis examined changes in diagnosis after a second opinion for patients with breast cancer from a multi-disciplinary tumor board review at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of breast cancer in part due to barriers to timely screening mammography, a study reported, leading to a disparity in mortality and survival outcomes.

Earlier this week, 3 studies were released that investigated the financial difficulties seen in patients living with cancer. Such difficulties are referred to as “financial toxicity,” which was studied in patients with metastatic breast cancer and older patients, as well as the conversations about cost of care that women with breast cancer have with their physicians.

Optimal end-stage renal disease (ESRD) starts were associated with lower 12-month morbidity, mortality, and inpatient and outpatient utilization in an integrated healthcare delivery system.

Although many different treatments exist for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), many methods have not been compared in head-to-head randomized trials. A review recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine looked to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of treatments in adults with BCC.