Breast cancer

Don’t dismiss fears over switching generics, take it from two cancer ‘thrivers’

Ruth Edwards and Avril Chester share their experience of the impact medicines shortages can have on people who rely on long-term medicines after cancer treatment.…

The role of circulating tumour DNA in guiding cancer treatment and future applications

An overview of current and future applications of circulating tumour DNA in common solid tumours and the implications on treatment.…

New estimates for breast cancer risk associated with HRT

New estimates of the increased risks of breast cancer associated with use of different hormone replacement therapy preparations have been published in the BMJ.…

Five years on: what my experience with breast cancer taught me about good patient care

Ruth Edwards reflects on her experience as a patient with breast cancer and how it taught her a valuable lesson about patient care.…

Addition of abemaciclib to hormonal therapy for high-risk early breast cancer reduces recurrence by 25%, research suggests

Combining abemaciclib with hormonal therapy reduces the risk of cancer recurrence by 25% in patients with high-risk early hormone receptor positive (HR+) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer, interim analysis of a phase III study has suggested.…

MHRA advises vigilance after study links HRT with increased risk of breast cancer

Women who use hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of the menopause should be vigilant for signs of breast cancer, even after stopping HRT, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has advised.…

NHS Tayside pharmacists felt ‘professionally vulnerable’ drug dosing concerns were ignored

Pharmacists at NHS Tayside said they felt “professionally vulnerable” after changes to breast cancer drug dosing were introduced by a consultant breast cancer oncology team, a report by Health Improvement Scotland has found.…

Palbociclib slows tumour growth in early breast cancer

Adding the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib to hormone therapy can slow or stop tumour growth in women with early breast cancer, a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has shown.…

How genetic testing can help women with breast cancer avoid chemotherapy

By using Oncotype DX test technology, researchers behind the TAILORx trial have proven that invasive and often harmful chemotherapy needn’t be the only option for women with breast cancer. …

Less is more: shorter trastuzumab treatment for HER2+ breast cancer is effective, cheaper and yields better adherence than standard therapy

Around 15–20% of breast cancers show amplification (increased number of gene copies) or overexpression (increased production of protein) of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). These patients have highly proliferative tumours and decreased expression of oestrogen and progestero…