We understand the importance of staying informed about breast cancer research and policy, which is why we’ve curated some of the latest news from the first few months of 2023 to keep our readers up-to-date. Topics include a bill in Pennsylvania to cover BRCA testing and breast MRIs for high-risk women, the relationship between obesity and breast cancer risk for people with BRCA mutations, a new drug for premenopausal breast cancer with no ovarian suppression, the impact of social and biological factors on breast cancer racial disparity, and the use of a virus to help treat triple-negative breast cancer. Keep reading for more information on these exciting developments in breast cancer research and policy.
Bill in Pennsylvania to cover BRCA testing and breast MRIs for high-risk women:
The Pennsylvania State Senate considered a bill to mandate insurance coverage for MRI screening and BRCA testing for women at higher risk of breast cancer, as determined by a genetic counselor. Have you been denied MRI screening for breast cancer or BRCA testing? Let us know, so we can tell our legislators that this is a problem in Virginia as well.
Obesity and breast cancer risk for people with BRCA mutations (will get its own blog post!):
There was a flurry of articles about this study. Given that and the new STAT series on obesity and new drugs on the market being used for weight loss, we thought it was time for an update or continuation of our previous blog post on the subject. Spoiler: it is still more complicated than it seems.
New drug for premenopausal breast cancer with no ovarian suppression:
A new treatment may be on the horizon for premenopausal women with breast cancer that does not suppress the ovaries. This could be a breakthrough for women who aren’t yet done bearing children or haven’t yet made family plans. Additionally, it won’t cause the women to go into early menopause, meaning no hot flashes or other cumbersome menopausal symptoms. It is currently in a phase 2 trial, where the research team is trying to establish dosing for the medication.
https://www.curetoday.com/view/phase-2-trial-investigating-new-hormone-based-drug-for-breast-cancer
Social factors and biological factors are equal in breast cancer racial disparity:
A study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Oncology, a reputable journal, concluded that social determinants of health have the same impact as tumor biology when it comes to the racial disparity in breast cancer mortality. Specifically, insurance status and living in an area with a low socioeconomic index (SEI) score (lower levels of education, higher levels of poverty) accounted for 19% of the mortality disparity, while tumor characteristics and OncotypeDx recurrence score accounted for 20%. Obviously, not all Black women are uninsured or live in areas with a low SEI score, but the study also found increased mortality for Black women across the three levels of SEI scores used in the studies. A conclusion of note: “The finding of racial disparity even among women residing in the most advantaged neighborhoods suggests that adverse social conditions that accrue to Black women regardless of socioeconomic status…may act as upstream factors driving inequities in cancer care.”
Using a virus to help treat triple-negative breast cancer
In a Phase II trial, injecting a modified virus into a breast cancer tumor increased the tumor’s response to chemotherapy. We haven’t found specific receptors for triple-negative breast cancer like there are for hormone receptor positive and HER2+ breast cancer, so finding ways to make chemotherapy more effective is currently the best course of action.
https://www.ajmc.com/view/oncolytic-virus-therapy-shows-promising-results-in-early-stage-tnbc
