By Lisa Newman, MD, chief of breast surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, as reported by Camille No Pagan
There are many reasons why women who develop breast cancer have hope. For starters, the way we treat and study advanced, or metastatic, breast cancer is improving. In the past few years, however, treatments have become more effective. We’re making a lot of progress in new treatments that help people live longer, which is really important.
But equally interesting, we have more targeted therapies – a type of therapy that targets specific proteins that play a role in how cancer grows in your body. They have less serious side effects. This is important, because the goal isn’t just to live longer, it’s to feel better and stronger.
Research on how to detect and monitor advanced breast cancer is particularly current. Some scientists are studying whether looking at circulating cancer tumor cells, a process sometimes referred to as a “liquid biopsy,” can help reveal whether a particular breast cancer has spread. The treatment is working.
Likewise, health medicine researchers are making exciting advances in tumor profiling. Precision medicine is treatment based on the unique genetic makeup of your individual tumor. This can help doctors find better treatments that work for you.
My research focuses on why breast cancer risk and disease outcomes differ based on patients’ race and ethnicity. African-American women have a 40 percent higher death rate from breast cancer. This is largely due to the effects of systemic racism in public health. Economic and social disadvantages that are more common in the African-American community may delay diagnosis. This, in turn, means that African-American women are not diagnosed with cancer until it is already at an advanced stage.
But it is more than that. We need more research on the biological and genetic factors that affect African American women. For example, African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age. At every age they are more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease known as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Research groups like mine (International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes, ICSBCS) have found that TNBC is also more common in western, sub-Saharan Africa. We believe that shared ancestry between African Americans and people who live in this part of Africa accounts for the prevalence of TNBC. We are conducting genetic research to find more patterns that can help us develop screening guidelines and help detect early, and potentially, new treatments for TNBC.
What’s more, African American people are less likely to be offered genetic testing and less likely to participate in clinical trials. (Clinical trials are when researchers test a drug or treatment to see if it works before it goes to the FDA for approval.) These are the most important strategies we have when developing This applies to all women with the development of breast cancer. Race and generation.
There are no guarantees when you are part of a clinical trial. But we test drugs that we believe are going to work. It takes a clinical trial to find out if we are right. They’re not right for everyone, but I encourage people who qualify for one and feel comfortable with the risks to consider it. Doctors will closely monitor your treatment, so you receive the highest level of care.
If you have advanced breast cancer, you want to be able to plan your life. That’s why it’s important to talk to your oncologist. You want to understand your options and your perspective. No matter what your future holds, it’s best to work with a cancer care team that includes doctors and health professionals from multiple disciplines. They will be able to read and understand your test images. They are also likely to have access to the latest treatments and clinical trials that may help you treat breast cancer.
Learn all you can because knowledge is truly powerful. Understand the nature of your disease. Ask for pathology reports, and make sure your doctor explains your findings and your treatment plan. It is your right to know. Ask about genetic testing and clinical trials if your doctor doesn’t bring it up. It is unfair that the burden of asking important questions sometimes falls on patients. But having your own advocate can help you live longer and better.
