Randomization is a part of clinical trial design that helps prevent accidental bias in the trial results. You might have specific feelings about participating in a randomized trial. Learn more about how randomization works and why it’s important.
This month, we highlight advice from experts about how to manage sexual health side effects, as well as clinical trials that are studying these side effects. Learn more here.
Did you know that some breast cancers can be defined as estrogen receptor low (ER-low) breast cancer?
When you’re first diagnosed, a pathologist runs a series of lab tests on the cancer cells to see what drives the breast cancer to grow. Estrogen receptor positive (ER positive) breast cancer cells have proteins that respond to signals from estrogen, telling the cells to grow. Your pathology report will tell you whether the cancer is ER positive, and how many cells in the tumor sample had estrogen receptors.
Right now, any breast cancer with at least 1% of tested cells showing estrogen receptors is considered ER positive. But researchers have found that ER positive cancers that have a low number of cells with estrogen receptors may respond differently to treatment. These breast cancers are called ER-low.
To learn more about reading your test results, understanding ER-low, and what current guidelines are for treating estrogen receptor low breast cancer, see below.
It’s a myth that you should only join a MBC clinical trial when you have no other treatment options. Here’s why.
Geriatric oncology is a specialty that focuses on treating and researching cancer in older people. As we age, our bodies are more likely to develop many different kinds of health issues, from high blood pressure and arthritis to heart disease.
Treating metastatic breast cancer in older patients can mean balancing the side effects of MBC treatments with other illnesses and the medicines needed to manage them.
In late June, the FDA approved PHESGO (pertuzumab/ trastuzumab/ hyaluronidase-zzxf), a treatment that can be injected under the skin, to treat metastatic and early-stage HER2 positive breast cancer. Because it is given as an injection, PHESGO can be given by a healthcare professional in your home, and takes less time than an infusion.
The treatment landscape for HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer has been rapidly evolving. Since February, the FDA has approved three new drugs to treat it: neratinib, tucatinib, and trastuzumab deruxtecan. More continue to look promising in clinical trials. Targeted therapies’ drugs that can attach to certain features of cancer cells have created more research avenues and may potentially lead to more treatment options.
To learn more about what it means to be HER2 positive, how the subtype is typically treated, the latest news in research, and what might be coming down the line, check out the information below.
See all articles on this site tagged with HER2 Positive breast cancer
Peer support can be an important part of coping with major illnesses like metastatic breast cancer. Rather than talk to a professional like a counselor or therapist, you speak with one or more people who are also living with metastatic disease. Peer support can be found in-person, by phone or online.
What Types of Peer Support Are Available?
Is Peer Support for Me?
Where Can I Find Support?
You’ve decided to look into clinical trials as part of your treatment plan but how do you find one, and how do you know if it’s right for you?
Searching for clinical trials can be daunting, but there are resources available to help you. One way to find a trial is to talk to your healthcare team. You can also search for trials online using a clinical trial matching service, which uses information about your diagnosis entered into an online form, to find trials that fit your profile. Metastatic Trial Search (MTS), a companion to Metastatic Trial Talk, is a matching service designed specifically for people with metastatic breast cancer. MTS was developed by BreastCancerTrials.org, in collaboration with five breast cancer advocacy groups. It is available on the websites of over 20 breast cancer organizations.
To learn more about BreastCancerTrials.org, Metastatic Trial Search (MTS), and how to use a clinical trial matching service, see below.
Talking to Your Doctor
Searching Online
The idea of finding and participating in a clinical trial can seem daunting. We are here to help. Read here about clinical trials, how they work, why they are important, and how to find a trial that may be right for you.
