Breast Cancer Research Highlights

Study of High-Risk Genes May Inform Breast Cancer Screening

A CARRIER Study

“The Cancer Prevention Studies have played a role in identifying or validating every known common genetic variant for breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. This was the first large study to look at the prevalence of breast-cancer predisposition genes in the general population.”—Alpa Patel, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Patel's published study.

Black Women Need Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Too

A CARRIER Study

“Black women who participate in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3 and Cancer Prevention Study-II and who supplied blood samples were part of this important research.

“This study provides evidence to promote health equity in genetic counseling and testing to help determine the risk of developing breast cancer. Our CPS-II and CPS-3 participants' willingness to donate their time and information contributed to this pivotal finding, which could improve the lives of many Black women in the future by reducing disparities in breast cancer care and outcomes.”—Lauren Teras, PhD, Scientific Director and lead for breast cancer research, Population Science, American Cancer Society

See the highlight about Dr. Palmer's published CARRIER study.

Women 65+ May Benefit from Genetic Tests for Breast Cancer Risk

A CARRIER Study

“It was previously believed that women diagnosed with breast cancer after age 65 were unlikely to have been born with any high-risk breast cancer mutations. This study shows that some women older than 65, such as those diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, are still likely to have genetic mutations and should be offered genetic counseling and testing.”—Lauren Teras, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Teras' published study.

New Way to Calculate Breast Cancer Risk May Affect Screening Plans

A CARRIER Study

“Ultimately, the goal is to put together everything we know about what increases and decreases the risk for developing breast cancer and for surviving it. That ‘everything’ would include genetics, reproductive history, geographic location, socioeconomic factors, exposures to infections and pollutants, medical history, smoking and drinking history, diet, and more. When we can account for all of these factors together, we’ll be able to empower women with personalized, specific strategies to reduce their own risk of getting or dying from cancer.”—Lauren Teras, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Teras' published study.

Mammography: How Effective Is It? 

A TheoryLab Podcast with Drs. Anne Marie McCarthy and Lauren Teras

“One thing we know is that screening mammogram quality varies quite a bit. This is particularly a problem in lower-income neighborhoods, and we know that Black women are more likely to be screened with a mammogram that is of lower quality. So something that is super important for policy makers and all of us to push for is to improve [the availability of] higher quality mammograms for all women."

Listen to the podcast with Dr. McCarthy with Lauren Teras, PhD, ACS epidemiologist.

Poverty Has a High Cost for Breast Cancer Survivors

“The concept of ‘place-based’ health has become increasingly important in cancer research. Where people live has emerged as a critical component to consider when evaluating their risks for developing cancer, getting adequate treatment for cancer, and short- and long-term survival after a cancer diagnosis.

“Our study highlighted that a singular factor—rural residence—can not accurately evaluate risks for cancer outcomes. Now my research team is seeking to fully examine the characteristics of a person’s environment—including rurality, poverty, access to care, transportation, and community resources­—and how these interplay with personal factors to affect cancer outcomes.”­—Kelly M. Kenzik, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Kenzik's published study.

Improving Chemotherapy Against Aggressive Breast Cancers

“The extracellular matrix acts as a scaffolding around cells, giving them a supportive barrier. It’s a highly dynamic structure that’s constantly remodeled by cell and chemical changes. Normal cells make small amounts of this matrix, but tumor cells make large quantities of it, giving them a stronger barrier against anticancer drugs.

“My lab studies LOX, a well-known protein “remodeler” of the extracellular matrix. We found that blocking this protein seems to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy against triple-negative breast cancer, making LOX a highly attractive therapeutic target for a new drug.” –Ozgur Sahin, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Sahin's published study.

Combo Treatment with New Breast Cancer Drugs Is Promising

“When my mother’s breast cancer recurred shortly after she finished treatment, we were both shocked. We wanted to know why the chemotherapy she endured didn’t work for her when it had worked for so many other women. This question has led me on a career path focused on identifying differences in the genome between patients’ tumors and on understanding how these differences affect response to treatment.

“I work with a wonderful team of scientists in my lab to compare the genomes of hundreds of breast tumors. We have discovered drivers of tumor-cell growth that are unique to a subset of breast cancer patients and that can be targeted with new combinations of existing drugs. We’ve also identified genomic differences between patients who respond to treatment and those whose cancers recur.

“I think my mother would appreciate that her struggle with cancer recurrence has inspired our work to identify new therapies to stop tumor-cell growth and determine which treatment is best for each patient.”—Katherine Varley, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Varley's published study.

New News About Breast Cancer Survivors’ Risk of New Cancers

“Most women live decades after being diagnosed with breast cancer, but some women may develop a new primary cancer years after successful treatment. Currently, there’s limited knowledge about the factors associated with a higher or lower risk for new primary cancers specific to breast cancer survivors, and there’s no established tool that predicts an individual’s risk of developing a new cancer.

“In this study, we found that the risk of developing a new primary cancer varies by the subtype of breast cancer a woman has as well as the age she was when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. This result both highlights the need for tailored recommendations for preventing and screening for new primary cancers in breast cancer survivors based on their specific, personal risks and provides information to help establish such guidelines.” –Hyuna Sung, PhD

See the highlight about Dr. Sung's published study.

Future Treatments May Attack Cell-Division “Machinery”

The Holland lab discovered a line of human breast cancer cells that rely on cell structures called centrioles to divide and survive. Centrioles act as the structural core of centrosomes, which have a key role in controlling the accuracy of cell division. Holland’s team found that these breast cancer cells had high levels of the protein TRIM37, which has been shown to control centrosomes.

In this study, Holland used an experimental drug called a PLK4 inhibitor that disrupts proteins that make centrioles. He added the drug to lab-grown breast cancer cells with high TRIM37 levels and found the cells could no longer divide, and most stopped growing or died.

Now Holland’s lab is looking for other, more stable drugs similar to the PLK4 inhibitor and looking to identify more human cancer cell lines that are sensitive to these inhibitors.

See the highlight about Dr. Holland's published study.