The Pharmacy Times® Breast Cancer Resource Center is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on issues related to cancers that occur in the breast, including invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, and less common forms of the disease.
April 7th 2025
Fatty acid metabolism plays a critical role in treatment responses.
Comparing Approved ADC Options in HER2-Negative and HER2-Low Breast Cancer
Panelists discuss how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for breast cancer (BC) differ in their safety profiles, with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) having notable interstitial lung disease risk, sacituzumab govitecan (SG) associated with neutropenia/diarrhea, and datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) showing a relatively favorable safety profile but still requiring monitoring.
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Beyond HER2: Expanding the Biomarker Testing Landscape in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Panelists discuss how HER2 testing optimization requires multisite sampling and quantitative assessment methods to account for intratumoral heterogeneity. Beyond HER2, biomarkers such as PI3K mutations, hormone receptor status, and tumor mutational burden can guide therapy selection for metastatic breast cancer (mBC), enabling more personalized treatment approaches.
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How ADC Design Influences Efficacy and Safety
Panelists discuss how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) show varying efficacy and adverse event (AE) profiles based on their payload potency, linker stability, and drug-to-antibody ratio. Cleavable linkers enable targeted drug release but may increase toxicity, while noncleavable designs offer better stability. Payload selection impacts both therapeutic index and AEs, with more potent warheads requiring careful optimization of targeting and release kinetics.
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Transforming Breast Cancer Treatment Through ADC-Targeting Mechanisms
Panelists discuss how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine monoclonal antibodies with cytotoxic payloads, enabling precise targeting of breast cancer (BC) cells through specific antigen recognition. Upon binding, the ADC-antigen complex is internalized, releasing the toxic payload inside cancer cells while largely sparing healthy tissue. This targeted approach offers improved efficacy and reduces systemic toxicity compared with traditional chemotherapy's broad cytotoxic effects.
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Panelists discuss how the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)/College of American Pathologists (CAP) guidelines for HER2-negative breast cancer (BC) have evolved to recognize HER2-low (IHC 1+ or 2+/ISH-negative) and HER2-ultra low (IHC 0) as distinct categories. These classifications, particularly HER2-low, guide eligibility for targeted therapies such as trastuzumab deruxtecan, expanding treatment options beyond traditional chemotherapy for previously categorized HER2-negative patients.
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Genetic Diversity in African Populations Can Advance Precision Medicine Globally
February 8th 2025Africa's unparalleled genetic diversity presents both a challenge and an opportunity to advance precision medicine, with a focus on leveraging pharmacogenetics to improve drug efficacy and reduce adverse reactions.
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Unveiling the Dark Genome: Targeting Stress-Activated Base Editors to Halt Cancer Progression
February 7th 2025Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, discusses the role of stress-activated base editors like ADAR1p150 and APOBEC enzymes in cancer progression and highlights innovative approaches to halt these processes and improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Updates in Cancer Prevention and Screening for 2025: A Pharmacist Primer
January 12th 2025Pharmacists play a vital role in cancer prevention and early detection by educating patients on risk factors, counseling on screening guidelines, and promoting adherence to evidence-based recommendations for common cancers, such as breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, prostate, and skin cancer.
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