Research Advances in Metastatic Breast Cancer
Research is particularly vital when it comes to cancer that has spread beyond the breast (metastatic). One hallmark of the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber is the integration of research and patient care, and the equal investment in both. More than 70 clinical trials are now underway for women with metastatic breast cancer.
Here are some examples of our current metastatic breast cancer research advances:
- The new SAPPHO study, led by Dana-Farber’s Breast Oncology Center & Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium, is evaluating a novel treatment approach for HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer. The study will help investigators understand if giving sequential treatments is safe and effective for patients with newly diagnosed HER2+ MBC, and if maintenance treatment can be safely interrupted.
- The phase 3 PATINA trial, led by Otto Metzger, MD, demonstrated that adding the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib to the current standard-of-care first-line maintenance therapy resulted in a more than 15-month improvement in progression-free survival in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. This trial resulted in the longest median time without cancer growth ever observed in a breast cancer clinical trial.
- The ASCENT-04 trial, led by Sarah Tolaney, MD, MPH, evaluated patients receiving their first treatment for advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) that tests positive for the immune checkpoint PD-L1. Sacituzumab govitecan, an antibody-drug conjugate, is approved for TNBC treatment when cancer progresses on prior therapies, but this trial evaluated the medication as an initial treatment, either alone or in combination with pembrolizumab. Overall survival data is trending in the direction of favoring the sacituzumab govitecan combination.
Should You Participate in a Clinical Trial?
Participating in a clinical trial is a very personal decision, and a choice that is completely yours to make. If it feels right to you, there are several good reasons to participate:
- Clinical trials are how we make progress against cancer.
- Over the past decade, thanks to participating patients, a number of new drugs have been approved for treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
- Taking part in a clinical trial can offer you new treatment options.
- By participating in a clinical trial, you contribute to knowledge that can help future patients.
Learn more about clinical trials and whether participating in a clinical trial is right for you.
EMBRACE Study
Ending Metastatic Breast Cancer for Everyone (EMBRACE) is a research study conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This study began recruiting patients in 2009, with the aim of learning more about the biology of advanced breast cancer, as well as the treatment experiences of patients living with it.
Each patient's progress is tracked by a study coordinator, and the information collected is used to help doctors understand more about the long-term journey of the metastatic breast cancer patients in this group. Investigators hope the study will bring them closer to finding a cure for this disease.
The study also sponsors a metastatic breast cancer forum series of educational webinars on topics relevant to patients with metastatic disease.
Learn how you can support our research
