Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Long-Awaited Breakthrough, Immunotherapy Drugs Show Promise Fighting Aggressive Breast Cancer
The New York Times: Immune-Based Treatment Helps Fight Aggressive Breast Cancer, Study Finds
Women with an aggressive type of breast cancer lived longer if they received immunotherapy plus chemotherapy, rather than chemo alone, a major study has found. The results are expected to change the standard of care for women like those in the clinical trial, who had advanced cases of “triple-negative” breast cancer. That form of the disease often resists standard therapies, and survival rates are poor. It is twice as common in African-American women as in white women, and more likely to occur in younger women. Researchers said the new study was a long-awaited breakthrough for immunotherapy in breast cancer. (Grady, 10/20)
The Associated Press: Immunotherapy Scores A First Win Against Some Breast Cancers
Women in the study who received Tecentriq plus chemo went two months longer on average without their cancer worsening compared with those on chemo alone — a modest benefit. The combo did not significantly improve survival in an early look before long-term follow-up is complete. Previous studies found that immunotherapies work best in patients with high levels of a protein that the drugs target, and the plan for the breast cancer study called for analyzing how women fared according to that factor if Tecentriq improved survival overall. (Marchione, 10/20)
In other cancer-related news —
The Washington Post: Strength Training Seen Helping Breast Cancer Survivors Regain Muscle Mass
Breast cancer research has resulted in treatment that greatly improves survival rates. As a result, 3.1 million breast cancer survivors are alive in the United States today. The five-year survival rate is about 90 percent. This is great news. But, survivors are still left to struggle with many adverse side effects from the disease and cancer treatments, which include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and drugs that are used to suppress hormones that may have fueled the breast cancer. (Panton and Artese, 10/21)
