National Cancer Institute
at the National Institutes of Health
Information Summaries from PDQ
Clinical Trials
- Find Clinical Trials to Treat Breast Cancer
Check for breast cancer treatment trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials now accepting patients. The list of clinical trials can be refined by location, stage of disease, drug, and other features. - The TAILORx Breast Cancer Trial
A collection of material about the Trial Assigning IndividuaLized Options for Treatment (Rx), or TAILORx, which will examine whether a molecular test can assign women with early-stage breast cancer to the most appropriate and effective treatment.
Research Findings
- For Some Breast Cancers, New Drug May Be Treatment Option
Results from an international clinical trial suggest that women with metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer that is no longer responding to the targeted therapy trastuzumab (Herceptin) may soon have a new treatment option. Women who received the investigational drug trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) lived more than 3 months longer without their tumors progressing than women who received the chemotherapy drug capecitabine (Xeloda) and the targeted drug lapatinib (Tykerb). - Additional Surgery after Breast-Conserving Surgery Varies Widely
A study published in the Feb. 1, 2012, issue of JAMA found that the number of women who have one or more additional surgeries to remove suspected residual tumor tissue (re-excisions) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) for breast cancer varies widely across surgeons and hospitals. - Breast Cancer Cells Found by Immunochemistry in Sentinel Nodes Not Associated with Survival
The detection of breast cancer cells in sentinel lymph nodes by immunochemistry—antibody-based techniques to detect cancer cells—in addition to standard tissue staining does not appear to help predict survival after treatment for breast cancer. These results, from the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Z0010 study, were published online July 26 in JAMA. - Eribulin Improves Survival of Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer
Treatment with eribulin (Halaven™) improved overall survival in women with metastatic breast cancer whose disease progressed despite multiple rounds of prior chemotherapy, according to the results of a phase III clinical trial called EMBRACE. - Trastuzumab after Chemotherapy Is Effective in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Treatment with trastuzumab for 1 year following standard chemotherapy improved disease-free survival in women with HER2-positive early breast cancer, according to 4-year follow-up results of the Herceptin Adjuvant (HERA) trial reported February 25, 2011, in Lancet Oncology. - When Combined with Chemotherapy, Bevacizumab Is Associated with Increased Risk of Death
Cancer patients who receive the targeted therapy bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with chemotherapy are at increased risk of serious side effects that may lead to death, according to a meta-analysis of 16 clinical trials that was published February 2, 2011, in JAMA.
Types of Breast Cancer Therapies
- Drugs Approved for Breast Cancer
This page lists cancer drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for breast cancer. The list includes generic names, brand names, and common drug combinations, which are shown in capital letters. - Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer
A tutorial about targeted therapies developed to treat breast cancer. It describes important molecular pathways in breast cancer cells and new therapeutic agents, including small molecules and monoclonal antibodies, that target these pathways. - Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer
A fact sheet that explains different types of adjuvant therapy (treatment given after primary therapy to increase the chance of long-term survival) and neoadjuvant therapy (treatment given before primary therapy). Discusses side effects, risks, and benefits of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer. - Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer
A fact sheet that describes hormone therapy and its role in preventing and treating breast cancer. Includes information about possible side effects and drugs that can interfere with hormone therapy. - Aromatase Inhibitors
A collection of information about aromatase inhibitors, a hormone therapy used in the treatment of some women with breast cancer. - NIH Report on the Diagnosis and Management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
An NIH panel urges further research to determine which ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients may be candidates for less invasive therapy. - Inflammatory Breast Cancer
A fact sheet about the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer, an uncommon type of cancer in which the breast becomes red, swollen, and warm. - Paget Disease of the Breast
A fact sheet about Paget disease of the breast, a rare type of cancer that is sometimes called Paget disease of the nipple or mammary Paget disease.
Related Treatment Information
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors
A fact sheet that describes the process of eliminating the blood supply to tumors. Lists the cancers in which this approach is being tested. - Biological Therapies for Cancer
A fact sheet that provides an overview of how the immune system functions and describes the actions of biological therapies. - Biological Therapy
An introduction to biological therapy to help patients prepare to receive it for cancer treatment or managing side effects. - Radiation Therapy for Cancer
A fact sheet that defines the different types of radiation therapy and discusses scientific advances that improve the effectiveness of this treatment. - Targeted Cancer Therapies
A fact sheet that describes targeted cancer therapies, which are drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in carcinogenesis (the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells) and tumor growth. - Cancer Vaccines
A fact sheet that discusses cancer vaccines. Explains how they work, how they are made, and describes research related to their use.
