Socioeconomic Factors Predict Survival in Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

Racial and regional disparities impact the incidence of, mortality from, and survival from breast cancer, but the role of other socioeconomic factors is unclear. Researchers from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, conducted a large study and found that marital status, insurance status, median household income, and residence also contribute to survival from nonmetastatic breast cancer. They presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 7, 2018.

Breast MRI Protocol Improves Patient Care

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help diagnose breast cancer, but it is costly. Leadership at the University of Washington in Bellingham developed a protocol to improve the timeliness of care, moving the time of MRI prior to surgeon evaluation, and found that it led to enhanced patient care, eliminated delays in treatment, avoided unnecessary tests, shifted appropriate care to primary-care providers, and provided all necessary data prior to initial surgical consultation. They presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 7, 2018.

Patients Rank the Importance of PRO Measures Differently

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can improve patient satisfaction and potentially impact survival. However, PRO data are not well-collected outside of the research setting. Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, conducting qualitative study assessed the most personally relevant PROs in women with metastatic breast cancer and observed substantial variation in patient preferences. They presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 7, 2018.

Time to Treatment Discontinuation Shorter in Patients Who Receive First-Line Palbociclib

Current treatment guidelines recommend sequential hormone therapy for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer who are not in visceral crisis and whose disease is not refractory to endocrine treatment. Second-line fulvestrant monotherapy is a treatment option for patients in whom disease progresses after first-line palbociclib. Researchers used real-world data to evaluate the time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) of second-line fulvestrant in patients with HR+ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2–) metastatic breast cancer who did (n = 88) and did not (n = 100) receive first-line palbociclib and found it was shorter in patients who received palbociclib. They presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 7, 2018.

Board Looks at Ways to Involve More Members in Chapters

Board Looks at Ways to Involve More Members in Chapters

During the October 2018 board meeting held at the national office, the ONS Board of Directors heard reports from leadership and status reports on research and evidence-based practice work, discussed key initiatives, received an update from the Oncology Nursing Foundation, and reviewed and approved the Society’s operating budget for 2019. Additionally, two key generative discussions focused on the ongoing implementation of ONS chapter model changes and a review and strategy session around ONS position statements.

Experts Hold Conversations About Access and Affordability at ONS Policy Summit

Experts Hold Conversations About Access and Affordability at ONS Policy Summit

Nurses should initiate financial conversations with patients early and offer resources to improve access to cancer care, speakers at the ONS Center for Advocacy and Health Policy’s third annual policy summit on November 13, 2018, concluded. The event, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, brought together nurses and industry and government experts to address the issue of financial toxicity in today’s cancer care.

Overall Survival From Breast Cancer Differs Based on Tumor Type and Location

Triple-negative breast cancer tumors are thought to be more immunogenic than other breast cancer subtypes, such as luminal A/B or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) tumors. Among all breast cancers, tumors appear more commonly in the upper outer quadrant. However, it is not clear whether expression of immune response genes vary with tumor location among the different subtypes. Researchers assessed gene expression associated with immune response pathways to identify potential treatment targets and presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.

Tumor Heterogeneity May Affect Outcomes in Patients With DCIS

Intratumor heterogeneity can lead to cancer progression, and tumors with the highest levels of heterogeneity may be more likely to progress. Researchers compared mutational loads from separate areas of pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to genetic heterogeneity in DCIS lesions that coexist with invasive cancer and presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.

On-Treatment Genetic Testing Improves Accuracy of Tumor Response Prediction

Genetic testing during treatment can improve accuracy of response and outcome prediction compared to other prognostic tests, according to results from a study assessing on-treatment changes in gene expression in patients receiving chemotherapy. Researchers from Oikonomidou O Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, presented the findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.

Study Identifies Factors Associated With Long-Term Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Few women with metastatic breast cancer live five years or longer, and predictors of long-term survival are not well understood. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pennsylvania identified demographic- and disease-specific factors related to survival and presented their findings at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 6, 2018.

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