Important Breast Cancer Study Gives Hope for Black Women

ASCO Data Reveals New Therapy Aids Breast Cancer Management and Enhances Quality of Life for Women with Hormone Receptor-Positive DiseaseBlack women diagnosed with estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer face a daunting truth: despite comparable treatment access to white women, they experience a 42 percent higher mortality rate. This alarming statistic, shared by BreastCancer.org, emphasizes the urgent necessity to refine diagnostic and treatment approaches for ER-positive breast cancer in all demographics.Contributing factors include the prevalence of higher-grade tumors among Black women and a lower utilization of critical diagnostic resources, such as the Oncotype DX test. Socioeconomic barriers also exacerbate health outcomes.However, groundbreaking research presented at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting indicates hope. The SERENA-6 trial examined whether anticipating treatment resistance in metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer could prolong disease control through strategic therapy adjustments.The trial engaged women who had been stable on aromatase inhibitors and CDK4/6 inhibitors for at least six months. Blood tests monitored for the ESR1 mutation, signaling potential treatment resistance.