Rebecca Shatsky, Professor of Clinical Medicine at Professor of Clinical Medicine, shared an update from Dana-Farber’s Breast Oncology Center, on X, adding:
“In advanced TNBC and Her2+ breast cancer, for many it’s not an ‘if’ brain metastases will occur, it’s a ‘when.’ Catching brain disease early can preserve cognitive function and decrease rates of catastrophic complications (herniation/death). We have many effective therapies for breast cancer with CNS disease now and folks can live many many years we need to change with the times and screen!!”
Quoting Dana-Farber’s Breast Oncology Center:
“In this recent editorial Sarah Sammons, Nayan Lamba and Nancy Lin present some compelling reasons:
- Screening for brain metastasis (BM) is associated with clinically relevant rates of detection of asymptomatic disease
- Screening for brain mets leads to diagnosis of smaller and fewer lesions, prior to the development of neurologic symptoms
- Advanced radiation oncology techniques are safer and more effective for smaller CNS system lesions
- Treating patients with asymptomatic/occult lesions may result in better outcomes
- Advances in systemic treatments have expanded treatment options and improved outcomes for patients with BM, particularly in HER2+ MBC
- The identification of asymptomatic BM on brain imaging scans can lead to changes in treatment strategy.”
Title: Brain imaging screening in metastatic breast cancer: Is it time to rethink clinical guidelines and practice?
Authors: Sarah Sammons, Nayan Lamba, Nancy U. Lin.
Read the full article.
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