Benjamin Walbaum: Weekly Breast Cancer Highlights
Benjamin Walbaum/LinkedIn

Benjamin Walbaum: Weekly Breast Cancer Highlights

Benjamin Walbaum, Medical Oncologist at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, shared a post on LinkedIn:

My take from last week’s breast cancer publications – June 8–14, 2026

1. Long-term Outcomes in Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
ESMO Open
Key message: ILC is not a lower-grade ductal cancer — its late mortality pattern and poor neoadjuvant response demand histology-specific management.

2. PADMA: CDK4/6i vs Chemotherapy in High-risk HR+/HER2− MBC
ESMO Open
Key message: Palbociclib + ET outperformed chemo even in patients deemed chemo candidates — CDK4/6i remains first-line unless true visceral crisis.

3. INAVO120 Safety: Inavolisib Triplet Toxicities
ESMO Open
Key message: The inavolisib triplet is manageable, but glucose monitoring from day one and early metformin are non-negotiable.

4. Three-monthly GnRH Agonist for OFS: Meta-analysis
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
Key message: Three-monthly dosing is a valid alternative to monthly, but ovarian escape is real — use ultrasensitive estradiol monitoring when on an AI.

5. Scalp Cooling with T-DXd
ESMO Open
Key message: Scalp cooling did not prevent clinically meaningful alopecia with T-DXd — counsel patients before starting.

6. Apocrine Morphology and ER Status
npj Breast Cancer
Key message: Apocrine morphology means better prognosis in ER-negative disease and worse in ER-positive — it is not a single biological entity.

7. Trop2 Pan-cancer Multi-omic Atlas
npj Precision Oncology
Key message: Trop2 expression alone will not be enough to select patients for Trop2-directed ADCs — the biomarker question is far more complex.

8. ctDNA and CDK4/6 Inhibitor Resistance Evolution
npj Breast Cancer
Key message: ESR1 mutations doubled after CDK4/6i exposure — ctDNA tracks resistance evolution, but the resistance signature remains exploratory.

9. HER2DX in Early HER2-positive Breast Cancer
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Key message: HER2DX changed management in over half of patients, but prospective validation is needed before routine use.

10. Emotional Distress and Reproductive Decisions in BRCA1/2 Carriers
The Breast
Key message: Transmission guilt is more distressing than the diagnosis itself — BRCA counseling must include psycho-oncology and fertility support.

11. Bone Health Management in Breast Cancer Survivors
JCO Oncology Practice
Key message: Bone health is part of cancer treatment, not a survivorship afterthought — baseline DXA and antiresorptive therapy remain underused.

You can also read:

Early ctDNA Dynamics Predict Outcomes in Advanced ER-Positive/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Benjamin Walbaum: Weekly Breast Cancer Highlights