Promising treatment for early-stage breast cancer cuts risk of recurrence by 25%

Good news in the fight against cancer. A tested treatment for early-stage breast cancer has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence by 25%, according to the results of a large clinical trial published on Friday (June 2).

These preliminary results were unveiled at the largest annual conference of cancer specialists, organized by the American Society for Clinical Oncology in Chicago (USA). “This is a very important and practice-changing clinical trial” doctors, commented Rita Nanda, an oncologist from the University of Chicago, who was not involved in this work.

More than 5,000 patients participated in the clinical trial

This treatment, ribociclib, is developed by Novartis against the most common type of breast cancer (called HR+/HR2-). It is already used (in combination with hormone therapy) for patients affected by advanced stage cancer, with metastases. The aim of this new study was to test this drug for early-stage (stage 1 to 3) cancers. The management of this disease generally involves surgery and radiation therapy, possibly chemotherapy, and then taking years of hormone therapy.

Despite this, “a third of patients with stage 2 breast cancer (…) will have a recurrence”said at a press conference Dennis Slamon, oncologist at UCLA University, presenting the results. “And these recurrences can occur up to two to three decades after diagnosis.” More than 5,000 people took part in the clinical trial, half of whom took ribociclib and hormone therapy simultaneously, and the other half hormone therapy alone.