Hope has emerged for patients with aggressive, inherited breast cancers following a recent clinical trial led by researchers at Cambridge University. The study tested a combination of chemotherapy and the targeted cancer drug olaparib given before surgery, achieving a remarkable 100% survival rate during the critical three-year period after treatment.
Published in Nature Communications, the research suggests that this two-part, pre-surgery approach could become the most effective treatment plan for early-stage breast cancer linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Understanding BRCA Genes and Their Role in Cancer
BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes play a key role in repairing DNA and preventing cancerous changes in the body’s cells. When mutations damage these genes, the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer in women — and breast and prostate cancer in men — rises significantly.
Mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are especially common in young women. These genetic changes can increase cancer risk by as much as 84%. Although only about 6% of all breast cancer patients carry these mutations, this percentage doubles to roughly 12% in women under age 45.
BRCA-related breast cancers are known for their aggressive nature and difficulty to treat.
Context: Angelina Jolie’s Preventive Surgery
The significance of BRCA mutations became widely known in 2013, when actress Angelina Jolie, a BRCA1 mutation carrier, underwent a preventive double mastectomy. This surgery reduced her risk of breast cancer from 87% to less than 5%, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments for those with inherited risk.
Current Treatment Protocols and Trial Goals
Today, the standard treatment for BRCA-related breast cancer involves chemotherapy and immunotherapy to shrink tumors, followed by surgery to remove them. The first three years after surgery are critical due to the high risk of cancer relapse or death.
The Cambridge trial recruited patients from across the UK to test whether combining chemotherapy with olaparib before surgery, and carefully timing these treatments, could improve outcomes.
Key Findings: Timing Matters
Researchers found that a 48-hour gap between chemotherapy and olaparib treatments led to better results. This pause allows patients’ bone marrow to recover from chemotherapy, while keeping tumor cells vulnerable to olaparib.
Unlike the usual practice of taking olaparib for 12 months after surgery, trial participants took the drug before surgery for 12 weeks.
Survival Rates Highlight Treatment Success
Among 45 patients who received chemotherapy alone, survival at three years was 88%. Nine patients experienced relapse, and six died within that period.
In stark contrast, all 39 patients who received chemotherapy followed by olaparib survived through the three-year mark. Only one patient in this group had a cancer relapse.
Professor Jean Abraham, lead of the trial, described these results as “rare” for such aggressive cancers. She emphasized that achieving a 100% survival rate in this context is highly unusual.
Breast Cancer and Its Impact
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, after skin cancer. Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
While early detection of localized breast cancer leads to high survival rates between 86% and 89%, the outlook worsens dramatically once the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, with survival dropping to about 31%.
This promising study marks an important step toward improving outcomes for patients with inherited breast cancer. The combination of chemotherapy and olaparib before surgery offers new hope in the fight against this challenging disease.
Related topics:
- Breakthrough Breast Cancer Treatment Extends Survival
- Kylie Jenner Opens Up About Breast Augmentation Surgery
- Gigi Hadid: Breast Reduction Helped My Chronic Illness
