TREATMENT BEFORE BREAST CANCER SURGERY

Treatment before breast cancer surgery – new research receives support

A new generation of breast cancer clinical trials to be conducted in Australia aims to provide women diagnosed with breast cancers greater than two centimetres, improved surgery options and optimal treatment choices.

Researchers are hoping that by testing new targeted treatments before surgery in this group of women, benefits of treatment may be identified sooner and more women may have new choices about the type of surgery they need.

The new research will be undertaken by researchers of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG) with support from the cosmetic company AVON, which has contributed $500,000 to advancing research in this important area.

Presently in Australia, not all women diagnosed with large breast cancers are benefiting from drug treatment before surgery, known as neoadjuvant treatment.

Women diagnosed with large breast cancers often require a mastectomy where the entire breast is removed, and they may have a higher likelihood that their cancer has spread, with intensive treatment critical to ensure long term survival. Chemotherapy before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) for these women can help to reduce the size of their breast cancer potentially avoiding the extensive surgery associated with mastectomy and reconstruction. Breast conserving surgery can hasten physical recovery and provide psychological benefits for women.

In addition, neoadjuvant chemotherapy can provide doctors and their patients with vital information about the effectiveness of the chemotherapy treatment sooner than if the treatment is given after surgery. Tumour shrinkage indicates that the chemotherapy is working and that it may also be effectively eradicating any cancer cells which may have spread beyond the breast, potentially also improving long term survival.

Professor Frances Boyle AM, Board Chair of the ANZBCTG and a Medical Oncologist said: “The new clinical trials will test the addition of new drugs in the neoadjuvant treatment plan for women with large breast cancers to achieve tumour shrinkage where this may not occur with current neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone. It is also hoped we can identify biomarkers of treatment efficacy that can be used in the future to better target treatments to each woman’s specific type of breast cancer.”

When approached by ANZBCTG researchers, AVON Australia was swift to commit $500,000 in funding. AVON, through its network of Representatives and customers, has raised an unrivalled $11.7 million in Australia and New Zealand over the past 17 years for the breast cancer cause, with $8.4 million of this helping to support the ANZBCTG research program.

“We at AVON care deeply about saving lives from breast cancer. We know that asking the hard research questions takes time which is why we are committed to the ANZBCTG. We have seen their successes and the benefits to women, and we look forward to more of them,” said Mr Stephen Ford, President and Managing Director AVON Australia and New Zealand.

The new research includes international clinical trials and a clinical trial developed by ANZBCTG researchers in Australia. The clinical trials involve two different subsets of breast cancer: HER2 positive which accounts for about 20% of all breast cancer diagnosed; and oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer which is the most common type of breast cancer.

The ANZBCTG in partnership with AVON is also developing information to assist women to make informed decisions about whether to undertake neoadjuvant treatment, with the aim of maximising choice and peace of mind for women and their families.

Ms Shabnam Nigar was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year at age 40. She said: “The thought of losing my breast was very hard to accept. I was fortunate to be offered neoadjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin which successfully shrunk my tumour enabling me to have a smaller operation and to keep my breast.”

Importantly, this new research may also help to develop better tests to predict response to treatment for other women diagnosed with breast cancer which may potentially improve their long term survival.

Media contact:
Anna Fitzgerald,
ANZBCTG Communications Manager
Phone: 02 4925 5255 or 0400 304 224
Email: anna.fitzgerald@anzbctg.org