Tuesday will mark the 30th anniversary of Pink October and, with it, breast cancer screening awareness campaigns will begin. According to the latest figures from the National Cancer Institute, more than 61,000 new cases were detected in 2023, an increase of 0.3% per year since 2010. It thus remains the leading cause of cancer death among women, driven notably by triple negative breast cancer.
The latter affects on average younger people; 40% of women are under 40 years old at diagnosis and in a very aggressive manner. Above all, it is particularly difficult to treat because it does not respond to the administration of estrogen or progesterone, the basis of treatments commonly used in other forms of breast cancer. But in this area, research has made significant progress.
Health, women’s hearts
According to a study published a few weeks ago in the New England Journal of Medicine, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy reduces the risk of death by 34% for this type of cancer. In addition to increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy, immunotherapy would also reduce the risk of recurrence. Another current avenue of research: the reduction of treatments in order to reduce side effects. “Until recently, the chances of cure were low, and the only research strategies were to escalate treatments, that is, to add additional treatments, explains Professor François-Clément Bidard, oncologist at the Institut Curie in Paris. Now that immunotherapy has improved the chances of recovery, de-escalation strategies are beginning to emerge. »
In 2023, the National Cancer Institute has detected more than 61,000 cases, an increase of 0.3% per year since 2010
Thus a large study presented at Esmo, the major oncology congress in Europe, showed that radiotherapy over three weeks instead of the usual five weeks presented a better overall and recurrence-free survival rate. A small revolution in the world of medicine which would both improve the quality of life of patients but also reduce the cost of the healthcare system. This research into a de-escalation of treatments is progressing slowly as the risk is high. As for triple negative breast cancers with metastases, on the other hand, where the 5-year survival rate is only 20%, “it is unthinkable to reduce treatments for the latter as the vital prognosis remains poor”warned Professor François-Clément Bidard.
For this pathology, we must therefore look towards innovations in treatment. Research will also focus on understanding breast cancer recurrences, which are still very high. In total, 15% to 20% of these cancers recur ten years after the first diagnosis. France wants to position itself as a leader in this field thanks to a university hospital institute (IHU): the Women’s Cancer Institute, led by the Institut Curie with the University of Paris Sciences et Lettres and the National Institute of health and medical research (Inserm) and focusing solely on breast and gynecological cancers, a world first.
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