Cancer and Oncology

Category: Breast cancer

  • Alcohol And Breast Cancer

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2026.104719

    Great article published in The Breast journal (April 2026) – “Association between alcohol consumption and breast cancer incidence and prognosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis”

    The highlights are:

    • The study included over 2.5 million women
    • Any alcohol consumption +17% higher breast cancer risk
    • Light alcohol consumption +13% risk
    • Intermediate alcohol consumption +28% risk
    • Heavy alcohol consumption +52% risk
    • History of alcohol consumption is not associated with worse prognosis

    The link seems to be stronger for hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, supporting the role of estrogen-driven mechanisms.

    The possible reasons for increased risk with alcohol:

    • DNA damage (acetaldehyde)
    • Oxidative stress
    • Increased Oestrogen levels
    • Impaired DNA repair

    Alcohol and breast cancer incidence seem to be linked. The risk rises as alcohol intake increases.

    Alcohol is a modifiable risk factor.

    Reducing intake = reducing risk

  • First-line Maintenance Therapy for HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer

    HER2CLIMB-05: A Phase 3 Study of Tucatinib Versus Placebo in Combination with Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab as First-line Maintenance Therapy for HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer

    https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO-25-02600

    The HER2CLIMB study shows that the addition of Tucatinib to Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab maintenance after 4-8 cycles of THP induction prolongs PFS in 1st line HER-2 +. The benefit was present in both ER+ and ER- subsets.

    The improvement of maintenance therapy gives people longer time off chemotherapy.

    Tucatinib addition to Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab demonstrated improvement in PFS with no new safety signals identified and may be an option for 1L maintenance therapy in patients with HER2+ MBC.