CAM Use Tied to Higher Breast Cancer Death Risk; New Molecule Shows Promise Against Triple-Negative Tumors

Breast cancer patients who chose to undergo complementary and alternative medicine treatments have the lowest survival rates, a JAMA Oncology study shows. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine found that those who undergo CAM have over three times higher risk of death than those who receive standard therapy. Using CAM alongside standard treatment was linked to a 45 percent higher risk of death compared with using standard treatment alone, the study noted. Additionally, women who combined CAM with standard treatment were also less likely to receive key therapies such as hormone therapy or radiation, which worsened their chances of survival and recovery.

Breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer among women worldwide, with the number of new cases predicted to reach more than 3.5 million globally in 2050, rising by a third from 2.3 million in 2023. The Global Burden of Disease analysis with data from 204 countries revealed that yearly deaths from the disease will rise by 44 percent, from 764,000 to 1.4 million. Screening mammography over the past 30 years has reduced breast cancer–related mortality by 20% to 30% due to earlier cancer detection. Using artificial intelligence (AI) in breast cancer screening can reduce the number of cancers diagnosed in late stages by 12 percent, according to a major new study from Sweden.

In a separate development, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have developed a new molecule called SU212 that blocks an enzyme playing a key role in cancer progression. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the molecule attached to enolase 1 (ENO1), causing the enzyme to break down, which reduced tumor growth and limited metastasis in humanized mouse models of triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer makes up about 15% of all breast cancer cases. The next stage of development would involve moving the molecule toward human clinical trials.

Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, have received a $2.7 million grant to study whether a structured stress management program following breast cancer treatment can improve long-term health outcomes and slow cancer-associated aging in survivors. The study, called SMART-PATHS, will enroll 192 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors with elevated distress levels over the next three years. Participants will complete a telehealth cognitive behavioral stress management program while researchers monitor stress levels, inflammation, endocrine function and immune cell metabolism for up to two years.

In oligometastatic breast cancer, a distinct clinical state between localized and widely metastatic disease, radiotherapy has emerged as a key component. Modern techniques such as stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) allow for the delivery of high, precise doses to metastatic sites with minimal toxicity. Observational and prospective data show local control rates approaching 70–100%, with many patients achieving durable disease stabilization and remaining progression-free for extended periods.

The metastatic breast cancer treatment market is concentrated, with the top 10 players accounting for 93% of total market revenue in 2024. Roche led global sales with a 30% market share, followed by Eli Lilly (18%), Pfizer (16%), Novartis (10%), Merck (5%), Gilead Sciences (5%), AstraZeneca (4%), Bristol-Myers Squibb (3%), Amgen (1%), and Mayo Clinic (1%). Roche’s monoclonal antibody Perjeta (pertuzumab) is extensively used in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and has become a standard of care.

Stage 0 breast cancer, or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), is the earliest form of the disease. It is noninvasive, with abnormal cells only in the lining of the breast’s milk ducts. The five-year survival rate is 99 percent for Stage 0 breast cancer, which accounts for about 20 percent to 25 percent of new breast cancer diagnoses every year. Treatment may include a combination of surgery, radiation and hormone therapy; chemotherapy is not usually part of the treatment plan because DCIS is noninvasive.