What's new? Treating breast cancer with brain metastases

Metastatic breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread to other regions of the body, most commonly the liver, brain, bones, or lungs. Cancer cells migrate from the original tumor site in the breast and travel to other regions in the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Although significant developments have been made in the treatment options available for patients with metastatic breast cancer, the occurrence of brain metastases remains a substantial clinical challenge. The incidence and prognosis of patients with brain metastases related to breast cancer varies by subtype. Triple negative disease has the highest rates, occurring in as many as 46% of cancers, compared to 35% and 14% in HER2-positive and hormone receptor positive disease, respectfully. Brain metastases are not only associated with poor prognosis, but can also cause neurological defects, through their effect on the cognitive and sensory functions of the brain. Ongoing research into the biology of metastases and increasing clinical trial inclusion are paving the way for discovery of new treatment strategies to achieve long-lasting efficacy against brain metastases. In this exclusive podcast, Erika Hamilton, of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN; Guy Jerusalem of the University of Liège, Belgium; Erica Michelle Stringer-Reasor, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL; and Gaio Griguolo, of the Veneto Institute of Oncology, Padova, Italy, discuss the latest updates in metastatic breast cancer treatment.