For anyone in the scientific community, it’s evident that research is the cornerstone to discovery. But the value of research isn’t just measured in breakthroughs or publications. For individuals like Sheila Johnson, it’s about lives saved, extended and improved. Sheila is more than just an advocate in the breast cancer community. She has been living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) for 13 years. In Sheila’s own words: “I believe that research is saving my life.”

The progress in how breast cancer is diagnosed and treated is due in no small part to the dedication of scientists, doctors and advocates worldwide, all committed to a future without breast cancer. In particular, the remarkable research conducted by David Mankoff, Ph.D., M.D., is opening a new understanding of diagnostic imaging for breast cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive and complex types of breast cancer to treat. Because TNBC lacks the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2, it cannot be treated with targeted therapies that work for other breast cancer types. While the prognosis for TNBC is slowly improving, patients with TNBC are in critical need of better treatment options.  

Adolescence is a critical time of physical and psychological development for young women and is also the time when breast tissue develops. While research has shown that environmental and genetic factors can increase the risk of breast cancer, little is known about how psychosocial stress experienced during puberty may also influence breast cancer risk.

When it comes to breast cancer research and finding effective treatments, collaboration and data sharing are key. Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., is ShareForCures™ Chief Scientist and at the forefront of developing and implementing Susan G. Komen’s innovative new initiative. 

Komen Scholar Dr. Julie Palmer grew up never knowing her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. It was only after she graduated from college and her mother faced her second breast cancer diagnosis that she learned her mother quietly had a mastectomy when Palmer was in the sixth grade.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for Hispanic women in the U.S., a fact Komen Scholar Dr. Amelie Ramirez has dedicated her career to changing. Screening tests can help find breast cancer at an early stage when the chances of survival are highest, but Amelie knows many Hispanic women are hesitant to be screened.

As a two-time breast cancer survivor, Susan G. Komen Scholar Dr. Barbara Segarra-Vazquez knows the importance of ensuring historically marginalized populations are involved in research to find the cures.

The latest advances in breast cancer research were recently announced at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 Annual Meeting. We spoke with experts Dr. Sherene Loi, Ph.D., medical oncologist and professor of medical oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and Dr. Erika Hamilton, M.D., medical oncologist at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, about some of the new breakthroughs announced at ASCO that could impact patient care.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer that grows and spreads more aggressively than other types, is more difficult to treat and more likely to recur. These challenges are compounded for Black women, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with TNBC compared with white women and 30% more likely to die from these tumors.

Early detection remains a critical factor in improving breast cancer survival rates. A promising area of exploration in this arena is the study of blood-based biomarkers. One researcher leading the way in this field is Dr. Abenaa Brewster, a distinguished oncologist whose work is transforming our understanding of breast cancer detection and treatment.