Doctors are working to learn more about breast cancer, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials [2]. Always talk with your doctor about the diagnostic and treatment options best for you.

• Research on the causes of breast cancer, such as endocrine (hormone) disrupters, environment causes, and lifestyle choices, to find other ways to help prevent the disease
• New ways to help find breast cancer early
• Developing ways to best evaluate the genes and proteins at work in each patient and each breast cancer, to determine the best treatment options for each patient
• Evaluating the need for axillary node dissection after a positive sentinel node biopsy
• Testing shorter radiation schedules and more targeted radiation approaches
• Testing new drug therapies and combinations of therapies, such as new chemotherapy and hormone treatments, and targeted therapies including those that target HER2 either during or after treatment with trastuzumab
• Determining what early-stage cancers may not need chemotherapy
• Determining the best ways to give hormonal therapy
• Finding new reconstructive surgery approaches
• Finding better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current breast cancer treatments in order to improve patients’ comfort and quality of life
• Learning more about the social and emotional factors that may affect patients’ treatment plans and quality of life

Learn more about common statistical terms used in cancer research [3].

Looking for More about Current Research?

If you would like additional information about the latest areas of research regarding breast cancer, explore these related items:

• To find clinical trials specific to your diagnosis, talk with your doctor or search online clinical trial databases now [4].
• Review research announced at recent scientific meetings [5] or in ASCO’s peer-reviewed journals [5].
• Visit ASCO’s CancerProgress.Net [6] website to learn more about the historical pace of research for breast cancer.

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