Top Breast Cancer Research in 2024
Much of the most applicable breast cancer research in 2024 focused on ways to determine exactly the right treatment for each person. For some, this means treatment de-escalation — giving the fewest medicines at the lowest dose possible while still successfully treating the cancer. But in other cases, it may mean adding a medicine to the regimen to avoid chemotherapy and its more toxic side effects.
Side effect relief was another big research theme in 2024, as were health disparities, issues around fertility and childbirth, screening, and more. Here are the year’s highlights.
More personalized treatments
Scientists have discovered that breast cancers with even very small amounts of HER2 proteins —which would have been classified as HER2-negative in the past — may still respond to anti-HER2 medicines. They’ve also found that at least one CDK4/6 inhibitor may help overcome a cancer’s resistance to anti-HER2 therapies.
Adding Ibrance stops growth of metastatic triple-positive disease for more than a year
Enhertu beats chemotherapy for HER2-low and -ultralow metastatic breast cancer
Which type of radiation is best for painful spots of cancer in the spine?
Some people with early-stage breast cancer don’t need axillary lymph node surgery
Kisqali plus an aromatase inhibitor approved to treat certain early-stage breast cancers
Easing side effects
Nearly all breast cancer treatments cause side effects. Besides developing new medicines to reduce their severity and number, researchers are also learning that exercise and other lifestyle choices can help relieve a number of side effects.
Having sufficient vitamin D reduces risk of neuropathy during Taxol chemotherapy
DASH diet reduces risk of heart disease in women who receive breast cancer treatment
Exercise makes sex more enjoyable for women with metastatic breast cancer
Vegetarian diet offers physical, mental benefits for women with metastatic disease
Two types of exercise may decrease neuropathy caused by chemotherapy
Adding cannabis to standard medicines offers better nausea control
Disparities in care and outcomes
Studies also looked for reasons for differences in breast cancer outcomes between women of various races and ethnicities.
In triple-negative breast cancer, response to chemo before surgery varies by race and ethnicity
Why are some groups of people more likely to decline breast cancer treatment?
Genetic mutations, pregnancy, and breast cancer
Statistics show that more younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer, many at age 40 or younger. These women, especially women with BRCA mutations, have unique concerns, including fertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
Hormonal birth control ups breast cancer risk in women with a BRCA1 mutation
Breast cancer after childbirth and survival in women with a BRCA mutation
Risk, both for breast cancer and recurrence
New research aimed to better understand the risk factors linked to developing breast cancer, as well as the variables associated with the risk of breast cancer coming back — recurrence — in people who have received treatment.
The risk of metastatic recurrence after early-stage breast cancer drops
Young women with no genetic mutations have low risk of second primary breast cancer
More immune cells in triple-negative breast cancer may mean lower recurrence risk
DCIS diagnosed outside of regular screening increases risk of invasive breast cancer by 400%
Many hormone receptor-positive breast cancers linked to excess body fat
Breast cancer screening
We know that breast cancer screening saves lives. But who should have which type of screening tests and how often continues to be studied.
— Last updated on February 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM