Page 47 - Tracy Anderson Magazine - Fall 2021

THE S T A TE OF

BREA S T C AN CER

A look into how far we’ve come and where we need to go, as researched by BCRF.

Every year October rolls in and with it the pink ribbons. Peo- metastases. And one of our flagship projects—the AURORA
ple around the world rally behind the symbol to advocate for Project, the largest global effort to study metastatic disease—
people with a breast cancer diagnosis, but when did you last is already defining, for the first time, deep molecular alter-
review the research or compare it to that of previous years to ations specifically in breast cancer metastases compared to
see how the science has advanced our knowledge? primary tumors. These findings are steering us towards a
path of not only better understanding metastasis but of iden-
We asked our annual Move to Cure partner, the Breast Can- tifying therapeutic targets specifically in metastatic breast
cer Research Foundation (BCRF), to share the latest research cancer.
on the disease. We had the privilege to discuss various topics
with the BCRF’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dorraya El-Ashry. This year the World Health Organization announced that
Read on for accessible information you can share in your own breast cancer is now the most common cancer worldwide,
circles while growing a deeper connection with advocacy for surpassing lung cancer for the first time. Why is breast can-
friends and family alike. cer on the rise?
The rise of breast cancer incidence around the world is due
So much progress has been made in preventing and treat- to a complex set of factors, including but not limited to
ing breast cancer over the last three decades. Can you tell global trends such as the growth of aging populations and
us what some of the biggest breakthroughs have been? the adaptation of Western diets and lifestyles (for example,
Since BCRF was founded 30 years ago, deaths from breast the rise of obesity, or hormonal risk factors like reduced or
cancer have declined by 40 percent. This decline is due to delayed childbirth) as well as improved detection through
improved screening, earlier detection, and more effective screening. There are also genetic factors that increase
treatments. breast cancer risk in certain populations—one example is
the prevalence of BRCA mutations in groups such as Ash-
Major breakthroughs include: kenazi Jewish, Hispanic and Latin American, and African
• the identification of genetic mutations, like the BRCA 1 American people, among many other factors.
and 2 genes, which inform key preventative measures;
• the determination that breast cancer isn’t a single disease We’ve talked about the incredible progress we’ve made in
but rather at least five different subtypes, which let us reducing deaths from breast cancer, but that hasn’t held
find targeted drugs specific for many of these genes iden- true across all races and ethnicities in the U.S. Can you tell
tified as disease drivers; us about the alarming, and truly unacceptable, disparities
• and more recently, gene assays—which look at the genetic in breast cancer outcomes that we see today?
markers of a person’s tumor—such as Oncotype DX and Despite the progress we’ve made, the stark reality is that in
Mammaprint, that can predict risk of relapse and the the U.S., Black women are still 40 percent more likely to die
need for therapy. from the disease than white women. The reasons are deep-
ly complex and sharply nuanced. To close this gap, we must
What’s on the horizon for breast cancer research? tackle the issue on several fronts: understanding the genet-
To end deaths from breast cancer, we must identify and de- ic components of breast cancer risk; finding treatments for
velop treatments that cure metastatic breast cancer (MBC), triple negative breast cancer, which impacts Black women at
the greatest challenge in breast cancer today. We’re making higher rates; and identifying interventions that reduce the
Arthouse Studios have become available for patients. And we are on the cusp health.
consequences stemming from the social determinants of
progress: In the last five years alone, nine new drugs for MBC
How has COVID impacted breast cancer patients?
of a major, game-changing leap forward. BCRF is the larg-
est private funder of metastatic breast cancer research in the
the years ahead because of delays in screening during the
world. We can see in some patients that we can prevent some Experts are warning of a surge in later-stage diagnoses in

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