The Global Study Helping Breast Cancer Patients Live Longer
One of the largest, and longest, worldwide studies into breast cancer, the ALTTO trial, is continuing to reap benefits. The trial was designed to test the effectiveness of different treatment strategies on those with HER2-positive breast cancer. More than 8,000 women from 44 countries participated.
Dr Janine Lombard is a medical oncology specialist at Calvary Mater in Newcastle and Breast Cancer Trials researcher, and has been involved in ALTTO for 18 years. She says the trial has not only greatly increased our understanding of ideal treatments for the roughly 20% of breast cancer tumours that overexpress the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) protein, but it has also created a rich biobank of tumours.
“This is one of the biggest studies ever done in breast cancer and it was done across the entire world, so it has this absolutely unique collection of tumours,” Dr Lombard says. “It has helped advance a lot of understanding about HER2-positive breast cancers.”
Dr Lombard was the principal investigator in the ALTTO trial for Australia and New Zealand, where 223 women participated. “There was a good representation of Oceania, which at the time was often underrepresented in international studies.”
The latest publication from the trial was a 10-year comparison of 6,281 patients who had HER2-positive breast cancer. Too much HER2 protein is thought to cause cancer cells to grow and divide quicker.
“The study was designed with the premise that hopefully a combination of two drugs [trastuzumab and lapatinib] would improve outcomes,” Dr Lombard says. Because the two drugs work differently, it was hoped – based on previous evidence – that a combination would prevent the cancer from returning and possibly spreading to the brain. “However, the 10-year data supports an earlier publication that showed that was not to be the case,” she says.
Standard therapy is now trastuzamab alone, or in combination with another drug that has been developed since the study started, pertuzumab.
But far from being a ‘negative’ study, Dr Lombard says the ALTTO trial provides many grounds for optimism. “The thing we’ve understood in this decade and a half is that with treatment, outcomes for individuals with HER2-positive breast cancer are excellent,” she says. “Ten-year survival rates are close to 90% and that’s a huge improvement compared to before we had these anti-HER2 drugs. Because the survival rates are so good, it encourages us to think, as clinicians, ‘is there a group of women who we can give less chemotherapy to?’”
Dr Lombard says the breast cancer treatment landscape has changed a lot since the ALTTO trial started. Along with the development of next-generation drugs, treatment protocols now often recommend chemotherapy before surgery, whereas all the patients in the trial had surgery before chemotherapy.
Publication
Final analysis of the ALTTO trial: adjuvant trastuzumab in sequence or in combination with lapatinib in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer [BIG 2-06/NCCTG N063D (Alliance)] de Azambuja, E. et al. ESMO Open, Volume 9, Issue 11, 103938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.103938
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New Immunotherapy Approach Offers Hope for Aggressive Breast Cancer Patients
A shorter, smarter treatment could bring new hope to people with early stage, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Driven by the need to limit toxic side effects, researchers from Breast Cancer Trials designed the Neo-N study to see if combining a powerful immunotherapy drug with a shorter, focused course of chemotherapy before surgery could control tumours as effectively as longer treatments.
TNBC lacks the hormone and HER2 receptors that many targeted therapies attack. It often grows faster, spreads sooner, and strikes younger women more severely, leaving few treatment options. While standard chemotherapy can shrink tumours, its high doses and long schedules can lead to fatigue, nerve damage, and even heart problems years later.
In Neo-N, 108 women at 14 hospitals in Australia, New Zealand, and Italy received 12 weeks of pre‑surgery treatment combining nivolumab – a therapy that awakens the immune system – with two common chemotherapy drugs. The trial deliberately omitted a class of medicines called anthracyclines, which are linked to lasting heart risks and other side effects.
To test timing, participants were split into two groups. One began nivolumab alone for two weeks, then added chemotherapy. The other started all drugs together. After 12 weeks, each woman had surgery to remove the treated tumour and nearby lymph nodes.
The results were striking. 57 of 108 women (53%) had no detectable cancer at surgery – a ‘complete response’ matching rates seen with much longer, more intensive regimens. “This 12‑week chemo‑immunotherapy treatment combination is a promising new treatment option that has been very effective at eradicating the cancer in those patients,” says Professor Sherene Loi, medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, who led the study.
Neo-N also highlighted two simple lab tests that predicted who would benefit most. Women whose tumours contained at least 30% immune cells saw a 67% complete-response rate, while those whose tumours displayed the PD‑L1 protein reached 71%. These markers could help doctors tailor treatment to each patient’s tumour biology.
Importantly, the shorter plan proved generally well tolerated. Serious side effects affected 65% of women – mainly low white-blood cells, anaemia and mild liver changes – but these were managed promptly with standard supportive medications, and did not force most participants to stop treatment. No one died from therapy, and the vast majority completed the full course.
Researchers stress that larger phase 3 trials are now needed – and Neo-N participants will remain under observation for up to three years to track any recurrence, long‑term survival, and late effects.
By pairing immunotherapy with a shorter, heart-safer chemotherapy regimen, Neo-N points toward a future where some people can beat early-stage TNBC with fewer treatments, less toxicity, and a better quality of life.
Publication
Zdenkowski N, Kuper‑Hommel MJJ, Niman SM, et al. Timing of nivolumab with neoadjuvant carboplatin and paclitaxel for early triple-negative breast cancer (BCT1902/IBCSG 61–20; Neo-N). Lancet Oncol. 2025;26(3):367–77. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00092-4
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THE VILLAGE EFFECT: WHY COMMUNITY MATTERS DURING BREAST CANCER TREATMENT
We spoke with Sarah about balancing treatment with motherhood, and the support systems that helped her through her diagnosis.
For Sarah, motherhood was already a full-time job. Between Nippers, football, and everything in between. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she found herself navigating treatment while parenting young children and holding her family through the uncertainty of her diagnosis.
In this episode, we spoke with Sarah about balancing treatment with motherhood, and the support systems that helped her through her diagnosis.
“My children keep me extremely busy. All I am at the moment is a professional Uber driver. The children in summer are all in Nippers and surf lifesaving, so that takes up every second of our time. And in winter, it’s football. So, we live, eat, and breathe football. My husband is an ex-rugby league player, and all three of our children play. It’s even on the TV at every moment. Our life is all about football training, footy boots, washing jerseys etc.”
“It’s exciting that Women’s Magic round is in Newcastle. My family and I went to the very first one up in Brisbane, so it’ll be very exciting. We’d like to see the Knights win. They haven’t been doing so well in the men’s team, but it’s just very exciting. My daughter started playing, so it’s great to see it gain some traction.”
2025 marks the inaugural year of the NRLW Magic Round, which is being played in our backyard here in Newcastle, and we are proud to be part of it! The NRLW Magic Round will be taking place over the weekend of August 2–3 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. The event will showcase 12 NRLW teams in one location, creating a vibrant, festival-style experience for fans.
Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is proud to be the match day charity partner for day one of the NRLW Magic Round on 2 August, and we’re shining a spotlight on the power of teamwork in breast cancer research. Play your part and help #tacklebreastcancer, click here to find out more.
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We spoke with Sarah about balancing treatment with motherhood, and the support systems that helped her through her diagnosis.
Can you share with us a bit about your diagnosis and what was happening in the lead up?
“I was diagnosed in June 2021. It was a complete shock. I had a small lump on my breast, which took me to the doctor’s, which turned out to be shingles. My doctor, who I saw for the first time, thought he would just send me to get a mammogram and ultrasound just to be safe. And unbeknownst they found a tumour, which was not related at all to the lump that initially took me to the doctors.”
“It was complete shell shock and then it was full steam ahead from there. I saw a specialist and within the next week I was operated on and had multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and then ended up with a double mastectomy five years later.”
“I don’t think I even cried until days later. It was just a shock. We’re in the middle of COVID as well, so it was just a very, very strange time. I look back now, and I think I just blocked a lot of it out. It was just crazy. I honestly can’t explain how I felt. Even looking back, I have blocked a lot of it out. It’s just a bad dream really, hopefully I’m on the other side.”
“I had an initial lumpectomy and my tumour was encapsulated, but there were still some margins left. So, they went back in, and they removed the further margins. My lymph nodes were clear, which was lucky. So, my treatment was straightforward from there on. I had four rounds of extensive chemotherapy, which was not fun. And I opted to have a mastectomy instead of going ahead with radiation. It was pretty final, it was a big decision, but in the end, I just went ahead with it.”
“That initial fear of thinking that I may die from this disease. That was probably the worst of it. But once I was told my lymph nodes were clear and that my prognosis could be OK, I was ready to fight and do everything I could.”
Who were your biggest supporters during this time?
“My family and my friends were incredible. I’m going to get emotional. My girlfriends raised $35,000 in the ‘Sarah’s Walking Warriors’ fundraiser that they set up. That sort of kept me going. It made me stand up and be accountable. The army of people around me were amazing for my children because they were only quite young.”
“My community was insane; there were flowers at the door, my husband was trying to tile the front door and kept getting flower deliveries. He was getting quite annoyed, it was pretty funny, but everyone was just incredible.”
“The worst part was telling my parents. I kept it from them for a little while. So, it was a bit of a secret. I was hiding flowers in the bathroom and linen closets, and they started asking what was going on? And then telling them was probably the worst. I think because I’ve probably always been the brave one. I’m an only child; I’m an endangered species in their eyes. But they’ve been amazing since.”
Did breast cancer cross your mind at all in the lead up to your diagnosis?
“No, when I was diagnosed with the shingles, I just thought that was it. And if I hadn’t gone and got those mammograms and ultrasounds on my doctor’s orders, just to be sure, I probably would not be sitting here today. Because by taking the antivirals, the lump that I had thought was a lump of concern went away, it was nothing. But the bad lump was found with investigation. So, I was sent for a fine-needle biopsy, and I didn’t think I could have cancer. It didn’t even enter my mind.”
“Then I got the phone call, and I was just in shock. You just think it’s never going to happen to you. And I’m sure everyone says that. I couldn’t get in for an ultrasound or mammogram for three months in Newcastle. So, I drove to Tuggerah to have that done. So again, I could have so easily not done it, and it just would’ve been a whole different story.”
“The tumour I had was quite aggressive but was caught very early. If there had been lymph node involvement, it would’ve been a whole different story. When I saw the specialist, he told me it was triple negative breast cancer, and I thought that it was a good thing. I thought three times negative, and I learned very quickly that it was not.”
“When he said that I had a very good chance of survival, all I heard from that was that I could die. I may not survive. So, things went pretty pear shaped quite quickly from hearing that. But then everything was full steam ahead from that day. I was operated on the following week, but I don’t have any ongoing treatment now. I just had my chemotherapy in the chair. It was a five-hour process, not nice on the days leading into it, and for the five days after, were not pretty. Thank goodness it was during COVID, and no one had to see me.”
“I see my oncologist and my surgeon once a year each, but with both I see them six monthly. So, I’m continually seeing someone. Next year I’ll be five years post-diagnosis and hopefully that will be the end, and I get to break up with them.”
Did you have a family history of breast cancer before you were diagnosed?
“Funnily enough, it was not a thing at all. But I met, who is now a very dear friend of mine, probably 12 months prior. I met her when my small child kept going to her caravan. And she was at the time going through treatment. And so that made me become aware of breast cancer. But prior to that, no.”
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been so vigilant with getting my shingle bump checked. So, it’s strange, the events that sort of led to my diagnosis. I think maybe if I had not met her, I would’ve been a bit more dismissive. We’re friends for life now after that, I always say that I caught it off her.”
How did you find out about Breast Cancer Trials?
“I found out about Breast Cancer Trials through a social media fundraiser. I saw the Big Bold Swim challenge pop up and just because I basically live at swimming pools with my children, I thought I would join the swimming fundraiser and see if I could raise some much-needed funds. So, I did it and I raised $3,000 and here I am now. But I think Breast Cancer Trials are amazing. But yes, going forward, I’d like to do more if everyone wants to donate and support me.”
Why do you think breast cancer research is so important?
“Having a daughter and my girlfriends with young children, the girls going forward are potentially going to be faced with this, and if there are much less invasive treatments would be ideal. Better screening, more availability and access to treatments would all be beneficial. Also, I was lucky that I had Private Health Insurance. I think that’s why I was dealt with so quickly, but not everyone is as lucky – they’re waiting for their results, and the waiting is what does a lot of damage.”
“I think breast cancer research means that breast cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence, there’s more of a chance. There’s more hope going forward.”
What are your hopes for the future?
“My hope for the future is that I never, ever have to deal with anything like this again. No breast cancer recurrence, as well as those around me, my daughter, that she never has to go through this. With Breast Cancer Trials research, and through everyone donating I hope that we can find a better way forward.”
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ROUTINE, RESILIENCE AND RESEARCH: ONE MUM’S CANCER STORY
We spoke with Emily about navigating breast cancer with a young family, the role routine and swimming played in helping her cope, and why she believes breast cancer clinical trials research is so vital.
2025 marks the inaugural year of the NRLW Magic Round, which is being played in our backyard here in Newcastle, and we are proud to be part of it! Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is proud to be the match day charity partner for day one of the NRLW Magic Round on 2 August, and we’re shining a spotlight on the power of teamwork in breast cancer research.
What happens when your life plans are suddenly redrawn by a breast cancer diagnosis? Emily, her husband and their two children had moved from the UK to Australia in 2012 and were busy building a future for their family when Emily found herself on a very different path.
In this episode we spoke with Emily about navigating breast cancer with a young family, the role routine and swimming played in helping her cope, and why she believes breast cancer clinical trials research is so vital.
“I was just doing a self-exam in bed one night and I found a lump and I wasn’t too sure what it was as I do have naturally lumpy, quite cystic type breasts anyway. But I did go and see my GP. She didn’t think there was anything to worry about at the time, but she did send me for a mammogram and an ultrasound, and it was picked up on the ultrasound and I knew pretty quickly that it was malignant. It was kind of a whirlwind from there really. That was in February 2022.”
“I was in complete shock, and disbelief. The doctor was convinced there was nothing to worry about. I was super fit and healthy and had an active lifestyle. You just don’t think it’s going to happen to you.”
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We spoke with Emily about navigating breast cancer with a young family, the role routine and swimming played in helping her cope, and why she believes breast cancer clinical trials research is so vital.
Before your diagnosis, did you know much about breast cancer or did you have any family history of cancer?
“Not really, I didn’t know that much about it. I wasn’t aware of any family history at the time. It was only after my diagnosis, when I investigated a bit further into my family history that I did find out there was quite an extensive family history of breast cancer and that was on both sides of the family.”
“But I only found out about that after we started asking around, because my family weren’t particularly forthcoming with that type of medical history in the first place.”
“So, my husband, was great. When I initially got diagnosed, I went by myself. I didn’t take anybody with me because I wanted to be able to process it myself before I told the rest of the family. It’s only me and my husband out here in Australia. Everybody else is in the UK. So, I only told my husband and then, with the kids we told them that mummy was sick.”
“We didn’t use the term ‘cancer’, because we didn’t want to terrify them. But everything just carried on as normal. We got the kids to shave my head, which they thought was good fun. And they enjoyed giving mummy a bald cut. But we just tried to keep everything as normal as possible. They knew that mommy was a bit sick and she was having medicine to make her better and life carried on as normal.”
“You just realise how short and precious life really is. Nobody is indestructible. Cancer can hit anybody at any age. It doesn’t discriminate. You think you’re fit and healthy and you’re doing everything right and you still get breast cancer. So, it’s just made me realise life is worth living and you have to live every day like it’s your last because you just do not know what’s around the corner.”
What kind of treatment did you have?
“Initially I had a lumpectomy in March 2022. And then I had the 12 weeks of Paclitaxel chemotherapy, and that was in combination with immunotherapy. So, I had Herceptin every three weeks for a year, and then I also had radiation. I had three weeks of daily radiation after the chemotherapy had finished. So, all in all, my active treatment was just over a year.”
What are some of the biggest challenges you think that breast cancer research needs to address?
“Just being able to find a cure for this horrible disease. The thought of my daughter having to go through this or anybody else I know, I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. And I think, with the medical advances that we’re making, I hope that cancer one day won’t be a term that we need to have in our vocabulary. Hopefully we can find a way for it to disappear completely.”
What would you say to someone who was thinking about participating in a clinical trial?
“If you can get onto a clinical trial, it’s well worth doing because you just advance the treatment for yourself and for the rest of the population as well. Without clinical trials, you don’t find these new medications that work, and we don’t improve treatments.”
“I think clinical trials are vital to bringing advances in treatment and medicines all across the board. Breast Cancer Trials coordinated the HERA trial, which brought about the Herceptin, which has saved countless women with HER2-positive breast cancer.”
How did you find the Big Bold Swim Fundraiser coordinated by Breast Cancer Trials?
“It was good fun; I really enjoyed it. The online community, specifically the Facebook community, was really good fun and just really championed everybody. I saw so many people that said they hadn’t swum before and they were back in the pool to support Breast Cancer Trials, and people that were still undergoing treatment got back in the pool to support this campaign.”
“I thought that was great. Really positive to see. It was a good month of swimming, and it just raises awareness for Breast Cancer Trials. It gets people active as well, and I think that’s really important when you’re going through treatment. Keeping active and keeping a positive mindset.”
What would be your dream outcome for the next generation of breast cancer patients?
“My dream outcome would be that breast cancer doesn’t exist anymore. I know we’re ways off that yet, but with the advances we’ve got and the research that Breast Cancer Trials are doing, we’re one step closer. I just want to be able to see my kids grow up and just be here. That’s it really in a nutshell. I just want to see my kids succeed.”
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HOLDING IT TOGETHER: BREAST CANCER AND THE BUSY MUM LIFE
We spoke with Belinda about navigating a breast cancer diagnosis while raising a young family, the value in having a community around you to offer support during this time and the importance of breast cancer clinical trials research.
2025 marks the inaugural year of the NRLW Magic Round, which is being played in our backyard here in Newcastle, and we are proud to be part of it! Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is proud to be the match day charity partner for day one of the NRLW Magic Round on 2 August, and we’re shining a spotlight on the power of teamwork in breast cancer research.
When you’re a mum of two young boys, life is full of chaos. And for Belinda, it also became a time of deep uncertainty when in 2019 she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. In this episode, we spoke with Belinda about navigating a breast cancer diagnosis while raising a young family, the value in having a community around you to offer support during this time and the importance of breast cancer clinical trials research.
“I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in June 2019. I found the lump myself during a self-examination. I was just doing a bit of a check and found a lump on my right breast. I immediately knew that it was abnormal. I called out to Kale and said, quick, quick, quick, come here. Can you have a look at this? And he said, yes, there’s something there.”
“The next morning, after a very sleepless night, I went down to see my doctor and she agreed with me that it was abnormal. Fortunately, she ran over to Hunter Imaging at the Women’s Health Center in Gateshead and they told her to send me over straight away.”
“So, I was so lucky. I went over for my mammogram, and something showed up and I was then sent in for ultrasound with a friend, which was fortunate that she was the radiographer. She at the time knew that it looked abnormal, but didn’t share that with me fortunately. And walked around the back and spoke with the doctor. She said, this is a friend of mine, she’s got a lump. Is there any chance we could biopsy it?”
“I was lucky given that it was a Wednesday, because that’s the only day that the doctors are there. So I popped up on the table and they performed the biopsy to take some samples and 15 minutes later they came back and said, you have breast cancer.”
“I was speechless. I didn’t know what to think. I remember Gabby, who performed the ultrasound said, do you want me to drive you home? Do you want me to ring Kale? And I said, no, no, no, I’ll be fine, what do I do now? And they said we’ll contact your GP so you need to make your way there with your husband.”
“So, I made my way to the car. I don’t remember driving around the lake. I called Kale and said, I have breast cancer. You need to meet me at the doctors. So, I got to the doctors at about 4:30 PM and he was waiting for me, and he was quite frank and said, you have breast cancer. I need to make some calls now and arrange some appointments for you.”
“So, he did all of that. He called over to the breast center and they were expecting his call. During that time Gabby walked around and spoke to them, which I’m grateful for. And they said you’ll see Dr David Clark tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. So, my head was spinning, within 24 hours I’d gone from not knowing a thing to being told I had breast cancer.”
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We spoke with Belinda about navigating a breast cancer diagnosis while raising a young family, the value in having a community around you to offer support during this time and the importance of breast cancer clinical trials research.
Before your diagnosis, did you know much about breast cancer or did you have any family history of cancer?
“To be honest, I was like the normal person who thought breast cancer was breast cancer. I had no idea of all the subtypes of breast cancer. I was clueless in that regard. There was no family history of breast cancer in my family whatsoever, so I thought breast cancer was just one type of cancer.”
“In terms of my treatment, I had surgery a week after detection. And then I went back into the doctors the following week, and that’s when I was told it was triple negative breast cancer. Originally, I thought I was facing surgery and some radiation, and I would be on my way.”
“But unfortunately, chemotherapy was the only answer for my type of breast cancer because of how aggressive it was, and it wasn’t respondent to hormone therapy or immunotherapy. So, I had six rounds of dense dose chemotherapy once every three weeks at Gateshead. So that took me 18 weeks, so to speak, and then a few weeks break, and then I had five weeks straight of radiation and finished just before Christmas.”
What are some of the biggest challenges, in your opinion, that breast cancer research needs to address?
“I guess the biggest one for me is obviously prevention, but a huge stumbling block is the funds that go towards breast cancer research. There’s a lot of research out there for different types of cancer, and I know that breast cancer does have some funding, but without the required funds to pave the way for these scientists to continue with the trials, they’re not going to happen.”
“But also, prevention is huge for me. Have a conversation with your girlfriends. Talk about getting checked, be vigilant, get checked every year. If you think there’s something there, go and get it checked because that alone may stop you from having to go through what I went through and what other women go through.”
“And we may get to the stage with all this research that there’ll be something quite simple for early-stage breast cancer, and that will come out of a trial or many trials that are happening or going to happen.”
“I can honestly say that prior to being diagnosed, I had no idea about breast cancer research. For me, I was fortunate in that my medical oncologist, Dr Nick, is one of the gurus involved with Breast Cancer Trials and Nick spoke to me in figures with survival rates and whatnot, and I had so many questions for him, and he would just shake his head.”
At what point in your cancer journey did you start to become interested in what’s happening within Breast Cancer Trials research?
“My oncologist, Dr Nick said to me, you need to listen to some of the research through Breast Cancer Trials, and I said who are Breast cancer trials? And told me that he was one of the chief medical scientists on their Scientific Advisory Committee, and that Breast Cancer Trials conduct trials across the world on women that are early-stage, late-stage terminal and whatnot.”
“So, I literally jumped on board and listened to Nick talk. And from that point forward I went, OK, this is going to be my source of truth. I will listen to this, and I’d met women that were on active trials, and I listened to various podcasts, so I learned pretty early on about what Breast Cancer Trials actually does for women and men, because men get breast cancer too, in relation to breast cancer research.”
How has breast cancer influenced your outlook on life?
“Breast cancer totally changed my life, and obviously the life of my family, my children were young, and it blind-sided my husband and I. From the get-go, we made a very conscious decision that we would tackle this head on, that we wouldn’t back down from it, and we would do whatever we had to do to beat this, because I was determined to be a mum to my kids for many, many years to come.”
“I think cancer is as much a medical game as it is a mindset, and my mindset was, I will beat this full stop. My hope for the future, for me personally, is to live a long and healthy life with my husband and kids, but I also hope that we are able to find a cure for breast cancer to stop women and men dying every day from a disease that hopefully can be eradicated, or at least prevented, so that patients are subjected to a much less severe treatment regime.”
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ASCO 2025: BREAST CANCER RESEARCH SUMMARY
A summary of the key breast cancer research presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.
Highlights from the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting is one of the most important events in the global cancer calendar, where researchers and clinicians gather to share the latest advances in cancer care. This year’s conference, held in Chicago, featured exciting developments in breast cancer research — many of which are expected to change treatment options and improve outcomes for women diagnosed with the disease.
Here are some of the key highlights from ASCO 2025, summarised for our community.
A Promising New First-Line Treatment for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
A major focus of this year’s meeting was the DESTINY-Breast09 trial, which compared two treatment combinations for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The new combination of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) and pertuzumab significantly extended the time patients lived without their cancer getting worse — to over 40 months on average, compared to the current standard treatment.
This breakthrough offers new hope for many women, especially as not all patients are able to move on to second-line treatments. While some side effects were reported (including lung inflammation in a small number of patients), this new approach is likely to set a new standard in care.
Reducing Treatment Side Effects Without Sacrificing Effectiveness
The NeoCARHP trial looked at whether a less intensive chemotherapy combination could still be effective for women with HER2-positive early breast cancer. The results showed that dropping one of the drugs (carboplatin) didn’t reduce the treatment’s success, and side effects like low blood counts, nausea, and kidney issues were lower with less chemotherapy.
This could mean a gentler option for some women — particularly those with stage I–II disease — while still achieving excellent outcomes.
Hormonal Therapy Side Effects: A New Non-Hormonal Option for Hot Flushes
Many women who take hormonal therapy for breast cancer experience distressing side effects like hot flushes and insomnia. A new drug called elinzanetant, taken as a daily pill, showed promising results in reducing both the frequency and severity of these symptoms.
What’s exciting is that it works in a non-hormonal way and most women in the trial chose to keep taking it long-term.
Understanding When to Use Targeted Drugs: The FINER and VERITAC-2 Trials
Two trials provided new insights into targeted therapies for women with ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who had already received standard treatments:
FINER looked at adding a drug called ipatasertib to hormonal therapy. It helped slow the disease down even in women without the expected genetic changes — showing it may work for a broader group than previously thought. The FINER trial was conducted by Breast Cancer Trials in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group. Find out more about the FINER clinical trial results.
VERITAC-2 explored a new class of targeted therapy (called PROTACs) with a drug named vepdegestrant. Women whose cancers had developed a particular mutation (ESR1) saw the most benefit. This highlights the growing importance of genetic testing to guide treatment.
Associate Professor Andrew Redfern is the Study Chair of the FINER clinical trial.
Detecting Cancer Progression Sooner Using Blood Tests
The SERENA-6 trial focused on using blood tests (ctDNA) to detect signs of cancer returning before symptoms or scans show anything. Women who had a particular mutation (ESR1) found in their blood were switched early to a different hormonal therapy (camizestrant) — and this helped delay the cancer’s return.
This “early warning” approach could become an important tool in the future, although more research is needed to understand its impact on overall survival and quality of life.
Good News for Younger Women: Long-Term Results from the SOFT/TEXT Trial
Fifteen-year follow-up results from the SOFT and TEXT trials — run in Australia by Breast Cancer Trials — continue to show strong benefits for premenopausal women with early ER-positive breast cancer. Women under 40, or with more aggressive tumours, gained the most from combining ovarian suppression with exemestane.
These long-term data reassures us that treatment decisions made early can continue to make a difference many years later.
New Hope for Women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the hardest types to treat. The ASCENT-04 trial showed that a new combination of sacituzumab govitecan (a targeted therapy) with immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) helped women with advanced TNBC live longer before their cancer worsened.
This could offer a more effective first-line treatment for women with PD-L1 positive TNBC, giving them the best possible chance upfront.
Ribociclib Benefits Hold Strong Across Ages and Menopausal Status
The NATALEE clinical trial is exploring a treatment called ribociclib used alongside an aromatase inhibitor for people with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer that carries an intermediate to high risk of returning.
The results so far have been promising: the combination significantly reduces the chance of cancer coming back. Importantly, this benefit continues even after completing the full three-year course of ribociclib. This is reassuring news for people with both stage II and stage III breast cancer.
One of the big questions was whether age or menopausal status affected how well the treatment worked. This latest analysis showed that ribociclib works consistently well across all age groups and regardless of whether someone is pre- or postmenopausal. Younger people were slightly more likely to stick with the treatment—possibly because they were more motivated to do everything they could to reduce their risk—but everyone appeared to benefit similarly.
Using a standard quality-of-life questionnaire, researchers found that patients across all age groups and menopause statuses reported similar experiences—suggesting that the treatment is tolerable and manageable for most people.
Targeted therapy for difficult to treat metastatic breast cancer
The INAVO 120 trial added a targeted drug, invaolisib, to standard treatment of palbociclib and fulvestrant, in first line therapy for metastatic ER+/HER2 negative breast cancer with a PIK3CA mutation. Inavolisib, a highly specific inhibitor of PI3K, prolonged patients’ survival from 27 months with standard treatment, to 34 months with the three drug combination. This drug also led to a 2 year longer time interval until chemotherapy was needed for patients.
These results support the use of this medication in the clinic as an effective, specific approach for the 40% of patients whose cancers harbour the targetable mutation.
Can Patients Be Safely Re-Treated After Side Effects?
Finally, a study looking at women who had experienced lung side effects from T-DXd found that many were able to restart the drug safely after recovery, and continue benefiting from it. This may help doctors make more confident decisions about restarting treatment when appropriate.
What This Means for You
Many of the updates shared at ASCO 2025 could lead to new treatment options and better outcomes — especially in tailoring therapies to a woman’s type of breast cancer and individual circumstances. Medications in Australia need to be approved by regulatory bodies and then funded by the PBS before becoming routinely available.
If you would like to stay up to date with research news, sign up to our monthly research newsletter (linked below).
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VIRTUAL REALITY MEETS RADIATION: A NEW ERA IN PATIENT COACHING
Kathleene Dower is a 2025 clinical fellow with Breast Cancer Trials, and her project is looking to explore whether virtual reality (VR) coaching and education can help patients learn the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold technique more effectively.
Kathleene Dower is a radiation therapist and 2025 clinical fellow with breast cancer trials. Her project is about piloting virtual reality (VR) coaching and education for Deep Inspiration Breath Hold; a breathing technique used during radiation therapy to move the heart away from radiation and protect it from damage.
This study will explore whether VR coaching and education can help patients learn this technique more effectively. We spoke with Kathleene about the importance of this research and what it means for patients.
“When we had some new technology implemented within this department, basically what we saw with a lot of our breast cancer patients, who are left sided breast cancer patients, was that if deep inspiration breath hold is of benefit for their outcomes from treatment, our radiation oncologists will ask them to take a deep breath in and hold their breath for their treatment.”
“Now these are sustained breaths, so basically, they’ll take a deep breath for at least 20 seconds and then go into normal breathing, then a deep breath again, and then normal breathing after that.”
“And what we found with a lot of our patients is that they could not do a deep inspiration breath hold. Some of our patients became quite frustrated and upset that they couldn’t do it because they knew that there was a higher risk of them getting late cardiac events after their treatment.”
“So, we wanted them to have, a very robust education of what deep inspiration breath hold was. We also saw that the patients were quite anxious as well. They had a fear of the unknown, and they didn’t know what to expect. So, we invested in virtual reality education, and the reason why we invested in virtual reality education was because when people were immersed in the virtual reality experience, they’re completely focused in on whatever you were trying to educate them about.”
“We also have noise canceling headphones as well for them. So, they are completely immersed in that experience, and that’s the feedback that we have received from patients as well, that they were focused in, they knew exactly what they needed to do for their treatment and that it took away one unknown for them, which is exactly what we wanted to do.”
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Kathleene Dower is a 2025 clinical fellow with Breast Cancer Trials, and her project is looking to explore whether virtual reality (VR) coaching and education can help patients learn the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold technique more effectively.
Why is the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold technique important and what challenges do patients typically face with this technique?
“So, it is particularly important for left breast cancer patients who are lying on their back for treatment. So, what happens when patients take a deep breath in and hold their heart moves away from their breast, so that means is that basically the topographical movement away or displacement away from their breasts, means that we are delivering a lower dose of radiation to the heart.”
“There are other ways that we can get the heart dose down, but that is just one extra added measure as well. And it means that we are giving patients the best treatment that we can offer them, so that’s particularly important.”
“It also means as well that their lungs are more inflated. So, as a volume, we’re treating less lung volume too, and because the patient is in a static position we are targeting their breast cancer a lot more than if they were to be free breathing. When they’re free breathing, their breast is moving in and out of the beam a little bit. That’s another reason why deep inspiration breath hold is important for left breast cancer patients.”
“The challenges that we’ve seen are that patients were afraid of the unknown. They had a fear of the unknown. They were anxious about whether they would be able to do deep inspiration, breath hold or not. When we gave them that education and the coaching, they were able to practice before they came in for their mapping or simulation session.”
“If patients couldn’t do a deep inspiration breath hold at their at their mapping session, they won’t be offered a deep inspiration breath hold for their free breathing treatment.”
“It’s important that we maximise the opportunities for patients to do it at their mapping session. We want to give them as best a chance as possible that they can do it. So, you put on the headset first and you’ll watch a 20 second animation of a patient’s chest free breathing, and then the patient taking a deep breath in and holding their breath, and a radiation beam coming on.”
“And it basically says, your radiation doctor has asked you to take a deep breath in and hold for your treatment. By taking a deep breath in, your heart moves away from the radiation beam. So that explains why we want them to do deep inspiration breath hold.”
“When I interviewed patients beforehand, a lot of them said that they wanted to know why they needed to do it. When you talk to patients about it, or you give them written information, they don’t really understand why. Now adults learn best with what we call the VARK acronym. So, its visual, audio, readability, and kinesiology.”
“With the virtual reality they had that visual component, they had the audio, and when they were doing the breath hold exercises as well, they had the kinesiology. So that touch and that feel through doing the movement, and with the readability component we would give them information as well so that they could read through it. So, we were maximising the education that they received, and we made it palatable for patients too.”
“It was really about health literacy too and making sure they could understand what do to from that education, especially receiving it in the form of virtual reality. And the feedback that we received back from patients was that they found it very easy to understand.”
What factors will you be measuring to determine whether it is effective?
“It’s the feedback that we receive from patients. Also in our pilot study, we ask them to do standardised anxiety questionnaires as well. And so, we’re looking at raised anxiety versus normal anxiety. We asked them to do these anxiety questionnaires at certain time points. Before the intervention, and then after the intervention, then a couple more times after that.”
“A lot of patients said that it just took away the factor of the unknown, and it reduced their anxiety. I can’t exactly give you the data now because it hasn’t been run through SPSS, but basically what I have looked at is pre intervention patients had raised anxiety and then post virtual reality education, they had lower anxiety levels after that.”
“So, as I said before, to maximise their ability to do deep inspiration breath hold and give them the best chance possible of them doing that for their treatment, which can affect them late term as well. Patients did feel a sense of accomplishment once they finished it, and some patients also said they liked being in control too.”
“You know, all the way through their pathway. Basically, they’ve been told that they have breast cancer, they get surgery, they might have chemotherapy and then radiation after that. And from some patients they felt like they weren’t in control at all, but doing the deep inspiration breath hold, because when they do the deep inspiration breath hold, they’re controlling the machine.”
“Our treatment machine only activates when they’re in that deep inspiration breath hold mode, and so they felt that they got a little bit of control back during their treatment, which was important too, and it was very empowering for some of our patients.”
“From a research perspective, I’m hoping to do a randomised control trial with other departments as well. So, we’re looking at filming with Tamworth Cancer Center and other rural hospitals, so we can hopefully open this up to other departments as well. And I think that virtual reality education, especially with radiation therapy, is so important, because in general patients only have radiation therapy once, so there’s nothing tangible that they can know or relate their experience to, so that’s why they have that fear of the unknown.”
“But with virtual reality education, they can get immersed in the experience, so they have something tangible to basically base their knowledge of. So, I think for radiation therapy, it will become very much part of our education piece for patients.”
“Unfortunately, some patients cannot do deep inspiration breath hold, but we will aim as much as possible to get their heart dose to as low as what we possibly can through other measures as well.”
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FROM IVF TO BREAST CANCER: NAVIGATING A DIAGNOSIS IN EARLY MOTHERHOOD
We spoke with mum of two, Rebecca Pickering about her breast cancer diagnosis, navigating breast cancer and her participation on the OLIO clinical trial.
“I’ve had a lot of IVF in the last couple of years, from 2020 to 2022. And then we had Dottie, and we also had Daphne through that time as well. So, after I had Dottie things started to change for me physically, which I stupidly overlooked and decided it was just hormone related from so much IVF.”
“Leading up to the diagnosis, we were just finally medical free, like from IVF and everything, and I was working full time. The kids were happy, and I felt like we were coming into our boring 10 years of just raising a family and getting on with things. And I went to the doctors just to finally get my breast checked out and was diagnosed with breast cancer.”
“That first month that I was diagnosed where you are going through all the process of getting MRIs, biopsies, and trying to figure out what kind of cancer it is and if it had spread, it was pretty dark. It was emotional for me. I just shut down when, especially in a high-pressure situation like that.”
“So, I was concerned for me, and for my kids. It was hard because I wanted to be here to raise my kids. I wanted to see them grow up and I didn’t know if it had spread or not. Cancer is prevalent in our family, so I had hope. My mom had it 14 years ago and she’s still here and healthy and happy, so that was a good example.”
“But until you know that it hasn’t spread and it’s just a standard breast cancer, it’s not like your terminal or anything like that, just so much craziness goes in your head of what’s going to happen, how are you going to handle this, and everything like that.”
“And answers don’t come quick enough, but you know, everything has a process. So, you do have to just wait. So, each week we’d get another little piece of the puzzle for about four weeks until we did the PET scan, and I got the confirmation that it hadn’t spread. And around that time we got confirmation that it was only stage two. So very lucky, considering I felt like I’d probably had an issue for nearly a year.”
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We spoke with mum of two, Rebecca Pickering about her breast cancer diagnosis, navigating breast cancer with a young family, and her participation on the OLIO clinical trial.
How did your family react when you told them about your breast cancer diagnosis?
“So, my parents were away at the time, they were overseas. They didn’t know that I was going through the tests and everything. It was good timing. My mum and I are very close, so she would’ve been onto it if she hadn’t been here. So, it was nice that I just got to kind of process it in the lead up.”
“As soon as I had the mammogram, and the ultrasound, I knew something was wrong. Living in a small local town, the man that did my ultrasound had done all my ultrasounds. Not that I believe he remembered me or anything, but he immediately said to me ‘make sure you follow up with your doctor’. And it’s not something that he normally would say in that way.”
“So, my doctor has been my doctor for 14 years, and you just get a rapport with someone in that kind of relationship. The way my doctor rang, I immediately knew. The results weren’t just over the phone like they normally would be if it was nothing.”
“When I saw him, he was nearly distraught that he had to tell me, because he was the one that told my mum as well, when she was diagnosed. My dad’s mum died of breast cancer when she was 38. So, he was quite like me, he just shut down and was essentially like ‘yep, let’s get on with this’, whereas my mum obviously broke down because she’s been through it and knew what I was about to head into.”
“My husband, Matt, was fine. He’s the same as me. Just a deer in headlights in this situation. Like, we’re just going to have to work through it. And obviously a lot of my family and friends were just devastated for me.”
“I have two daughters and six nieces, and now that I know I have the BRCA gene in our family, you know my brother has it, so his daughter possibly has it. My daughters possibly have it. Any research towards the OLIO trial will benefit them in future years, I’m certain of that.”
What has your treatment been like so far?
“There are great local people in Mildura, but my doctor had felt that the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre had never failed him. So, he referred me there, and my mum also went through the Peter MacCallum Centre, so it was where I wanted to be. I had my first appointment with oncologist around the end of October or start of November 2024.”
“Immediately she knew that I might be interested in a clinical trial, because within five minutes of our first appointment, she mentioned the OLIO trial. So, I felt that the team thought I was a good candidate to be screened for the trial. Going back when I was diagnosed, I had promised myself I’ll do anything to fill my body full of whatever it needs, to get rid of cancer.”
“So, when my oncologist told me about the OLIO trial, I was all for it, as long as I got the same protocol. Because I didn’t know about trials. So how it works is, you get the same protocol as what everyone else gets and then some add-ons. So, we were keen straight away to get it done.”
“For participation in the trial, you had to get genetic testing for the BRCA gene. So, we did that, and I had to get a few blood tests to make sure my bloods were okay. That was a bit of an uphill battle. Some of my bloods weren’t coming back quite right at the end when we were so close to going on the trial. So, I just had to work on some blood tests and things like that, so we did all of that and I made the trial, which was good and the trial team are amazing.”
Why did you decide to participate in the OLIO clinical trial?
“When my mum had breast cancer 14 years ago, there was no mention of the BRCA gene. So, in 14 years we’ve come so far already that they’ve been able to recognise that this gene is a problem for young women. So, when I went in to see Dr Sophie, I went into that appointment ready to have a mastectomy because I thought that’s what everyone around me was getting done.”
“But for this trial, we needed to do chemotherapy first. So, the plan was to start chemotherapy, and I did four rounds of that and then 12 rounds of paclitaxel as well as, as part of the OLIO trial. It is a chemotherapy tablet. And I also got immunotherapy as well. So, we’re just coming to the end of that phase now, and I booked in for a mastectomy in May.”
“I feel lucky to be on the OLIO trial. The coordination behind the scenes from the team is great. It’s something I don’t have to think of. When I initially signed up for it, Dr Stephen Luen said to me that my life would now be organised by the ladies in the research team. And he was correct. Anything I needed, I would just go to that team, and they would organise it for me.”
“Especially appointment changes, because I live remotely, we’ve had to shuffle some appointments around, so I don’t have to come down to Melbourne as often. I asked the doctors the last time I was there if the OLIO trial and remote monitoring is open available through the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, or is it available everywhere? And they did say that it’ll hopefully start to be screened everywhere so that everyone will have the opportunity to be on this trial.”
“I’ve known a few people with breast cancer that are going through it, or at the end of it now, and we discuss our different experiences, and I nearly don’t discuss some of the things that I’m doing as part of my treatment, because I do feel like you get a heightened level of care being on a trial, which is great for me, but everyone deserves it, if they can be on a trial.”
“I have struggled so much with the side effects of chemotherapy, of the fatigue, the lack of motivation, the brain not functioning like it would normally do. I can normally make decisions very quickly. So anything to do with trials that are around treatment plans that may be improved, is so beneficial to anyone going through it.”
Why do you think ongoing research into breast cancer is important?
“So, I have a few reasons, which is that the survival rates are so much better now. When I talk to my oncologist team here, they say that the number of young women coming through is baffling and they’ve just noticed that trend that a lot of young women seem to be getting breast cancer.”
“So, for me, the trials are so important for the statistical rate, but also, it’s about the treatment plans for people. Anything where you don’t have to have chemotherapy or you don’t have to have the invasion of radiation or surgery is so good.”
There is a trial out at the moment, where they may not need chemotherapy (find out more about the OPTIMA clinical trial). So, to me that was important because chemotherapy has ruined me in a way that I never thought it would. I don’t know how people work with chemotherapy. I don’t know how they get through their life. I’ve worked full time and long hours for the last 10 years and I stopped working in December and honestly just lay on the couch most days.”
What are your plans for the future?
“In my mind I’ve got September as when I’m going to be clear of all this. I don’t know why it’s September. I have my surgery in May, and I don’t know if I’m having radiation yet. That’ll be decided after surgery. So, by September this year I hope to be finished with this. I know life will never go back to normal, like it used to be.”
“I think there’s always going to be that cloud over you, and that concern about breast cancer coming back. But what I’m looking forward to is being cleared, and what I fear is it coming back somewhere else, because I don’t want chemotherapy again. I’ll do it, but it’s tough.”
“What concerns me the most each day as I’ve been going through this, is my girls. Daphne is four. So, she knows something’s wrong. I’ve been in and out of hospital, I’m away getting treatment. I’m not working, which was a big part of our life was me working. She took a couple weeks to get used to me being home and then wanted to be home with me. She said to me yesterday that she hopes I’m sick forever because I’m home.”
“So, I do feel going forward, I need to be home more. It’s been something that’s played on my mind the whole time. You know, what do I want to learn from this and moving forward, how is our life going to look? And I do believe in time I’ll look at cutting back in my job and possibly seeing what else is around, in that avenue. So yes, it’s just been my family really.”
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Supportive Care
Supportive care is an important part of a patient’s journey through breast cancer and aims to improve their quality of life and overall wellbeing, both during and after treatment.
When someone is diagnosed with breast cancer, the focus goes beyond treating the disease itself. Supportive care plays an important role in looking after a patient’s physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. It helps to manage symptoms, ease the side effects of treatment, and improve comfort throughout their treatment and recovery.
What’s the meaning of supportive care?
Supportive care refers to treatments and support that focus on improving an individual’s quality of life while they’re receiving care for breast cancer and after their treatment is complete.
What is often included in supportive care?
Help managing side effects like pain, nausea, or fatigue
Counselling and emotional support
Nutritional guidance and physical therapy
Support with hot flashes, hair loss, or body image changes
Breast Cancer Trials has conducted several clinical trials that have helped transform support to patients, including:
Preserving Fertility During Breast Cancer Treatment: The POEMS trial studied the use of goserelin to protect fertility during chemotherapy. It found that women who received goserelin were less likely to experience early menopause and had a higher chance of pregnancy after treatment.
Identifying Patients Who May Not Need Chemotherapy: The TAILORx trial showed that many women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, early-stage breast cancer could safely avoid chemotherapy, reducing unnecessary side effects.
Advancements in Surgery Reduction Techniques: The IBCSG-23 trial investigated whether patients with cancer in sentinel (or main) lymph nodes could avoid extensive lymph node removal. The study showed that less surgery did not affect survival and helped reduce side effects.
Breakthroughs like these are often referred to as treatment optimisation – making sure patients get the best possible outcome with the least possible side effects.
What is the role of supportive care in breast cancer?
Supportive care has become a central part of breast cancer treatment in Australia. Thanks to advances in research, survival rates for breast cancer have improved significantly over the last 30 years. During this time, research has broadened to not only include studies into improved treatments and preventions, but to also advance our knowledge in how to ensure that patients experience the best possible quality of life during and after treatment.
Clinical trials led by Breast Cancer Trials have improved supportive care by:
Reducing side effects,
Preserving fertility
Helping determine which patients can avoid chemotherapy or extensive surgery
Aspects of supportive care include:
Managing Treatment Side Effects: Addressing issues such as pain, fatigue, and nausea to help patients maintain daily activities and well-being. It can also help patients better tolerate treatment, meaning they are less likely to cease treatment
Providing Psychological and Emotional Support: Offering counselling and support services to help patients navigate the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis and the effects of treatment.
Facilitating Physical Rehabilitation: Implementing exercise and rehabilitation programs to help manage side effects, restore physical function post-treatment and optimise general health.
“What I would love is for patients to have the best possible treatment that helps them live the longest but feel the best.” — Dr Deme Karikios, Medical Oncologist, Nepean Hospital on quality of life outcomes and treatment success.
Supportive care is valuable at every stage of breast cancer, including:
During treamtent: Your medical team will develop a personalised treatment plan that not only includes treating your type and stage of breast cancer, but also aims to help you feel as well and function as well as possible during treatment. This includes addressing physical, psychological, emotional, social and financial effects of treatment. There are a range of support services available to patients outside of their treatment team, including:
Online networks to speak with others going through a similar experience
Online resources including a library of articles, personal stories, podcasts and videos.
After treatment: Assisting with rehabilitation, fear of recurrence, and ongoing wellbeing.
Symptom management: easing the burden of treatment
Supportive care aims to ease the physical and psychological effects of breast cancer and its treatment. These symptoms can be different for everyone. Some of the most common symptoms include:
Pain Management: Breast cancer therapy can cause discomfort for several reasons with treatment including both non pharmacological and pharmacological strategies to address the cause of the pain.
Nausea and fatigue management: Effectively managing nausea and fatigue can significantly improve overall well-being during treatment. Treatment related nausea predominantly occurs around the time of breast cancer treatment The PantoCIN study delivered encouraging results where Pantoprazole completely alleviated delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in one out of eight participants, and the overall group reported reduced nausea.
Lymphoedema: Swelling in the arms or chest can occur after lymph node removal or the lymph nodes not working properly.
Hot flashes: Treatments that temporarily reduce oestrogen levels can trigger hot flashes. It’s also common for pre- and peri-menopausal women to enter premature menopause because of treatments like chemotherapy, which can also cause hot flashes.
Supportive care utilises a holistic approach, focusing on:
Physical recovery
Emotional resilience
Nutrition
Mental well-being
These approaches make a real difference during treatment and throughout recovery.
Counselling and Psychological Support
Emotional and psychological support can be helpful during breast cancer treatment and recovery. There are various services available to assist with the mental and emotional challenges of breast cancer. For further information on resources, view our support services.
Body image, self-esteem and intimacy: Treatment can lead to significant changes in a patient’s body, which may impact body image, self-esteem, sexuality, intimacy, and relationships. Having access to a supportive network and professional guidance can provide valuable psychological support during this time.
Watch our Q&A Event that discusses the impact a diagnosis and subsequent treatment can have on a person’s sex life.
Psychosocial Support
Psychosocial and peer support: Having access to a support system and being able to relate to others going through a similar experience, can help aid feelings of isolation and anxiety.
Nutritional Support
Dietary guidance during treatment: Maintaining a balanced, nourishing diet can help support energy levels, immune function, and recovery. A dietitian can provide personalised advice to manage changes in appetite, taste, or nutrient absorption caused by treatment.
Managing side effects related to digestion: Breast cancer treatment can cause appetite changes, constipation, or diarrhoea. Nutritional support plays a key role in addressing these symptoms, helping you stay as comfortable and well-nourished as possible throughout treatment.
The role of diet and exercise in breast cancer care: Maintaining a balanced diet and staying active are key to managing health during and after treatment. Together, they can help reduce side effects, support recovery, and improve long-term outcomes. To learn more about their impact, watch our Q&A video on the impact of diet and exercise in breast cancer care.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Physical exercise programs: Tailored exercise plans can help rebuild strength, improve mobility, and boost energy levels during and after treatment. Learn more about the benefits of physical exercise.
Encouraging participation in healthy lifestyle programs: As part of the Breast Cancer Trials Clinical Fellowship Program, Dr Cindy Tan is leading a project to better understand and improve how patients engage with diet and exercise programs after early-stage breast cancer treatment. The goal is to help more patients access and stick with lifestyle changes that support long-term health. Learn more about this research.
Rehabilitation for side effects: Physical therapy and rehabilitation play an important role in recovery following procedures like sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary clearance than can cause side effects like cording after breast cancer. Rehabilitation can help improve shoulder and arm movement, reduce stiffness, and support the body’s healing process.
Is supportive care the same as palliative care?
This is a common question. While supportive care and palliative care both aim to improve comfort and quality of life, they are applied in different ways:
Supportive care is useful at any stage of breast cancer, starting from the moment of diagnosis. It helps manage symptoms, support physical and emotional health, and improve overall wellbeing throughout treatment.
Palliative care is more commonly associated with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. It focuses on easing pain and other symptoms when a cure is not possible, ensuring the patient remains as comfortable as possible. It also provides emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and their family.
Both types of care are important for managing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life.
The role of clinical trials in advancing supportive care
Supportive care is an important area of breast cancer research. While much of the focus is on treating the cancer itself, there is also significant research aimed at improving patients’ wellbeing and reducing the impact of treatment. Areas that are being explored or may be investigated in future research include:
Symptom management: Investigating better ways to manage breast cancer fatigue, pain, nausea, and hot flashes, helping patients stay comfortable during treatment.
Measuring quality of life and general well-being: Conducting trials that measure how treatment side effects, such as fertility changes and chemotherapy symptoms, affect daily life is important for understanding where there are gaps in supportive care, and how interventions can be designed to improve quality of life and general well-being.
Genetic and personalised supportive care: Investigating how genetics impact responses to treatments, aiming to provide more tailored treatment and prevention with fewer side effects.
The OlympiA Trial found that administering Olaparib tablets twice daily for one year, following local treatment then standard chemotherapy, improved overall survival rates in patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
The BRCA-P Trial is an ongoing study evaluating the effectiveness of the drug Denosumab in reducing or preventing the risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 gene mutation.
Why is supportive care research so important?
Supportive care is important because it focuses on the person as a whole—not just the breast cancer. It addresses the emotional, social, and physical challenges that come with treatment and recovery.
While the primary goal of breast cancer treatment is to manage the disease, the experience of living with breast cancer is equally significant. Supportive care ensures that individuals stay well, informed, and connected throughout their journey, helping them cope with the side effects and emotional toll of treatment.
Research in supportive care is just as important as discovering new treatments for breast cancer itself, as it aims to improve quality of life and the overall experience for those affected by the disease.
Donate today to support research that enhances the quality of life for those undergoing breast cancer treatment.
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What Does A Breast Cancer Lump Feel Like?
Learn from Breast Cancer Trials what a breast cancer lump feels like, how to identify it, and when to seek medical advice.
Breast cancer can be an overwhelming diagnosis; however, early detection plays a crucial role in improving outcomes and treatment success.
A question that is often asked, is Understanding what a cancer lump feels like can help in the early recognition of breast cancer. By becoming familiar with the typical characteristics of a breast cancer lump, you may be able to detect it earlier, which can lead to quicker diagnosis and more effective treatment options.
While not every lump in the breast is cancerous, knowing what to look for can help guide your next steps. If you discover a lump or any new unusual changes, it’s important to follow Cancer Australia’s guidelines and seek professional medical advice.
What is a breast lump?
A breast cancer lump typically presents with certain characteristics that may help differentiate it from other types of lumps. Understanding what a breast cancer lump feels like to touch is the first step in recognising potential issues. Common traits of a breast cancer lump include:
Hard or firm texture: A cancerous lump is often firm or hard to the touch.
Irregular shape: It may not be round or smooth; instead, it could feel uneven or jagged. It’s important to know your ‘normal’ shape to help monitor irregular changes.
Fixed (not easily movable): Cancerous lumps are usually fixed in place and don’t move under the skin when touched.
Painless in most cases: Most breast cancer lumps are painless, though some people may experience mild discomfort.
Located in various areas: The lump may be in the breast or even in the underarm region.
It’s also important to consider other symptoms that may suggest breast cancer. Its common (and normal) for one breast to be slightly bigger than another. However, if you notice unevenness, a new skin rash or raised plaques on the breast, or a nipple that used to point out is now pulling in or retracting, it is recommended to seek professional medical advice. For more details on non-lump symptoms, you can refer to our breast cancer symptoms article.
Tamara’s Diagnosis and The Importance of Clinical Trials
Tamara Dawes was a participant in a clinical trial conducted by Breast Cancer Trials. Tamara discovered a lump due to her proactive approach to health checks and seeking medical advice when she noticed an unusual lump in her breast. Her decision to participate in a clinical trial was motivated by the opportunity to contribute to research and strengthen the data supporting future treatments. Tamara’s involvement was influenced by her desire to support the advancement of breast cancer treatments and help improve the side effects associated with treatments.
If you discover a lump in your breast, it’s normal to feel concerned. However, it’s important not to panic. Here are the key steps you should follow:
Monitor: Monitor the lump you have found 3-4 weeks to see whether it changes.
Consult a doctor: Book a consult with your doctor and they will assess the lump to determine the next steps.
Imaging: Your doctor may recommend imaging tests, such as a mammogram or ultrasound, to get a clearer picture of the lump.
Biopsy: In some cases, a biopsy may be needed to confirm whether the lump is cancerous.
It’s important to remember that not all lumps are cancerous. In fact, many lumps are benign. However, it’s always best to seek a medical opinion when you notice unusual changes.
Breast cancer treatment and support
If diagnosed with breast cancer, there are several treatment options available, depending on the stage and type of cancer. These may include:
Surgery: Often, surgery is required to remove the tumour or even the entire breast in more advanced cases.
Radiation: This treatment uses x-rays to target and destroy cancer cells.
Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy involves using medications to kill cancer cells or stop their growth.
Targeted therapy: This treatment targets specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth, offering a more tailored approach to treatment.
Clinical trials: If eligible, your doctor may recommend participation in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are vital for advancing medical knowledge and discovering new treatments. Learn more about our open trials.
There are also numerous support resources available for those affected by breast cancer. From counselling services to support groups, there are ways to help manage the emotional and physical challenges that come with a diagnosis.
Understanding what a breast cancer lump feels like can save lives
Recognising what a breast cancer lump feels like and noticing unusual changes in your breasts are important steps in improving the chances of early detection and successful treatment if breast cancer is diagnosed.
Cancer Australia recommends women of all ages to be aware of how their breasts look and feel, and to seek professional medical advice if anything unusual appears. Women aged 50-74 are invited to screen every two years and women over the age of 40 and 75 are welcome to screen, however a consult with a medical professional is advised.
You can help fund critical breast cancer research by donating to support continued advancements in early detection and treatments. Every contribution helps us ensure that no more lives are cut short by breast cancer.
Participation in our open clinical trials is critical for advancing medical knowledge and improving treatment options. Learn more about our current clinical trials programs.
FAQs
What is the most appropriate method for early detection?
The most appropriate methods for early detection of breast cancer include:
Breast awareness: This involves being familiar with the normal look and feel of your breasts so that you can notice any abnormal changes.
Clinical breast examination: A physical examination of the breasts by a healthcare professional to check for abnormalities.
Screening mammography: Regular mammograms for women aged 50-74 through BreastScreen Australia, the national screening program.
Stage 1 breast cancer is often characterised by a small, firm, and painless lump in the breast. It may not cause noticeable symptoms but can be detected by medical screening. For more information on the stages of breast cancer, visit our breast cancer stages page.
Can men have breast lumps?
Yes, men can develop breast cancer, although it is rare compared to women. Breast cancer in men accounts for less than 1% of all breast cancers. Men may experience similar symptoms to women, such as a lump in breast or changes in the skin. For more information on male breast cancer, including statistics and symptoms, visit our male breast cancer page.
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BEYOND THE PLATE: REBUILDING HEALTHY HABITS AFTER BREAST CANCER
Dr Cindy Tan is a 2025 clinical fellow with Breast Cancer Trials, and her project is looking to understand the barriers and enablers of breast cancer survivors to join a lifestyle intervention.
Lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise have been shown to have positive impacts on clinical outcomes, including tolerance to chemotherapy, fatigue, weight maintenance, and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. However, there is no one intervention that fits all. Maintaining healthy lifestyle activities can be challenging for some, and reasons for non-adherence vary.
Therefore, it is important to understand the barriers and enablers of breast cancer survivors to join a lifestyle intervention. Dr Cindy Tan is a 2025 Clinical Fellow with Breast Cancer Trials, and we spoke to her about exploring breast cancer survivors’ preferences for healthy diet interventions and determining barriers for participation.
“My name is Cindy Tan; I’m a senior clinical dietician attached to the Sydney Cancer Survivorship Team. My main role is to see patients after they have completed their anti-cancer treatments and with other clinicians, like exercise physiologists, nurses, medical oncologists, and psychologists trying to provide the education or information for them to improve their quality of life, and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence as well as, manage their symptoms.”
“So that’s my main role, and my other role is a Research Fellow at University of Sydney. I think it’s important to be seeing patients and knowing that my input can benefit them is beneficial, and while some of them don’t want to talk about diet, most people appreciate the input, so I think that’s very rewarding.”
“My current role is to see patients after they have completed their anti-cancer treatments. The goal is really to provide dietary information for them to improve their diet quality if required, because some of them are doing very well, but also reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, working on those lifestyle risk factors. So, I work with a range of clinicians like exercise physiologists, psychologists, nurses and medical oncologists, where the idea is really to provide holistic input to patients.”
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Dr Cindy Tan is a 2025 clinical fellow with Breast Cancer Trials, and her project is looking to understand the barriers and enablers of breast cancer survivors to join a lifestyle intervention.
Can you provide an overview of your research project and what inspired you to pursue this topic?
“I’m a clinical dietician, so I normally see patients at the end of their treatments. So, during this period, we know that they have often had a very tough time during the treatments and are dealing with lots of side effects. There is also obviously a disruption to their life, especially for breast cancer patients.”
“We conducted a survey and 50% of patients that we saw have made some dietary changes after the cancer diagnosis. Some of them were aligned with dietary guidelines that we provided, however some of the changes were less than ideal. And we found that people were becoming more physically inactive, for various reasons. This can be because of a changing lifestyle and obviously fatigue is one of the common side effects from the treatments.”
“We know that healthy eating by exercise and weight gain is one of the lifestyle risk factors for cancer recurrence or cancer risk. So, for that reason, we are always trying to address them at the end of their treatment, but we know that health behaviors take some time to adopt, so I guess that’s a reason in my research role where I was able to get a philanthropic grant from the University of Sydney to run a phase two feasibility study. So basically, it’s really trying to deliver healthy eating information and offer exercise sessions to a group of women during their chemotherapy and bringing those interventions forward rather than trying to address them at the end.”
“So, from these studies, we see that they have a very good uptake. We have a lot of interest from the clinicians and among those people who are eligible for this study, 97% of them say that they are interested and that they want to take part, but unfortunately during this time many participants drop out as well.”
“The dropout rate is a lot higher than what we anticipated compared to these lifestyle intervention studies. They usually do it after, when people finish treatments and things, and so the dropout rate is higher. That’s why I’m hoping that this project will allow me to explore the women who are interested in these lifestyle interventions, and sort of what time point it could be. From a clinician point of view, I think early intervention is better.”
“We know exercise helps with fatigue. We know healthy eating can have other health benefits. So, for that reason, I guess that we just want to explore the reasons people find that they can’t continue with the study, and on the opposite hand what are the reasons that make them continue with the study. So, this is where the project is about.”
How are you structuring this study? What methods are you going to use to collect the data?
So, what we are planning to do is to survey a group of women with breast cancer, or early-stage breast cancer. So, asking them a few questions through this online survey to see whether they’re interested because sometimes it’s hard if people are not interested in lifestyle interventions.”
“It doesn’t matter what we do, but we know that the research has shown that usually people are interested. I guess another key question we are wanting to answer is what makes people participate in the study? And likewise, what are the reasons that they can’t participate, for example time commitments particularly for younger patients.”
“This would mean we have to then alter our study design to suit it, but at this point we are really fathering the information through the online survey and whoever is interested, I would like to explore more in-depth information through the interview.”
“So that’s my goal, and I think Breast Cancer Trials have a very good network of consumers involved as well. So, I’m hoping that this online survey can be distributed through the relevant Breast Cancer Trials networks as well.”
What criteria are you using to select patients for the study?
“We want to make it broad. So, at this point we are really targeting towards women with early-stage breast cancer, and certainly we’re open to men’s as well, but they’re usually quite a minority group. And when we look at the enablers and barriers, obviously there’s always some sort of a difference between male and female.”
“So, because of the time and the resources at this point we’re targeting towards early-stage breast cancer, if possible. I also would like to translate that into a different language so that we can start looking at the patients from other linguistic and diverse backgrounds.”
Have you identified any early trends or themes in your research so far?
“So, when we did our lifestyle intervention studies there are exercise and diet interventions delivered to the breast cancer patients, through online virtual platforms and what we noticed is that many of them like the study. So, they’re interested, and they jump at the opportunity and say that they like the design and want to participate.”
“But when it comes to completing the baseline assessment and actually attending the sessions many of those who drop out say that they have a lot of time commitments and competing interests in a sense, not just regarding medical appointments, but also family commitments, and work commitments, because some of them are still working full time.”
“So, I think the biggest thing is recognising commitments people have outside of their medical appointments, which makes participating in the program quite difficult. In saying that though, I think some people also say that they really like the online or virtual platform, which means they can join anytime from wherever they’re comfortable.”
“Some of them use their lunchtime hours or break to join. So that virtual platform actually allows them to have that flexibility. And traditionally, we can only offer lifestyle interventions, or just a diet intervention by itself, or education face-to-face on hospital grounds. And we know that it is hard to travel to the hospital, and one of the common barriers reported by people is parking, we know it is always challenging to find a park at the hospital.”
“So, I think that allows them to have flexibility in that way. They also like the peer-support virtual platform, you can see the people and the group actually going through the treatment together. And I guess that’s one of the reasons for those who stay on because they like that more social component.”
“There’s no one lifestyle intervention fits everyone. So, I guess this is where we want to find out what the barriers are. One of the other common barriers from participants is that they feel a little bit overwhelmed, with lots of things going on.”
“The cancer diagnosis, the whole adjustment to the chemotherapy, having to stop work. So, I think that it is a big, major life event, so it’s understandable. So, we also want to know whether the time during chemotherapy is actually not a good time for people to participate, or maybe we need to adjust the study design and how we deliver the interventions so that it suits people or encourages them to participate. So that is the other common barrier that we hear from patients is the emotional overwhelm, as well as the time commitment.”
What are some of the most significant barriers in preventing breast cancer survivors from joining diet interventions?
“I’m using the recent study as an example because some of the things that people really like about it is the peer supervision component. They also like the fact that they’re being held accountable, so in the sense that they know they need to attend.”
“And within this program, one of the design elements is education around diet and exercise and encouraging people to keep up with their normal routines. As well as reminding them that healthy eating is important, and exercise is important. So, they like the weekly sessions where they see others going through the same things as them. Peer support is crucial.”
“Put it this way, everyone knows the healthy eating and diet message, its not new information, and many of our breast cancer ladies are eating quite well and were fit to begin with, but just because of the fatigue and change in lifestyle, they result in people not keeping up with what they were doing before.”
How do you think healthcare providers can help to bridge the gap between survivors and lifestyle programs?
“I certainly think that healthcare professionals, especially medical oncologists, radiation oncologists or surgeons, have a crucial role in this. As I mentioned earlier, these studies have a very good uptake, partly because we have a lot of buy-in from the clinicians, and so they encourage their patients to join the program.”
“The encouragement from the clinicians makes a huge difference in recruitment. So, because of that reason, we managed to finish our recruitment three months ahead of schedule, which is unlike other studies. So, I think that is where the role of the health professionals comes in and is important.”
“I think health professionals are in the positions where they can provide appropriate information and guide the patients to the appropriate resources to seek information because we know Dr Google has a lot of dietary information. Some of this information can be quite reliable if it comes from a reliable source, but a lot of information is not appropriate.”
“So, I guess that having clinicians be the people to direct patients to the appropriate resources to seek information will be crucial. Especially as many of them want to make changes to their lifestyle after a cancer diagnosis.”
How do you hope your research will influence future diet interventions for breast cancer survivors?
“I’m hoping that through this project we gather data that will help us to inform a phase three study, to look at what will be the best way to deliver lifestyle interventions in terms of diet and exercise. They always come hand in hand and certainly, from a clinical point of view I’m also hoping that it will inform the clinicians on how they can best support our breast cancer patients with early-stage disease, to seek information.”
“Like healthy eating and exercise, not everyone is ready to take part in the lifestyle intervention programs. That’s where we just want to know if they’re not ready, what can we do to support them? Obviously if we have a program, then we can refer them on to that.”
What are the next steps after this research is completed?
“I’m hoping that this data will help us to inform our phase three studies and the data can be used to build a clinical pathway, as well.”
“We know many breast cancer patients with early-stage cancer survive the cancer, but they have a lot of other comorbidities. So, we need to look at bone health and need to look at cardiovascular disease, and those sorts of risk factors at late-stage breast cancer.”
“So, one of the key things is about healthy eating and exercise. That’s why they’re important because these are the modifiable lifestyle risk factors and everyone kind of knows about it. That’s why they want to make changes. So, the whole idea is really to encourage people to be more active. And what we are aiming for is not just improving the health benefits in terms of health status, but also to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.”
“On top of that we are focusing on quality of life as well. Research has shown that exercise can help with symptom management. And when people get fitter, they have the energy to do the things that they want to do. We know that healthy eating makes people feel better and certainly can help with weight management.”
“We all know that they can link to better health outcomes, and that’s why overall women do report that they feel better. So, I think that’s part of the quality of life that we really want to focus on, not just about the health outcome itself.”
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Managing Cording After Breast Cancer
Learn about breast cancer cording, its causes, symptoms, and treatments. Get expert advice on managing pain, exercises, and recovery after surgery.
Breast Cancer Trials is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by breast cancer. Through research and education, we help people better manage side effects and improve recovery. One such side effect that can occur after breast cancer surgery is cording.
Cording (also known as axillary web syndrome) can be an unexpected part of recovery, but with the right care, it can be managed effectively. Here’s what you need to know about breast cancer cording.
What is cording in breast cancer?
Cording, also known as axillary web syndrome, is a condition that can develop after breast cancer surgery, especially following lymph node removal or mastectomy. It’s characterised by the formation of tight, rope-like bands of tissue under the skin, most commonly around the underarm area.
Is cording, a sign of breast cancer? The answer is no, cording after breast cancer surgery is a typical side effect and is not an indication that the cancer has returned. It occurs due to disruption of the lymphatic system during surgery, which can cause the formation of these tight tissue bands.
Importantly, cording can appear anywhere from a few weeks to several months after surgery. While it can be uncomfortable, the good news is that cording is usually temporary. Its duration can vary, but with the right treatment and care, it is manageable and can improve significantly.
How painful is cording?
The pain associated with cording can vary depending on its severity. For some individuals, it may feel like mild tightness, while others may experience sharper pain, especially when attempting to move their arm or shoulder.
Cording can also impact your range of motion, making everyday activities such as dressing, lifting objects, or reaching overhead more difficult.
An important consideration is the link between cording and lymphoedema, which causes swelling in the arm, hand, or chest. While cording and lymphoedema share some overlapping symptoms, they are distinct conditions. Cording involves the tightening of tissue, often forming rope-like bands under the skin, while lymphoedema typically presents as swelling or a feeling of heaviness in the affected areas.
Despite their differences, both conditions can affect the arm and shoulder, leading to discomfort, restricted movement, and reduced mobility. It’s also possible for someone with cording to develop lymphedema at the same time, as both can result from disruption in the lymphatic system during surgery.
If you notice symptoms like swelling, a sensation of heaviness, or any other unusual changes along with cording, it’s important to speak to your doctor. They can help you determine if the symptoms are related to lymphedema and suggest the best course of treatment.
How do you get rid of cording?
The good news is that cording after breast cancer surgery can often be treated effectively with a combination of therapies. The key to improving mobility and reducing pain is to keep your joints and tissues mobile. Early rehabilitation and movement therapy are critical in breaking down the tight bands of tissue and helping to restore full range of motion to the affected arm.
Here are a few tips to help alleviate cording:
Movement: Regular movement of the arms and shoulders is essential to keep muscles and tissues flexible, reducing the tightness associated with cording.
Stretching exercises and physiotherapy: These play an important role in loosening the tissue and easing the discomfort. A physiotherapist can guide you through the best exercises for cording after breast cancer surgery to relieve tightness and improve flexibility.
Massage therapy: Specialised techniques can help break down the tight bands of tissue and relieve the discomfort associated with cording.
In most cases, cording rarely returns once it’s properly treated. However, if you notice that the cording persists or worsens despite these efforts, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider for a more tailored treatment plan.
Should you be concerned about breast cancer recurrence?
It’s important to understand that cording after breast cancer surgery is not a sign of breast cancer recurrence. While cording can be uncomfortable and may cause concern, it is typically a temporary condition related to the surgical process, not a sign that the cancer has returned.
That said, regular screenings and follow-up check-ups are essential to monitor your recovery and ensure any potential issues are detected early. If you notice any unusual changes in your body or if you have concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare team.
Breast Cancer Trials’ role in advancing breast cancer research and treatment
Breast Cancer Trials is at the forefront of advancing breast cancer research and improving the well-being of individuals affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Trials conduct clinical trials to test new and more effective treatments for managing the side effects of breast cancer treatment, as well as enhancing overall recovery.
One of the early signs of underarm cording breast cancer patients may experience is the appearance of visible or palpable tight cords under the skin, typically in the underarm. These cords may appear as one thick band or as several smaller, tighter bands running along the skin. In some cases, the cords can be felt as you move your arm or even when gently pressed on.
As well as the visual signs, you may experience some discomfort or a pulling sensation, especially when raising your arm or reaching. Cording can limit your arms range of motion and make everyday tasks like dressing or lifting objects more challenging.
If you notice any of these early signs, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional to help manage and treat cording early on.
How do you get rid of cording?
The most common ways to treat cording is through physiotherapy, specialised massage techniques, and stretching exercises. If you’re unsure about what’s best for you, it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional.
Does cording (axillary web syndrome) mean I have cancer?
No, cording does not mean that you have cancer. It’s a common side effect of breast cancer surgery, especially after lymph node removal, and is not a sign of cancer returning.
What is lymphatic drainage therapy after breast cancer?
Lymphatic drainage is a type of massage therapy designed to improve the flow of lymph fluid, reduce swelling, and manage conditions like lymphedema. It’s especially useful for people who have had breast cancer surgery or lymph node removal.
What are the symptoms of lymphoedema in breast cancer patients?
Symptoms of lymphoedema include swelling in the arm, chest, or hand, as well as feelings of heaviness, tightness, or aching. Early intervention and treatment can help prevent complications such as infections.
Can you experience cording without breast cancer?
Yes, although cording is mostly associated with breast cancer surgery, it can also happen in people without breast cancer. This can occur due to other surgeries, infections, or trauma to the lymphatic system.
If you’re dealing with cording after breast cancer, don’t hesitate to seek out support, whether that’s through physiotherapy, massage, or other treatments.
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