With the year coming to an end we put together an overview of the many developments in breast cancer research and treatment from 2018.
Advancements in technology to further breast cancer treatment
Several new technologies emerged this year that can be used in the treatment of breast cancer. This includes a new class of molecules that may halt or destroy breast cancer tumors and a development of new drug options to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive type of breast cancer.
New methods for predicting breast cancer recurrence came out in 2018 as well, such as a novel method for estimating the risk for recurrence that uses a combination of illness-death process and a mixture cure model. A type of liquid biopsy was developed to determine recurrence risk through the detection of tumor cells in patients’ blood.
New data sheds light on genetic testing and cancer screening options
Studies from 2018 showed that some patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may be able to skip chemotherapy thanks to gene testing. Genetic testing was also revealed to predict the best time of day for a breast cancer patient to receive radiotherapy, playing a pivotal role in altering the treatment’s toxicity.
When it comes to breast cancer screening, studies showed that risk-based screening can reduce overtreatment and cost-effective. According to the NY Times, the breast cancer death rate has dropped thanks to breast cancer screening in 2018.
Breast density awareness
A new study showed that dense breast reporting laws in the U.S. increase breast density awareness and prompt conversations about supplemental screening with healthcare providers significantly. Building relationships in our community and with our MarginProbe users was a high priority this past year. We partnered with Margie Singleton and AreYouDense? Advocacy to help advocate for dense breast legislation in the state of Georgia.
Increased awareness is warranted, as two new studies, the Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System and an MIT automated model study which assesses dense breast tissue in mammograms, both confirm higher cancer risk for dense breasts.
The latest from Dilon Devices during 2018
As for Dilon, we introduced a reposable version of MarginProbe in non-US markets that has the potential to reduce the waste burden of MarginProbe up to 50% and we’re working on expanding our device portfolio with the Smart Biopsy Device.
New clinical data and research on MarginProbe, including Dr. Jeffrey Falk’s presentation at ORBS by Design, was published in 2018 and showed to reduce re-excision rates for breast-conserving surgery by 61%.
Be sure to stay up to date with the latest Dune updates and MarginProbe news in the coming year by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter! If you would like to know more about Dilon and MarginProbe, contact [email protected].