New York: Three new studies released on Sunday demonstrated how post-treatment lifestyle choices influence long-term results after breast cancer diagnosis.
The studies, headed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute experts in the United States, have promising results for breast cancer patients.
Two studies looked at breastfeeding following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
These discovered that it was safe and feasible for young patients with specific genetic variations to breastfeed without increasing their risk of a cancer recurrence or cancer in the other breast, as well as for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer who conceived after a temporary interruption of endocrine therapy.
The third study found that a telephone-based coaching programme can dramatically boost physical activity in overweight patients, potentially improving results.
The findings were presented at the ‘European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024’ in Barcelona, Spain.
The first study partnered with investigators from 78 hospitals and cancer treatment centres worldwide. The study included 474 patients who had hereditary mutations in the cancer-susceptibility genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 and became pregnant after being diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at age 40 or younger.
The second report presents breastfeeding results from the POSITIVE experiment, which established the early safety of temporarily interrupting endocrine medication to attempt pregnancy. Breastfeeding outcomes were a significant secondary goal.
The study involved 518 patients at age 42 or younger with HR+, stage I-III breast cancer.
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Of these patients, 317 went on to have a live birth, and 196 chose to breastfeed. Breast-conserving surgery was a key factor favouring breastfeeding.
“These studies provide the first evidence on the safety of breastfeeding after breast cancer in both young patients carrying BRCA variations that predispose to breast cancer, as well as patients who conceived after pausing endocrine therapy”, said Ann Partridge, the founder and director of the Programme for Young Adults with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber.
The findings emphasise the possibility of supporting maternal and infant needs without compromising maternal safety.
The third study drew on data from the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) trial, which is exploring whether participating in a weight loss programme after a breast cancer diagnosis can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in women with a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese range.
“Our results show that a telephone-based weight-loss intervention can motivate this group of patients to be more physically active,” said the study’s first author, Jennifer Ligibel.
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—IANS
