"New Drug Combo Boosts Breast Cancer Survival" - Hallie Levine
Breast cancer can be particularly deadly in younger, premenopausal women, especially when they are diagnosed with advanced metastatic disease. However, according to a new study performed by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, a newer drug, Kisqali (ribociclib), dramatically increases survival rates. The study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at 672 premenopausal and perimenopausal women under the age of 59 who received ribociclib in combination with a form of hormone therapy often used to treat breast cancer. “It represents a new standard of care for younger women with advanced-stage breast cancer, in whom cancer can be very aggressive,” said Charles Shapiro, MD, director of translational breast cancer research and cancer survivorship, Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai. He added, “I think all three will probably have similar effects, since they are all in the same class of drugs, but we will need more research to figure that out.”
— Charles Shapiro, MD, Director, Translational Breast Cancer Research, Director, Cancer Survivorship, Professor, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai