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Beating breast cancer: the latest biomarkers and breakthroughs

The mortality rate for breast cancer has fallen dramatically. The latest research offers hope for further improvements, not least through the introduction of highly sensitive blood tests and the innovative use of new and existing treatments.

More than 130,000 UK breast cancer deaths have been avoided over the past 30 years, according to the latest Cancer Research UK analysis, calculated as the difference between observed mortality and number of deaths expected each year if the mortality rate had remained at its 1989 level until 2017.This analysis was based on the method set out in Siegel et al.1 Breast cancer deaths in the UK hit a record high in 1989, when around 15,600 women lost their lives to the disease – but, due to research developing new tests and better treatments, the death rate for women has since fallen by 44%.

This considerable drop is due to major advances in diagnosis and treatment. In the last three decades, there have been improvements in surgical techniques and use of radiotherapy, new drugs being made available, and the impact of the national breast screening programme. Radiotherapy has been refined to make it a less intense but equally effective treatment, and once-revolutionary breast conserving surgery is now routine for early breast cancer, sparing many women the physical and emotional challenges that come with a mastectomy.

New drugs such as Herceptin have been given to breast cancer patients who are HER2-positive since 2006, and the innovative use of existing drugs like tamoxifen, which was developed as a contraceptive but repurposed to treat breast cancer, and is now offered as a potential preventative therapy for those most at risk.

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Upcoming Events

USCAP 113th Annual Meeting

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
23-28 March, 2024

Pathology Horizons 2024

MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath
18-20 April, 2024

Diagnostics North East Conference 2024

The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne
19 April, 2024

ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Fira Gran Via, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
27-30 April 2024

British Society for Microbial Technology Annual Microbiology Conference

UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London
2 May 2024

EQA Reports: Interpreting Key Information & Troubleshooting Tips

ONLINE - Zoom
Thursday 16th May 2024

Access the latest issue of Pathology In Practice on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Pathology In Practice app from your device's App store

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