Overview
For patients with high-risk early breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, adding the drug abemaciclib to standard hormone therapy has been shown to reduce the risk of the cancer reoccurring. Although this combination is recommended by treatment guidelines, there has been limited evidence regarding how often this treatment is used in real-world settings.
Researchers used Flatiron Health data to study the treatment journey of over 3,000 eligible patients and discovered a significant "treatment gap": 60% of patients who qualified for abemaciclib did not receive it. The gap was even wider for those with fewer involved lymph nodes, where nearly 70% of eligible patients missed out on the therapy. Critically, the study found that high-risk patients who received only standard hormone therapy faced a risk of the cancer reoccurring that was similar to patients with triple-negative breast cancer, a subtype known for its aggressive progression.
Why this matters
This study reveals that a majority of eligible patients are not receiving a treatment that could mitigate cancer recurrence. By demonstrating that certain "high-risk" breast cancers can be just as dangerous as more aggressive subtypes, this research underscores the need for better risk identification. Ensuring all eligible patients receive the most effective therapies is a critical step in improving survival rates and closing the gap in cancer care.