15/06/2025
A new treatment strategy has emerged for aggressive breast cancer, achieving an astonishing 100% survival rate!
The study, led by Cambridge researchers, focused on women with inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, which often cause fast-growing and hard-to-treat breast cancers.
Instead of giving all the treatment after surgery, the team gave patients a mix of chemotherapy and a targeted drug called olaparib before surgery.
But the key was timing—by waiting 48 hours between the two drugs, patients’ bone marrow had time to recover, while the cancer cells stayed vulnerable. In the trial, all 39 women who got this approach survived for at least three years, and only one had a relapse.
In the group that got only chemotherapy, nine relapsed and six died. The researchers think this timing trick made the treatment more effective and possibly safer. Since olaparib is already available on the NHS, the approach could also save money by reducing how long the drug is needed.
The success of this trial could lead to better outcomes not just for breast cancer, but also for other BRCA-related cancers like ovarian and prostate. The next step is a larger study to confirm the results and test if the treatment is less toxic and more affordable long-term.
Breast cancer can be caused by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Breast cancer can be caused by inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2, hormone exposure, and lifestyle factors such as obesity, alcohol use, and lack of exercise. Most cases result from a mix of these risks.
🔗 Read the full study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59151-0
