Major advances in treatment and care have led to improved survival for many women with advanced breast cancer, new study finds.
Women with advanced breast cancer are living longer thanks to major advances in treatment and care.
A new study finds that overall women diagnosed today are living six to seven months longer than those diagnosed over a decade ago.
The findings come from U.S. data on more than 60,000 patients treated for metastatic breast cancer since 2011.
Back then, the average survival was 27.5 months. By 2022, that number had risen to more than 34 months, according to the results.
Some subtypes saw even bigger gains. Researchers found survival for patients with HER2-positive/HR+ breast cancer improved by more than 11 months on average while survival for HER2+/HR- disease improved by nearly 19 months.
The study also found steady increases for hormone-receptor-positive cancers. But progress has been slower for triple-negative breast cancer—the most aggressive form—where average survival rose only slightly, from 11 to 13 months.
The lead investigator says, “Alongside improvements in diagnosis and quality of care … we’ve seen several new treatments targeted towards breast cancer in recent years.”
She says these results show real-world patients are benefitting from scientific advances—not just those in clinical trials.
While the trend is positive overall, experts say continued research and access are key to ensuring every patient can share in that progress.
These findings were presented at the Advanced Breast Cancer Eighth International Consensus Conference.
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