NBCC educates and informs advocates about research that is relevant to our mission. As part of that work, we publish Science Spotlight which provides in-depth analyses of recently published breast cancer research, the results of pivotal breast cancer clinical trials, and other newsworthy breast cancer data. Announcements about new Science Spotlights are sent through NBCC’s biweekly Call To Action newsletters and other email communications. Past NBCC Science Spotlights are available here.
2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (Highlights – Part 2)
In our last Science Spotlight, we summarized our take on the results of the DESTINY-Breast03 trial, an ongoing Phase III trial evaluating trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd [Enhertu]) versus trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1 [Kadcyla]) in previously treated patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. In this week’s Science Spotlight, we continue our focus on the topic of T-DXd, except here in the HER2-low setting. HER2-low was a key topic of discussion at the 2022 SABCS and the subject of our recent Project LEAD Advanced Topic Session at SABCS.
The question now is whether the benefits and toxicities of T-DXd warrant moving this therapy to early breast cancer. NBCC believes there is insufficient evidence at this time to do so and there are many unasked, let alone unanswered, questions. Read more here.
In Other Science News
On January 27, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved elacestrant (Orserdu, Stemline Therapeutics, Inc.) for postmenopausal women or adult men with ER-positive, HER2-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer with disease progression following at least one line of endocrine therapy. Elacestrant is an oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD). This approval was based on the results of the EMERALD trial which NBCC wrote about in an earlier Science Spotlight. Read more about it here.
Online Learning Management System Now Available to Project LEAD Graduates!
The National Breast Cancer Coalition now offers a new training tool for scientifically minded advocates! Our online Learning Management System (LMS), which until now has been in the pilot stage, is at last available for all Project LEAD graduates with current NBCC memberships.
The LMS provides interactive educational modules designed to help advocates learn complex material in a personalized way. With this tool, our most dedicated advocates will be able to continue their breast cancer education in a flexible manner and at their own pace. The course catalog currently features a wide array of topics including screening, clinical trial design and ethics, breast cancer models, critical appraisal of scientific literature, and many more. Additional modules are being added regularly.
We hope that you will choose to take advantage of this valuable resource. To learn more about the LMS and how to register, please visit our website.
NBCC Welcomes New Artemis Project Director and Science Education Coordinator Margaret Nagai-Singer
Elle Dellsy joined NBCC as the Artemis Project Director in early January 2023. She previously served as the inaugural Executive Director of a private foundation where she designed and awarded grants in innovative medical research with a focus on fostering interdisciplinary partnerships, which ranged from basic science to translational research, including clinical trials.
Margaret Nagai-Singer joined NBCC as the Science Education Coordinator in December 2022. Margaret received her BS in Agriculture from the University of Tennessee at Martin and her PhD in Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences from Virginia Tech. Her dissertation research focused on the role of the immune system in triple-negative breast cancer.
Register today for the 2023 Advocate Leadership Summit
Registration is open for NBCC’s annual Advocate Leadership Summit, set for May 6-8, 2023, in Washington, DC! This year’s Summit will offer discussion sessions with top researchers and advocates, as well as skill-building, message training, and strategic planning workshops that inform attendees about critical issues and policies. NBCC will host our annual Lobby Day on May 9.
To find out more about the 2023 Advocate Leadership Summit, visit our website. There, you will find information on how to register, reserve your hotel room, and how to fundraise to attend the Summit. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming NBCC Webinars
NBCC is pleased to offer a variety of live webinars for current members on critical topics including updates on current breast cancer research, clinical trials, issues of disparities in the breast cancer space, NBCC’s public policy work, and many more. These webinars are led by leading scientists, researchers, and advocates in the breast cancer field. Check out the list of upcoming webinars and register to attend, here.
Apply to the 2023 Project LEAD Institute
Applications for the 2023 Project LEAD Institute are open. NBCC’s premier science training program will be held in La Jolla, CA from July 30 – August 4, 2023. This six-day intensive course provides advocates with a foundation in breast cancer science, as well as an introduction to clinical trial design, epidemiology, and immunology. Attendees will also learn how this scientific knowledge can be put to work in helping NBCC achieve its mission to end breast cancer.
Applications are due no later than April 21, 2023. Applicants are accepted on a monthly rolling basis. Priority will be given to those who have attended NBCC Summits. To learn more about Project LEAD Institute and how to apply, click here.
Donate Today
The National Breast Cancer Coalition’s mission is to end breast cancer. Every dollar raised is immediately put to work by furthering scientific research, providing collaborative workshops and symposia, and advancing advocacy training and public policy work in Washington, DC, and in state capitals across the country.
Every minute counts in our efforts to achieve our mission of ending breast cancer. Every dollar equates to more lives saved. Your gift is more than a contribution. It is an investment that will enable us to end breast cancer once and for all.
