The New Promising Treatments for Breast Cancer Patients
- Actress Amanda Peet, 54, was diagnosed with early‑stage lobular breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy with short‑course radiation, avoiding chemotherapy thanks to modern treatment advances.
- She highlighted how her HR‑positive, HER2‑negative subtype benefits from today’s expanded options, noting, “Ten years ago I would have had chemo; five years ago, I would have done many weeks of radiation.”
- A wave of new FDA approvals — from Datroway and Trodelvy to Ibrance, Revtorpyk, Etcamah, Inluriyo + Verzenio, Veppanu, and Enhertu — is giving breast cancer patients longer survival, better quality of life, and more personalized treatment paths.
- To further help you on your cancer journey, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.” This powerful resource, embedded across the SurvivorNet website, was built to bridge that gap by offering on-demand explanations of treatment options, clinical trials, side effects, insurance concerns, and more.
Peet was diagnosed with early‑stage lobular breast cancer after a routine checkup—at a time when both of her parents were in hospice care.
Read More“A lumpectomy is typically about an hour,” explains breast surgical oncologist Dr. Sarah Cate.
“You go to sleep after the IV goes in, and then I make a small incision, remove the cancer, and use plastic surgery techniques to reshape the tissue so it looks nice.”
Peet said she initially expected an overwhelming flood of information, but quickly learned that living with cancer unfolds slowly.
Peet also noted that her cancer was hormone-receptor-positive and HER2-negative, which remains the most common subtype of breast cancer.
HR-positive breast cancer means the cancer cells have receptors for estrogen and/or progesterone, which can fuel their growth.
HER2-negative indicates that the cancer cells do not over-express the HER2 protein.
“I thought when someone tells you that you have cancer, it comes out in a slow drip… I just thought I have cancer and I’m going to die, and now I’m doing great,” she shared on the TODAY show.
She emphasized how much treatment options have evolved—even in the past decade—and how those advances allowed her to maintain a manageable quality of life throughout care.
“Ten years ago I would have had chemo; five years ago, I would have done many weeks of radiation, and I only did four,” Peet said. “We need to publicly fund cancer research.”
Breast cancer patients and caregivers have a real reason for optimism this year as a wave of new FDA‑approved treatments is expanding options across multiple subtypes.
“We’re seeing longer time before the cancer worsens, longer overall survival, and better patient‑reported outcomes — improved physical functioning, less pain, and better overall quality of life. That’s a win,” says Dr. Sarah Premji of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute.
Some breast treatments giving more people options within the last year include:
Datopotamab Deruxtecan (Datroway
Patients facing advanced triple‑negative breast cancer know how unforgiving this disease can be, especially when immunotherapy isn’t an option. Now, following the FDA’s approval of datopotamab deruxtecan (brand name Datroway), there’s a new option for a group of patients in serious need.
The approval is for patients with a type of breast cancer known as triple-negative breast cancer who are not good candidates for surgery (unresectable) or immunotherapy, a treatment that uses the body’s reengineered immune cells to fight the cancer.
Sacituzumab Govitecan (Trodelvy), Two First-Line Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Indications
People with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer now have a new first-line treatment option with Trodelvy, either alone or combined with Keytruda, depending on their cancer.
Two phase 3 studies, ASCENT-03 and ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19, have helped doctors understand whether a drug called Trodelvy should be used earlier in treatment for certain patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer.
ASCENT-03 studied Trodelvy compared with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated, locally advanced inoperable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who were not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 studied Trodelvy plus pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug also known as Keytruda, compared with chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1.
Palbociclib (Ibrance) for HR+/HER2+ Disease
The FDA has approved targeted drug palbociclib (Ibrance) in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and endocrine therapy, with or without pertuzumab (Perjeta), as a maintenance treatment for adults with a type of advanced breast cancer known as hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative (HER2-).
Dr. Sonya Reid, an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, calls the approval “practice-changing for our patients with HR+/HER2+ metastatic breast cancer.”
The new treatment combines three medicines that work together to attack the cancer from multiple directions at once.
It is intended for patients whose disease has not progressed following initial chemotherapy and HER2-directed treatment. It’s important to note that investigators leading the trial excluded patients who progressed during induction chemotherapy, which likely introduces selection bias toward patients with favorable disease biology.
Gedatolisib (Revtorpyk)
Gedatolisib (brand name: Revtorpyk) offers a new treatment option for patients with a specific type of advanced breast cancer categorized as HR‑positive (HR+), HER2‑negative (HER2-). The approval is specifically for patients who do not have PIK3CA mutations, a targetable characteristic, and expands choices for many patients who previously had few targeted options.
Gedatolisib is given alongside fulvestrant, a well-established drug that starves these cancers of the estrogen they feed on, and in some cases, a third medicine, palbociclib, is added on top.
Camizestrant (Etcamah), Accelerated Approval
The FDA granted accelerated approval to a drug called camizestrant (Etcamah) in combination with a CDK 4/6 inhibitor for adults with HR‑positive (HR+), HER2‑negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer who develop an ESR1 mutation while getting treatment with an aromatase inhibitor + CDK4/6 inhibitor.
The approval does not apply to everyone with this type of advanced breast cancer, though. It specifically applies to those who develop something known as an ESR1 mutation while undergoing treatment with an aromatase inhibitor (a common front-line or first treatment). These mutations help the cancer resist treatment.
Imlunestrant (Inluriyo) Plus Abemaciclib (Verzenio)
Inluriyo (imlunestrant) together with Verzenio (abemaciclib) works better than Inluriyo alone — keeping the cancer from growing for about 9½ months on average and giving patients another strong treatment option before needing to move on to chemotherapy.
“The combination allows us to target the estrogen receptor with a next-generation oral SERD while maintaining CDK4/6 inhibition, potentially extending the benefit of endocrine-based therapy and delaying the need for chemotherapy,” Dr. Anastasia Martynova, breast cancer specialist and medical oncologist with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
Inluriyo and Verzenio have been approved for patients with breast cancer that is classified as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and HER2-negative (HER2-), with something called an ESR1 mutation. This means the tumor is fueled by estrogen and doesn’t overexpress the HER2 protein. An ESR1 mutation refers to a change in the estrogen receptor gene that often develops after prior hormone therapy. It can make the cancer resistant to older drugs like aromatase inhibitors.
Vepdegestrant (Veppanu)
Dr. Francisco J. Esteva, Chief of Breast Medical Oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital, calls the approval a meaningful step forward.
“This introduces a biomarker‑driven, oral option for patients with ESR1‑mutated ER+ metastatic breast cancer, a setting where resistance to standard endocrine therapy is common,” he says.
ESR1 mutations, which allow cancer cells to remain active even when estrogen levels are driven down by hormonal therapy, are more common in patients previously treated with endocrine therapy, occurring in 20-40% of metastatic cases, according to the medical journal “Breast Cancer Research.”
Roughly one in three patients on long‑term aromatase inhibitors will eventually develop an ESR1 mutation, according to the report.
Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (Enhertu), Two Early-Stage Indications
The designation, based on results from the DESTINY-Breast05 clinical trial, applies to patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer who have residual invasive disease in the breast or axillary lymph nodes following neoadjuvant therapy. Despite surgery and additional post-neoadjuvant treatment, about 20% of these patients will still develop metastatic disease.
Expert Resources for Breast Cancer Patients
Understanding Early-Stage Breast Cancer and What Comes Next
Early-stage breast cancer means the tumor is small and hasn’t spread to nearby lymph nodes. According to medical oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Comen, the first step is usually surgery to remove the cancer. This may involve a lumpectomy, often followed by radiation therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
However, treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Factors like age, tumor size, family history, and personal preference may influence whether radiation is needed or if a patient chooses a more aggressive approach, such as a mastectomy—removal of the entire breast. After surgery, a pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope to help determine the next steps in treatment.
WATCH: Understanding Early Stage Breast Cancer
Diagnostic testing plays a critical role in shaping your care plan. If a mammogram or clinical breast exam reveals something abnormal, your care team may recommend:
- Diagnostic mammogram and breast ultrasound to get a closer look at the breast and nearby lymph nodes
- MRI scans for additional imaging detail
- Biopsy of suspicious areas, including lymph nodes, to confirm cancer
- Tumor marker testing to identify hormone receptors and proteins that influence treatment options
- Additional imaging to check for any signs of metastatic disease
Once all this information is gathered, your cancer is staged—based on tumor size, lymph node involvement, and whether it has spread. Staging helps guide treatment decisions, while hormone receptor and protein marker tests reveal how the cancer behaves and which therapies may be most effective.
Your healthcare team will consider all of these factors—alongside your personal health, values, and goals—to create a treatment plan tailored to you.
Cancer as a Lifelong Journey and Sometimes a Wake‑Up Call
For many patients, cancer becomes a long‑term companion, not a single moment in time; hence, the cancer experience from diagnosis to treatment and into survivorship is considered a journey.
“Any patient with a new diagnosis of bladder cancer or any type of cancer needs to know that this is going to be a lifelong process,” Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, medical director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program at UCLA, says.
Dr. Drakaki says beneath the surface, there is something deeper in that journey. It creates an extended family among fellow survivors and caregivers who understand the visible and noticeable aspects of a diagnosis and the quiet parts often away from wandering eyes.
“Oftentimes, I tell my patients that their cancer could be a blessing because it gives more awareness of how they want to spend their life.”
We often hear from patients who explain how they gain an added sense of gratitude after a diagnosis. Life milestones such as birthdays, graduations, the birth of a child, or a wedding are all examples of life experiences that gain added value for patients and their loved ones.
The added awareness can also reshape priorities, relationships, and the way patients choose to live each day. However, as patients often reshape their perspective on life following a diagnosis, their medical team’s goal remains focused.
“We should always go with a goal of cure or prolonged response,” Dr. Drakaki says.
Aligning Treatment With What Matters Most to You
One of the most important conversations Dr. Drakaki has with new patients begins with a simple question: What is your goal?
Some patients prioritize longevity at all costs. Others value quality of life above everything else.
“Some people will say, ‘I’d rather have less time on earth but a better quality of life.’ And there are others who want to stay around as long as possible. So we need to make sure that we merge our goals.”
Cancer care is not just about eliminating disease; it’s about honoring the whole person.
“Our goal is to treat and cure cancer, while the patient’s goal is not just to be cancer‑free, but to avoid lifelong complications and toxicities from treatment.”
A Diagnosis Is Not the End, It’s the Beginning of a New Conversation
Dr. Drakaki’s message is ultimately one of clarity and empowerment: cancer is common, survivable, and increasingly manageable. Patients have more options, more tools, and more agency than ever before.
Above all, hold onto hope because there is always a path forward.
To further help you on your cancer journey, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.”
WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care
This powerful resource, embedded across the SurvivorNet website, was built to bridge that gap by offering on-demand explanations of treatment options, clinical trials, side effects, insurance concerns, and more. Users can ask questions conversationally, either by typing or using their voice, and receive answers tailored to their individual profiles. If patients don’t know where to start, we provide prompt questions to get them started.
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