Pausing endocrine treatment to pursue pregnancy does not impact short-term recurrence in young women with hormone-responsive early breast cancer
From December 2014 to December 2019, 518 women aged 42 or younger who wanted to become pregnant participated in the study and agreed to interrupt endocrine therapy for about two years to try to become pregnant. Before interrupting treatment, the women had completed 18 to 30 months of adjuvant endocrine therapy.
The initial results of the POSITIVE study show that young women with hormone-responsive early breast cancer who paused their endocrine therapy to try to get pregnant experienced short-term rates of breast cancer recurrence similar to women who did not pause therapy for pregnancy, and many went on to conceive and deliver healthy babies.
Professor Olivia Pagani, international study chair said "The primary results of the POSITIVE study confirm that pregnancy can be a realistic goal for women who have had estrogen-dependent breast cancer, and definitively break the taboo that having a baby can increase the risk of cancer recurrence. Family planning, which was abruptly interrupted by the disease, can be safely resumed. I am immensely happy that with this study we can spread a positive message and take away a major concern of women affected by cancer - the question, "Can I start a family?"
Results are solid regarding short-term follow-up. Longer-term follow-up is essentialas as hormone-sensitive breast cancer can recur many years after an initial diagnosis. We plan to continue to follow the study participants to assess recurrence risk over time until 2029, but funding is needed. THANK YOU for supporting the crucial continuation of the POSITIVE study! DONATE
Watch the ASCO Post video for a summary of the initial results of the POSITIVE study
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"With these initial and reassuring results you have given hope to many young patients. |
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| Ilaria, a POSITIVE participant, with Lucia and her husband Emiliano |
Globally: IBCSG, Frontier Science & Technology Research Foundation, Southern Europe (FSE); BIG against breast cancer and Baillet Latour Fund; Pink Ribbon Switzerland; Swiss Cancer League; San Salvatore Foundation; Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Research; Swiss Cancer Research Group (SAKK); Clinical Cancer Research Foundation of Eastern Switzerland (OSKK); Gateway for Cancer Research; Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF); Roche Diagnostics International Ltd; Swiss Cancer Foundation; Piajoh Fondazione di Famiglia; Gruppo Giovani Pazienti “Anna dai Capelli Corti “; Verein Bärgüf; Schweizer Frauenlauf; C&A; Dutch Cancer Society; Norwegian Breast Cancer Society; Pink Ribbon Norway; ELGC K.K. Japan; Pink Ring Japan; Korea Breast Cancer Foundation; Mr. Yong Seop Lee, South Korea, and other private donors.
North America: National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH);
Canadian Cancer Society; Canada Foundation for Innovation; RETHINK Breast Cancer, Canada and the Gilson Family Foundation.
For more details about the study and the primary analysis results:
PRESS RELEASE:
SAN ANTONIO BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM 2022; OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
Breast Cancer Patients Who Interrupted Endocrine Therapy to Pursue Pregnancy Did Not Experience Worse Short-term Recurrence Rates
IBCSG BIG PRESS RELEASE:
Press Release IBCSG BIG: YOUNG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER CAN SAFELY HAVE A BABY, STUDY SHOWS
SWITZERLAND:
EN SAKK IBCSG POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
DE SAKK IBCSG POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
FR SAKK IBCSG POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
IT SAKK IBCSG POSITVE pressrelease Nov2022
BELGIUM AND FRANCE:
BEL_FR_POSITIVE_pressrelease_Nov2022
NETHERLANDS:
NL_POSITIVE_pressrelease_Nov2022
SPAIN:
SPAN SOLTI POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
USA:
DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE pressrelease Nov2022
JAPAN:
Japanese: JP POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
English: JP/EN POSITIVE pressrelease Nov2022
MEDIA
TV / RADIO NEWS
USA:
TODAY NEWS
NEWSPAPERS / MAGAZINES
SWITZERLAND:
NZZ
DOCINSIDE
24HEURES
TRIBUNE DE GENEVE
USA:
DANA-FARBER Researchers Lead Study Providing Hope for Younger Breast Cancer Patients Looking To Pursue Pregnancy Feb2023
Associated Press (Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Globe and many other national publications in the US)
NBC News
HemOnc Today
Medscape
Physician’s Weekly
Healthline
Cancer Today
HealthDay
MedPage Today
NIH National Cancer Institute
SPAIN:
LA VANGUARDIA
POSITIVE_Spanish Online Press
POSITIVE_Spanish Printed Press
JAPAN:
ASAHI-shimbun
NIKKEI BP
CARENET
POSITIVE Study Pregnancy after breast cancer: https://youtu.be/rIPkvmQS_3g
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