EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Breast Cancer Awareness

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we're turning our attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing awareness, supporting early detection, and highlighting the ongoing research shaping the future of breast cancer treatment and prevention.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Oct-2026 21:16 ET (23-Oct-2026 01:16 GMT/UTC)

8-Jul-2026

Scientists untangle 'chromosome chaos' and uncover 81 hidden genes driving the hardest-to-treat breast cancer

Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Large-scale simultaneous analysis of tumor suppressors and oncogenes in the mouse mammary gland reveals 90 genes driving the basal-like breast cancer and identifies a promising drug target.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Terry Fox Research Institute, Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute

8-Jul-2026

Young women diagnosed with breast cancer within three years of childbirth may face more aggressive disease, UCLA study finds

University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A UCLA-led study suggests that breast cancers diagnosed within the first three years after childbirth may be biologically more aggressive, highlighting the importance of considering reproductive history when evaluating young women with breast cancer.

Journal: npj Breast Cancer

8-Jul-2026

Do breast cancer and irregular heartbeat have common risk factors and rates?

American Heart Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Alcohol use and smoking were linked to breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter in women ages 55 years and older in multiple regions of the world, according to new, independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Journal: Journal of the American Heart Association

6-Jul-2026

Dana-Farber research supports FDA approval of new therapy for “double-positive” metastatic breast cancer

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Business Announcement

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new therapy regimen for patients with “double-positive” metastatic breast cancer based on results of the phase 3 PATINA study led by Otto Metzger, MD, Associate Medical Director of International Strategic Initiatives at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The PATINA trial demonstrated that the addition of the CDK 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib to standard therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer resulted in a more than 15-month improvement in progression-free survival. The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine and also presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2024.

6-Jul-2026

Researchers develop AI test to predict recurrence of breast cancer

New York University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of researchers reports the creation of an AI test that predicts the risk of breast cancer recurrence—one that does so more quickly and more inexpensively than current methods, which involve genomic testing.

Journal: Nature Communications

2-Jul-2026

Decoding the cancer-immunity cycle: A New roadmap for breast cancer immunotherapy

China Anti-Cancer Association
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study has developed a novel framework to classify breast cancer based on the intricate steps of the cancer-immunity cycle (CIC), potentially revolutionizing how patient response to immunotherapy is predicted.

Journal: Cancer Biology & Medicine

1-Jul-2026

A portable ultrasound system could make reliable breast imaging more accessible

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT researchers developed a portable ultrasound system with a user-friendly computer interface, which could be used to diagnose breast cancer earlier.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: National Science Foundation, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, Lyda Hill Foundation, MIT Media Lab Consortium, Tata Center Technology and Design Fellowship