Does Breast Cancer That Seems to Have High Recurrence Risk Always Need Chemo?
Breastcancer.org PodcastShow Notes
Results from the OPTIMA trial suggest that people with early-stage hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that seems to have a high risk of recurrence based on clinical features — like a high number of positive lymph nodes — may be able to safely skip chemotherapy if they have a low Prosigna risk of recurrence score. The findings were presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Iain MacPherson, professor of breast oncology at the University of Glasgow, was chief investigator of the study.
Listen to the episode to hear Dr. MacPherson explain:
the design and results of the OPTIMA study
why he thinks the trial results are groundbreaking
whether or not the results apply to men with this type of breast cancer
More from Breastcancer.org Podcast
Actress Miranda McKeon was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer at age 19, just as she was starting her sophomore year of college. She talks about her experiences with diagnosis and treatment, as well as how she balanced presenting herself to her peers in a way that felt authentic when she was living an experience that was completely foreign to her.
Julia Maués didn’t decide to become an advocate, but her passion for patients learning science and scientists learning patient experiences propelled her to talk about her experiences.
Eleonora Teplinsky’s oncology practice has focused on people with breast cancer for more than a decade. Her new book, Beyond the Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer, explains breast cancer risks, screening, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as topics that may not be discussed by all doctors.
Dr. Luba Perry is the founder and CEO of ReConstruct Bio, where she’s working to develop bioengineered living tissue implants made from a person’s own cells that then integrate with the body as living tissue. The first goal is to develop natural implants for breast reconstruction.
An advocate and communications expert with more than 20 years experience in international corporate marketing, Christina Wilhelm wrote It’s Breast Cancer, Now What? as a manual to help people navigate breast cancer treatment, return-to-work, and long-term follow-up care decisions.