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PARP Inhibitor Before Surgery Increases Survival in Study of Breast Cancer Patients With BRCA Mutations

A study published in Nature Communications investigated the use of Lynparza (olaparib) in patients with early-stage breast cancer who have inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations. The study randomly assigned 39 women in the United Kingdom to receive Lynparza, a targeted treatment called a PARP inhibitor that has been approved to treat breast and other cancers related to BRCA mutations, in addition to standard chemotherapy before surgery. All participants who received Lynparza survived three years posttreatment, compared with six deaths among 45 women who received chemotherapy alone. “It is rare that you see 100% survival at 36 months for this subtype of breast cancer. We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this new approach,” Jean Abraham, a medical oncologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in England, told BBC News. Abraham, who led the study, noted the findings would need to be confirmed in larger randomized trials but could lead to a change in practice.

Exercise Linked to Improved Sexual Function After Prostate Cancer Treatment

A structured exercise program after prostate cancer treatment was able to improve erectile function, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. The study looked at data from 112 men who had been treated with radiotherapy, prostatectomy or hormone therapy. These men were assigned to groups with three different interventions: a physical exercise program, exercise plus a psychosexual education and self-management program, or usual care. Surveys showed a 3.5-point improvement in erectile function scores among those who participated in the exercise program, which included structured aerobic and resistance training, Medscape reported. The changes were less pronounced in those who received prostatectomy. Men in the aerobic and resistance-based exercise group participated in structured programs three times a week for six months in groups of up to 12 people, as well as being asked to meet exercise goals at home.

Gastric Cancer Is Being Detected Earlier

Analysis of U.S. national data suggests that gastric cancer is increasingly being detected at earlier, more treatable stages, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week 2025, held May 3 to 6 in San Diego. From 2004 to 2021, the incidence of early or localized gastric cancer increased about 53%, from 1.94 per 100,000 people to 2.97 per 100,000 people. However, the incidence of regional metastasis dropped 38%, from 2.4 per 100,000 people to 1.49 per 100,000 people, according to Healio, which reported the findings. Researchers also noted a rise in early-stage diagnoses over the past decade and the role of improved endoscopic technology and greater screening awareness in contributing to that trend. Early-stage stomach cancer diagnoses outpaced advanced-stage stomach cancer cases in 2021. Mohamed Tausif Siddiqui, the study’s lead author and a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic who presented the data, pointed out that the study did not assess whether early detection has affected mortality rates or why younger patients seem to be increasingly diagnosed with the disease.