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The 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) will be offering attendees the unique opportunity to participate in-person in San Antonio, TX, or virtually from December 7-10.

  
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Attendees will have access to a plethora of scientific abstracts encompassing the latest clinical, translational, and basic research. This year's symposium is a chance for you to enhance your practice through educational and networking opportunities. Check out highlights from the upcoming conference to help you make the most of your experience.

 

Program Overview

The scientific program consists of plenary lectures and mini-symposia by experts in clinical and basic research; selected slide and poster presentations chosen from the submitted abstracts; educational sessions, workshops, award lectures, panel and case discussions, and forums. General sessions are approximately 2 hours in duration and are the vehicle for slide presentations, which are allotted 10 minutes each followed by 5 minutes of discussion. Poster sessions are 1 1/2 to 2 hours long.

 

The daily General Sessions, which focus on the latest trends in breast cancer, will be presented each day of the event. Following include some the topics being highlighted in these valuable presentations.

 

* GS1-01. KEYNOTE-522: Phase III study of pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs. placebo + chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, followed by pembrolizumab vs. placebo as adjuvant treatment for early-stage, high-risk triple-negative breast cancer

 

* GS2-02. Elacestrant, an oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) vs. investigator's choice of endocrine monotherapy for ER+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer (mBC) following progression on prior endocrine and CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy: Results of EMERALD Phase III trial

 

* GS3-01. Trastuzumab deruxtecan vs. trastuzumab emtansine in patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer: Results of the randomized Phase III study DESTINY-Breast03

 

* GS4-01. Impact of race and ethnicity on incidence and severity of breast cancer related lymphedema after axillary lymph node dissection: Results of a prospective screening study

 

 

In addition, there is no shortage of educational sessions and workshops available to attendees highlighting the variety of areas in breast cancer research and therapeutics. Some important topics featured during the educational sessions include the following:

 

* Everything you always wanted to know about AI but were afraid to ask

 

* The ideal partner to HER2 directed therapies

 

* Emerging Adjuvant Therapies: What's Ready for Prime Time?

 

* Clinical Updates on Immunotherapy

 

* The Evolution of Local Therapy in the Genomic Era

 

 

To close the conference, attendees can participate in one of the highlights of SABCS, "Year in Review." This special session examines the top contributions, publications, and discoveries in breast cancer.

 

COVID-19 One Year Later

SABCS 2021 will continue discussions around COVID-19 and breast cancer care throughout the symposium. Some important sessions to consider attending include the following:

 

* Living in the COVID generation-Vaccinations and Patient Perspectives

 

* How COVID changed "everything"-How does the breast cancer field stand with clinical trials, regulatory aspects, and the operations of cancer centers today

 

* Impact of COVID across Cancer Continuum-Analyzing real-world data of breast cancer during the pandemic and comparing research from around the world

 

* Challenges in breast cancer supportive care during COVID 19 and beyond

 

* Importance of real-world data in fighting a pandemic

 

 

Recognizing Excellence

Throughout the symposium, pioneers in the field will be recognized and given the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience through keynote lectures.

 

Susan G. Komen selected Carlos Caldas, MD, FMedSci, and Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH, as the 2021 recipients of the Brinker Awards for Scientific Distinction. They will receive their awards and present lectures during SABCS.

 

Caldas will receive the Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Basic Science. He is the senior group leader at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge. In addition, he is the Chair of Cancer Medicine at the university, an Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, and Director of the Cambridge Breast Cancer Research Unit.

 

Caldas is being recognized for his contributions in the field of breast cancer genomics. His work is credited with advancing the understanding of the DNA and RNA compositions of human breast cancers, the genomic heterogeneity of breast cancers, and the relationships of a tumor's makeup to individual outcomes and responses to breast cancer treatment, according to the Susan G. Komen organization. His research helped define molecular subtypes of breast cancer and identify the genomic changes that drive growth.

 

Garber will receive the Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Clinical Research. She is Director of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

 

Komen is recognizing Garber for her, "trailblazing work and significant contributions in clinical cancer genetics that have shaped the care of people with breast cancer, their families and those at risk of breast cancer. Her research is advancing our understanding of the role of BRCA1/2 gene mutations in breast cancer and the treatment and prevention of triple-negative breast cancer and other BRCA-associated cancers."

 

The researchers will present their lectures at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 7. The lectures will also be available on-demand after their presentation.

 

Don't Miss the Latest Research at #SABCS2021!

Join Oncology Times virtually! We will be providing live updates on the latest research throughout the conference. Follow us on Twitter (@OncologyTimes) and Facebook (@OncologyTimesNews) to learn about cutting-edge breast cancer breakthroughs.