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Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Research topic

Open research questions in Breast Cancer Treatment Studies

273 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 636 Breast Cancer Treatment Studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Further studies are needed to confirm the findings, - Research on the long-term effects of OBCS is necessary, - Studies comparing OBCS and conventional BCS in different populations are required

    Margin status, re-excision, and completion mastectomy after oncoplastic versus conventional breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The effects of OBCS on margin control and subsequent surgery remain uncertain. There is a need to compare OBCS with conventional BCS in terms of margin status, re-excision, and completion mastectomy. The association between OBCS and negative/clear margins, local recurrence, and overall complications is not well understood.

    Margin status, re-excision, and completion mastectomy after oncoplastic versus conventional breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • No further follow-up phase is planned for the study, - The study had a limited number of patients with certain characteristics, - The analysis was limited to patients with early centrally confirmed TNBC

    Atezolizumab in early triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized phase 3 NSABP B-59/GeparDouze trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to identify patients who benefit from the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, - TNBC subtyping to identify basal-like immune-activated tumors and quantification of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes could be a promising strategy

    Atezolizumab in early triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized phase 3 NSABP B-59/GeparDouze trial · 2026 · DOI

  • 10) were observed between the tested methods and gold standard assessment, suggesting AI tools that do not follow manual scoring guidelines could be validated and subsequently used.

    Tumour region identification guided scoring (TRIGS) and foundation model-based Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocyte scoring are prognostic for pathological complete response/event free survival in the triple negative patients in the PARTNER randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • However, whether the addition of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab to chemotherapy would improve outcomes in high-risk, early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER + /HER2 − ) breast cancer remains unclear.

    Pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in high-risk, early-stage, ER+/HER2− breast cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Therefore, further investigation into its prognostic significance and potential therapeutic implications is needed.

    Perineural Invasion in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

  • Perineural invasion (PNI) is a well-recognized histopathologic feature in multiple malignancies; however, its significance in breast cancer remains relatively underexplored.

    Perineural Invasion in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review · 2025 · DOI

  • However, how these rates are changing, particularly across different age groups, has not been well documented.

    Incidence Rate Trends of Breast Cancer Overall and by Molecular Subtype by Race and Ethnicity and Age · 2025 · DOI

  • Background: metastatic breast cancer (dnMBC) the same disease in the elderly as in younger breast cancer remains unclear.

    Patterns of distant metastasis and survival outcomes in de novo metastatic breast cancer according to age groups · 2024 · DOI

  • Additional research is needed with more comprehensive social and environmental measures to better understand the influence of social determinants on aggressive ER-positive tumor biology among racial and ethnic minoritized women from disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities.

    Socioecologic Factors and Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Multigene Prognostic Scores in US Women · 2024 · DOI

  • To evaluate the performance of the model on a larger dataset of breast cancer patients. To compare the performance of the model to other predictive models. To develop models that can predict other biomarkers of interest in breast cancer.

    A deep learning model based on multiphase DCE-MRI for preoperative prediction of Ki-67 expression in breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for non-invasive predictive models for Ki-67 expression in breast cancer. Prior studies have not developed predictive models using DCE-MRI. There is a need for models that integrate clinical data with deep learning signatures to improve prediction accuracy.

    A deep learning model based on multiphase DCE-MRI for preoperative prediction of Ki-67 expression in breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of breast cancer trends and treatment patterns in China. The need for comprehensive analysis of breast cancer data in China. The gap in current research on breast cancer in China.

    Retrospective study of hospitalized breast cancer patients in a Zhuhai-based hospital: analysis spanning over 20 years · 2026 · DOI

  • Molecular subtype data (e.g., ER, PR, HER2 status) were unavailable due to equipment constraints. Given that molecular characteristics strongly influence therapeutic decision-making, the absence of these data may limit interpretation of treatment patterns across biologically distinct subgroups.

    Retrospective study of hospitalized breast cancer patients in a Zhuhai-based hospital: analysis spanning over 20 years · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is limited to a retrospective analysis of 115 patients - The study does not provide a comparison with other treatment regimens

    ANALYSIS OF NEOADJUVANT TREATMENT OF HORMONE-DEPENDENT FORMS OF BREAST CANCER (STAGE I-III): RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment regimens in patients with hormone-dependent forms of breast cancer

    ANALYSIS OF NEOADJUVANT TREATMENT OF HORMONE-DEPENDENT FORMS OF BREAST CANCER (STAGE I-III): RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS · 2026 · DOI

  • The optimal extent of regional nodal irradiation in pN0 breast cancer remains an area of ongoing debate and clinical uncertainty. High-level evidence specific to this population is still lacking.

    The PRINCE-BC trial: precision regional irradiation of nodal stations for clinical evaluation of high-risk pN0 breast cancer – a phase III, open-label, randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The role of internal mammary node (IMN) irradia- tion in node-positive or high-risk breast cancer remains debated, with two key controversies: cardiac safety in left-sided patients, and the necessity of routine IMNI in all right-sided patients despite minimal cardiac dose increase.

    The PRINCE-BC trial: precision regional irradiation of nodal stations for clinical evaluation of high-risk pN0 breast cancer – a phase III, open-label, randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for accurate detection of lymph node metastasis status in breast cancer. Prior studies have limitations in predicting lymph node metastatic burden.

    Predictive value of ABVS and VTIQ parameters for axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The molecular mechanisms underlying ILC are not fully understood. There is a need for larger studies to investigate transcriptomic differences between ILC and IBC-NST.

    Transcriptomic insights into lobular breast cancer biology and patient outcomes: analysis of the MINDACT clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Conventional morphological imaging criteria have limited sensitivity and specificity for assessing lymph node involvement. A non-invasive imaging approach capable of accurately distinguishing metastatic lymph nodes from benign reactive hyperplasia is needed.

    SPIO-enhanced MRI for differentiating metastatic from reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes in breast cancer: diagnostic performance and association with VEGF-C expression · 2026 · DOI

  • This study has several limitations. First, this was a single- center study with 60 patients and 112 lymph nodes, limiting sta- tistical precision. Multicenter validation with larger cohorts is essential. Second, the SPIO protocol required a 12-h delay between contrast administration and post-contrast imaging, posing logistical challenges for routine clinical implementation including patient compliance and scheduling constraints. The present findings should be viewed as a proof-of-concept rather than a ready-to-deploy clinical protocol. Future studies should evaluate shorter-delay agents such as ferumoxytol. Third, the SPIO agent used (Resovist/ferucarbotran) has been withdrawn from several markets (30). While the diagnostic principle is shared by other iron oxide agents, the specific PSIL thresholds may not transfer directly to other formulations. Fourth, this study did not include direct comparisons with diffu- sion-weighted imaging (DWI) or dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). Future comparative studies are warranted (32). Fifth, MRI–pathology correlation was based on anatomical region and surgical landmarks rather than strict spatial co-registration. Both cervical and axillary nodes were included without site-specific stratification. FIGURE 4 Distribution of VEGF-C expression across lymph node groups. (A) Stacked bar chart showing the proportion of lymph nodes in each VEGF-C immunohistochemical grade category (−, +, ++, +++) for metastatic (n = 47) and hyperplastic (n = 65) groups. (B) Comparison of the rate of high VEGF-C expression (≥++; composite score ≥4) between metastatic (85.1%) and hyperplastic (12.3%) groups (P < 0.001).

    SPIO-enhanced MRI for differentiating metastatic from reactive hyperplastic lymph nodes in breast cancer: diagnostic performance and association with VEGF-C expression · 2026 · DOI

  • The study is retrospective and may be subject to biases. The sample size is limited to 415 patients. The study only includes patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer.

    Level of estrogen receptor expression, histological grade, and computationally assessed stromal TILs on pre-treatment biopsies predict pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of reliable predictors of response to NACT in ER+/HER2- breast cancer. The limited understanding of the relationship between ER expression, tumor grade, and sTIL levels and pathological complete response.

    Level of estrogen receptor expression, histological grade, and computationally assessed stromal TILs on pre-treatment biopsies predict pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer · 2026 · DOI

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273 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 636 Breast Cancer Treatment Studies papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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