Hope for Hereditary Breast Cancer Families: New Trial Shows 100% Survival Rate

A small and simple tweak in a trial led by the University of Cambridge delivered what no one expected: 100% survival in inherited breast cancer.

By Biel Arevalo June 23, 2025

Beating the Odds

Even scientists seemed momentarily disarmed by the result. “We don’t see very often any study that has 100% of patients alive in this subtype of breast cancer,” said Professor Jean Abraham, Director of the Precision Breast Cancer Institute. “It’s incredibly rare.”

^{A BRCA mutation is passed down from a parent—you only need one copy to be at risk}

These inherited forms of BRCA are notoriously hard to treat. A notorious example is Angelina Jolie, a BRCA1 carrier, who even opted to get preventative surgery for it.

One may ask: Was it a brand-new medicine that worked this time? The answer is no. What made the difference wasn’t a new drug, but when it was administered.

Power of a Pause

The trial—led by Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of Cambridge—gathered 39 patients from the UK. Each carried a BRCA mutation and was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

^{Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Filipino women}

Patients in the trial were given a combination of chemotherapy and a targeted drug called olaparib. But instead of giving them back-to-back, researchers introduced a 48-hour pause between the two. That short window gave healthy cells time to recover, all while leaving the cancer too broken to heal, and too weak to fight back.

What made it even more effective was the timing in the broader sense: this was all done before surgery, not after. This pre-surgery (neoadjuvant) approach struck at its genetic fault line, using the cancer’s own weakness against it.

^{The Philippines has the third highest breast cancer incidence in Asia—and the highest death rate from the disease}

It worked. Out of 39 patients in the new treatment group, only one relapsed. All survived. Meanwhile, in the control group that received chemo alone, nine relapsed and six passed, bringing the survival rate down to 88%.

It’s almost poetic: for an inherited disease that pushes life into fast-forward, the breakthrough came from slowing things down. This pause—something families rarely get—gave medicine the upper hand, and BRCA carriers new hope.

Whether or not it runs in your family, it’s worth knowing where you stand. Ask your doctor about your breast cancer risk today.

Featured Image and Photos: MEGA ARCHIVES