BCY 2 - Second Breast Cancer in Young Women Conference 4th-5th November 2014 Dublin, Ireland.

and the importance of improvement of psychosocial and medical care of those patients mainly focusing on the US perspective. She also focused on the unique aspects of young women with BC. They often present an advanced disease because of delays of diagnosis (‘you are too young to have breast cancer’) and a more aggressive tumor biology (e.g. ER negative, high grade, LVI disease, HER2-positive). Genetics, fertility and sexuality concerns as well as body image and the premenopausal situation play an important role in these patients, they need to be understood and supported. Diagnostic tools were presented in the session by M. SklairLevy (IL), who discussed new technologies of breast imaging such as tomosynthesis (a modification of digital mammography to create 3-dimensional data), contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM), automated breast volume scanner and also nuclear breast imaging (positron emission mammography, FDG) which are intended to be implemented in the individual diagnosis of young breast cancer patients. The session on hereditary and familial breast cancer was well discussed. E. Levy-Lahad (IL) presented data about the right time for genetic testing and discussed issues about rapid genetic testing before initiating any treatment and traditional BRCA-testing in the young patient. As genetic testing has a yield of about 25% in the young patient, it affects treatment decisions and has therefore therapeutic impact. The goal of genetic testing might in any case be a treatment-focused genetic testing (TFGT), after diagnosis but before surgery. In her talk about local therapy considerations in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, Ella Evron (IL) showed the markedly increased risk of BRCA carriers of contralateral BC and presented the design of an initiated Israeli multicenter study on the prophylactic contralateral irradiation after breast conserving therapy as a potential option of prevention in high-risk patients and to reduce the rate of bilateral mastectomy. New systemic therapies in hereditary BC were discussed by Judy Garber who presented recent data with a neoadjuvant regimen of platinum in TNBC (pathologic complete remission (pCR) 61%, Breast Cancer Res Treat 2014;147:401–405) as also shown by GEPARSIXTO (higher pCR rates after neoadjuvant anthracycline/taxane in TNBC). PARPP inhibitors such as olaparib (Olympia) or niraparib (BRAWO) for 1 year after neo-/adjuvant therapy are currently tested in several protocols as also in combination with platinum (carboplatin/gemcitabine/iniparib) in the PrECOG 0105 scheme. Breast cancer (BC) in women under 40 years of age is a complex disease which strikes in a phase of life when young women are at the peak of their reproductive years and when family planning, professional career, and partnership have a lot of importance. Furthermore, as young women are more likely to have a risk of a higher grade and stage of the disease, tumor biology at the time of diagnosis and genetic factors play an important role, medical treatment and consultation has to be well adapted to the needs of this population. So far, little is known about the etiology of breast cancer in young women and more research is needed to establish an optimal management of these patients. The Breast Cancer in Young Women Conference was initiated in 2012 by high-ranking breast cancer specialists from Europe, Israel, and the US to create a platform about novel research results, future research concepts and to give the opportunity of networking and discussion in this so far poorly researched field. Additionally, the first international consensus guidelines for breast cancer in young women were developed by international BC specialists, being finally published in June 2014 (Breast 2014;23:209–220). Initially planned to take place in Tel Aviv, Israel, BCY 2 was changed this year to take place again in Dublin, Ireland because of the political conflicts in the Middle East. The BCY 2 conference was supported and organized by the European School of Oncology (ESO) (www.eso.net). In 9 sessions and 25 talks in total, all ‘hot topics’ around the treatment and diagnosis of young BC patients were covered. International speakers gave an overview of recent results of breast cancer research, newest developments in the treatment of young breast cancer patients and an outlook on the results to be presented in San Antonio in December 2014. During the conference, the 205 participants from 35 different countries heard talks that touched upon tumor biology and pathology, genetics, diagnostics, surgery, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, fertility preservation, and supportive offers. After the presentation by Bella Kaufmann from the Israel Cancer Association (IL), one of the chairs of the conference, BCY 2 was opened by a field report of a young BC patient. With a very personal report, Nicola Elmer (IE) illustrated this intensive and difficult phase of her life around the BC diagnosis and all her problems during and after systemic therapy, so that a perfect introduction to the conference was given. Ann Partridge (US) continued in another keynote lecture to refer about the growing population of young BC patients, and its relevance for public health