In the media, late-breaking is a term often applied to dramatic events such as weather or political news. It is used by television and radio stations to indicate that a major story may require breaking news coverage in place of regular programming. This can include the use of lower thirds and alert crawls or, before 24-hour news networks existed, cut-ins to broadcast a specific story.
Clinical late-breaking abstracts are those that present primary results from randomized controlled trials; subgroup, post-hoc or prespecified analyses or long-term follow up data from previously published randomized studies; new devices, drugs or interventions in phase 2/3 studies (not including proof of concept studies); and observational studies with novel designs, methodologies or approaches. Late-breaking studies primarily confirm or extend previous findings, but may have significant implications for clinical practice and/or lay the foundation for future research.
While the importance and popularity of Late Breakers is justified, it would be unfortunate if the emphasis placed on these presentations diluted the attention given to clinically important and relevant original research that occurs in other sessions. Ultimately, the vast majority of information presented at a scientific meeting will not change or confirm current clinical practice and should be considered on its own merits.
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