Late-breaking is the term used to describe a news story that develops rapidly and is breaking in real time. It refers to the need for rapid reporting of urgent events, such as a natural disaster, crime, or severe weather event. The need for this type of news is what gave rise to the need for TV and radio “cut-ins” during regularly scheduled programming until 24-hour news networks were introduced and allowed for continuous coverage.
In the world of interventional cardiology, it is common practice for some research studies to be referred to as “Late Breakers” in meetings and publications. These are abstracts that report new, critically important research findings and which became available for publication or presentation after the regular abstract deadline. The selection process for these “Late Breakers” is rigorous and adheres to strict criteria.
For example, a Late Breaker may be a first-in-human study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a device or treatment in a patient population with unmet medical need; it could be an early result from a randomized trial that would significantly alter practice (e.g., a subgroup or prespecified analysis of a randomized trial); it could be a novel, mechanistic study that will lead to more clinically relevant questions; it might be a case report; it might be a small confirmatory study; or it might be a research proposal. The goal is to highlight the most relevant, timely and impactful research developments for the benefit of the clinical/scientific community at large. The focus on these presentations and articles can sometimes obscure the work that is presented in other sessions or in e-poster format at a meeting, such as those related to specific disease entities, imaging, electrophysiology, or basic science.
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