According to a recent article in the BBC, the latest medical research has finally been able to answer the questions as to why some women do not respond to the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen.  This discovery will lead to hope in the women who have breast cancer and are not successfully responding to treatment.  This medical research was recently published in the Cancer Research Journal.

Scientists find why tamoxifen fails some breast cancers

“UK scientists say they have discovered why some women fail respond to breast cancer treatment, and it is a gene error they believe they can fix. Tamoxifen is given to most women diagnosed with breast cancer to prevent the cancer returning.

But not all women respond to the drug – experts estimate a third get no benefit. The work in the journal Cancer Research suggests the problem is too much of a gene called FGFR1.  This discovery could lead to new treatments for these women as scientists “switch off” the action of FGFR1, enabling Tamoxifen to work.

The team of scientists in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research have already shown this is possible in the lab.
They introduced a drug which “switched off” the action of FGFR1.
Once FGFR1 was stopped, hormone-based treatments like Tamoxifen could get back to work in destroying cancer cells, they found.
The researchers believe this could ultimately help thousands of women each year.

They say one in 10 breast cancer patients has too much of the FGFR1 gene.
Dr Nick Turner, who led the research, said: “Understanding how this gene can cause Tamoxifen resistance reveals a new drug target for treating breast cancers in patients who would otherwise have a poor outcome.
“There are a number of drugs in development that stop FGFR1 working, and clinical studies are investigating whether these drugs work against cancers with too many copies of this gene.

“The next step is to set up a clinical trial to see whether a drug that blocks the action of this gene can counteract hormone therapy resistance in breast cancer patients.

“If these trials confirm our lab work we could be on the verge of a potentially exciting new treatment for breast cancer.”   Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK, the charity which helped fund the work, said: “Cracking the problem of resistance to treatments such as Tamoxifen would be a major advance in treating breast cancer.”   Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK affecting more than 45,500 women each year.

Tamoxifen blocks the female sex hormone estrogen that fuels the growth of some breast tumours. ”

Source:  BBC News

Most British women are unaware that breast cancer risk increases with age, a poll suggests. A survey of 1,000 people by charity Breast Cancer Care found nearly six out of 10 women did not know getting older was a strong risk factor.

More than 44,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and 80% of all cases occur in over-50s.

Experts said many young women can worry unnecessarily while older women do not realise they are at risk.

The poll found that 58% did not know that the older they get, the higher their risk of breast cancer.

It’s extremely alarming that most women over 70 do not take up breast screening, as this increases the likelihood that any breast cancer they may develop is found at a later stage. Women aged 18-24 were better informed.

But 65% of women aged 45-54 knew there was a strong link between getting older and risk of the disease.

The charity said lack of knowledge was particularly concerning in those over the age of 70 years as a third did not believe it was necessary to check their breasts at that age.

And although most knew they had the right to request breast screening, only a quarter took up the opportunity.

Early detection

Christine Fogg, joint chief executive of Breast Cancer Care said: “The link between increasing age and breast cancer risk is well established yet these astonishing results reveal that the message is failing to reach the majority.

“It’s extremely alarming that most women over 70 do not take up breast screening, as this increases the likelihood that any breast cancer they may develop is found at a later stage, which could limit options and reduce the success of any treatment.

She called on the government and screening services to look at why the link to age is not well known.

Sara Hiom, director of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “Confusion arises when celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Caron Keating, who have developed breast cancer, attract publicity in magazines read by young women.

“While it is helpful to raise awareness of the disease it can cause young women to worry unnecessarily. It may also mislead older women to think that ageing is not a factor in breast cancer.

“It is important to remember than four out of five cases are in women over 50. So it is extremely important for women in this age group to attend breast screening when invited.”

Carole Rawson, 67, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April following a routine screening appointment.

“I didn’t have a lump so would not have known I had anything wrong, and that could be the case for others.

“It’s not a case that if you haven’t got a lump then you don’t need to be screened.”

News Source:  BBC NEWS