The discovery of three key breast cancer genes could save thousands of lives a year. The news has bought fresh inspiration for researchers that it is possible to come up with new treatments to help fight this common form of the disease.
Even though the research is still in the very early stages, it is thought that the first new drugs could be available in as little as five years which is great news for the entire medical community.
The difference between this new medicine and other treatments is that it would attack the cancer in a different way as previously attempted. This potentially means that the treatment could work where others have failed and could save some 1,000 lives a month who currently die as a result of the disease in the UK alone.
The research is the result of a five-year study part-funded by the NHS and the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer. The study looked at the DNA of 104 breast cancer patients, including many Britons. All of the women that were involved in the study had something known as oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer which actually accounts for four in five of all breast tumours and is accountable for the bulk of the 12,000 lives lost each year.
The current treatment uses Tamoxifen to target the oestrogen receptors but the drug is unlikely to affect the activity of the newly discovered genes found near to but outside the area. A lot of the existing treatments work by cutting off this oestrogen supply.
The problem with existing treatments is that tumours can become resistant thus allowing the cancer to return or even spread throughout the body and potentially kills the patient.
As the sex hormone has a key role in the process the genetics of the oestrogen receptor have been studied in detail for decades. This is why researchers were stunned to find the DNA near it actually harboured three previously unknown genes.
Dr Anita Dunbier, the study’s author, said of the discovery: ‘It seemed too obvious to be true. We had to check things very thoroughly to make sure it wasn’t just a false discovery. What we hope to to is unlock the door to more treatment options.”
Breast cancer is Britain’s most common form of the disease, one in eight women are diagnosed with it during their lifetime.
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