Cancer Cure News 2017: Targeted Treatments Just as Effective for Treating Breast Cancer
A research conducted by the University of Queensland has made strides in the field of breast cancer treatment. A new way to handle a rare form of the disease has been discovered.
According to Professor Gregory Monteith who is from the UQ School of Pharmacy and Mater Research Institute-UQ, the discovery should spawn more targeted researches for the treatment of breast cancer patients.
"The study found that a cellular channel, TRPV4, which acts as a sensor in normal cells, is at a much higher level in some breast cancer cases." Monteith continued, "This includes those cases that do not respond to most targeted therapies.
The study involves identifying possible new drug targets for breast cancer through changing calcium levels in the cells to stop their growth.
Instead of the usual way of deactivating the protein to stop the mass from growing or metastasizing, the research proves that activating the protein is a better way of killing the cancer cells.
Many in the field of science are hopeful about the discovery, including Cancer Council Queensland chief executive Chris McMillan. She, too, believes, that further strides in the research could potentially help many women.
In Queensland, one out of eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Results from a trial involving 2,000 women respondents over the course of five years conclude that doctors should opt to stop giving unnecessary radiation.
Dr. Charlotte Coles, lead investigator, said that they conducted the study based on evidence suggesting that when the cancer resurfaces, it presents itself near the location of the original tumor.
The study suggests that a more targeted approach, involving partial radiotherapy, instead of blasting radiation to the entire breast, leads to fewer long-term changes to the appearance of the breast.
Targeted radiotherapy is just as effective. More importantly, it prevents recurrence within five years and it reduces the side-effects.
