Tag Archives: Breast Cancer Treatment

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Treatment for Cancers Linked to BRCA Mutations

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New Research for Breast Cancer Studies Genes
New Research for Cancer Studies Genes

Identification of Breast Cancer genetic mutations was a breakthrough for scientists working on cancer testing and treatment. Recent findings show that a new form of cancer treatment can effectively extend progression-free survival in patients with BRCA-related tumors.

PARP Inhibitors and BRCA-Related Cancers

PARP inhibitors make up a new class of cancer drugs that have been used primarily in a narrow application for women with ovarian and related forms of cancer. As presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Madrid last September, recent trial results open up possibilities of other uses.

The ARIEL-3 trial, sponsored by Clovis Oncology, involved 564 patients who received randomized doses of a placebo or Rubraca, a PARP inhibitor manufactured by Clovis. Rubraca was found to help women who had ovarian cancer both with and without BRCA mutations.

While Rubraca’s greatest effectiveness was in cases involving BRCA mutations, it also had a positive effect on some with other markers of impaired DNA repair. This condition is referred to as genomic scarring or BRCA-ness, related to a deficiency in homologous recombination repair (HRD).

Future Uses of PARP Inhibitors

Rubraca is currently approved in the U.S. for treatment of advanced BRCA-positive ovarian cancer. Based on the trial results, Clovis has applied for FDA approval of broader applications of Rubraca, including maintenance treatment. Researchers are hopeful that benefits will eventually extend to breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer

Actress Uses Cancer Diagnosis to Change Her Life

Targeted Cancer Therapy Can Bring Patients New Hope!
Hope with Diagnosis

Actress Shannen Doherty is best known as one-half of the Walsh twins on the hit TV show “Beverly Hills 90210,” but lately acting has taken a back seat to a more serious challenge. For the past eighteen months Doherty has used social media to share her brave and inspiring battle against breast cancer.

Her Courageous Journey toward Restored Health

In March 2015, then 43-year-old Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she made public the following August. She filed a lawsuit against her former business managers alleging that the diagnosis was delayed because they left her without medical insurance. The suit was settled this past August.

Early in 2016, doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to Doherty’s lymph nodes, causing her to undergo a single mastectomy in May. When Doherty was presented with the American Cancer Society’s Courage Award at a gala in November, she revealed that she had completed chemotherapy and was beginning a course of radiotherapy.

How Cancer Changed Her Lifemastectomymastectomy

Over the last year-and-a-half, Doherty has documented her treatment online in words and pictures. She credits cancer with making her a “better human being” and demonstrating which people in her life could be truly counted on, a group that includes her mother, husband and friends such as fellow actress Sarah Michelle Gellar.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Blocking Cystine May Starve a Hard to Treat Breast Cancer

A Unique Perspective
Block Cancer

Cancer cells have a high-powered metabolism that demands a steady stream of nutrients for fuel. Scientists may have discovered a way to “starve” a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer by depriving the cells of a crucial substance.

Feed a Cold, Starve Cancer?

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant form. In a study performed at Duke University, researchers found that the cells have an “addiction” to a nutrient called cystine, and deprivation causes them to die off quickly.

Further examination showed that the addiction is triggered by a mechanism used by the cells to migrate to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. According to Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi, associate professor at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, the metastasized cells are the primary target of treatment.

What’s Next?

Chi’s group had previously published a study showing that the cells in a stubborn form of kidney cancer are also subject to the cystine addiction. The next step is to test cystine-blocking molecules on tumors and look for biomarkers that will signal cancer cells that are receptive to the treatment.

As Chi explains, tumor cells use this programming to move rapidly around the body. The researchers’ goal is to take advantage of the same process for a cure.

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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

The Presence of a Molecular Marker May Predict Breast Cancer for Early Treatment

The Molecular Mark

Breast cancer is still the leading cause of death for women who suffer from cancer, but early detection can improve the chances of successful treatment. In 2016 a group of researchers identified a molecular marker that can indicate a woman’s risk for developing the disease.

Identifying a Common Thread

The study was conducted by a joint team from Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). Researchers reviewed biopsies from 302 women who had been diagnosed with benign breast disease. Some of the biopsies dated back to 40 years ago.

Out of this group, 69 women later developed cancer and 233 did not. It was discovered that women with a higher percentage of a particular marker were more likely to develop cancer.

Ki67 is a molecular marker found in the lining of the mammary ducts and milk-producing lobules that identifies proliferating cells. These tissues are the site where most breast cancers develop.

The Present and Future of Ki67 Testing

While Ki67 testing is already being used to determine courses of treatment, this discovery will allow doctors to test precancerous tissue for use as a predictive tool. The method could help avoid some of the drawbacks of mammograms, which are currently the best option for early detection.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: A Personalized Method of Treatment

Genomic testing is just one of the specialized tools we use to create our individually tailored therapies targeted to meet your personal needs. Contact us to learn why Issels® is the leader in non-toxic and effective immunotherapy for cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research, Cancer Survivors, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News

Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival

Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival
Higher Vitamin D Levels May Boost Breast Cancer Survival

Vitamin D has long been known as an essential nutrient that aids your bones with calcium absorption. A recent study shows that there may also be a link between vitamin D levels and surviving breast cancer.

Examining the Link between Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Survival

The study, performed by a research team from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, began in 2006 with a group of women from California who had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Participants were divided into three sub-groups based on blood levels of a particular vitamin D marker.

Women with more advanced cancers tended to have low levels of the marker. Over an average of seven years of follow-up, 100 of these women died compared to 76 women with high levels. There were approximately 1,600 women total involved in the study.

In addition, women with the highest vitamin D levels were 28 percent less likely to die of any cause, once factors such as tumor characteristics were accounted for. This link was the strongest among pre-menopausal women.

What Does This Mean for the Future?

According to lead author Song Yao, overall results showed “30 percent reduction of all-cause mortality” linked to vitamin D levels at the time of diagnosis. While the study supports previous research linking vitamin D with breast cancer survival, Yao said a randomized controlled trial would be needed to determine a direct cause-and-effect.

Immunotherapy for Cancer: Going Beyond Traditional Treatments

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Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

Could this be an Accidental Miracle for the Treatment of Breast Cancer?

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Breast Cancer Myths BustedAwareness Month
Promising Immunotherapy Treatment Protocol for Breast Cancer

Researchers in the United Kingdom recently made an exciting breakthrough in breast cancer immunotherapy treatment. Ironically, the discovery they made was neither sought after nor expected.

An accidental miracle?

A group of surgeons at the University of Manchester set out to test the use of a two-drug combo on tumors between the times of diagnosis and surgical excision. The drugs in question, traztusumab (Herceptin) and lapatinib (Tyverb) had previously been used individually in treatment.

While the intent was to study the effects of the drugs on tumor biology, the surgeons were stunned at the dramatic but unanticipated results. After only 11 days, 87 percent of the 257 participants experienced a significant reduction in cancer cells, while 11 percent showed no cancer cells at all.

Implications for future breast cancer treatments

Each of the women participating in the study had a form of breast cancer known as human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, also referred to as HER2 positive breast cancer. Herceptin works by blocking growth signals to HER2 receptors on the surface of the cancer cells, while Tyverb does the same from within the cells.

According to lead researcher Nigel Bundred, the results are a promising sign for tailoring individual treatments with breast cancer patients. The team is “cautiously optimistic” about indications that taking the drugs immediately after diagnosis may eliminate the need for chemotherapy.

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