SEARCH & DESTROY
Breast cancer breakthrough as scientists work out how to kill ‘hibernating’ tumour cells
Plus how to check your breasts in five steps today
A BREAKTHROUGH in breast cancer research has seen scientists discover how to kill 'hibernating' tumour cells.
It paves the way for new treatment which would prevent the cancer returning.
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It offers new hope for patients with oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, which grows in response to the hormone oestrogen.
ER+ makes up 80 per cent of all breast cancers, of which 55,500 cases are diagnosed in the UK every year.
Luca Magnani, professor of epigenetic plasticity at the institute, said: “After surgery to remove primary oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, patients are given five to 10 years of hormone therapy which aims to kill any remaining cancer cells.
“We know that this doesn’t work for all patients though, as their breast cancer can return years, or even decades later.
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“We wanted to better understand why breast cancer does return so we can hopefully find ways to stop it – so people don’t have to live in fear or face the devastating news of a relapse."
Researchers know that breast cancer cells can “hibernate” and evade treatment before “waking up” years later and causing disease that’s harder to treat.
Prof Magnani said: “Our research identified a key mechanism used by cancer cells to evade therapy by remaining in a dormant state, hibernating before they ‘wake up’ years later and begin to rapidly divide again.”
For their study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, researchers looked at the role of an enzyme known as G9a.
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They found that inhibiting G9a prevented cancer cells from becoming dormant and killed the cells that were already hibernating.
Dr Tayyaba Jiwani, science engagement manager at Cancer Research UK – which funded the research, said: “Breast cancer survival has doubled in the UK over the last 50 years thanks to better detection and screening, but there are still more than 11,000 deaths from this type of cancer every year.
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“Our research has made it increasingly clear that cancer cells can lie dormant in the body for many years before being triggered to reawaken, causing cancer to return.
“This study uses an innovative approach to analyse the genetics of these dormant cells and gain important insight into the mechanisms leading to dormancy.
“Although at an early stage, the findings reveal potential new targets for the development of innovative treatments that prevent breast cancer from coming back.”
It's very common for women to worry that breast cancer will return after treatment, even mastectomy to remove breasts. This is known as recurrence.
Seconary breast canceris when cancer cells spread to other parts of the body.
The risk of breast cancer recurring is higher in the first few years and reduces as time goes on.
But a 2021 Danish study found that some women had a recurrence up to 32 years after diagnosis.
How to check your breasts
It is important to regularly check your breasts for any changes. Breast tissue reaches all the way up to your collarbone and across to your armpit, so it’s vital to check these areas too.
If you feel or see any changes in your breast you should always consult your GP.
Charity CoppaFeel! recommends checking your breasts monthly, so you can pick up on any changes quickly.
Breasts do change naturally as part of your monthly menstrual cycle, so you should get to know your breasts, how they feel and what changes they usually go through to know if anything is out of the ordinary.
Five-step check
There is a five-step self exam you can do at home to check for any changes.
Step one: Begin by looking in a mirror, facing it with your arms on your hips and your shoulders straight. You should be looking for any dimpling, puckering, bulging skin, redness, soreness, a rash or changes in the nipple.
Step two: Still looking in the mirror, raise both arms above your head and check for the same changes.
Step three: With your arms still above your head, check for any fluid coming from the nipples. This can include milky, yellow or watery fluid, or blood.
Step four: While lying down use your opposite hand to check each breast. Using a few fingers, keeping them flat and together, go in a small circular motion around your breasts. Make sure you feel the entire breast by going top to bottom in these small circles. It helps to develop a system or pattern to make sure every inch is covered. Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath, medium pressure for the tissue in the middle of your breasts, and firm pressure to feel the tissue at the back, feeling down to your ribcage.
Step five: Feel your breasts while either standing or sitting, using the same small circular motions.
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