Discoveries
Research suggests broader chemo attack for breast cancer
Chemotherapy for breast cancer may be more effective if it targets not only tumor cells but also the noncancerous cells that support them, new research by Dana-Farber scientists indicates.
Stromal cells (red) surround tumor cells (blue) within a duct.
By surveying the activity of genes in both normal and cancerous breast tissue, the investigators identified genes in support tissue that can spur the growth of breast tumor cells. The findings suggest that aiming chemotherapy at both cancer cells and their genetically normal cellular "microenvironment" might improve the success of breast cancer treatment.
The study, led by Kornelia Polyak, MD, PhD, and Minna Allinen, PhD, reported that some genes in the supportive "stromal" cells were overactive in women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)—an early form of breast cancer—and in those who had advanced breast disease.
"Finding factors released by surrounding stromal cells that sustain the tumor growth and targeting these components with cancer drugs might be more effective than targeting the tumor cells alone," Polyak says.
One potential benefit of the new gene survey would be a way to detect a gene activity "signature" in DCIS cells to predict how likely they are to become invasive. Such a test, not yet available, might save some women from needlessly aggressive treatment.
