Category Archives: In the News

Breast Cancer Biomarkers and an Experimental Vaccine

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A research team from Ireland conducted a prospective multi-center study on the role of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in breast cancer prognosis. One hundred twenty-four patients participated in the study. The authors found that miRNAs, detected in blood samples, could be used as biomarkers to predict breast cancer recurrence. Indeed, the results established that patients with a higher expression of the miRNA type 145 were unlikely to see breast cancer recurrence. This discovery could be instrumental in providing tailored surveillance to patients based on their miRNA-145 levels. The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

A study on a Breast Cancer Vaccine was conducted by researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. The authors found that an experimental DNA vaccine generated a robust immune response to a tumor protein. The vaccine was administered to 66 women who were followed for three to thirteen years. However, because the trial was not randomized, the results could be viewed only as preliminary. Therefore, a larger trial with randomization will be conducted by the team. The study was published in JAMA Oncology.

MSK Experts Discuss Breast Cancer

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month In October, numerous media outlets featured experts from MSK during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here are some highlights:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Comen offered guidance in a Huffington Post article about providing support to someone after a mastectomy. She said that you should not assume the person will have reconstructive surgery, or that a mastectomy means someone will never get breast cancer again. Rarely, it can recur or a patient can get a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer.

  • MedPage Today interviewed Dr. Neil Iyengar about a literature review he coauthored on the association between breast cancer and obesity. The paper concluded that current risk assessments do not include people with certain metabolic risks, regardless of weight and BMI. Loss of fat mass reduces some risk factors.

  • The New York Times featured a small study indicating that chemotherapy may be sufficient treatment for certain breast cancer patients, allowing them to avoid surgery. Dr. Monica Morrow pointed out the small size of this early trial, saying it is not enough to lead to practice change.

  • PIX 11 spoke to Michelle Benjamin, an MSK Care Coordinator and breast cancer survivor. She advised not to let fear keep you from getting changes in your body checked out early.

  • The UK Huffington Post reported on male breast cancer. Dr. Nour Abuhadra discussed signs and risk factors and said male breast cancer is usually diagnosed later than female breast cancer as men are not typically screened for it.

  • Cancer Today Magazine covered a study that found the drug Enhertu can increase the lifespan of certain patients with metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Elizabeth Comen explained how Enhertu functions, and recommended that patients ask their doctors about their HER2 status to see if they might be candidates for the treatment.

  • Radiology Business quoted Dr. Christopher Comstock about the launch of a study for which he is the primary investigator. The screening trial aims to determine the efficacy of contrast-enhanced mammography in patients with dense breasts.

  • Newsday quoted Dr. Julia Brockway-Marchello in an article about the rising rates of breast cancer in women under 40. Dr. Brockway-Marchello said that while we don’t yet know what caused this rise, it may be connected to as-yet-unidentified environmental and/or genetic factors.

Fungi Found in Tumors, Glioblastoma Breakthrough Discovery and More

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  • Two recent studies found that fungi grow inside some tumors in people with different cancer types. Each cancer type was associated with its own unique collection of fungal species; some of them harmless and some that can cause diseases. In addition to fungi, particular bacteria were present within the tumor, but possible interactions between them are not yet understood. Both studies, one published by a group of Israeli and U.S. researchers and another one by a group of U.S. researchers, were published in the same issue of Cell.
  • Another research conducted in Israel targeted glioblastoma, the deadly brain cancer. In an animal study, they used a unique approach to eradicate the astrocytes (brain cells) around the tumor, which caused cancer to disappear. The study was published in Brain.
  • New research undertaken at the University of California at Berkeley suggested that in people over 50 years old, genetics played a lesser role than in younger people in the development of age-related diseases such as cancer. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
  • A team of U.K. and U.S. researchers made a surprising discovery by identifying a protein, called NALCN, that regulated not only how cancer metastasized but also normal cells travel around the body. The discovery paves the way to a potential new target for antimetastatic therapies. The study was published in Nature Genetics.