According to the National Cancer Institute’s SEER program, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is approximately 89.2 percent.
Those are good odds, and good news for women facing a breast cancer diagnosis. But such progress in the treatment of breast cancer has created an optimistic mythology that "Nobody dies of breast cancer anymore."
However, someone with stage IV, or metastatic, breast cancer has only a 25 percent chance of being alive five years after diagnosis.
In a recent EmpowHer article, I addressed the chronic lack of funding for metastatic breast cancer research.
Despite a dearth of funding, the research into stage IV breast cancer is yielding promising developments.
1) Chemo-resistant Cancer Cells Meet Their Match
Antoinette Tan, M.D. explained in an article in MedPage Today that breast cancer is heterogeneous, or diverse in character or cause, so no one treatment option fits every woman’s diagnosis. When cancer becomes resistant or non-responsive to the treatments available, the prognosis is terminal.
Chemotherapy works by creating lesions in cancer cells, eventually causing cell death. Cancer becomes resistant when the body’s natural processes fight to repair these cancerous cells. Researchers are working on a way to prevent cancer cells from repairing themselves.
Medical News Today reported, "As chemotherapy works by inducing lesions in the DNA of cancer cells, tumors would become less resistant to the treatment if their cells are unable to repair this DNA damage."
Spironolactone, a drug already used for the treatment of hypertension, has proven effective in blocking DNA repair mechanisms. Prevent cell repair, and cancer cells will continue to succumb to chemotherapy.
2) A New Option for Triple Negative Breast Cancer
IMMU-132, a drug previously fast-tracked to treat lung and pancreatic cancer, has been fast-tracked by the FDA to treat triple-negative breast cancer.
The FDA created the Fast Track program in 1997 in order to expedite the testing of drugs for serious and life-threatening illnesses. The drug, also known as sacituzumab govitecan, is good news for triple negative breast cancer, which currently has few therapy options.
For more detailed information on this development, read here.
3) A Molecule that Shrinks Tumors and Kills Cancer Cells
A normal, healthy cell has a life span dictated by its telomere. As cells divide, telomeres diminish in length. When the telomeres decrease enough, cells die. Unlike regular cells, cancer cells contain and RNA protein complex that prevents cell death, resulting in tumors.
Research reported January 3rd in tech times stated that the use of a small molecule, 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine, has proven in tests so far to stop cell division in cancer cells. Using a cell's natural processes, this molecule may inhibit tumor growth and kill cancer.
To stay up to date on the latest advancements in metastatic breast cancer research, follow this blog devoted exclusively to men and women living with metastatic breast cancer, Metavivor.org.
Sources:
Metastatic Breast Cancer Therapy: Tried and True to What's New. MedPageToday.com. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/BreastCancer/48235
FDA grants fast track status to IMMU-132 for triple-negative breast cancer. helio.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/breast-cancer/news/online/%7B1f528231-9335-4c2d-af6f-1d17b6ed15a0%7D/fda-grants-fast-track-status-to-immu-132-for-triple-negative-breast-cancer
Cancer Cure? Researchers Discover Small Molecule that can Shrink Tumors, Kill Cancer Cells. TechTimes.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/24426/20150103/cancer-cure-researchers-discover-small-molecule-that-can-shrink-tumors-kill-cancer-cells.htm
Dalhousie researchers find drug combination that ‘shut down’ tumours. Herald News. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1260478-dalhousie-researchers-find-drug-combination-that-%E2%80%98shut-down%E2%80%99-tumours
Potential new drug target for combating chemo-resistant cancer cells. MedicalNewsToday.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287893.php
Reviewed January 22, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith