A new discovery in the treatment of breast cancer kills “hibernating” cells

In a new breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer, scientists have discovered that they’ll potentially locate and kill “hibernating” cancer cells. Their research results were recently published in the journal

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London investigated why estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) cancers can come back and located that breast cancer cells could remain dormant for many years. However, once the cells “wake up” they’ll do that create cancer, According to

This new discovery may lead to preventive tactics that may discover these cells even after they are “sleeping.” Eliminating the cells at this stage will reduce the need for long-term hormone treatment: Scientists have found that inhibiting the G9a enzyme stops cancer cells from dormant and kills existing ones.

“We wanted to better understand why breast cancer comes back and hopefully find ways to stop it so people don’t have to live in fear or face the devastating news of the disease coming back,” said Cancer Research Institute professor Luca Magnani. “Our research has identified a key mechanism used by cancer cells to evade therapy by remaining dormant and hibernating before ‘waking up’ many years later and starting to divide rapidly again. I hope that our early discoveries will then lead to research targeting dormant breast cancer cells so that one day, without the need for years of hormone therapy, patients can be assured that their cancer will not return.”

The findings are especially necessary for ladies of color. According to the American Cancer Society, black women have the lowest five-year relative breast cancer survival rate, at every stage of diagnosis and each subtype. Breast cancer can also be the leading cause of cancer death amongst black women.

The scientists’ discovery will help track the development of cancer cells and end the dormant cells before the disease recurs.

“This promising study provides necessary clues into how cancer cells escape treatment and survive in a dormant state. We sit up for seeing what lessons emerge from this in future studies,” said Dr Simon Vincent, director of Breast Cancer Now, the UK charity that has donated up to €1 million to the foundation research dormant cells. Her research on treatment strategies goals to be sure that once doctors eliminate breast cancer, it now not exists.