Genetics plays vital role in breast cancer progression
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute announced that the results of their research showed that inheritance factors and genetics play a vital role in breast cancer progression. The research was performed in mice and five independent collections of human breast tumors.
The research also showed that gene activities in tumor cells and immune cells that infiltrate, or invade, tumors can contribute to the development of expression profiles, called gene signatures, that are predictive of cancer progression. Scientists analyzed both healthy mouse tissue and tumorous tissue and came to a conclusion that gene signatures that point to a tumor’s potential for spreading throughout the body can be the result of both inherited and non-inherited factors, with inherited factors being more consistently predictive.
The researchers used microarray technology for this experiment. This method allowed them to scan vast amounts of genetic information and identify gene signatures that can be used to predict cancer outcomes. “Our earlier studies clearly established that inherited factors also play an important role in metastatic progression and can help distinguish which tumors have a propensity to metastasize,” said one of the authors Kent W. Hunter, Ph.D.. “Hopefully in the future we will be able to determine which women are more likely to have a tumor that would metastasize, and we could then tailor therapy specifically for them, avoiding the use of harsh treatments for those with a low probability of metastasis.”
“Our study provides additional evidence of the role of inherited genes in human breast cancer progression. Therefore our next step is to improve our current understanding of the role of the epithelium and stroma in tumor progression and develop more effective therapeutic strategies based on our new knowledge,” said Hunter.
The details will be published in Cancer Research.
Source: nih.gov, ccr.cancer.gov/staff/staff.asp?profileid=13660
