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New technology can predict the spread of breast cancer into the lungs
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. The risk of dying from breast cancer is greater if the disease has already spread. Researchers have now developed a new technique that can reliably predict whether breast cancer will spread to the lungs of affected individuals.
Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) and King's College London have found in their recent research that a new imaging technique is able to predict whether primary breast cancer will spread to the lungs in those with cancer. The doctors published a press release on the results of their study.
Breast cancer is a dangerous disease that is very common in women. Physicians have now developed a novel test that can determine if the cancer will spread to the lungs even before the first metastases have formed there. (Image: Uwe Grötzner / fotolia.com) In the future, more people suffering from breast cancer could be saved
In 2013 alone, nearly 54,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the UK. In 2014, about 11,400 people died of the disease there. Experts now hope the new medical breakthrough will help save more lives in the future.
New technique was tested in experiments on mice
The scientists have now developed an innovative imaging technique that can predict whether the disease will spread to the lungs. During the study, the new non-invasive imaging method was tested on mice. It was investigated whether this technique can be used to detect changes in the lungs that may indicate spreading breast cancer, even before the first metastases are visible, explain the physicians.
Test allows the selection of the most effective treatment
If this form of technology were to be released for human use, this approach could allow patients to be offered a more intensive therapy earlier in order to possibly prevent the spread of breast cancer, say the authors. By combining cell biology and imaging techniques, we have developed a predictive method at an early stage of tumor development that can determine if the tumor will continue to spread to the lungs, the experts explain. Developing a test that is able to identify an increased risk of metastasis once a patient is diagnosed with breast cancer would be very useful in choosing the best treatment, the researchers add.
What is angiogenesis??
Previous research has shown that detecting a specific type of immune cell in places such as the human lung provides a good basis for detecting the spread of breast cancer metastases. This is because when the local immune system is suppressed, this promotes the formation of new blood vessels, the experts explain. This process is also called angiogenesis. The special immune cells are called so-called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC).
New discovery is crucial for the treatment of breast cancer
Researchers at King's College London have developed a radioactive molecule that can identify myeloid-derived suppressor cells that accumulate in the lungs to prepare for the arrival of breast cancer cells and the formation of metastases. Of course, further research is needed before the new technique can be tested on human patients. The discovery of ways to fight the spread of breast cancer, however, is crucial if we want to prevent more people from dying from the disease, say the scientists. Ultimately, anything that could give patients and their doctors a clearer picture of whether breast cancer will spread will help with the treatment and prevent it from spreading.
Further studies are needed
The new technique avoids the inconvenience of current invasive tests. It also has the potential to greatly influence the treatment of cancer and improve outcomes, experts say. Further studies are now needed to develop an effective and suitable for humans molecule. (As)