Breast Cancer Cells Evade Treatment, According To New Research

(CTN News) – Researchers have discovered how some breast cancer cells are able to evade treatment by slipping into a state of hibernation.

Certain breast cancer cells can go into a state of dormancy, similar to hibernation, when exposed to hormone therapies designed to control cancer growth, according to researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.

Dormant cancer cells can lie dormant for years before reawakening and reigniting the cancer. The way they challenge treatment is as follows. The phenomenon is particularly noticeable in cases of breast cancer that expresses estrogen receptors (ER+).

However, why is this so important? This revelation has the potential to change the game. In addition, it opens the possibility of developing new strategies to target these elusive, “sleeping” cancer cells before they are resurfaced and cause further damage. For the thousands of women suffering from oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer,

Which makes up 80% of all breast cancers, finding a cure would provide a glimmer of hope.

Luca Magnani, professor of epigenetic plasticity at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, explained: “After surgery to remove primary estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, patients undergo hormone therapy to eradicate any remaining cancer cells.

However, we are aware that this approach may not be effective for every patient, as breast cancer can return years or even decades after treatment.

Having a better understanding of why cancer returns will allow us to hopefully find ways to stop it in the future – so people will no longer have to live in fear or suffer the devastating effects of a relapse.”

During our research, we identified a key mechanism by which cancer cells evade therapy by remaining in a dormant state and hibernating in order to resurface years later and begin to rapidly divide.

We hope that our early findings will lead to further research into the targeting of dormant breast cancer cells so that one day patients will no longer have to endure years of hormone therapy.

The growth of ER+ breast cancer is dependent upon estrogen. It is common for doctors to use a variety of treatments and surgeries depending on the condition of the patient.

Cancer Discovery published a study that identified an enzyme (G9a) that aids cancer cells in hibernating and evading treatment.

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