There may be a new method to stop the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body. This is the breakthrough result of a study conducted by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, as reported by The Mirror. Since most breast cancer cells spread towards the lungs, this is a chance for scientists to learn more in preventing such occurrence and finding new treatments.
They discovered a certain "trigger" among the cancer cells that allows the spread to other body parts. Using mice suffering from breast cancer in their study, they found out that signals, called chemokines, are present in the macrophages of the cells. When these signals are blocked, the number of tumors in the lungs were substantially reduced, according to a report by The Guardian.
The latest research was conducted by the university's MRC Centre for Reproductive Health. The US Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health, as well as the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust in the UK, funded the research. This was also published in the "Journal of Experimental Medicine."
The study reveals that there might be a way to stop the secondary tumors brought about by the cancer cell's macrophages. The communication among these invasive cells might possibly be blocked and prevented from causing further growths in other body parts.
"Our findings open the door to the development of treatments that target the tumor microenvironment, which may stop the deadly progression of breast cancer in its tracks," said Centre director Professor Jeffrey Pollard, as reported by The Guardian.
As found in the study, a molecule called the CCR1 may be targeted, as it gives signals to stop cancer cell spread as well as reduce the side effects on the patients.
"Research supports the idea that cells of the immune system, such as macrophages, play a crucial role in the growth and spread of breast cancer. This Scottish study reveals even more detail about the complex relationship of immune cells and cancer cells in the development of secondary breast cancer," says James Jopling, Scotland director of the Breast Cancer Campaign and Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
According to the Cancer.org, an estimated 231, 840 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year alone. It is said to be the frequently-diagnosed form of cancer in women and the second-ranked cause of cancer death after lung cancer in women.
