A research conducted by researchers from the RCSI the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, as well as the Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre (BRCC) has identified a possible novel method of treating secondary breast cancers that have been able to spread to the brain making use of existing treatments.
The study, which was published in Nature Communications, was supported through Breast Cancer Ireland with support from Breast Cancer Now and Science Foundation Ireland.
The majority of deaths related to breast cancer are the result of the treatment's relapse, which leads to the spreading of tumors to various organs throughout the body. If secondary breast cancer or metastatic breast cancer develops, it develops in the brain, it can be extremely dangerous, often giving patients just a few months of life.
The RCSI study was focused on tracking genetically the tumor's progression from the initial the diagnosis of breast cancer as primary to metastatic spread within the brain of cancer patients. The study found that more than 50% of tumors showed variations in the method they repaired their DNA which makes the tumors more susceptible to an existing medication known as PARP inhibitor. PARP inhibitors function by blocking cancer cells' ability to repair their DNA, resulting in cancer cells dying.
"There aren't enough treatments for patients suffering from breast cancer that has spread to brain, and research aimed at broadening treatment options is essential. This study is a significant improvement in moving just one step closer a possible treatment for those suffering from this deadly cancerous complication that is a complication of tumors of the breast.," commented Professor Leonie Young as the study's Principal Investigator.
"By uncovering these new vulnerabilities in DNA pathways in brain metastasis, our research opens up the possibility of novel treatment strategies for patients who previously had limited targeted therapy options," said the study's the study's lead author Dr. Damir Vareslija.
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