Researchers Identify Genes Tied to Breast Cancer that Spreads to the Brain
Chicago (PRWEB) September 20, 2013 -- Researchers have identified the epigenetic markers that determine whether breast cancer will spread to the brain, which could lead to earlier diagnoses and more effective treatment, suggests a study being presented today at ASCP 2013 Chicago, the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death among U.S. women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some breast cancers are more likely to spread beyond the breast (metastasize), including to the brain. Currently, doctors don’t have a clear picture at diagnosis regarding which breast cancers are likely to metastasize to the brain and which are not. Encouragingly, researchers have recently identified molecular markers called micro ribonucleic acids (RNAs) as potentially playing a role.
“Survival rates are low once breast cancer metastasizes to the brain,” said Seema Sethi, MD, a resident at Wayne State University and Detroit Medical Center, and lead author of the study. “This research will help us develop targeted therapies so we can more aggressively treat patients with this form of breast cancer.”
Researchers extracted micro RNA from the tumors of 90 women with breast cancer, including 45 whose cancer had spread to the brain (metastasized) and 45 whose cancer had not. After analyzing the data, researchers found that several micro RNAs were significantly altered in patients whose breast cancer had spread to the brain. They also identified several target genes involved in the process.
Researchers believe these micro RNAs and their target genes could help identify which breast cancers eventually will metastasize to the brain when the cancer is first diagnosed and determine the course of therapy, including how aggressive treatment should be. This newer approach, called personalized medicine, means targeted therapies and specific treatment options would be available depending on each patient’s medical history and epigenetic markers.
# # # # #
ASCP 2013 Chicago will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Upper Wacker Dr., in Chicago. For more information about the meeting, visit http://www.ascp.org/ascp2013.
About the American Society for Clinical Pathology
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. For more information, visit http://www.ascp.org.
Sarah Minnis, American Society for Clinical Pathology, http://ascp.org/, +1 (312) 558-1770 161, [email protected]
Share this article