'Stem Cell' test could identify most aggressive Breast Cancers

Testing breast cancer cells for how closely they resemble stem cells could identify women with the most aggressive disease, a new study suggests. Researchers found that breast cancers with a similar pattern of gene activity to that of adult stem cells had a high chance of spreading to other parts of the body. Assessing a breast cancer’s pattern of activity in these stem cell genes has the potential to identify women who might need intensive treatment to prevent their disease recurring or spreading, the researchers said. A research team from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, King’s College London and Cardiff University’s European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute identified a set of 323 genes whose activity was turned up to high levels in normal breast stem cells in mice.
The results show that the cells of aggressive triple-negative breast cancers are particularly ‘stem-cell-like’, taking on properties of stem cells such as self-renewal to help them grow and spread. They also suggest that some of the 323 genes could be promising targets for potential cancer drugs.
Study leader Dr Matthew Smalley, Deputy Director of the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute and Reader within Cardiff University’s School of Biosciences, said: “Triple negative breast cancer accounts for around 15 per cent of breast cancers, but is more difficult to treat than other cancer types as it is not suitable for treatments such as anti-hormonal therapy. It’s particularly important to understand the genetic factors that help it to spread around the body, and we were excited to find that a key factor seems to be the degree to which gene activity resembles that of stem cells.
“This study could be hugely important to find ways to identify those patients who are at risk of the most aggressive forms of the disease, improving the way they are monitored and cared for. Crucially, this research could lead to new treatments with the potential to make a real difference for women with this type of breast cancer.”