In recent years, the survival of patients with breast cancer has improved significantly due to screening and diagnostic methods. Of course, also thanks to treatment. However Relapse for breast cancer This is still a serious problem. The drawing varies depending on the source, but, according to estimates, the percentage of patients falling in subsequent years This is between approximately 20 % and 40 %. For this reason, there are many researchers trying not only to improve cancer treatment methods, but also Medicines that can prevent relapse. Now a group of scientists from University of Pennsylvania He showed that a combination of two previously known drugs in the field of oncology can be a silver bullet that they were looking for.
Initially They showed this only in mice. Nevertheless, they also published the results of a clinical test in public in which the results were magnificent. Out of 51 patients who participated in the indicated essay, Only two transferred the relapse of breast cancer 42 months later. In addition, cells that are usually associated with this relapse have practically disappeared in most of them.
All this shows that two drugs proved by the authors of the study can be the key against the relapse of breast cancer. And better to be medicines that have already been approved for other purposes, Many steps of bureaucracy and clinical trials are preserved so that they can be used. It is necessary to perform these essays. However, they can be reduced so that they can be Available for oncologists Much faster than if it were a recently discovered substance. Caution is always important on the issue of cancer; But, of course, there are grounds for optimism with this news.
Why relapse of breast cancer?
As explained in an article on this topic, a scientific journalist Enrique Coperías, Triple negativity and tumors HER2+, as a rule, appear for several years. Instead, ER+ can do this decades later. It is not known in which patients of this relapse will occur so often, even if they are already cured, they live with great uncertainty. It should be noted that if we talk in male, this is because, contrary to what they sometimes think, Breast cancer can also affect menThe field of course, they are usually a minority.
Relapse of breast cancer is due to the presence of tumor cells, which They remain hidden In another place from the original tumor. For example, c Bone marrowOften these cells are not only inactive, but are also not detected by methods that are usually used for Diagnose cancerTherefore, you can’t even know which patients will most likely experience relapse over time.
Although these latent cells come from a tumor, their survival mechanisms They are not the same as in tumor cellsTherefore, the treatment methods that usually attack the latter do not serve them.
The authors of this study spent a lot of time on the definition, which are the alarms of the alarm of each type of cells and how to stop them. That is, how can you specifically attack these sleeping cells to stop the mechanisms that guarantee their survival?
The key in two medicines that have already been known
Having tried several substances, these scientists came to the conclusion that there were two good candidates who could attack the signaling paths of hidden cells: Hydroxyrvin and EverolimusThe first field is the drug that has become world famous during the pandemic Covid-19. And, although it was originally developed as medicine of malaria, its anti -inflationary role was useful for other diseases. He began to test in patients received by severe Covid-19 with variable results. The population understood that this was ideal for the treatment and prevention of diseases in any of their forms. In addition, a certain president of the US Government did not help to deny him in his statements, so a lot of hysteria began to achieve drugs. As for EverolimusThis is less known, but very useful, since it inhibits the dile, a molecule with an important role in Cell proliferation
It was evident that in mice both drugs are very useful for preventing relapse of breast cancer. But what happens to people?
Clinical study with very good results
To answer the question about its effectiveness in people, Smart essayWhose second stage has just ended with excellent results.
At this stage, they participated 51 Women experience breast cancerWhose research has been completely clean over the past 5 years. All of them also showed breast cancer cells in their bone marrow when they passed the analysis.
Patients They were divided into 3 groups. In one of them, they took a hydroxyurokhin, in another Everolymus, and in the third combination of two drugs. All groups received 6 rounds of drugsThen they went in a field in search of latent cells. Between 6 months and a year later, There are no hidden cells left in 80 % of themIn addition to the field, the free survival of the disease exceeded 90 %for three years, in which they received one drug and reached 100 %, in which they received treatment with both of them.
Therefore, it is clear that this pharmacological combination can be greenhouse to avoid relapse of breast cancer. We will need to see what happens in the 3rd phase of a clinical test, with an even larger number of participants, but now everything looks very good. I hope the results will remain equally good.
Source: Hiper Textual
