Breast cancer treatment is set to take a significant step ahead, thanks to a group of city researchers who have devised a targeted therapy for the disease.
The researchers — Souvik Sengupta, Sudeshna Gangopadhyay and Ashish Mukhopadhyay — have sought permission for human trials that could begin later this year.
It was while screening young breast cancer patients that the team noticed a pattern — younger patients were suffering relapses more often than older ones. The team then experimented with target therapy drugs which had so far been used to treat liver and kidney cancer. They managed to target and destroy the cancerous stem cells effectively.
A paper produced by the three researchers will be published in the forthcoming issue of the prestigious journal ‘Clinical Breast Cancer, USA’. It has been given the status of a review article which is generally accorded to potentially pioneering research work.
Breast cancer stem cells are not merely drug-resistant; they tend to spread to the bones and lymph glands quickly. Once they do, there is very little that can be done to save the patient. Targeted therapy is the only option.
Once human trials start, it will be easier to identify the cells and the drugs that can kill them. A patient can undergo a test to identify the best possible drug for just Rs 5000.
(edited from The times of India )
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