UK Health Radio Medical News - Breast Cancer Link with Leukaemia

UK Health Radio Medical News Update

Breast Cancer Link with Leukaemia

News has broken that Leukaemia research may lead to new drugs for difficult-to-treat breast cancers, according to  scientists.

The types of breast tumours that may be targeted cannot be treated with the drugs which have been used and have hugely improved survival.

A team in Glasgow say that they have identified a faulty piece of DNA which causes leukaemia and also has a role in some tumours.  They hope that this could help in research for new drugs.

Meanwhile, other researchers say they have taken tentative steps towards a blood test for breast cancer.  Currently oestrogen or progesterone positive breast cancers can be treated with hormone therapies such as Tamoxifen while another drug, Herceptin, works only on those tumours that are HER2-positive.

But around one in five breast cancers is "triple negative" meaning chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery are the only options.

A team at the University of Glasgow investigated the role of the RUNX1 gene, which is one of the most commonly altered genes in leukaemia.  However, they have now shown it is also active in the most deadly of triple negative breast cancers.

Tests on 483 triple negative breast cancers showed patients testing positive for RUNX1 were four times more likely to die as a result of the cancer than those without it.

One of the researchers, Dr Karen Blyth, told the BBC: "First we need to prove this gene is causative to the At the time that scientists at University College London think they have taken the first steps towards a blood test for breast cancer this is an exciting times in terms of breast cancer research.

Amanda Thomas

UK Health Radio Medical News Update

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