Reactions: Breast cancer relapse may be triggered by chemotherapy damage to non-cancerous cells
A standard chemotherapy drug injures surrounding noncancerous cells, which can awaken dormant cancer cells and promote cancer growth, according to a study published today in the journal PLOS Biology.
Joan Albanell - cáncer quimioterapia EN
Joan Albanell
Head of the Department of Medical Oncology at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona
The methodology is adequate, but limited to preclinical models, so its translation to the clinic remains to be determined.
This study adds to the growing evidence that chemotherapy can damage non-tumor cells that are part of cancers and specifically demonstrates that it can reactivate the growth of dormant tumor cells. Importantly, it describes mechanisms causing this tumor re-emergence in breast cancer that can be counteracted pharmacologically at an experimental level. Its clinical translation is still a question mark.
“I have no conflicts of interest with the drugs used in the study. I have received consulting or advisory fees from Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, MSD, Lilly, and AstraZeneca Daiichi-Sankyo; research funding or grant support for clinical trials from Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, MSD, Lilly, and Daiichi-Sankyo; and travel and accommodation support from Roche, Pfizer, Amgen, MSD, Lilly and AstraZeneca Daiichi-Sankyo. Additionally, I hold a patent in LCOR, EGFR ECD and stock options in Inbiomotion”.
Javier Cortés - cáncer mama quimioterapia
Javier Cortés
Head of the International Breast Cancer Centre IBCC (Barcelona), Scientific Medical Director of the Institute of Oncology of Madrid (IOB) and co-founder of Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MedSIR)
Two things must be taken into account:
- Cancer is a whole; There may be negative interaction with one part, but very positive with another, the absolute balance being positive.
- What is more important: there are studies that have compared giving or not giving taxanes [a type of drugs used as chemotherapy] and the benefits in favor of giving them are very clear.
Ganesan R, Bhasin SS, Bakhtiary M, Krishnan U, Cheemarla NR, Thomas BE, et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
- Experimental study
- Animals
- In vitro
