Could statins prevent breast cancer returning?

Conclusion The study aimed to identify biological pathways that could be the reason why some ER+ breast cancers relapse after oestrogen-blocking treatment. It seems that one of the answers for treatment resistance lies in increased activity of cholesterol-producing pathways in the absence of oestrogen. The cholesterol molecules mimic oestrogen and stimulate further tumour growth. The researchers hope that their research could potentially highlight a new pathway, which could be used as a target for therapeutic treatment in the future. Dr Lesley-Ann Martin from the research team told the media, "This is hugely significant. Testing the patient's tumour for 25-HC or the enzymes that make it may allow us to predict which patients are likely to develop resistance to hormone therapy, and tailor their treatment accordingly." While this may be an important discovery, and could hopefully pave the way to more targeted treatments, the research has so far only been performed in cells in the lab. Cholesterol-blocking treatments such as statins may have new potential in the management of some people with ER+  breast cancers, but they have not yet been tested for this use. Further laboratory studies are likely to be needed to test the effect of statins upon cancer growth. If these results are positive, this may lead to clinical trials to test whether statins have the same effect in people as they do on cancer cell growth in the lab. This will identify which women could benefit f...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Medication Source Type: news