Study Finds Breast Cancer ' s Response to Tumor Stiffness May Predict Bone Metastasis

Study Finds Breast Cancer's Response to Tumor Stiffness May Predict Bone Metastasis UArizona Health Sciences researchers developed a novel mechanical conditioning score to quantify the changes that make breast cancer cells more aggressive, which could lead to earlier identification of patients who are at high risk for bone metastasis. Today University of Arizona Health SciencesMouneimne_2018_1-web.JPG Ghassan Mouneimne hopes the findings of a recently concluded study will lead to a way to predict which breast cancer patients are at high risk for bone metastasis.HealthBIO5College of Medicine - Tucson Media contact(s)Stacy Pigott University of Arizona Health Sciencesspigott@arizona.edu520-539-4152In cases of breast cancer, bone metastasis – when cancer cells spread to new sites in the bone – causes the most breast cancer-related harm and is often incurable in advanced disease. A new study by University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers found that cancer cells become more aggressive when exposed to tissue stiffening and that these changes persist over time.Tumor stiffening, which develops as diseased breast tissue becomes fibrotic, plays a major role in how breast cancer cells spread throughout the body. Thepaper, " Breast tumor stiffness instructs bone metastasis via maintenance of mechanical conditioning, " published June 29 in the journal  Cell Reports, found that the stiffness of the breast tumor microenvironment can cause changes to cancer cells tha...
Source: The University of Arizona: Health - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Source Type: research