Drug Offers Hope for Genetic Breast Cancer Sufferers

First-of-its-kind drug slows, stops tumor growth

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Jun 1, 2009 8:31 AM CDT

(Newser) – A first-of-its-kind drug has been developed to fight genetic breast cancer, with an initial round of human trials showing “very promising” results, reports the Times of London. The drug Olaparib works by blocking a protein that makes cancer cells containing the genetic default unable to repair themselves. The drug shrank tumors or stopped their growth in 40% of cases studied.

“We are hopeful that olaparib could provide a targeted treatment for women with BRCA-related breast cancer,” said the lead researcher. He noted that the drug is less invasive than chemotherapy because it targets just the cancerous cells. Women with the mutation that leads to genetic breast cancer have an 80% chance of developing the disease in their lifetime, and many have their breasts removed as a preventative measure.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

A woman who had a mastectomy to remove a tumor is fitted for prosthetic breast form at the FUNDESO organization for breast cancer survivors in San Jose, Costa Rica, last month. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)

Olga Barrantes, who had a mastectomy to remove breast cancer, sleeps at the FUNDESO hostel for breast cancer patients in San Jose, Costa Rica, last month. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)

Olga Barrantes, who had a mastectomy to remove a tumor, left, hugs a fellow breast cancer survivor at the FUNDESO hostel in San Jose, Costa Rica,, last month. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Breast cancer has left a horrific mark on our family due to a mutation being passed down the paternal line. I have three nieces who could benefit from this treatment.
- Charlotte Sword, 40, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer multiple times

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Planned Parenthood Aside, Komen Is Just Ineffective

We must continue to put pressure on breast cancer organization: Peggy Orenstein

(NEWSER) - The furor that pushed the Komen foundation to reverse its controversial Planned Parenthood decision must now be turned to other aspects of the breast cancer fundraising organization, writes Peggy Orenstein in the Los Angeles Times . Despite the name "Susan G. Komen for the Cure," last year the organization spent just 15% of its funds on research. That's about half the percentage spent in 2008, despite the fact that Komen's revenue is rising. The truth is, "mammography, rather than a cure, has always been Komen's focus," as evidenced by the fact that 55% of last year's funds went toward awareness and promoting mammograms. More»

New Cancer Fighter: Cooked Tomatoes

Heinz-backed research highlights lycopene

(NEWSER) - Good news, but only if you like tomatoes: The chemical that makes them red helps fight prostate cancer, a study suggests. In a lab, lycopene was shown to stop cancer cells from attaching to a blood supply. The process can delay the cells' growth, and even kill them, the Telegraph reports. "'This simple chemical reaction was shown to occur at lycopene concentrations that can easily be achieved by eating processed tomatoes," said one of the researchers in Britain. More»

Drug Combos Hailed as Big Breast Cancer Breakthrough

New drug combos delay tumor growth in advanced cases

(NEWSER) - Two new studies mark what could be the biggest breakthrough in treating breast cancer in more than a decade, researchers say. Both involve combining drug therapies that attack tumors in different ways, significantly delaying the time until women with advanced breast cancer became sicker, the AP reports. One treatment held tumor growth at bay for around six months longer than conventional treatments; the other delayed it for four months longer. More»

Evelyn Lauder, Creator of Pink Ribbon, Dead at 75

Cosmetics exec championed breast health before it was cool

(NEWSER) - Evelyn Lauder, the daughter-in-law of cosmetics tycoon Estée Lauder who made the pink ribbon ubiquitous with breast cancer awareness, died yesterday of complications of ovarian cancer, reports People . She was 75. Lauder was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989, and three years later joined with a friend to design the pink ribbons. She and husband Leonard Lauder paid for the first bows, and distributed them at department store cosmetics counters to remind women about breast exams. More»

Another Study Says Sitting Too Long Ups Cancer Risk

Inactivity linked to greater risk of breast, colon cancer

(NEWSER) - And the "sitting is bad for you" drum beats on: Even people who get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day have a higher risk of developing cancer if they spend most of the rest of their waking hours sitting down, researchers say. An analysis presented at the American Institute for Cancer Research's annual conference yesterday suggests that every year, some 49,000 new cases of breast cancer and 43,000 of colon cancer can be linked to inactivity and to sitting down for too long. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Drug Offers Hope for Genetic Breast Cancer Sufferers