Do I need chemotherapy?
Tomsk has tested a method of treating breast cancer that reduces the risk of metastases
Scientists of the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center (NIMC) have successfully tested a new method of treating breast cancer, which avoids the development of metastases in 93% of cases, Nikolay Litvyakov, head of the laboratory of Oncovirusology of the Research Institute of Oncology of the Tomsk NIMC, told TASS.
"First, we determine whether the tumor is able to metastasize and, depending on this, we make a decision whether or not to give patients chemotherapy. Initially, when testing the method, two groups of patients were included in the prospective study. The first is patients whose tumors are not capable of metastasis and they have not had chemotherapy, but have had surgery, they have a 100% survival rate without the development of metastases for more than four years. And in the second group, where the tumor was able to metastasize, chemotherapy was performed, metastasis was avoided in only 89% of cases, and in total, in 93% of cases, metastasis was prevented in two groups," Litvyakov stressed.
According to him, the essence of the method is as follows: after diagnosis, tumor DNA is isolated from patients, and the ability of the tumor to metastasize is determined by special markers of the stem cell induction genes. These markers were established as a result of long preliminary studies. If the tumor is able to metastasize, the patient is offered preoperative chemotherapy, which can destroy such tumor cells capable of metastasis. If the tumor is not capable of metastasis, the operation is performed immediately. This makes it possible not to expose patients to excessive toxic effects of cytostatics.
The appointment of preoperative chemotherapy is personalized. It is determined to which chemotherapy drugs the patient's tumor is sensitive, and after that the appropriate drugs are prescribed for her treatment.
The doctors plan to improve the system of prescribing chemotherapy. "Now we are able to eliminate tumor cells with metastasis markers in 55% of patients, and if we apply a different approach, building a phylogenetic tree of tumor origin, and calculate a personalized chemotherapy regimen taking into account the time of origin of tumor cells capable of metastasis, using a special program that is being developed jointly with Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics – there will be 80% elimination," Litvyakov said. According to him, this method of treatment has been used in patients with breast cancer, but it can be used for other types of cancer, but this requires further research.
Metastases are the main cause of death in patients with oncological pathology. Meanwhile, not every tumor has metastatic potential: even at the third stage, in 30% of breast cancer patients, the tumor is not able to metastasize.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru