Trinity discovery could cut spread of breast cancer

RESEARCHERS in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) have discovered that blocking a particular stress response can significantly reduce the spread of breast cancer.

The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, looked at women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland between 2000 and 2007.

Using data from the National Cancer Registry, and the HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Services, they found those taking drugs that blocked a particular hormone related stress pathway had a much lower risk of dying from their cancer.

Dr Ian Barron, a Health Research Board postdoctoral fellow at TCD, looked at women diagnosed with breast cancer over a seven-year period.

“For patients with cancer, higher levels of stress are associated with more frequent disease recurrence, faster disease progression and higher rates of death from cancer,” Dr Barron said.

He added studies have suggested how stress hormones such as adrenaline and * oradrenaline, could play a role in this process, but this is the first study in humans to show blocking the stress response greatly reduces the risk of cancer spreading or metastasising.

The research found that when compared to control groups:

* Women taking the stress hormone blocking drugs in the year prior to their cancer diagnosis were less likely to be diagnosed with invasive or metastatic breast cancer than women who were not taking it.

* Women continuing to take the drug after their diagnosis were considerably less likely to die from the disease in the five years following diagnosis.