Broccoli Breast Cancer Breakthrough
Scientists in Manchester have had another breakthrough in fighting breast cancer thanks to broccoli.
It seems broccoli can help beat breast cancer.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have been testing a compound in the vegetable after it was found to stop the build-up of resistant cells.
It's now been developed into a drug which could eventually be used alongside other successful treatments.
Dr Robert Clarke from the University’s Institute of Cancer Sciences has been explaining the findings to our Chief Reporter Michelle Livesey:
The researchers show that in the most common type of breast cancer, affecting 70% of patients, the drug Sulforadex helps overcome resistance to routinely used hormonal treatments by targeting the cancer stem cell population.
While most women initially respond well to hormonal treatment with drugs such as tamoxifen, many go on to develop resistance and relapse. There is evidence that this is often due to activation of the Wnt signalling pathway, a gene involved in development which fuels the growth of the tumour.
Around 70% of breast cancers express the ‘estrogen receptor’ (ER) and typical treatment focuses on reducing estrogen levels or blocking ER function. However, the researchers have shown that cancer stem cells which cause tumours to regrow and spread do not express the ER. Thus, these stem cells aren’t inhibited by the standard treatments and have the ability to regrow the tumour.
The new combination therapy, tested in lab studies by the Manchester scientists, combines Evgen’s Wnt pathway-suppressing drug, Sulforadex with standard hormonal treatments. This targets both the estrogen-sensitive cells and the remaining cancer stem cells at the same time.