ironjustice

Cancer spread 'could be halted'


New blood vessels aid cancer spread
Scientists have uncovered more evidence of a "switch" which allows breast
cancer to grow and spread.
The finding, by US researchers, could lead to drugs precisely targeted to stop
this process in its tracks.

Mice genetically altered to produce larger quantities of a chemical called
COX-2 had faster-growing and spreading breast cancers.

Drugs that "inhibit" COX-2 - from the aspirin family - could have a role
fighting breast cancer, say experts.

The research was carried out at the University of Connecticut, and published in
the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One of the key factors that allows a tumour to grow is whether it has
sufficient blood supply to support its new size.

Many tumours can harness chemical pathways that prompt the body to create a web
of new blood vessels around the cancer, a process called angiogenesis.

COX-2, and another chemical linked to it, called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are
already under suspicion for having a role in this process.

Altered mouse

If this role is proven, there are already drugs available which could interfere
with this process, and perhaps improve the chances of patients with breast
cancer, which has become the most common cancer in women in the UK.

Dr Timothy Hla, who led the study, created a genetically modified mouse which
produced more COX-2 in its breast tissue - in theory producing the perfect
environment for a breast tumour to create the necessary blood vessels to allow
growth.

This was what they found - blood vessel density increased prior to visible
tumour growth in the mouse breast tissue, and during progression, the density
of the blood vessels increased at an exponential way.

When drugs called COX-2 inhibitors - designed to interfere with the workings of
this chemical - were added to the mix, tumour growth slowed and blood vessel
density decreased, pointing again to the role of COX-2 in the process.

Household medicines

Several commonplace household drugs have been shown to have an inhibitory
effect on COX-2 - including aspirin and ibroprofen - which in theory could be
used to prevent or hold back breast tumours.

However, doctors say they could create a more specific drug which avoids some
of the dangerous side-effects of long-term painkiller use.

Dr Henry Jabbour, from the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in Edinburgh,
is interested in the potential of these drugs to tackle a variety of cancers.

He said: "There have already been trials in colon cancer, but it possible they
could be effective in other cancer types.

"New studies would be needed to see if this is the case."

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Tom
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bilz0r

Wow! There's a surprise.

k f

This study is flawed in some many aspects.

As somebody who has experience in over-expressing certain genes and enzymes
in experimental systems, all I can say is that these results have to be
taken with a large grain of salt. They are very useful for hypothesis
generation, but are not theory defining let alone proving. If COX inhibitors
prevented cancer spread, we would have huge amounts of evidence to show
this. COX inhibitors are among the most widely used drugs in the world,
causing more deaths and hospitalizations from GI bleeds, as well as other
serious adverse effects, than could ever justify there use to prevent
cancerous metastases.

bilz0r

Well you could give them locally, or IV, or use steroids, or COX-2
inhibitors. There are lot of ways to get around side effects. And besides,
cemotherapy, or NSAIDS... yeah, I'd be really worried about some
ulceration.