Breast Cancer Research

The mouse mammary tumor virus-like sequences (MMTV-LS) has been studied as a possible cause of human breast cancer. Molecular laboratory techniques are the most definitive for establishing a viral presence in human tissues. Despite many published laboratory studies on this subject many have had problems with methodology or design and they remain preliminary in establishing a significant association with breast cancer. Studies are ongoing.

The Department of Defense (DoD) distributes approximately $150M a year in congressionally directed breast cancer researching funding. In addition to the Breast Cancer Research Program, the DoD runs similar programs for a variety of diseases. The programs are designed to provide support of innovative, hegh-risk, high-reward studies. The distribution methodology for all of these programs provides for Consumer Advocates at all levels of the decision-making process, from establishing research priorities for the year, to reviewing each and every proposal, to the final funding decisions. As such, advocates sit on panels right alongside scientists, and have an opportunity to share their opinions, concerns and/or support about all of the projects under review. We are there to put a face on the disease and to bring survivor concerns to the forefront.

Consumer advocates (typically survivors themselves, although not necessarily) can apply directly to the DoD. In addition to your application, you must submit a recommendation from a “sponsoring” agency. Finally there is a brief interview that gives both the DoD and you a chance to address any questions you might have. If accepted, you will be assigned to the next available panel, along with administrative support, a scientific review officer and a consumer advocate mentor to help get you through!

While nothing more is required, if you do not have a medial or scientific background, understanding the proposals can be daunting. I personally suggest that applicants get some measure of background in the science side of breast cancer. The place I turned, and highly recommend, is the National Breast Cancer Coalition Project LEAD. You can find more here: http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org/learn/project-lead/


In addition to the inclusion of consumer voices, another hallmark of the DoD program is that all funded researchers are required to share their results at their Era of Hope Conference. It is a way to ensure that both promising results as well as “bad” results become a part of the knowledge pool.

While the DoD model has been implemented in may other grant settings, both domestically and world-wide, DoD remains the most highly sought and respected funders in breast cancer research. You can learn more about being a consumer reviewer for the DoD on their website: http://cdmrp.army.mil/cwg/default.shtml.

It looks like a Phase 2 study was just completed on metestatic women http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00842998?term=herceptin+only&rank=5

and a phase three is ongoing
and recruiting metestatic women

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00968968?term=herceptin+only&rank=9

to view all clinic trials go to http://clinicaltrials.gov

Yes, I can except that I cannot give a specific. Angiogenesis is triggered by three main receptor VEGFR 1, VEGFR 2, and VEGFR 3. You can inhibit one of these receptor or two receptors, or three receptors. Further, some people approach inhibit the ligand (stimulant of receptor). Stopping the ligand is the approach of Bevacizumab (Avastin).

So the main question is wether the ligands or the receptors important in creating new blood vessels that can nurture the cancer more. The answer is that we do not have a clear cut answer. Therefore, the thought is why not inhibit all three receptors. Because we speculate that all three receptors promote inflammatory breast cancer to be aggressive, we feel that is worth testing a drug that inhibit all three receptors.

Widespread use is something that will not happen easily in any research related to cancer. Sorry.

Most of the advancement in cancer research is an increment. Step by step. Further, IBC is under funded so it makes the situation more difficult.

MD Anderson Cancer Center focuses now on targeting EGFR, HDAC, VEGFR, c-Met, HER2, IGFR and etc. There are many targeted therapy trials conducted specially targeting IBC or including IBC.

If you are looking for serious medical articles, you can go to a medical library and ask for the followng articles to be pulled. I hope that this will guide you.

The other is for you to learn how to use PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
And do a search by inflammatory breast cancer.

The other website for the latest update related to inflammatory breast cancer is
http://www.facebook.com/InflammatoryBreastCancer


Inflammatory breast cancer: the disease, the biology, the treatment.
Robertson FM, Bondy M, Yang W, Yamauchi H, Wiggins S, Kamrudin S, Krishnamurthy S, Le-Petross H, Bidaut L, Player AN, Barsky SH, Woodward WA, Buchholz T, Lucci A, Ueno NT, Cristofanilli M.
CA Cancer J Clin. 2010 Nov-Dec;60(6):351-75. Epub 2010 Oct 19. Review. Erratum in: CA Cancer J Clin. 2011 Mar-Apr;61(2):134. Ueno, Naoto [corrected to Ueno, Naoto T].
PMID: 20959401 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article
Related citations

2.
International expert panel on inflammatory breast cancer: consensus statement for standardized diagnosis and treatment.
Dawood S, Merajver SD, Viens P, Vermeulen PB, Swain SM, Buchholz TA, Dirix LY, Levine PH, Lucci A, Krishnamurthy S, Robertson FM, Woodward WA, Yang WT, Ueno NT, Cristofanilli M.
Ann Oncol. 2011 Mar;22(3):515-23. Epub 2010 Jul 5.
PMID: 20603440 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related citations

3.
Molecular targets for treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.
Yamauchi H, Cristofanilli M, Nakamura S, Hortobagyi GN, Ueno NT.
Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2009 Jul;6(7):387-94. Epub 2009 May 26. Review.
PMID: 19468291 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Related citations

4.
The medical treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.
Dawood S, Ueno NT, Cristofanilli M.
Semin Oncol. 2008 Feb;35(1):64-71. Review.

I am guessing that you are asking how you develop a novel biomarkers or a new targeted therapy for breast cancer or inflammatory breast cancer.


There are several ways to approach this issues.

1. You collect large amoung of tissue and blood samples from breast cancer. Then you do a comprehensive analysis of genetic and protein changes (DNA, RNA, and protein). You link this data to a clinica data and find the one or them that can impact surveil or disease recurrence.

2. The other approach is discovery from basic research needs to be mined. And take their knowledge to apply by conducting a hypothesis oriented research. This means that you build up the puzzle one by one to prove the target is truly relevant in breast cancer.

Both approaches are important. Therefore, we do both and spend tremendous amount of time an money to come out with a strong scientific rationale before we can test this in human being. The problem we face is that there is not enough money and those who qualified to do this type of research.

Please asks me a more specific question. This may help me to answer this more accurately.

I am no researcher, nor a medical specialist. I am just a woman doing anything and everything I can to minimize my risks of developing cancer, despite being a BRCA2 carrier. So personally, I feel especially empowered by the research increasingly focusing on the chemical endocrine disruptors and carcinogens that are ubiquitous in our foods and consumer products. I feel empowered by this research to make better and more informed decisions that will better enable me to avoid cancer.

The obvious answer is to prevent metastasis by improving early detection. If you ignore that, there are several new technologies that are very promising. One of the main problems with the systemic treatments (like chemotherapy) that are used to treat cancer is that they affect many normal cells, leading to unwanted side-effects. The best new treatments will have to limit their side-effects. These include:
1. Nanotechnology - this field uses microscopic particles to deliver drugs to cancer cells. They 'home' in to the cancer cells and don't hurt normal cells.
2. Anti-angiogenesis treatments- Angiogenesis is the development of blood vessels. Tumors 'trick' the body into providing them with blood vessels, giving them access to nutrients, oxygen and a way to spread. Because angiogenesis is limited to only a few normal conditions (i.e. pregnancy) in adults, these treatments have the ability to starve tumors. Anti-angiogenesis drugs (including Avastin) DO have side effects and do not always work.

They key is to find something that is UNIQUE to the particular cancer cells being treated, whether it is the things they need (like lots of sugar) or don't need. Newer targeted therapies are a step in this direction but they still affect normal cells to an extent.

Research studies indicate that there is, indeed, a human virus (HMTV) and it is 95-98% similar to the mouse virus (MMTV) - suggesting they are really the same virus.

Cats become infected with the virus from infected mice.

There are some scientists who think humans can become infected from mice or cats.

Also, MMTV is passed in seminal fluid to infect female mice. We ought to see if there is any evidence of HMTV in human seminal fluid.

Obviously, there are many questions to answer - all of them interesting and important!

Therapeutic vaccines targeting specific proteins are being tested, some with promising results. The first preventive breast cancer vaccine was developed by Professor Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic and published last year in Nature Medicine (May 2010). The vaccine is 100% effective in preventing breast cancer in mice and also capable of slowing the growth of tumors that have already formed. It was also effective against a cell line of triple-negative breast cancer. Tuohy's vaccine is ready to Phase I studies in women, provided he receives the funding necessary to get the clinical trials funded: approximately 5 million to start and, likely, 20 million to fund through Phase III studies.