Study could help early identification of breast cancer patients at risk of cancer spread

A NEW study funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research will aim to identify breast cancer patients at risk of developing the spread of cancer to the bone so that they can be treated earlier.

Although 80 per cent of women with breast cancer survive for five years or more, a significant proportion develop an advanced, incurable form of the disease. Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK affecting over 47,000 women in the UK annually.

According to recent research, there may be small genetic differences between the tumours of patients who are likely to develop an advanced form of breast cancer, and those who are not.

If women can be identified who are at risk of this particular type of breast cancer, treatment can be tailored to prevent or delay this progression.

The study will use samples already provided by patients during a recent clinical trial led from Yorkshire.

Dr Janet Brown of the Section of Oncology and Clinical Research at the University of Leeds, who is leading the study, said: "Yorkshire already plays a leading international role in clinical trials for breast cancer and our scientists and clinicians at Leeds and Sheffield are uniquely placed to carry out this work.

"We hope this project will ultimately lead to a simple test in breast cancer tissue or in blood to determine if a patient is likely to benefit from new treatment."

Dr Kathryn Scott, Research Liaison Officer at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added: "This award links clinical and laboratory science to maximum effect and is an exciting area of growth for Yorkshire Cancer Research."