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Research Team Links Genetic Alterations in Cells Around Tumors to Poor Outcomes in Breast Cancer |
Genetic alterations in normal-looking cells surrounding tumors play an important role in dictating the outcome of breast cancer, according to research led by Charis Eng, MD, PhD, - findings that may offer important clues into how a cancer and its micro-environment interact. During the study, the research team analyzed tissue samples from 218 patients with breast cancer and evaluated the stroma, which are normal-appearing cells surrounding cancerous cells. What they found is that alterations of tumor suppressor gene p53 in the stroma may predict a poor outcome, because they increase the spread of the cancer to the auxiliary lymph nodes, the first place breast cancer spreads. In the absence of p53 alterations, however, a five-marker genetic profile also will result in the same lymph gland spread. “Our initial research suggests that very specific genetic alterations in the stroma dictate accelerated growth and spread of breast cancers,” says Dr. Eng. Further study in this area, she adds, will help clinicians predict how a cancer might spread, as well as patient outcomes. This research appears in the Dec. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. |