Breast cancer drug linked to brain malfunction

A breast cancer drug reveals side-effects, including mood disturbances and memory issues, that impact the brain function in both humans and animals, say researchers.

The drug letrozole is used to prevent breast cancer recurrence by interfering with the production of estrogens.

For the study, researchers  showed that they administered letrozole to male and female marmosets — a nonhuman primate model — for four weeks and observed many behavioural changes including hot flashes and increased anxiety, experienced by women receiving similar treatment

In addition, letrozole also compromised the function of neurons in the hippocampus (organ located in the brain) and impaired spatial memory, results revealed. Findings emphasise the need for further investigation of breast cancer treatments and their effects on the brain, the team noted.

Breast cancer is the top cancer in women worldwide and is increasing particularly in developing countries where a majority of cases are diagnosed in late stages.

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Breast cancer drugs may help treat resistant lung cancers

A class of drugs used to treat certain breast cancers could help fight lung cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies, according to a study conducted in mice.

The study, und that lung tumours in mice caused by mutations in a gene called EGFR shrunk sig protein called p110a was blocked.

Drugs to block p110a are currently showing promise in clinical trials against certain breast cancers, so could be approved for clinical use in the near future, said researchers.

The new findings suggest that these drugs could potentially benefit patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers whose tumours have become resistant to treatment.

"At the moment, patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers are given targeted treatments that are very effective for the first few years," said a Prof. 

"These drugs are improving, but unfortunately after a couple of years the cancer usually becomes resistant and starts to grow and spread again," the Prof. said.

The second line of treatment is currently conventional chemotherapy, which is not targeted and has substantial side-effects, researchers said.

It would be worth investigating whether p110a inhibitors could be used as second-line therapy, they said.

The team targeted a specific interaction between the RAS protein and p110a.

The RAS gene is mutated in around one in five cancers, causing uncontrolled growth, and is a key focus of the study.

When the researchers blocked this interaction in genetically modified mice with EGFR mutations, their tumours shrank significantly.

Before the intervention, the tumours filled around two thirds of the space inside the lung.

When the interaction between RAS and p110a was genetically blocked, this shrank significantly to about a tenth of the space inside the lung.

The intervention also had very few side-effects.

"As we wanted to pinpoint the specific interaction responsible, we used a genetic technique that would not be practical in a patient treatment," said the Prof.

"We're looking to develop ways to do this with drugs, as blocking this specific pathway would significantly reduce side-effects, but this work is many years from the clinic," the Prof. said.

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