the journey of breast cancer discovery and research - october 2015 awareness month

The journey of breast cancer discovery and research

QBRI Cancer Team

Journey of Breast Cancer Discovery

Breast cancer stats

most common cancer among women in the world: 1/5 womenHereditary cancer: 5-10% of cases, 40-70% riskMiddle East: rise in incidence of 50-70% by 2020

age at diagnosis = 10 years younger than Western worldQatar: 150 new cases in 2011, 30% Qatari

male breast cancervery rare form of cancer: 1/1000 menrisk factors: high estrogen levels, hereditary genetic mutation in BRCA1/2Middle East: ~ 10%


1600BC Imhotep –

breast disease

160BCC. Galen –

tumors are not all alike

1700sJ. Hunter –

coagulation of lymph

1838J. Müller –

cancer = abnormal cells

1896T. Beatson –

hormone dependency

1967Elwood Jenson –

estrogen receptor

1994Mark Skolnick -

BRCA1/2

1900sC. Haagensen –

CCC staging

1963S. Saphiro/P. Strax – mammography trial

460BC Hippocrates –

Karkinos, humoral


2000s miRNAs

2005-omics era

2011genome editing

2015adoptive cell

therapy

2004CTCs

Journey of Breast Cancer Treatment

548BC Aëtius of Amida-

mastectomy

1700sHenri Le Dran –

surgery early stage

1880sWilliam Halsted -

radical mastectomy

1908George Chicotot - radiation therapy

1949Louis

Goodman- chemotherapy

1990sTargeted therapy

Prophylactic surgery

2010sImmunotherapy

1970sCT scan

Lumpectomy

1980shormonal therapy

160BC Claudius Galen-

surgery & bleeding

Role of Breast Cancer ResearchMajor Aspects

Understanding the biology of breast cancer

Finding new and/or improving existing treatments

Improving diagnosis

Genetic/Epigenetic alterationsOncogenes/Tumor suppressors

miRNAs

Cell cycle/ApoptosisEnergy metabolismDifferentiationCommunication (microenvironment, cell-cell adhesion, cell-ECM adhesion)

Proliferation/survival Invasion Neo-angiogenesis Metastasis




Improving diagnosis

Causes:

Cellular abnormalities/Mechanism of development

and progress:

DNA:cell cycle arrest/cell death

Oncogenes/Tumor suppressors:inhibition of proliferation, migration, invasion, neo-

angiogenesis, ...

Pharmacological molecules: chemicals, monoclonal antibodies,

DNA/RNA

Cell-based therapy:T cells, NK cells

Sensitivity/ResistancePredictive markers

Target identification: Therapeutic tools:

Treatment response:




Improving diagnosis


Improving screening techniques: Circulating Tumor Cells:

Nucleated EpCAM-positive

Cytoplasmic cytokeratin-positiveLacking the common leukocyte

antigen CD45

Increasing sensitivity of imaging tests:

mammography, ultrasound,

MRI, PET,

…

Body fluid tumor markers:

Not yet identified



Improving diagnosis

Major Research Tools

Omics (genome, transcriptome, proteome, epigenome, … analyses)

Gene overexpression (plasmids/cDNA)Gene depletion (siRNA)

Protein inhibition (neutralizing antibodies, inhibitory small molecules)

Cellular and animal models / Tumor tissue and blood samples

Proliferation, migration, invasion, anchorage-independent growth, tumorgenicity, … assays

Natural products/ChemistryMonoclonal antibodies

BiophysicsBiochemistry

Bioinformatics



Improving diagnosis

Surgery

• Docetaxel• Paclitaxel• Platinum agents (cisplatin,

carboplatin)• Vinorelbine (Navelbine®)• Capecitabine (Xeloda®)• Liposomal doxorubicin

(Doxil®)• Gemcitabine (Gemzar®)• Mitoxantrone• Ixabepilone (Ixempra®)• Albumin-bound paclitaxel

(nab-paclitaxel or Abraxane®)

• Eribulin (Halaven®)

External beam radiation

Chemotherapy Hormonetherapy

Radiationtherapy

Internal radiation (Brachytherapy)

Lumpectomy Partial mastectomy

Current Pillars of Breast Cancer Treatment

Mastectomy

Targeted Therapy Immunotherapy

Personalized Medicine

How can you contribute to advance breast cancer research?

THANK YOU

the journey of breast cancer discovery and research - october 2015 awareness month

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