Research funded by the Irish Cancer Society set to give hope to women resistant to breast cancer treatment Herceptin

Research funded by a €230,000 grant from the Irish Cancer Society is set to give new hope to women with HER2-positive breast cancer who are resistant to breast cancer treatment trastuzumab, commonly known as Herceptin.

Dr Patricia McGowan (pictured top) and her team at St Vincent’s University Hospital are leading the research which has discovered a way to to change resistant cancer cells so that they now respond to treatment and die.

Results of the research will be presented at an upcoming international meeting, the 24th Annual Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, being held in Dublin’s Convention Centre from November 6-9th.

Approximately 20% of breast cancer patients have HER2-positive disease. While many women with HER2-positive breast cancer gain initial benefits from being treated through a combination of Herceptin and chemotherapy, women can often develop resistance over time.

A specific protein called Notch which has been shown to drive the growth of cancer cells. Dr McGowan’s research looks at blocking Notch in an effort to improve patients’ response to Herceptin. Initial findings suggest that by using a combination of commercially available drugs it is possible to literally turn off Notch or pathways that the cancer needs to become resistant to Herceptin (and indeed other HER2 targeted agents, like pertuzumab and neratinib). As such, the cells that did not respond to treatment initially can now be successfully treated again.

For the women who are diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer in Ireland annually (approximate 500), this cancer research may mean that in the future it will be possible to identify which women are going to be resistant to the drug Herceptin treatment so that other drug option can be offered as soon as possible. For women who are successfully treated with Herceptin but then become resistant, it will mean that it may be possible to reverse the resistance and give them a greater level of response to the treatment. The ultimate goal of the research is to prolong the response to the drug Herceptin in women with Herceptin positive breast cancer.

Speaking about her research, Dr McGowan said, “I am very excited by the results and it is good news for those with Herceptin positive breast cancer and breast cancer research. Every cent that is invested in breast cancer research brings us closer to finding better treatments and ultimately a cure. The funding from the Irish Cancer Society has been central to our investigation of Notch inhibition and without their support we would not have been able to make this exciting discovery. Our results also apply to resistance to certain chemotherapies and other drugs and so there are a number of different avenues that we are exploring at the moment.”

Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, Prof. John Fitzpatrick said, “October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Dr McGowan’s work is a perfect example of the great work that the Irish Cancer Society is funding to make a difference in the lives of women affected by this disease. In 2011 alone, the Irish Cancer Society funded €700,000 in breast cancer research that offers hope to women and we congratulate Dr McGowan and the team at St Vincent’s for their pioneering work in this area.”

The Irish Cancer Society has contributed more than €30 million to cancer research since 1963. During that period, more than 650 important research findings have been made.

The Irish Cancer Society’s Get the Girls campaign during October is helping to fund more vital breast cancer research than ever before.

For more details or to find out how you can get involved visit www.getthegirls.ie. You can also make a donation online at www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/how-to-donate or call the fundraising team on Call Save 1850 60 60 60. Your help will make a difference.