Queensland researchers in breast cancer breakthrough

QUEENSLAND researchers have discovered why some women with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer fail to respond to a frontline chemotherapy drug in a breakthrough they believe will lead to more effective treatment.

The scientists from the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute say a simple blood test can determine whether or not a woman with triple negative breast cancer will respond to the common chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin.

Triple negative breast cancer accounts for about 15 per cent of all cases.

Researcher Adrian Wiegmans said the study found that doxorubicin failed to kill breast cancer cells in women with high levels of a protein, known as prion, in their blood.

Associate Professor Wiegmans said the QIMR Berghofer scientists found the protein binds to doxorubicin, preventing it from getting into cancer cells.

By analysing the blood samples of about 30 triple negative breast cancer patients they found women with high levels of prion did better if they were prescribed the alternate chemotherapy, epirubicin.

“Chemotherapy is a pretty rough journey. If you can prevent someone receiving therapy that won’t work, that’s a really good thing,” Prof Wiegmans said.