Epigenetic therapy may end the need of chemotherapy in breast cancer

Pamela Munster

Dr Meena Mishra

By Vikas Vaidya

She is oncologist and is the survivor of breast cancer herself. She had to undergo mastectomy as she had found that she was carrying BRCA2 gene (A gene that normally acts to restrain the growth of cells in the breast but which, when mutated, predisposes to breast cancer. The gene’s full name is breast cancer 1). She realised that the inherited gene was likely to affect other family members, and made her feel worrying about her daughter. This worry prompted her to focus her research on building treatment to breast only. It is related to prevention of breast cancer. Her research is getting positive results in its initial stages and would likely to help her daughter or that generation not to undergo mastectomy if suffer from breast cancer.
Dr Pamela Munster, a professor of Medicine at University of California San Francisco. She is a breast cancer specialist and a leading researcher on BRCA mutations had been to Nagpur for being the chief guest in the programme ‘Pink It Now’, one of Zulekha Healthcare Group’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) organised by Alexis Multispeciality Hospital at Hotel Radisson Blu on Sunday, September 23.
Before the programme Dr Pamela had an interaction with ‘The Hitavada’ where she talked at length on various aspects of breast cancer.
“My mission is to bring awareness among women about breast cancer and invent new treatments for the breast cancer especially those in advanced stages. I really want to say that though lot of treatment advancements have come, the early detection of the breast cancer in women is less, as they don’t approach doctors early,” regretted Dr Munster.
“I have invented certain things that could help women suffering from breast cancer. For example, we have started giving treatment that would be helpful to resist the genetical spread of the disease. In USA, one in 200 women gets the disease through gene. Idea is that if one per cent population has the mutations, we can be able to prevent it by undergoing mammograms (A screening mammogram is ordered for women who have no problems with their breasts. It consists of two x-ray views of each breast. A diagnostic mammogram is for evaluation of new abnormalities or of patients with a past abnormality requiring follow-up),” commented Dr Pamela.
“A woman even if she notices lump in her breast through self test, she grapples by the fear of losing femininity where her breast is removed by performing mastectomy. Dr Pamela said “In the past, a radical mastectomy with complete removal of the breast was the standard treatment for breast cancer. But surgical breakthroughs over the past two decades have given women more options than ever before. Secondly there are some cosmetic surgeries available because of which no one would recognise anything from outside.”
Dr Pamela is doing research on epigenetic modifications therapy. Under this therapy a device is put in the breast and anti-cancer medicine is administered directly into the breast. This is targeted drugs. The experiment is going on sheep. Initial results are positive and probably by next year it will be possible to treat humans. If it starts then probably the need for chemotherapy would end.
Dr Pamela informed, “There is lot of research going on Car T Cells therapy. These are missile guided cells, which engage lymphocytes and target tumor cells. They try to attract immune cells. It is successful in leukemia and lot of research in breast cancer is going on.
According to Dr Pamela the counseling part is very important. Women suffering from breast cancer should keep one thing in mind that they don’t lose femininity, don’t lost fertility, don’t lose life. There is 95% survival in stage 1 and stage 2. There are genetic testing in case of family history cases. In Breast cancer there are easy early detection tests but for that the awareness is the must. Early detection reduces pain, reduces dying, reduces chemotherapy. The women in US are more aware and go for screening frequently. That’s why, in US the survival of breast cancer rate is 95% and in India it is not more than 80%.
Now new data, new research says women with low risk small tumor don’t need chemotherapy. This percentage comes around 60. Dr Pamela pointed out that genetic test through saliva is an important breakthrough and is made available in Nagpur’s Alexis Multispeciality hospital.

Regular screening is important: Dr Mishra

Dr Meena Mishra, Professor of Microbiology at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is the survivor of breast cancer. While talking to ‘The Hitavada’ she said, “Regular screening by women is very important. Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammography if they wish to do so. Women age 45 to 54 should get mammography every year. Women 55 and older should switch to mammography every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening. The risk of breast cancer is in men also though the per centage is very low. Men also should get themselves screened for the same.”