Doctors raise breast cancer remission rate
Doctors at the Shanghai Cancer Center are able to improve the remission rate of patients with the toughest type of breast cancer from 10 to 29 percent through precise diagnosis and treatment, they announced on Monday.
Their study was published in world leading journal Cell Research.
Breast cancer has become preventable and treatable through early screening and improvements in surgery and targeted medication. However, triple-negative breast cancer remains a challenge.
This type does not express the genes for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors or HER2, doctors said. So there is no targeted therapy, with chemotherapy the only treatment.
About 15 percent of breast cancer patients have triple-negative cancer, the most fatal type. Patients usually have a 20 percent risk of relapse.
To improve treatment for the disease, a team led by the hospital’s Dr Shao Zhimin spent five years to come up with a genetic map of the disease and name four sub-types through different markers.
“Through the precise classification, we studied different treatments targeting each sub-type,” said Shao. He said that so far 69 patients had been included in the research.
“About 29 percent showed a very positive response, as their tumors shrank. For a certain challenging subtype, over half of patients had a good response through immunotherapy and chemotherapy.”
Shao said his team will further expand research to cover more patients and provide more clinical evidence and data. The team is also cooperating with domestic pharmaceutical companies on developing new drugs and treatments.
Dr Shao Zhimin of the Shanghai Cancer Center during breast cancer surgery.
Dr Shao Zhimin (left) discusses a case with his team members.
