Scientific research has once again shed light on the fight against breast cancer, one of the malignant neoplasms with the highest incidence in the world; scientists of the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) developed a drug called ‘Omomyc’ that prevents tumor cells from expanding and causing metastasis in this type of disease.
The results obtained from the study have been qualified as “very positive”; the protein acts in the human body by stopping the MYC gene that causes the development of almost all solid tumors and cancer.
The effectiveness of this drug had been tested on “localized” tumors, those that have not yet spread throughout the body (or what we call “metastases”). Now, its usefulness has been demonstrated in cases of metastasis or when the disease has spread from one organ to another, worsening the chances of recovery.
In this regard, Dr. Mauricio León Rivera, director of the League Against Cancermedical director of the Cancer Detection Center in Peru and Surgeon Oncologist, said that, despite the hopes placed on this drug as another tool to combat the disease, nor does it “cure” breast cancer. “Using this drug, it is likely that survival will be prolonged, as well as greatly improving the quality of life of patients, but we are not going to cure the disease 100%,” he emphasized.
It is worth mentioning that the results of the study have been published in the journal Cancer Research Communications (a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research) and have demonstrated the efficacy of inhibiting the MYC gene with the drug called “Omomyc”, through different experiments both in vitro and in vivo. The response has been very positive and in all cases it has been verified that “Omomyc” it has significant antimetastatic activity, contrary to what had been previously speculated.
Early detection the best tool
Breast cancer is currently the leading cause of death for women. the importance of performing preventive exams annually to avoid this disease, since 85% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in advanced stages and only 15% in the initial stage.
Dr. Mauricio León explained that it is proven that having an annual mammogram from the age of 40, accompanied by a physical examination, helps to detect breast cancer in its initial stage, multiplying the chances of cure; women with a family history They should be tested from the age of 35.
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