Women who are given chemotherapy for their breast cancer are more likely to suffer a recurrence.
The drug damages healthy cells that surround the cancerous ones, and it can promote cancer growth a few years later, say researchers at Emory University.
Up to 23 percent of breast cancer patients suffer a recurrence within five years, and many of these cases are caused by the unintended effects of chemotherapy. The drug can trigger dormant cancer cells into life by harming healthy cells that had surrounded the site of the original cancer.
The researchers replicated the damaging effects of chemotherapy on laboratory cell lines and in mice. In both examples, dormant cancer cells were awakened by two signalling molecules, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and interleukin-6.
If chemotherapy is to be used, some other drug that dampens the signalling process might need to be taken as well, the researchers suggest.
What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community
