Heat shock protein could affect breast cancer outcomes
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Breast cancer patients who are looking for relief from medical bills can buy Canadian Tamoxifen to help them fight their disease on a budget. Scientific research on breast cancer continues the search for new strategies against this condition. A new study discovered the relationship between tumor cells in one type of breast cancer and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1).
The class of proteins known as heat shock factors help protect cells from stressors such as high temperatures, prompting a team of scientists to explore the link between HSF1 and estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) tumor cells. Two-thirds of breast cancer cases are ER-positive, and while this type of disease is treatable, prognoses can vary among patients, according to the researchers.
Breast cancer tissue samples were obtained from more than 1,800 women for this latest experiment. Among ER-positive patients, those who had higher levels of HSF1 had a higher mortality rate, as well as tumors that tended to be larger and more aggressive, as published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"If HSF1 status can help predict which of the ER-positive patients will do well with standard treatments and which ones won't, that would be really helpful," said author Sandro Santagata. "In terms of understanding the biology, we think these findings are really important for reinforcing our interest in pursuing the heat shock response itself as a therapeutic target."
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