BREAST CANCER

Breast Cancer

#1  Breast cancer  A study from the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore looked at mice who were given resveratrol and then implanted with breast cancer cells.  When compared with the mice not given resveratrol, the study group had a dramatic decrease in the amount of spread of cancer cells to the lungs.  This was done at low doses and could benefit breast cancer patients.

J Immunol 2013 Oct 15: 4141-4151 

#2  Breast cancer  This study from Mexico City looked at breast cancer cells in cell cultures.  These cells were exposed to doxorubicin which is one of the more effective chemotherapy agents against breast cancer.  Half of the cells were previously exposed to resveratrol.  The presence of resveratrol prior to exposure to doxorubicin enhanced the ability of the drug to kill the cancer cells.  Further studies are looking at using resveratrol clinically prior to or with exposure to doxorubicin in breast cancer patients.  PLoS 2013 May 27

#3 Breast cancer Another study on breast cancer comes from Saudi Arabia and is also looking at doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer.  This also was a study using cancer cells in cell cultures.  Despite the fact that this is a good drug for breast cancer, one of the major side effects is damage to the heart muscle.  This can limit the use of the drug.  This study was looking at combining resveratrol which increases the ability to kill cancer cells with lower doses of the doxorubicin.  This in turn would lower the potential damage to heart muscle cells without compromising the effect on the cancer cells, making the drug safer and at least as effective.

Cancer Cell Int 2012 Nov 16 

 #4  Breast cancer  A study from the University of Oklahoma is looking at the use of resveratrol in combination with radiation therapy for breast cancer.  Radiation along with chemotherapy and surgery are the three cornerstones of treatment for breast cancer.  The use of radiation can be limited because of side effects from the amount of radiation needed to cause cell deaths.  In the study,  cancer cells in cell cultures were divided in half and half were given resveratrol in advance.  All of the cells were then exposed to radiation.  The resveratrol resulted in sensitizing the cancer cells to radiation resulting in a much more effective induction of cell death in those cells pretreated with resveratrol, making radiation more effective and safer.

Radiat Oncol 2013, Mar 4

  Thank You, 

   Bob Biggers MD