Stem cell research and breast cancer cure?
Meet the Experts
Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, dedicated to developing programs that improve the well-being of women treated for breast cancer.
Question from Diane: Are you getting more info about stem cell research? My doctor said this is where the cure for cancer will be found.
- Answer —Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.:
Great question. Stem cells or stem-like cells refer to cancer cells that give rise to all subsequent cancer cells. They're like the prototype or matriarch, if you like, although I tend to dislike the idea of cancer cells as having a feminine personality! There is some suggestion that cancer stem-like cells may not respond to other treatments that we use to treat the subsequent cancer cells that we can actually see. In other words, the stem cells are resistant to our typical chemotherapy drugs. The chemotherapy drugs that we use in daily practice only treat the offspring of the leader of the clan. This stem cell is sitting there, continuing to live in the face of these chemotherapy drugs. So that describes the concept of the cancer stem cell. Currently, a great deal of research is being done on developing drugs that target the stem cell or stem-like cell, and I am optimistic that we will have data about these therapies in future San Antonio conferences as the enthusiasm for this approach is very high. All that being said, not all scientists have bought into the idea that there is such a thing as a cancer stem cell. I hear your doctor's conviction that we need to do something different for cancers that appear particularly difficult to treat, but, and this is a tired song, the proof is in the pudding and we need clinical trials to prove that the concept is correct.
On December 19, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from San Antonio 2007. Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions and shared the newest research presented at this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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