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Future of targeting genes?

Page last modified on: November 20, 2008

Question from Lynn: Are there any other oncogenes that will likely become targets for treatment in the near future?: Answers —Hope Rugo, M.D.: Oncogenes are genes, so you're talking about targeting genes. We often target the product of the gene, rather than the gene itself; for example, the gene product targeted by Herceptin is HER2. A gene product targeted by Avastin is VGFR.

In terms of the genes themselves, there has been a lot of interest in blocking genes from being able to make a product. So far, that work has been complicated by the ability to reach and block the gene. More work is going on in that area, but we don't have any clinical results yet. We need to understand what the right genes are to block in breast cancer. The way we're going to find that is by understanding the genetics of tumors. The way we're doing that is by getting biopsies during treatment in women who are getting chemotherapy before surgery, which is known as neo-adjuvant therapy.; Jennifer Armstrong, M.D.: There will surely be other targets revealed that we will learn to manipulate to better control and/or prevent cancer in general and breast cancer in particular. It's an exciting time, and we look forward to these future revelations.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2005 our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the 2005 ASCO Annual Meeting. Hope Rugo, M.D. and moderator Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. answered your questions on the latest research advances presented at the 2005 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Orlando, FL.

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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Meet the Experts

Hope S. Rugo, M.D. is a clinical professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she directs the Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program.

Jennifer Armstrong, M.D. is a breast cancer oncologist at Paoli Hematology-Oncology Associates in Paoli, Pa., with a special interest in physicians' communication skills.