Whole-Genome Sequencing Clinical Trials for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Previous research has shown that triple negative breast tumors make up nearly 20 percent of breast cancers. These cancers do not respond to treatment with targeted therapies such as Herceptin® (trastuzumab). To investigate new options for these patients, the first clinical trial of whole-genome sequencing for women with triple negative breast cancer was initiated in March 2010, and the first results will be presented during the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Dec. 6-10, 2011.

Based on mutations uncovered by sequencing, physicians steered the women into treatment protocols for either existing drugs or new agents being evaluated in pharma-sponsored clinical trials. Several patients displayed benefit from treatments physicians selected taking sequencing data into consideration.

Results will be presented at 10:30 am CST, Thursday, Dec. 8, by Joyce O'Shaughnessy, M.D., medical director and co-chair of the Breast Cancer Research Committee, US Oncology Research; a practicing oncologist with Texas Oncology; and the Celebrating Women Chair of Breast Cancer Research at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center.

The study, titled "Next Generation Sequencing Reveals Co-Activating Events in the MAPK and PI3K/AKT Pathways in Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancers," is sponsored by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and US Oncology Research with support from Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:LIFE - News).



Source-Eurekalert