progress
TRAINING DAY
In 2023, 35,001 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Spain. Continuing to investigate and make the disease visible is key in its approach
23/02/23 17:40
Daiichi Sankyo y AstraZeneca They held this Thursday a training day to deal with the current context of breast cancer and its evolution in recent years. An important appointment for the progress in this type of cancer, which has recently been “propelled by the development of the precision medicine“.
According to the latest figures published, in 2023 they will be diagnosed in Spain 35,001 cases of breast cancer, so it is still necessary to talk and make this disease known. This is how he explained it isabella lopezmember of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Health Informants (ANIS).
The doctor. Jose PalaciosHead of Service Pathological Anatomy of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, has valued the role of tumor biomarkers for cancer treatment. The expert in pathological anatomy has also insisted on the importance of diagnostic phase, which, in addition, has evolved a lot over the years. “Assessing the prognostic factors is key to knowing what the probability of evolution is and being able to predict a response to specific treatments.”
In this sense, one of the biomarkers most important is the HER2. Currently, and with new research, when this protein is present in the cancer cell, “pathologists can already carry out a specific treatment“. Therefore it is important to find this protein that is expressed in the tissue. The challenge Now it’s in “identify tumors that express bit HER2“, since if it is present, even in small quantities, there can be treatment. Therefore, “we have to advance in the technical processso that small amounts of this protein don’t escape.”
For his part, he Dr. Javier Cortesdirector of the International Breast Cancer Center of Barcelona, has explained how the treatment of breast cancer has changed through precision medicine. “It means that we have changed the treatment paradigm. Before, only surgery and radio or chemo were given. Now, knowing the patient and the tumor microenvironment better, we can define more precise treatments“. This means “greater efficacy and less toxicity.” Cortés has also advocated the study of new biomarkers that help to better treat cancer. Likewise, he has criticized Spanish institutions for the delay that exists “in order to use a drug already approved” that sometimes amounts to two years, and because of the “inequality” that exists in the current health system.
“Precision medicine means that we have changed the treatment paradigm”
Likewise, the doctor has valued the role of immunotherapy and the immunoconjugates for the treatment. In the case of the first, by deactivating the patient’s defenses, the cancer can be attacked. In the case of the second, its effectiveness works like a “Trojan horse”. The “front door” in this case is the HER2regardless of whether it is tall or short. Thus, “better results are obtained in terms of efficacy”.
Maria Perellomedical director of Oncology at Daiichi Sankyo Spain, has also referred to the treatments in which the chemotherapy in a very efficient way directed to the cell. “The antibody reaches the target cell which, in turn, internalizes the molecule causing the release of the cytotoxic that causes cell death. “It also has an effect on neighboring cells, so it causes more cell death and better survival.”
The medical manager of the breast cancer therapeutic area of AstraZeneca Spain, Ines Fernandezhas explained the current classification of types of breast cancer, highlighting the three subtypesaccording to which one might or might not use this precision treatment aimed at “target cell“. These would be hormone receptor positive, HER2+ positive, triple negative. In addition, currently, another subtype is already included, HER2-LOW, in which the levels are not sufficient to include it in the previous subtypes. However, in this case, the HER2 level would be sufficient to be able to use the “target” method.
The meeting has also had the participation of Pilar Fernández, president of the Spanish Association of Metastatic Breast Cancer. Fernandez is also an oncology and metastasis patient. The president has taken advantage of the occasion to claim better times given the delay in the drug approval. “They are important for precision medicine, they improve quality of life.” He has also advocated for a national cancer strategyin which precision medicine is implemented in all hospitals.
Pilar Fernández, through the association, also claims the visibility of this type of cancer. “The ‘What’s missing’ It is a movement that aims to give visibility to the metastatic breast cancerwhat is forgotten“. regarding 30% of patients previously diagnosed with this disease will develop metastasis. Also, between a 5-6% of the new diagnoses They already occur in a metastatic state, “a figure that will increase in these years following the pandemic due to the lack of diagnosis due to the pandemic.”
“The ‘Missing M’ is a movement that aims to give visibility to metastatic breast cancer”
Furthermore, this cancer leaves more than 6,000 deaths. “For us does not have a happy ending. He only has uncertainty, fear, labor and social exclusion, abandonment of a partner, economic ruin, desolation and death. Besides, “There are drugs capable of prolonging the lives of these people and they do not reach us”. Fernández has also emphasized a multidisciplinary approach (nutrition, psychology…) for this disease.
For his part, Ana ZubeldiaHead of Oncology at Daiichi Sankyo Spain, recalled that More than 500,000 people suffer from breast cancer in Spain and has appealed to “personal and individual responsibility” with good habits “A third of cancers are due to avoidable factors“. In recent times “the knowledge of cancer has increased a lot. There is better classification, control and treatment with precision medicine.” The future is now at work for the chronification of some tumors, that is, “to be able to live with it and reduce the mortality curves”. Finally, Zubeldia stressed that there is “a lot of hope” and that, from the pharmaceutical companies, “we are motivated, we are in an incredible moment, but there is still a lot to do”.
Because health we all need… ConSalud.es
