The growth and spread of breast cancer tumors may be delayed with a treatment that combines two strategies: blocking the enzyme cancer cells need for energy and infusing a potent drug directly into the tumor with minimum exposure to healthy tissues, according to research presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) annual meeting in Chicago.
Dr. Jeff Geschwind and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted animal studies showing that ultrasound-guided intratumoral treatment with 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) has promise as a new breast cancer therapy to delay tumor growth and spread. By inhibiting a specific enzyme used by tumor cells with 3-BrPA, the energy production required for tumor cell growth and spread is blocked, Geschwind said.
The team then used imaging to guide drug delivery directly into the tumor, minimizing exposure of healthy tissue to the therapy. The study showed a statistically significant difference in tumor volume, according to Geschwind.
