Cheap tablets already being used by the NHS could help fight breast cancer, study finds
Cheap tablets already in use on the NHS could help prevent the spread of breast cancer, a pioneering study has found.
Research has long shown that an imbalance in the gut microbiome (the collection of bacteria responsible for breaking down food) is linked to worse breast cancer outcomes.
Now researchers at the University of Virginia believe they know why and say they may have a solution.
An overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestines can cause a buildup of bile acid, a substance produced by the liver that is vital for digestion and metabolism.
This can trigger harmful inflammation in the breast and ultimately trigger the spread of cancerous cells.
Experts believe that cheap drugs that can reduce bile acid levels could also be used to slow the spread of the disease.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, affecting around 60,000 women each year.
Drugs already used by the NHS could help fight breast cancer, a study has found
It often becomes much more difficult to treat when it spreads to the lymph nodes and lungs.
To see how the gut affects the spread of breast cancer, researchers ran tests on mice and then examined the bile acid levels of human breast cancer patients.
Patients with already disseminated disease who were given bile-suppressing medication tended to live longer.
Co-author Dr Melanie Rutkowski said: ‘We now want to know whether these existing drugs can prevent the spread of cancer.’
