Breast cancer breakthrough could stop ‘hibernating’ cells causing relapses | Tech News [Video]

Scientists have made a breakthrough in stopping breast cancer cells going into hibernation and ‘waking up’ years later, leading to a relapse.

The findings offer hope for new treatments that can stop breast cancer returning years after it was first treated.

The study focused on oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, which makes up 80% of all breast cancers.

ER+ breast cancer is sensitive to oestrogen, which means its cells divide and grow with the help of this hormone. Treatment often involves a combination of different therapies and surgery, usually tailored to the patient’s needs.

However, the treatment can trigger changes in some cancer cells, causing them to ‘hibernate’ instead of dying off.

Now, researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research in London have uncovered the mechanism behind the changes, prompting hopes of new treatments that can stop the cancer altogether.

For their study, published in the journal Cancer Discovery, the team looked at the role of an enzyme known as G9a, and …