Breast Cancer Campaign awards a three year project grant to Cambridge scientist

Nov 26 2009

Individualised treatment for each breast cancer patient could soon become a reality, according to Breast Cancer Campaign.

Cambridge scientist, Dr Paul Pharaoh, has been awarded a three year project grant by Breast Cancer Campaign, to study how our genes can play a role in the effectiveness of breast cancer treatments.

The grant, worth almost £80,000 is part of £2 million awarded to 20 projects in the UK and Ireland.

Dr Pharoah and his colleagues around the world have identified a number of genes that may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, using data collected from around 4,500 women.

Now the team at the University of Cambridge will study the medical records of this group of women to obtain further details of how their breast cancer developed over time and the treatments they received. They will then be matched with their DNA samples to find out which genes are involved in breast cancer development and how they affect response to treatment.

Dr Pharoah said, “We are grateful for this funding from Breast Cancer Campaign and to the thousands of women who took part in the study. Without this comprehensive information we would not be able to carry out this further important research which we hope will lead to new ways to tailor treatments to the individual.”

Arlene Wilkie, Director of Research and Policy, Breast Cancer Campaign said, “Researchers are beginning to understand that a person’s genetic information can influence how they respond to breast cancer treatments. Dr Pharaoh’s research is a step forward in making individualised treatment for each breast cancer patient a reality.”