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breast cancer research

New Study Discusses How Breast Cancer Spreads

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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, aside from skin cancer. As a prominent concern for a wide-range of women, continued research is beneficial in bringing breast cancer awareness and education to the forefront.  Board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Franklyn Elliott stays abreast of the latest breast cancer research as many of his patients are breast cancer survivors.breast-reconstruction-atlanta

From previous research it is known that women with denser breasts are at higher risk for breast cancer, however, recent research has now discovered why breast cancer patients with dense breasts are more likely to develop aggressive tumors that may spread.

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine studied mouse models of breast cancer and breast tumor samples from patients. They found that a protein sits on the surface of tumor cells, binds to collagen and activates a multi-step pathway that encourages tumor cells to spread. This protein is known as DDR2 and is one factor that contributes to maintaining high levels of the protein, SNAIL 1, inside the tumor cell’s nucleus, which is required for cell spread.  This new research is important in developing drugs that may be able to stop the invasion of these cancerous tumors and reduce metastasis.

Breast density and skin elasticity can also be a factor for breast reconstruction patients as certain reconstructive surgery options, like breast reconstruction with an implant, may be more difficult if there is not a lot of tissue remaining after cancer removal or if the remaining skin doesn’t easily stretch.

Breast reconstruction surgery after breast cancer removal remains one of Dr. Elliott’s passions; he has been performing both plastic and reconstructive surgery for over 25 years.  If you are interested in learning more about your breast reconstruction options please call our office. Connect with Dr. Elliott on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + for the latest plastic surgery news and information.

New Study Identifies Four Types of Breast Cancer

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Specializing in breast reconstruction surgery, Dr. Franklyn Elliott knows it’s important to understand the biology of breast cancer and how it affects patients and their families. As an educator who frequently speaks at national and international plastic and reconstructive surgery conferences about breast procedures and techniques, he stays abreast of the latest breast cancer research.

A new study published in the journal Nature, reports that researchers performed a major analysis of breast cancer genetics  finding more information about the 4 different types of breast cancer, specifically how they differ.

The researchers analyzed DNA of breast cancer tumors from 825 patients and found approximately 40 key differences in the genes among the 4 major types of breast cancer (basal-like or triple negative, luminal A, luminal B and HER2-enriched).  This study differs from previous breast cancer research as scientists focused on the biological details of tumors rather than studying where the cancer occured in the breast.

The study’s results are impactful because they can potentially lead to more effective breast cancer drugs and treatments.  Dr. Matthew Ellis, co-leader of the research, stated: “Now we can investigate which drugs work best for patients based on the genetic profiles of their tumors.”

For the over 200,000 women predicted to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S., this is an important advancement.   The first annual Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day to be held on October 17th, 2012 to help educate women about their breast reconstruction options.  Dr. Elliott will also be speaking at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, at the end of October on methods of breast reconstruction to fellow plastic surgeons.

If you are interested in learning more about breast reconstruction surgery, or other breast procedures, please contact us today. Be sure to connect with Dr. Elliott on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + for the latest cosmetic and reconstructive surgery news.