Studies may find it easier to spread throughout the body when cancer patients are asleep.
Tumors are most deadly when they spread, when malignant cells leave where they formed to form a new mass.
Until now, scientists had speculated that the murderous process that often renders cancers incurable continues throughout the day.
But new evidence shows that this happens mostly at night. Swiss academics believe that tumors “wake up” when patients were asleep.
This is thought to be the cause of high melatonin levels, the same hormone that controls our sleep patterns.
Experts believe that the findings, especially regarding breast cancer, may be true for other cancers.
This could mean that doctors could diagnose and even treat patients if they took samples at night.
About 56,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, and around 290,000 new cases are seen in the US each year.
About 90% of women survive for at least five years if the disease has not spread throughout the body. But survival rates dropped to just 29 percent for women whose cancer has spread.
Tumors are most deadly when they spread, when malignant cells leave where they formed to form a new mass. The graph shows: More cells destroy tumors during sleep (right), forming a different mass than when people are awake (left)
The new study, led by experts from ETH Zurich, has been published in the leading scientific journal Natura †
The researchers sought to examine how the levels of circulating cancer cells responsible for metastases differed throughout the day.
First, they drew blood from 30 women with breast cancer at 4:00 am and 10:00 am.
They found that by 4 o’clock when the participants were asleep, there were almost four times as many cells in the samples compared to 10 o’clock.
However, a higher prevalence of cells does not necessarily increase the likelihood of cancer spreading throughout the body. Most escapees die in the blood. Only a handful of people manage to settle elsewhere in the body.
Professor Nicola Aceto and her colleagues then examined how the cells affected the mice and saw whether those taken at night were more likely to cause tumors.
Samples were taken from mice with breast cancer when they were asleep and when they were awake.
Healthy mice were then given injections of both cell types to see if they caused cancer in their bodies.
The results showed that samples of sleeping mice were significantly more likely to develop cancer than healthy mice.
The findings suggest that doctors should try taking blood samples at night or early in the morning to better see when a tumor has begun to metastasize, the researchers said.
Molecular oncologist Professor Aceto said: “When the patient sleeps, the tumor wakes up.
“In our view, these findings may indicate that healthcare professionals should systematically keep records when performing a biopsy.
“It can really help make the data comparable.”
Independent experts also said research suggests that existing treatments that target cancer cell destruction, such as chemotherapy, may be more effective at night or early in the morning.
Professor Sunitha Nagrath, a chemical engineer at the University of Michigan, wrote in the same journal: “Nature Is Timed. [circulating tumour cells] dynamics can change the way doctors evaluate and treat patients.
‘pointing data’ [circulating tumour cells] proliferation and release during the resting phase suggest that doctors may need to be more conscious about when to administer certain treatments”.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, affecting over two MILLION women each year.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. There are more than 55,000 new cases in the UK each year, with the disease killing 11,500 women. In the United States, it affects 266,000 people a year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops from a cancerous cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When breast cancer has spread to the surrounding breast tissue, it is called “invasive” breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” in which no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in women over the age of 50, but younger women are also sometimes affected. Although rare, breast cancer can develop in men.
Staging refers to how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the first stage and stage 4 indicates that the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
Cancer cells are classified from low meaning slow growth to high meaning rapid growth. High-grade cancers are more likely to recur after being treated for the first time.
What are the causes of breast cancer?
A cancerous tumor starts with an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Something is thought to damage or change certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiplies “out of control”.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are certain risk factors, such as genetics, that can increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless breast mass, but most breast lumps are not cancerous, fluid-filled cysts that are benign.
Breast cancer usually first spreads to the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this happens, you will develop a swelling or lump in your armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor will examine the breasts and armpits. They may perform tests such as a mammogram, which is a special X-ray of the breast tissue that can show the possibility of a tumor.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of tissue from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, further testing may be needed to see if it has spread. For example, blood tests, liver ultrasound or chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Conservative surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiation therapy: A treatment that uses high-energy radiation beams to target cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: Cancer treatment that uses anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying
- Hormone therapies: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower the levels of these hormones or stop them from working are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How effective is the treatment?
The outlook is better for those diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumor at an early stage can therefore give a good chance of recovery.
Early stage breast cancers are diagnosed and treated with routine mammography applied to women aged 50-70 years.
For more information visit breastcancercare.org.uk, breastcancernow.org or www.cancerhelp.org.uk.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
