Researchers are closing in on the disease’s root causes and creating better diagnostic techniques
Orange County, CA - August 8th 2016 -A recent study found the Epstein—Barr Virus (EBV) infection to be a potential catalyst to breast cancer development. Researchers concluded that the strain infects mammary epithelial cells, causing the virus to change gene expression and encourage tumor formation in breast tissue. Although the study cannot definitively state EBV as the causation, results demonstrate a linear correlation.
EBV is an extremely common condition prevalent in over 90 percent of the world’s population. A majority of those infected don’t exhibit symptoms. Commonly known as the virus that causes mono, the strain is one of eight in the family of the herpesvirus.
Gerburg Wulf, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, led the scientists in examining how mammary epithelial cells react to EBV. To test their theory, the researchers implanted breast cells and EBV in mice. In reaction to EBV, the breast cells behaved similarly to stem cells by continually dividing. The mammary cells took on characteristics akin to an aggressive breast cancer receptor while the virus cooperated with cancer-causing proteins.
Previous studies have demarcated the virus as the propagator of a host of diseases, including certain cancers and Hodgkin’s disease. Studies from India, China, Africa, and Southern Europe have implicated the virus synonymous with breast cancer. Both the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and National Cancer Institute have called for an EBV vaccine.
While anticipating the emergence of a cure, the best actions to take are measures of prevention. From utilization of 3D tomosynthesis mammography to employing artificial intelligence to increase diagnosis accuracy, many techniques have arisen due to the ubiquity of dense breast tissue. A mammography—the fundamental breast cancer screening method—can be unsuitable for those with dense breast, as this type of tissue appears white, similar to a tumor. This can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary mental stress.
Since 50 percent of American women are estimated to have dense breast tissue, alternative screening methods are necessary to supplement the required mammogram. Ultrasounds have proven to be beneficial because they’re noninvasive and can differentiate density of tissue. However, while varying depending on the skill of the technician at the end of the hand-held device, false negative and positive results can occur. Ultrasounds also require additional testing for precise diagnosis.
In the face of subpar imaging methods, a group of researchers report that molecular breast imaging (MBI) can augment standard mammography as a fitting screening. After examining MBI use that resulted in a positive breast cancer diagnosis, they found it could detect 7.7 cases for every 1,000 women, while mammogram caught about three. A previous study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota—where the technique was developed—similarly found that MBI could detect 8.8 cases per 1,000 when compared to mammography.
During this imaging procedure, a patient ingests a type of radioactive tracer that makes cancerous tissue visible to specialized cameras that pick up emitting gamma rays. While an effective means for detection, radiologists differ on whether the level of radiation exposure from the nuclear imaging technique is safe.
To prevent the disease, some researchers seek to figure out its pathology while others are concerned with making improvements to screening methods. While both are necessary components to combating the disease, breast cancer awareness, prevention, and treatment have made strides in the past year signaling a promising prognosis in the future.
