Women with a deadly form of cancer could soon have new hope thanks to a promising new therapy.
Create a free account to read this article
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Endometrial cancer has a poor prognosis if the cancer spreads or returns after initial treatment.
But scientists from Queensland University of Technology have discovered a promising new therapy with the potential to inhibit growth of uterine tumour cells.
Researchers Asmerom Sengal and Pamela Pollock's treatment yielded promising results in testing on laboratory grown tumours and mice.
Dr Asmerom said when confined within the uterus, endometrial cancer can be cured with surgery, but when it spreads to the abdomen and other organs, treatment options are limited.
The team developed three-dimensional miniature tumours grown from endometrial cancer cells to study tumour structure and genetics.
They found an FGFR inhibitor drug was able to block cell growth and kill the tumours. Testing on mice further validated these findings.
"The treated mice showed a remarkable increase in survival," Dr Asmerom said.
Dr Asmerom said the team believes results were positive enough to warrant clinical trials on patients, combining treatment with the FGFR inhibitor and immunotherapy.
"This opens a new opportunity for personalised care in women with deadly endometrial cancer," he said.
The research paper was published in Nature Precision Oncology. To read it click here.
