Roswell park new findings on aggressive breast cancer in Black patients

New research from Roswell Park shows the aggressive cancer is related to a greater number of "exhausted" immune cells.

PAY FOR THEMATERIALS NEEDEDTO MAKE THESEBLANKETS.BREAST CANCER --LIKE ALL OTHERDISEASES -- DOESNOT DISCRIMINATE.BUT NEWRESEARCH FROMROSWELL PARKSHOWS AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMENARE MORE LIKELYTO DIE FROM IT.GILAT MELAMEDLOOKS INTO SOMEOF THE FACTORSTHAT PUT THEM AT AGREATER RISK.BLACK WOMEN ARE40% MORE LIKELYTO DIE FROMBREAST CANCERTHAN ARE WHITEWOMEN.RESEARCH SHOWSTHE TUMORS AREMORE AGGRESSIVE."WE REALLY DIDN'TKNOW WHY BLACKWOMEN TENDED TOHAVE THESE MOREAGGRESSIVETUMORS."A NEW ROSWELLPARK STUDYANSWERS THATQUESTION.SONG YAO SAYSTHE KEY FINDING ISIN IMMUNE CELLS."THOSE IMMUNECELLS TEND TO BEMOREDYSFUNCTIONAL OREXHAUSTED THATMEANS IT CANNOTCONTROL TUMORCELLS WELL."RESEARCHERS SAYKNOWING THEIMMUNE CELLS AREDYSFUNCTIONALCOULD IMPROVETREATMENT ANDULTIMATELYSURVIVAL RATESFOR BLACK WOMENWITH BREASTCANCER."THIS OPENS ADOOR FOR MORERESEARCH TO HELPFIND A WAY TOCLOSE THE GAP OFRACIALDISPARITIES."YAO BELEIVES THEINFORMATIONABOUT CELLFUNCTIONS MEANSBLACK PATIENTSARE MORE LIKELYTO BENEFIT FROMNEWIMMUNOTHERAPYTREATMENT.HE SAYS IT TARGETSCELLS THAT ARENOT WORKING ANDREENERGIZESTHEM."IT'S SO NEW ANDSO EXPENSIVE SOTHE SOCIETALBARRIERS FOR ALLPATIENTS TO GETTHE CUTTING-EDGETREATMENT ISREALLY HIGH SOCERTAINLY THEREWILL BE MOREEFFORTS NEEDEDTO OVERCOME THEBARRIERS."ROSWELL'S VP FORPOPULATIONSCIENCESCHRISTINEAMBROSONE SAYSSOCIETAL FACTORSARE STILL AT PLAY,BUT THIS STUDYJUST FOCUSED ONTHE BIOLOGY.SHE SAYS WESTERNNEW YORK HAS THEHIGHEST BREASTCANCER RATES INTHE STATE.

ANDHIGHER THAN MANYOTHER PARTS OFTHE COUNTRY."IF WE CAN HAVE ANIMPACT ON BREASTCANCER IN BLACKWOMAN IT SHOULDHAVE A LARGEIMPACT ON WHAT'SGOING ON RIGHTHERE IN OUR AREA."AMROSONE SAYSTHE BIG NEXT STEPIS STUDYING THERESPONSE INBLACK AND WHITEPATIENTS ONIMMUNOTHERAPYDRUGS.AND LOOKING AT IFIMMUNE ANDSOCIETAL FACTORSLEAD TODIFFERENCES INPATIENTOUTCOMES.IN BUFFALO, GILATMELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.