{"id":171675,"date":"2023-01-20T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-20T19:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=171675"},"modified":"2023-01-20T09:45:50","modified_gmt":"2023-01-20T19:45:50","slug":"improving-breast-cancer-outcomes-for-native-hawaiians-pacific-islanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/01\/20\/improving-breast-cancer-outcomes-for-native-hawaiians-pacific-islanders\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving breast cancer outcomes for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"3d
A 3D illustration of breast cancer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI<\/abbr>) women diagnosed with breast cancer have higher rates of Inflammatory Breast Cancer<\/a> (IBC<\/abbr>), the most aggressive form of breast cancer compared to other racial\/ethnic populations in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. IBC<\/abbr> is unresponsive to conventional breast cancer treatments due in part to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME<\/abbr>), the ecosystem that surrounds a tumor inside the body. <\/p>\n

\"Ueno
Naoto Ueno<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Cancer Center<\/a> Director Naoto T. Ueno<\/strong> and Xiaoping Wang<\/strong> with The University of Texas MD<\/abbr> Anderson Cancer Center led a study which found a method to reduce the inhibition of the TME<\/abbr> on the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI<\/abbr>), a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body\u2019s immune system to destroy cancer cells. The study was recently published in Science Advances<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to researchers, surrounding of the tumor, TME<\/abbr>, can make immunotherapy ineffective in killing cancer cells. The study shows that changing the TME<\/abbr> by targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR<\/abbr>) using an anti-EGFR<\/abbr> therapy can make the immunotherapy work better and diminish more cancer cells. <\/p>\n

“Our group’s exciting results examine how the surrounding cancer environment contributes to the tumor’s aggressiveness. I am very excited to bring this type of research to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> so that we can help more people by understanding the disease,” said Ueno, who began this research with Wang at The University of Texas MD<\/abbr> Anderson Cancer Center. “It is not only about IBC<\/abbr>, but understanding why breast cancer spreads and why it can be very aggressive.”<\/p>\n

Focus on NHPI<\/abbr> patients<\/h2>\n

Ueno plans to study the therapeutic regimen identified from the study’s findings and translate it to NHPI<\/abbr> patients with IBC<\/abbr>, which will improve treatment options and disease outcomes for these patients. This will be the first study to address the observed disparities in risk and disease outcome for NHPI<\/abbr> women. <\/p>\n

“It will provide insights to identify tailored therapeutic targets and TME<\/abbr> components that are associated with survival and the treatment response among multiethnic IBC<\/abbr> patients in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>,” said Ueno.<\/p>\n

Ueno most recently served as the executive director of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program at the University of Texas MD<\/abbr> Anderson Cancer Center for 30 years. He created a comprehensive research program and clinic devoted to IBC<\/abbr>, which, under his leadership, emerged as the world\u2019s largest and most renowned for rare breast cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new findings can make the immunotherapy work better and diminish more cancer cells.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[218,1363,158,169,9],"class_list":["post-171675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-cancer","tag-manoa-research","tag-publication","tag-uh-cancer-center","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t