BC Cancer’s Breast Cancer Research

The Rix Family Foundation has been a dedicated and generous supporter of BC Cancer’s breast cancer research program. Over the years, this support has enabled a world-leading team to transform the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated worldwide and bring advanced precision treatments to people patients in B.C. and beyond. 

In the past several years, the BC Cancer breast cancer research team:

• studied the impact of hormones and aging on development of breast cancer, including how age affects biomarkers that pathologists use to plan treatments;
• performed blood biopsies using circulating tumour (ctDNA) to gain a more complete picture of patient’s breast cancer — blood biopsies are safer and less invasive than a typical biopsy and can anticipate relapse up to two years before it occurs;
• discovered that certain genetic mutations can contribute to platinum resistance. By monitoring how cancers evolve during drug treatment with platinum, a commonly used agent in chemotherapy, they also discovered that early platinum resistance might be reversible;
• revealed that DNA-repair deficiencies increase a person’s risk of breast cancer and reduce their response to treatment, leading to the testing of a new, more effective drug that successfully eliminated breast cancer cells with minimal side effects;
• discovered that 40% of breast and ovarian cancers have a shared mutation that makes them resistant to chemotherapy and associated with poorer survival – scientists can now explore alternative treatment options, including DNA targeting and immunotherapy;
• tested a new therapy for breast cancers that arise from inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In a phase I trial, the tumours were genomically sequenced before and after exposure to this unique therapy and, for the first time ever, the treatment effectively killed the cancer cells; and
• utilized Parent-of-Origin-Aware genomic analysis (POAga) technology to determine with approximately 99% accuracy which side of the family should be prioritized for genetic testing. They are currently validating POAga for hereditary breast cancers, including three male breast cancer risk genes. 

Specifically for male breast cancer, BC Cancer:

• Discovered that one of the major cell types in female mammary glands is largely or completely missing in male mammary glands, helping them learn how breast cancer develops in men;
• Confirmed that nanopore sequencing, a new DNA sequencing technology, could successfully detect mutations linked to male breast cancer; and
• Implemented a genetic assessment recommendation to ensure all male breast cancer patients have access to the Hereditary Cancer Program (HCP) for testing and counseling.