Potential new treatment for triple-negative breast cancer discovered

Australian researchers have identified a new method to treat ‘triple-negative’ breast cancer, which is an aggressive disease that mainly affects younger women.

The treatment, which is based on two drugs that are already in use, is currently being tested on mice, but human trials are expected to start soon, News.com.au reported.

Triple-negative cancer affects about 15% of people with breast cancer and is particularly difficult to treat.

Professor Robert Baxter and his team at Sydney’s Kolling Institute of Medical Research have discovered how a protein helps some breast cancers grow and become resistant to treatment.

They then combined two drugs to create a new treatment, which according to them, might be an effective way to stop tumour growth.

Baxter said that their tests have shown the drugs to be extremely effective when used together and they are now hoping to move on to further preclinical studies.