Breast Cancer Metastasis: Prognosis and Monitoring of Metastatic Disease
Abstract
Breast cancer has a high rate of mortality. The ability to monitor micrometastatic breast cancer cells via their protease production may aid the clinician in managing the disease. Specifically, we have proposed that elevated plasma protease (MMP-9, MMP-2 and heparanase) levels are indicative of tumor progression. Further, if this increased protease(s) can be detected prior to the onset of clinical manifestations of progressive disease (e.g. lytic bone disease, rising CEA) then patients can be rapidly changed over to an alternative therapeutic modality. Towards this end, we have utilized a fluorescence immunosorbent assay to measure the amount of these plasma enzymes. In preliminary studies, we have found that during treatments with either vinblastine, methotrexate vinblastine or taxol, plasma MMP-9 levels increase in those patients who do not respond to these regimens. The increase in this type IV collagenase is unlikely to reflect variations in the white blood count since we found a poor relationship between the amount of this enzyme and absolute neutrophil count. We are currently expanding these studies to include MMP-2 and heparanase and to determine if rising MMP-9 levels is always associated with treatment failure to the abovementioned regimens or restricted to a subset of patients.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA341368
Entities
People
- Douglas Boyd
Organizations
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center