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Major breast cancer breakthrough announced at
BC Cancer Agency

B.C. scientists first in world to decode genetic evolution of a breast cancer tumour

NEWS FACTS / BACKGROUND

• BC Cancer Agency scientists made a breakthrough discovery that unlocks the secrets of how cancer begins and spreads, thus pointing the way to the development of new breast cancer treatment targets and therapies.
• These scientists have decoded all of the three billion letters in the DNA sequence of a metastatic lobular breast cancer tumour, which accounts for about 10 per cent of all breast cancers.
• The BC Cancer Agency team, led by Dr. Samuel Aparicio, found and studied all of the mutations, or “spelling” mistakes that caused the cancer to spread.
• The study will be published October 8th as the cover story in the prestigious international science journal Nature.
• The Weekend to End Breast Cancer event has been the primary funder of Dr. Aparicio’s research.
• Partnering with the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, Dr. Aparicio’s team used the latest in next-generation DNA sequencing technology to study the evolution of a single patient’s lobular breast cancer tumour over a nine-year interval.
• They found 32 mutations in the metastatic cancer tumour and then looked to see how many of those same spelling mistakes were present in the original tumour. The result was surprising - only five of the 32 could have been present in all of the cells of the primary tumour, thus fingering them as the criminals that caused the disease to spread outside the original tumour site. These five mutations were previously unknown to researchers.
• The discovery is not only a major scientific milestone for the BC Cancer Agency, an acknowledged world leader in cancer research care, but also a significant testimony to the power of philanthropy invested in science to fuel cancer research and drive new discoveries.
• Other funders and supporters include the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, BC/Yukon Region, which supported a key member of Dr. Aparicio’s research team through a bioinformatics fellowship; the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Genome Canada and Genome BC, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
• The BC Cancer Foundation founded the BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre, the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics at the BC Cancer Agency, and the BC Cancer Agency’s Breast Cancer Outcomes Unit, all of which played a key role in the study. The research was conducted in the agency’s research centre in Vancouver, which was funded through donations to the BC Cancer Foundation.

RESOURCES

• 'Nature' article
• Additional background
• Press Release

QUOTES

• Dr. Samuel Aparicio, head of the breast cancer research program and research team leader at the BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority
  
  "I never thought I would see this in my lifetime. This is a watershed in our ability to understand the causes of breast cancer and to develop personalized medicines for our patients. The number of doors that can now be opened to future research is considerable."
  
  
• Doug Nelson, BC Cancer Foundation President and CEO
  
  "The BC Cancer Foundation, as the fundraising arm of the agency, has raised over $15 million to support breast cancer research at the BC Cancer Agency across the province, including Dr. Aparicio’s program, through its Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk. We are very grateful to the many thousands of British Columbians who have walked, donated and supported The Weekend to End Breast Cancer over the past six years. To everyone who has walked or contributed we can confidently say your efforts have made a difference - you are a partner in this remarkable achievement."
  
  
• Dr. Marco Marra, Director, BC Cancer Agency’s Genome Sciences Centre
  
  "This study demonstrates the remarkable capacity of next-generation DNA sequencing technology. The project that decoded the first human genome in 2001 took eight years and an enormous amount of funding. We were able to sequence the breast cancer genome in weeks and at a fraction of the cost."
  
  
• Brian Schmidt, Interim President, BC Cancer Agency and Senior Vice President, Provincial Services, Population and Public Health, PHSA
  
  "Through our research at the BC Cancer Agency, we are dedicated to finding new and novel ways to detect cancer earlier and to develop more enhanced treatments. This discovery is a wonderful example of how investment in research is helping to pave the way toward better outcomes for cancer patients in the future."

ABOUT THE BC CANCER AGENCY

The BC Cancer Agency is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care.

ABOUT THE BC CANCER FOUNDATION

The BC Cancer Foundation is an independent charitable organization founded in 1935 that raises funds to support breakthrough research and enhancements to patient care at the BC Cancer Agency throughout B.C. The Foundation has offices in all of the Agency’s five regional cancer centres, in Abbotsford, Fraser Valley (Surrey), Southern Interior (Kelowna), Vancouver, and Vancouver Island (Victoria). For more information, visit www.bccancerfoundation.com.

ABOUT THE WEEKEND TO END WOMEN'S CANCERS

The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers benefits the BC Cancer Foundation, a charitable organization which raises funds to support research and care at the BC Cancer Agency. The BC Cancer Agency is an international leader in the fight against cancer and has developed a breast cancer research program built on its unique strength in translational research along with its province-wide cancer control system. For more information or to register for The Weekend to End Women's Cancers, visit www.endcancer.ca.

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