Scientists discover first breast cancer ‘oncogene’ in five years

Scientists have pinpointed a key cancer-causing gene that, when overactive, triggers a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer to develop. This is the first time in over five years that scientists have discovered a new breast cancer 'oncogene' - cancer-causing genes that when overactive upset the normal checks and balances that control when and how often a cell divides. The researchers, based at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute at the University of Cambridge and at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada, believe testing patients tumours to see if the gene - called 'ZNF703' - is overactive could help identify patients with more aggressive tumours, so their treatment can be tailored accordingly. The research is published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine today (Friday, 18 February) alongside a study from an independent research group identifying the same gene, providing definitive evidence that ZNF703 is a genuine breast cancer oncogene. It's thought that up to a third of more aggressive oestrogen positive breast cancers could have multiple copies of the ZNF703 gene. If this is confirmed in larger studies it could pave the way for the development of cancer treatments specifically targeting ZNF703. Testing for ZNF703 activity in the tumour could help reveal if patients are likely to respond to such drugs, in the same way that testing for Her2 activity is used to reveal if a patient may benefit from Herceptin.