- Sheffield scientists are developing a blood test which could predict the likelihood of breast cancer spreading to the bone and becoming incurable thanks to new funding from Breast Cancer Now
- When breast cancer cells spread from the primary cancer in the breast to other parts of the body, it is called secondary or metastatic breast cancer. Although treatable, it can't be cured
- An estimated 61,000 people are living with secondary breast cancer in the UK
A blood test which could predict the likelihood of breast cancer spreading to the bone and becoming incurable, is being developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield thanks to new funding.
Breast Cancer Now has awarded Professor Janet Brown from the University of Sheffield's School of Medicine and Population Health, more than £390,000 to investigate early warning signs of secondary breast cancer in the bone by analysing specific proteins found in the blood.
When breast cancer cells spread from the primary cancer in the breast to other parts of the body, it is called secondary or metastatic breast cancer. Although treatable, it can't be cured.
An estimated 61,000 people are living with secondary breast cancer in the UK. And the bone is the most common site for secondary breast cancer.
In earlier research, Professor Janet Brown and her team from the University of Sheffield identified 16 proteins made by breast cancer cells that are ready to spread to the bones.
These proteins can be detected in the blood in the early stages of the disease, before the cancer has spread.
Now, the Sheffield scientists will analyse up to 400 blood samples from people with primary breast cancer who participated in two large clinical trials. These participants were monitored for five to 10 years to track whether they developed secondary breast cancer during that time.
Using advanced computer techniques, the researchers will identify which combination of the 16 proteins best predicts secondary breast cancer in the bone.
They hope this research will lead to a simple test made up of three to five key proteins that can help doctors better understand each person's risk. This could completely transform how people with breast cancer are monitored and treated in the future.
Professor Janet Brown, Professor of Translational Medical Oncology, said: "Secondary breast cancer is currently incurable. And when secondary tumours form in the bone, they can cause debilitating symptoms and reduce people's quality of life.
"This can occur months or even years after treatment, and there's currently no way to know who this will affect. My team's working on creating a blood test to predict the risk of future breast cancer spreading to the bone, so that we can better support people at higher risk, while sparing those at lower risk from unnecessary treatments."
Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: "A secondary breast cancer diagnosis can have a devastating impact on people's lives, yet we still can't predict who it will affect. This research is a vital step forward in changing that and could allow those at higher risk to receive more personalised treatment and monitoring, helping people who have been treated for breast cancer to live happy healthy lives without fear of the disease coming back."
Alyson Diggle, 61, a retired district nurse who lives in Rochdale, was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2024.
Alyson experienced pain in her right hip for over three years before her eventual diagnosis of secondary breast cancer.
Alyson said: "This blood test could have been helpful to me and provided me with some evidence when I went to see my doctor, otherwise there's a risk you can go in feeling like a paranoid patient."
Alyson put her increasing physical discomfort down to ageing. She eventually saw a consultant privately, who decided to do a scan on her back. This picked up suspicious lesions on her spine and femur. Further tests revealed a cancerous lesion in her liver.
She explained that the news came as a huge shock: "I don't think I stuck my head in the sand - I'm realistic - but after completing my treatment for primary breast cancer, a recurrence was the last thing I thought about."
Alyson had to wait for further test results to confirm the news and found things easier to cope with once she had a definite diagnosis and began medication. Her experience has brought home the importance of research into breast cancer.
"I'm still here because of the medication I'm on - a CDK4/6 inhibitor called ribociclib which blocks the cancer and stops it in its tracks. Five years ago, that medication wasn't available - it's only available today because of research."
Alyson is now supporting this new research, in the hope of making the process easier for others to understand their risk of secondary breast cancer.
This research supports the University of Sheffield's cancer research strategy. Through the strategy, the University aims to prevent cancer-related deaths by undertaking high quality research, leading to more effective treatments, as well as methods to better prevent and detect cancer and improve quality of life.
