Finding better treatments for lobular breast cancer

There are different types of breast cancer. Some start in the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple), while others start in the lobules (milk-producing glands) of the breast. Around 15 in every 100 breast cancers are lobular breast cancer.  They grow and spread differently than other types of the disease. 

But at the moment they are treated in much the same way as other types of breast cancer. These treatments can be very effective for some, but we know that not all lobular breast cancers respond. 

Understanding what makes lobular breast cancer different will help us to find targeted ways to treat it and stop it spreading.

Groundbreaking research is rarely done by one person. It takes teams of skilled researchers working together to change our understanding of breast cancer and find the best ways to treat it. This is why our researchers have launched a collaborative project called the Lobular Initiative.

Working together, our scientists are using their diverse expertise to answer the vital questions to understand lobular breast cancer and find more effective treatments.

The scientists are working together to answer 3 main questions:

1. Why do some lobular breast cancer cells spread while others don’t? 
   
   Some breast cancer cells are better at growing and spreading than others. So, the researchers are studying the molecular makeup of cancer cells from samples donated by people with lobular breast cancer. 
   
   In the lab, they want to understand if different lobular breast cancer cells are more likely to spread to certain organs. 
   
   This could help us understand what genes help these breast cancer cells spread,  and what tissues they spread to. It could help to find new ways to stop them from developing into incurable secondary breast cancer.
   
   
2. How do lobular breast cancers survive once they have spread to other organs?
   
   The team is using their expertise to study what genes and proteins are important for lobular breast cancer cells that survive outside of the breast. They also want to understand if non-cancer cells in other organs help lobular breast cancer to survive and grow. 
   
   If we know what keeps these breast cancer cells alive, and what helps them grow in other organs, we can find better ways to stop it. 
   
   
3. Are there more effective and kinder treatments for lobular breast cancer?
   
   Using the team’s experience and track record in developing targeted therapies for breast cancer, our researchers aim to find better ways to treat lobular breast cancer.
   
   Using what they learn from answering the initial questions, the scientists will test how effective new drugs are against lobular cancer cells.
   
   And they’ll see if any existing drugs can be repurposed as a treatment for this type of breast cancer. If so, this could allow drugs to reach people with lobular breast cancer sooner.

This unique initiative will bring the expertise of our researchers together to tackle this under-researched type of breast cancer. The Lobular Initiative will give us insight into why lobular breast cancer grows and spreads differently to other types of the disease. It could then lead to better ways to prevent and treat lobular cancer.

Thousands. Around 8,250 women are diagnosed with lobular breast cancer each year in the UK. Men can also get lobular breast cancer, but this is very rare.