Investigating the relationship between breast cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment

Research summary

To understand breast cancer further, we are interested to see how breast cells and cancer cells interact with their environment. There is a growing understanding that the make-up of surrounding tissues (the tumour microenvironment) may trigger different behaviours in breast cancer cells. We know that tumour cells and normal cells sometimes use different fuels and we want to understand these differences further. We also know that conditions related to the metabolism of the patient, i.e. how the body uses nutrients, can also affect the behaviour of tumours (e.g. diabetes, obesity). If we understand these differences, this may allow us to select specific cancer therapies for patients. Lastly, resistance to therapy and novel therapeutic strategies will be explored including potential metabolic and immune approaches. In this study we plan to take some samples of breast tumour and benign breast tissue from both breasts during routine surgery for primary breast cancer and benign breast surgery. *For patients who have undergone treatment prior to surgical excision (e.g endocrine therapy or chemotherapy) we will request to obtain the historical tissue sample to compare the behavior of the tumour.* We also will take blood samples, and will also collect several measures of patient metabolism via some simple clinical measurements including body mass index, imaging data (from routine CT scans carried out as part of standard of care) and some details of the patients medical history. The tissue samples will be used to try to grow cells from these samples in the laboratory (known as primary cell culture). In addition we shall look to analyse the samples to understand the gene and nutrient profiles of both normal and tumour and also carry out assays using the patient's blood sample to link this to markers of the patient's 'global' metabolic, inflammatory and immune status.

Principal Investigator

Dr Simon Lord

Contact us

Email: latephaseoncology@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

248190