Stress hormones in BRCA mutation carriers

The importance of psychological stress in breast cancer is recognised and being studied from a biobehavioral aspect. However, there are few, if any, studies on the mechanisms by which stress hormones impact breast cancer initiation. We have previously shown that stress hormones, cortisol, and catecholamines induce rapid DNA damage, impact DNA repair, and can also affect the efficacy of certain chemotherapy drugs. However, the interplay between stress and breast cancer in women with germline mutations in BRCA genes is yet to be fully understood.

The Breast Cancer Research Trust (BCRT) has provided funding of almost £50,000 for this year-long study.

Project timeframe

This project will commence in December 2017 and will continue until December 2018.

Project aims

The overarching aims of this research project are to:

determine the mechanistic effects of stress hormones on DNA damage and DNA repair in a healthy immortalised mammary epithelial cell line with and without BRCA
assess cortisol and 8-OHdG levels in patients with or without BRCA mutations and determine if these stress measures lead to cancer initiation.

Project findings and impact

This project is ongoing; output, findings and impact will be updated in due course.

Research team

Dr Melanie Flint
Renee Flaherty

Output

Output from this study will be updated in due course.

Related press coverage

Patient stress may reduce the power of cancer drugs, The Times, 1 September, 2017.
Managing stress 'may be vital to cancer treatment', The Yorkshire Post, 1 September, 2017.
Stress treatment is crucial to cancer treatment because the hormone BLOCKS the drugs from battling the tumour, Daily Mail, 1 September 2017.
Cancer treatment doesn't work if the patient is stressed, African Seer, 31 August 2017.

Partners

Dr Ros Eeles, Institute of Cancer Research