Breast Cancer & XMRV

[FernRhizome]

I am curious why nothing has yet been published about XMRV and breast cancer. It seems like the Cleveland Clinic would have been investigating this given their original finding of XMRV in the first place and prostate cancer. Does anyone know why nothing has appeared in print yet?

 

[alex3619]

Hi FrenRhizome: short answer, no.

I do have a suspicion that one or more studies are probably underway. It takes months to years to complete a quality study. Certainly Singh is likely to publish a study at some time, given that her patent cites a 25% prevalence of XMRV in breast cancer tumors. We also know there are several unpublished studies from the WPI - and I don't know what they are about. With the release of the patent info, I suspect that a number of cancer researchers will sit up and take notice, and there might be a run of breast cancer studies in a year or three.

If a reliable XMRV assay can be determined by the BWG etc. then using stored cancer samples (there must be research banks around) a study could happen very quickly if there is funding, and breast cancer does get a lot more funding than CFS I think.

Bye
Alex

 

[FernRhizome]

Thanks Alex, that's helpful info. Who is the BWG?

 

[Francelle]

BWG is the Blood Working Group who are currently investigating the prevalence of XMRV in the blood supply - I think.

I wanted to say though that I hope that this whole breast cancer finding doesn't overshadow any M.E/CFS findings which are yet to be confirmed. It's typical that some diseases seem to get more notoriety - particularly of course the ones that kill people! Am I bitter? - no - just stating a fact - lol!

 

[alex3619]

Hi Francelle, its also possible it will go the other way. If a percentage of cancer related chronic fatigue patients can be shown to have CFS, then more cancer funding will be available for CFS research, not just XMRV research. We don't know where this is going, we need more research, but there is room for optimism in the medium term (months to years). Bye, Alex

 

[Cort]

I remember Annette Whittemore saying in the very beginning that they had been contacted by breast cancer researchers - I guess because of the hormonal component of XMRV - and it showing up in prostate cancer.

 

[George]

The Breast Cancer study was referenced at the October 2009 CFSAC meeting by Dr. Coffin That's over a year ago. To my knowledge there are between 14 to 17 unpublished studies and the doesn't count the 3 Dr. Mikovits often talks about. (grins) There was a cervical cancer study done in June of 2009 that was never published either. It's very frustrating.

 

[Deatheye]

The Breast Cancer study was referenced at the October 2009 CFSAC meeting by Dr. Coffin That's over a year ago. To my knowledge there are between 14 to 17 unpublished studies and the doesn't count the 3 Dr. Mikovits often talks about. (grins) There was a cervical cancer study done in June of 2009 that was never published either. It's very frustrating.

Any official inofmrtionen about why they are held as a secret? I really don't get it. If they would think about not making a global panic out of this shouldn't they hold back a lot more of the papers? So why are some of them not getting out?