The medical community was astounded by the recent news that an Indian teenager found a breast cancer cure. Krtin Nithiyandam, who lives in Epsom Surrey, claims that he has found a way to treat triple-negative breast cancer, a specific form of the disease that does not respond to most treatment methods.
Typical breast cancer treatments revolve around hormone therapy, as the condition is often caused by fluctuations of estrogen, progesterone, or certain growth chemicals. Treatment plans involve patients taking drugs that block excessive production of these hormones. These drugs are normally quite effective. However, triple-negative breast cancer – which affects around 7,500 women each year – is a special case. Doctors speculate that several factors cause the condition, thus, changing treatment. Those who are diagnosed with this illness usually have a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; and even then, complete eradication of the disease is not certain.
Nithiyandam, who won the Google Science Fair in 2015 for developing a test that spots Alzheimer’s 10 years before it surfaces, says that he has found a way to change triple negative breast cancer cells so that they respond positively to treatment. The cells, which medical professionals call undifferentiated, do not have receptors which traditional cancer drugs latch on to. Nithiyandam says that blocking a specific protein in the cell could potentially build receptors.
Nithiyandam’s findings are currently being reviewed and tested by different medical groups. If proven, it could significantly improve the prognosis of the thousands of women battling breast cancer.
Sandra Balan is a passionate supporter of the American Cancer Society. She is constantly on the lookout for the latest cancer treatment news. You can learn more by liking this Facebook page.
Sandra Balan 