AMACMA D8 Association makes donation for triple negative breast cancer research

The Association of Women Affected by Breast Cancer in the town of Requena (AMACMA D8) has made a generous donation to the La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) for breast cancer research. On 15 February, a group of women from the group, which has already made other contributions in the past, visited the research institute and attended an information session to learn first-hand about the project to which the money will be allocated on this occasion.

The doctoral student, Maria Rosado, who has received a pre-doctoral grant from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) in Valencia for the project 'Study of the molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression in triple negative breast cancers', was in charge of leading this small presentation of the research, which is carried out in the Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer laboratory, led by doctors Francisco Ripoll, Ana Santaballa and Jaime Font de Mora.

More aggressive and worse prognosis

As the young researcher explained, triple-negative breast cancer is more aggressive, has a worse prognosis and usually occurs in women under the age of 40. Patients with this type of cancer cannot be treated with targeted therapies as with other breast cancers, so their treatment is currently based on chemotherapy, prior to surgery, or neoadjuvant.

However, only 36% respond completely to this treatment, so it is still necessary to look for therapies that are more effective for these patients. The findings made by the Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer group reveal that if people respond poorly to standard therapy it is because they have "switched off" the immune system, this means the tumour has escaped the immune system's checkpoints.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to study, in a group of patients affected by breast cancer, the mechanisms of this immunosuppression and its possible relationship with the expression of the gene studied. The study has the collaboration of the Oncology and Surgery Service of the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe de València to obtain samples from patients with triple-negative breast cancer who do not respond to treatment and to introduce new therapies aimed at those who respond poorly to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: to welcome, accompany and save lives

The AMACMA D8 Association was formed in Requena in 2008 by a few women affected by breast cancer. Its mission, as an Association, is to help women and men suffering from this disease and to raise funds for breast cancer research and other health-related projects. To achieve their objective, throughout the year they organise a multitude of events, including the 'Race against breast cancer city of Requena' which, every year, brings together thousands of people from all over the world to participate in the 'Carrera contra el cáncer de mama ciudad de Requena' (Race against breast cancer city of Requena).