How pH Balance Could Transform Breast Cancer Treatment
- Authors
- Salvador Harguindey, Khalid Alfarouk, Julian Polo Orozco, Kevin Hardonniere, Daniel Stanciu, Stefano Fais, Jesus Devesa
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3390/ijms21031110
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Spain
- Health Condition
- Breast Cancer
- Body System
- Reproductive System
TL;DR
Scientists think they've found a new way to understand and treat breast cancer by looking at how acid levels (pH) work in cancer cells—basically, cancer cells create an acidic environment that helps them survive, so targeting this acid balance might work better than current treatments. This idea could help doctors create better, personalized treatment plans for different patients and types of breast cancer.
Key Finding
__no_content__
Summary
Scientists have developed a new theoretical framework suggesting that hydrogen ion dynamics and pH regulation are central to breast cancer development and treatment. The researchers argue that current treatments haven't been successful enough and propose a pH-centric approach that could unify understanding of different breast cancer types. This model suggests that by targeting the acid-base balance in tumor cells, doctors could develop more effective treatments that work across all breast cancer subtypes. The approach aims to create coordinated treatment strategies based on how cancer cells manage hydrogen ions and pH levels.
Abstract
Despite all efforts, the treatment of breast cancer (BC) cannot be considered to be a success story. The advances in surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have not been sufficient at all. Indeed, the accumulated experience clearly indicates that new perspectives and non-main stream approaches are needed to better characterize the etiopathogenesis and treatment of this disease. This contribution deals with how the new pH-centric anticancer paradigm plays a fundamental role in reaching a more integral understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of this multifactorial disease. For the first time, the armamentarium available for the treatment of the different types and phases of BC is approached here from a Unitarian perspective-based upon the hydrogen ion dynamics of cancer. The wide-ranged pH-related molecular, biochemical and metabolic model is able to embrace most of the fields and subfields of breast cancer etiopathogenesis and treatment. This single and integrated approach allows advancing towards a unidirectional, concerted and synergistic program of treatment. Further efforts in this line are likely to first improve the therapeutics of each subtype of this tumor and every individual patient in every phase of the disease.