154: breast cancer breakthrough

A major breakthrough in diagnosing and treating breast cancer was announced today, as reported by the UK's Independent newspaper. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, believe they have identified the gene that causes cancerous tumors to spread. The gene in question is responsible for a protein called SATB1, which is known to stimulate the growth of breast cancer tumors and the breaking away of cancerous cells - a process called metastasis that significantly increases the risk of death from the disease. But this recent discovery brings hope, raising the prospect that new tests and drugs could be developed to predict, diagnose and then treat the most virulent forms of breast cancer. And with around half a million deaths from breast cancer across the world each year, this is a breakthrough that could benefit a lot of people...