Laboratory experiments revealed that certain cells, which line the ducts of the breast and prostate, have the ability to block the spread of cancer beyond those duct systems - where cancer often originates. These cells, known as myoepithelial cells, are responsible for mechanisms such as the secretion of milk in the breast and ejaculatory fluid in the prostate gland. Dr. Sheldon H. Brasky, a professor in the department of pathology, explained that cancer almost always begins in the ducts and rarely escapes, citing the fact that breast cancer can take somewhere between four and 12 years to develop. Furthermore, during this time the cancer can almost always be treated effectively. Brasky, the primary researcher for this project, decided to investigate the mechanism by which the cancer is suppressed.
Invasive cancer relies on the ducts within the secretory cells.
According to the study, the myoepithelial cells enclose the cancerous cells and keep them inactive. However, when cancer cells break through the cellular border, they spread, Brasky said. Both the myoepithelial and cancer cells produce enzymes which counter the effects of one another. Brasky has been studying these cellular dynamics for almost seven years. The entire project was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the Carolan Foundation.