The flap of a butterfly's wings can unleash a hurricane, but even the smallest change in a protein in our body can generate a cellular cataclysm. That's what the understands, a drug that represents a turning point in the battle against one of the most ruthless killers of our time: breast cancer.
After years of research, this pill that is taken twice a day ha just received approval for use in the National Health Service (NHS). It's not a magic wand that will eliminate breast cancer, but it could be the weapon that finally allows us to gain ground in a war that seemed lost. And in this battle, every inch gained is worth gold.
The mechanism behind capivasertib
Capivasertib is anything but an ordinary drug. It acts as a sort of molecular saboteur, infiltrating the mechanisms that govern the proliferation of tumor cells. In particular, it targets an aberrant protein that works like a mad conductor, ordering cancer cells to multiply uncontrollably.
The beauty of this approach is its precision. Instead of indiscriminately bombarding the body with toxic agents (as traditional chemotherapy does), capivasertib hits a specific target. It’s like turning off a molecular switch. This also means it could delay the need for chemotherapy, sparing patients the infamous side effects that are often as devastating as the disease itself.
I find it particularly fascinating how these new targeted therapies are changing the paradigm of cancer treatment: no longer blanket weapons, but intelligent “precision attacks”.
The numbers of approval
The decision of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) opens encouraging scenarios. According to estimates, more than 1000 women affected by breast cancer HR-positive HER2-negative patients could benefit from this treatment every year in the UK.
I clinical study results they speak clearly: the combination of understands e fulvestrant (a hormone therapy) increased the time before the disease worsened by about 4,2 months compared to the placebo plus fulvestrant. Four months may seem like a short time to someone who has never had to deal with a diagnosis of advanced cancer, but for those who live this reality they represent an invaluable treasure.
In 2020, 2,3 million people have received a diagnosis of breast cancer globally, and approximately 685.000 have died due to the disease. These data highlight the critical importance of expanding the therapeutic options available to address a disease that continues to represent a global health challenge.
The future implications
Secondo Christian Helin, managing director ofInstitute of Cancer Research of London, this approval “is a triumph that will improve treatment for these patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer.” About half of patients with this type of breast cancer have mutations in one or more genes, and for them capivasertib can halt the progression of the disease.
But let's not fool ourselves: we are not talking about a definitive cure. Metastatic breast cancer remains incurable. What we are learning to do, however, is to transform it into a chronic condition that we can live with longer and more dignifiedly.
The road to defeating breast cancer for good is still long and winding. Capivasertib is just one stop on a journey that will likely take decades. But every small step forward is cause for celebration; every day gained is a victory worth telling.
