[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Breast cancer passed down in families may be preventable by the medication Denosumab, which is undergoing a five-year study in Austria.<\/p>\n
The Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group is leading the work as it examines the drug\u2019s effectiveness on 2,950 patients with a hereditary disposition to this particular form of cancer, according to an Austria Press Agency report.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Professor Christian Singer from the Vienna General Hospital said the study will also examine the effects of Denosumab on healthy women who have a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, reports Xinhua news agency.<\/p>\n
These women have a 1.8 per cent chance of developing breast cancer each year, or about an 80 per cent chance during their lifetime. In addition, they have a 50 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Up to now the only preventative measure against both cancers has been surgical removal of the affected breast tissue or the ovaries.<\/p>\n
The participants in the drug trial will receive either a Denosumab injection or a placebo every six months, Singer said.<\/p>\n
Denosumab is known as a monoclonal antibody and has been used in particular to treat osteoporosis, due to its capacity to prevent the development of cells that break down bone.<\/p>\n
Earlier Austrian studies have given strong indications that Denosumab may be effective against breast cancer, experts said.<\/p>\n
(With IANS Inputs)<\/p>\n