New microbiome and breast cancer study in Norwich

17th May 2021

Scientists from the Norwich Research Park are launching a new study into breast cancer.

The research team from the Quadram Institute, University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are recruiting participants who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer to donate their tissue for research. The study has been reviewed and given favourable opinion by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the University of East Anglia (FMH 201819-092HT).

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women in the UK, but if it is diagnosed early, prognosis is good. Breast cancer survival rates have improved dramatically over the last 10-20 years largely due to breakthroughs in screening programmes, anti-cancer therapies, and a deeper understanding of how the disease develops. But, more still needs to be done to help save the thousand lives a month that are lost to breast cancer in the UK.

This is where the researchers hope that this new project, called the BEAM Study, will make a difference. It is focusing on microbes, specifically the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in each of our digestive systems. Known collectively as the microbiome, they might seem like unlikely heroes in the fight against breast cancer, but a number of studies have indicated that these microbes can actually boost cancer therapies and may also act as a biomarker we can use to screen cancer patients.

Most of the work so far has taken place in cancers of the gut and skin, with much less work focusing on breast cancer. However, this is changing, and the BEAM Study will be one of the few trials to date exploring the gut microbiome and breast cancer.

To carry this high-quality research the team needs to recruit patients who have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Participants will be kindly asked to donate faecal samples to uncover what microbes are present in their gut and which ones might be missing.

The study draws on the cancer biology experience of Dr Stephen Robinson’s research group and the microbiome expertise of Professor Lindsay Hall’s lab as well as the NRP Biorepository, a Norfolk and Norwich University facility that supports high quality clinical research.

“I am truly fascinated by how a collection of bacteria could have such a big impact on our health. Attempting to understand how such bacteria can affect us could provide many opportunities to develop new therapies” said Nancy Teng, who is leading the BEAM study.

“The chance to contribute to improving patient care is a chance to be a part of a future solution to breast cancer therapies. By learning more about breast cancer and the microbiome, we can provide new ideas for improved treatments and technologies to improve the outcome for patients.

For a more detailed explanation of the study, please see quadram.ac.uk/BEAMStudy or contact the NRP Biorepository at 01603 289221 or biorepository@nnuh.nhs.uk

Related Targets

Targeting cancer

Cancer

Targeting the understanding of the microbiome

Understanding the Microbiome

Related Research Groups

Hall Group

Lindsay Hall

Stephen Robinson

Related Research Areas