Hydrogel patches could prevent melanoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer from recurring

Source: Medical News Today, April 2022

• Researchers have created a drug-releasing hydrogel to reduce the possibility of cancer recurring after surgery.
• They found that the gel could reduce biomarkers of cancer recurrence in mice, specifically those with colon cancer, melanoma, and triple-negative breast cancer.
• However, clinical trials are needed to see whether these results translate over to humans.

Surgery is the first-line treatment for patients with solid tumors. However, often cancer cells can be left behind and, over time, lead to cancer recurring.

Previous research Trusted Source has found that as wounds heal after surgery, immune cells known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) secrete large amounts of anti-inflammatory factors. These factors help remaining tumor cells escape immune surveillance and accelerate their recurrence. Once TAMs were removed cancer, tumor growth was reduced.

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