Retinoic acid, a vitamin A derivative, also rejuvenates the skin and a weak version of it is used in anti-wrinkle face creams. The chemical affects cell growth, proliferation and survival. So far, studies of its potential as a cancer therapy have proved inconclusive. Now a new laboratory study has shown that retinoic acid reverses early changes in cells that lead to breast cancer. However, it is ineffective once a certain stage of cancer development has been passed. The research points the way to developing promising cancer treatments based on retinoic acid or other chemicals with a similar biological effect. Scientists in the US homed in on the key role played by a gene that activates retinoic acid’s anti-cancer properties. Meanwhile, another study has shown that piling on the pounds increases the chances of breast cancer returning after treatment. Women who put on a lot of weight after diagnosis were 14 per cent more likely to suffer a potentially fatal recurrence, scientists discovered. The association was only seen in women who experienced “large weight gain”, defined as a weight increase of 10 per cent or more. It did not apply to women who gained a “moderate” amount of weight, within five per cent of what they tipped the scales at before diagnosis.
