A new study is exploring why some treatments don’t work as well for women with squamous cell lung cancer, a common type of non-small cell lung cancer often linked to smoking. This form of lung cancer hasn’t responded well to the newer targeted therapies that help other types of lung cancer. But researcher Dr. Milica Momcilovic is working to change that by studying how hormones like estrogen may affect treatment outcomes in women.
Her early research in lab and animal models shows that a drug called TAK228, which blocks cancer growth signals, works better in male mice than females—possibly because estrogen interferes. When combined with an anti-estrogen drug (similar to what’s used in breast cancer), female tumors responded better. This could eventually lead to more personalized treatments for women with lung cancer, helping doctors choose the right therapies and improving survival and quality of life. (Source: American Lung Association)
