"New genetic test could benefit thousands of breast cancer patients at risk of developing aggressive secondary tumours  Bone strengthening drugs can help prevent the disease from spreading to the bone Thousands of breast cancer patients at risk of developing aggressive secondary tumours could benefit from a potential new genetic test. A study led by researchers at the University of Sheffield has shown women with breast cancer who lack a key genetic marker are more likely to respond to a treatment that can prevent the disease spreading to their bones. Secondary cancer known as metastasis is the most common cause of death in breast cancer patients as there are few effective treatments once it has taken root. It occurs when cancer cells spread to another site in the body. Around  per cent of secondary breast cancer patients have tumours in the bone. Large scale clinical trials indicate a group of bone strengthening drugs known as bisphosphonates can help prevent the disease from spreading to bone in breast cancer patients if given early enough. The difficulty is identifying which patients will benefit from these drugs said Professor Robert Coleman emeritus professor of medical oncology who led the new study. It only seems to be effective in some patients particularly older women while others show no response and in some younger women it may even be harmful. The new study which is published in the journal Lancet Oncology has shown it may be possible to identify women who will benefit from bisphosphonates by using a test that looks for a gene known as MAF. Women who do not carry the gene  approximately  per cent of women with breast cancer  were found to benefit from the bone strengthening treatment. Professor Coleman said If the test is negative for this gene then they can be offered this bone strengthening treatment which can give them a better chance of surviving their cancer. A test for the gene known as MAFTest has been developed by a Spanish medical company called Inbiomotion following work conducted at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine IRB in Barcelona. The new study which is published in the journal Lancet Oncology was part of an international phase  clinical trial involving  women with stage II or III breast cancer. The results need to be confirmed in a second trial currently underway in the United States before the test is likely to receive approval for wider use in patients. But if successful it could be incorporated into the routine testing of breast cancer patients to see if they could benefit from bisphosphonate treatments such as zoledronic acid. Those found not to carry the gene could be given the drug after having surgery and radiotherapy for their primary tumour in an effort to prevent the cancer from spreading. Around  women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of  annually. The discovery made at IRB Barcelona and tested in the current study could be of great use to clinicians and would avoid unnecessary treatment of patients who would not benefit or could be harmed by the treatment added Professor Roger Gomis leader of the growth control and cancer metastasis group at IRB Barcelona who was a coauthor on the study. Additional information Read the paper in Lancet Oncology http Coleman RE Hall A Albanell J Hanby A Bell R Cameron D Dodwell D Marshall H JeanMairet J Tercero JC Rojo F Gregory W and Gomis RR. Effect of MAF amplification on treatment outcomes with adjuvant zoledronic acid in early breast cancer a secondary analysis of the international openlabel randomised controlled phase  AZURE BIG  Lancet Oncology. . Doi.S The University of Sheffield With almost  of the brightest students from over  countries learning alongside over  of the best academics from across the globe the University of Sheffield is one of the worlds leading universities.  A member of the UKs prestigious Russell Group of leading researchled institutions Sheffield offers worldclass teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.   Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times  Best NotForProfit Organisations to Work For  and was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education in . In the last decade it has won four Queens Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdoms intellectual economic cultural and social life.  Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Global research partners and clients include Boeing RollsRoyce Unilever AstraZeneca Glaxo SmithKline Siemens and Airbus as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations."