University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan
Professor of Internal Medicine and Daniel F. Hayes MD Breast Cancer Research Professor Breast Oncology Disease Lead, Rogel Cancer Center Interim Chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology
Reducing aromatase inhibitor side effects and improving quality of life of breast cancer survivors.
For patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, anti-hormone treatments such as aromatase inhibitors (AIs), taken for five to ten years after diagnosis reduce the risk of recurrence. However, up to half of patients stop taking endocrine therapy earlier than recommended, primarily because of aggravating side effects. Side effects of aromatase inhibitors specifically include musculoskeletal symptoms such as aches, pains, and stiffness thought to be due, in part, to inflammation. A few treatments for aromatase-induced musculoskeletal symptoms (AIMSS) have been identified, but they only work for a subset of patients. There is a critical need to identify additional effective treatments so that more patients can continue their treatment. Dr. Henry and her team are looking to understand why some patients develop these bothersome side effects and to identify more effective ways to prevent or decrease the toxicity of these treatments.
While acupuncture has been shown to be effective for treating AIMSS, it is not available to all patients due to the cost and lack of available practitioners. Acupressure, which involves self-administering pressure to specific points on the body, has been shown to reduce fatigue, and may be a more acceptable option for treating AIMSS. Dr. Henry has enrolled 12 of the planned 50 participants to a pilot randomized trial of acupressure for treating AIMSS. If effective, the team plans to confirm these findings in a larger multi-site clinical trial.
Additionally, they are investigating the effects of AI therapy-associated inflammation and changing estrogen levels on the types of bacteria present in the gut. While the team has thus far been unable to identify changes in the types of gut bacteria in stool samples from 26 patients treated with AI, they are examining if specific types of bacteria are associated with developing AIMSS.
In the coming year, the team will complete trial enrollment and will begin data analysis. They will analyze the types of gut bacteria in an additional 28-30 patients and conduct longer follow up to find potential connections between types of gut bacteria and AIMSS symptoms.
Norah Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist, is Professor of Internal Medicine and Interim Chief of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School and the Daniel F. Hayes, MD, Breast Cancer Research Professor at the Rogel Cancer Center. She completed her PhD in Structural Biology at Stanford University School of Medicine, and her medical degree at Washington University in St Louis. She then completed her internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, followed by hematology/oncology fellowship training at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Henry was appointed to the faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School in 2007 and since that time has developed expertise in breast cancer management, acute toxicity and late effects of cancer therapy, symptom management, survivorship, and patient-reported outcomes. She has published over 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts and collaborates with colleagues throughout the United States. Dr. Henry has served as national Study Chair for two large randomized clinical trials in SWOG focused on symptom management and persistence with endocrine therapy. Since 2015, she has served as co-chair of the SWOG Symptom Management and Quality of Life committee and served as Scientific Program Chair for the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting. Dr. Henry serves as primary mentor for numerous medical students, fellows, and early career faculty.
Dr. Henry has received grant funding from the National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, V Foundation, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Expedition Inspiration, the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
2023
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