Comparative impact of proton versus photon irradiation on triple‐negative breast cancer: Role of VEGFC in tumour aggressiveness
Abstract
Comparative impact of proton versus photon irradiation on triple-negative breast cancer: Role of VEGFC in tumour aggressiveness.Dear Editor,In this study, we demonstrated that proton (P) and photon (X) radiotherapies (RT) lead to different molecular changes in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Pirradiated tumours tended to make larger tumours, while X-irradiated ones exhibited increased aggressiveness. Both types of radiation increased gene expression related to angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) and lymphangiogenesis (lymph vessel formation), which are associated with more aggressive cancer behaviour. We also found that targeting the lymphangiogenesis-related gene, vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC), alongside either type of RT, could improve the prognosis for TNBC patients.Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer among women. 1 Its aggressive forms, like TNBC, tend to be highly vascularized and often have an increased network of lymphatic vessels, which allows the cancer to metastasize more rapidly. 2 Standard treatment involves with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and RT to target both local and systemic diseases. Despite these treatments, recurrence remains a significant challenge in aggressive forms of BC. 3 Proton therapy, a newer form of RT, offers more precise targeting than conventional X-RT, potentially reducing side effects by narrowing the radiation field. 4 Ongoing clinical trials are investigating whether P-RT might offer advantages over conventional X-RT, as recent research suggests promising advantages. 5 Here, we investigated how irradiation impacts TNBC cell behaviour and their microenvironment, building on our prior study of P-and X-RT effects on head and neck cancer. 6 Specifically, we investigated whether irradiation might inadvertently promote tumour growth by altering cells to release growth factors or cytokines that support tumour survival and progression.To examine these effects, we developed TNBC cell populations (MDAMB231 and BT549) that are resilient to
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BibTeX
@article{sarlak2026comparative,
title = {{Comparative impact of proton versus photon irradiation on triple‐negative breast cancer: Role of VEGFC in tumour aggressiveness}},
author = {Saharnaz Sarlak and Delphine Marotte and Jessy Sirera and Arthur Karaulic and Alessandra Pierantoni and Meng‐chen Tsai and Roxane Sylvestre and Clement Molina and Arthur Gouraud and Aurélien Bancaud and Béatrice Cambien and Paraskevi Kousteridou and Marie Vidal and Joël Hérault and Jérôme Doyen and Maeva Dufies and Florent Morfoisse and Barbara Garmy‐susini and Frédéric Luciano and Gilles Pagès},
journal = {Clinical and Translational Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1002/ctm2.70330},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05798907v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparative impact of proton versus photon irradiation on triple‐negative breast cancer: Role of VEGFC in tumour aggressiveness
AU - Saharnaz Sarlak
AU - Delphine Marotte
AU - Jessy Sirera
AU - Arthur Karaulic
AU - Alessandra Pierantoni
AU - Meng‐chen Tsai
AU - Roxane Sylvestre
AU - Clement Molina
AU - Arthur Gouraud
AU - Aurélien Bancaud
AU - Béatrice Cambien
AU - Paraskevi Kousteridou
AU - Marie Vidal
AU - Joël Hérault
AU - Jérôme Doyen
AU - Maeva Dufies
AU - Florent Morfoisse
AU - Barbara Garmy‐susini
AU - Frédéric Luciano
AU - Gilles Pagès
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/21
JO - Clinical and Translational Medicine
DO - 10.1002/ctm2.70330
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05798907v1
AB - Comparative impact of proton versus photon irradiation on triple-negative breast cancer: Role of VEGFC in tumour aggressiveness.Dear Editor,In this study, we demonstrated that proton (P) and photon (X) radiotherapies (RT) lead to different molecular changes in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Pirradiated tumours tended to make larger tumours, while X-irradiated ones exhibited increased aggressiveness. Both types of radiation increased gene expression related to angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) and lymphangiogenesis (lymph vessel formation), which are associated with more aggressive cancer behaviour. We also found that targeting the lymphangiogenesis-related gene, vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC), alongside either type of RT, could improve the prognosis for TNBC patients.Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer among women. 1 Its aggressive forms, like TNBC, tend to be highly vascularized and often have an increased network of lymphatic vessels, which allows the cancer to metastasize more rapidly. 2 Standard treatment involves with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and RT to target both local and systemic diseases. Despite these treatments, recurrence remains a significant challenge in aggressive forms of BC. 3 Proton therapy, a newer form of RT, offers more precise targeting than conventional X-RT, potentially reducing side effects by narrowing the radiation field. 4 Ongoing clinical trials are investigating whether P-RT might offer advantages over conventional X-RT, as recent research suggests promising advantages. 5 Here, we investigated how irradiation impacts TNBC cell behaviour and their microenvironment, building on our prior study of P-and X-RT effects on head and neck cancer. 6 Specifically, we investigated whether irradiation might inadvertently promote tumour growth by altering cells to release growth factors or cytokines that support tumour survival and progression.To examine these effects, we developed TNBC cell populations (MDAMB231 and BT549) that are resilient to
SN - 2001-1326
ER -