In 2002, Fuso was surprised to
get a call from the Regina Elena
Cancer Institute. Researchers
needed further blood samples
from her body. Astonished at the
thought that there was something
special about her case, Fuso says
she was very happy, and gladly did
what was needed.
Then there was another call in
2003. Fuso’s tumor had led to an
important scientific discovery:
a gene that researchers named
hMena. It appears to be a marker
for advanced breast cancer—a
type of signpost that may help
doctors screen patients for the
disease and design more effective
treatments for those who develop
it. One of Fuso’s daughters, a
biologist, joked that she had
gone all the way to Spain to do
research, never suspecting that
she had such a special mother
right at home.
Natali says scientists have
found that hMena may also help
indicate if a patient is predisposed
to respond to pancreatic cancer
treatment—which could assist
doctors and patients in making
therapy decisions. The research
on Fuso’s tumor is part of a
worldwide trend, he adds: By
isolating and storing tumors and
comparing their characteristics in
large databases, researchers are
Katia Fuso’s
breast cancer
tumor helped
scientists
identify a gene
that appears
to be a marker
for advanced
breast cancer.
CR | Page No. 45 | www.CRmagazine.org CR | Page No. 45 | www.CRmagazine.org
PRESS OFFICE IFO
finding more and more genes that
point the way toward personalized
medicine—screening tests and
treatments designed for the needs
of individuals or small groups.
(See the accompanying story on
page 36.)
These days, Fuso is back to living
a normal Italian life. She’s 62,
retired, enjoys painting porcelain
as a hobby, and goes to a house
outside Rome on weekends to
grow vegetables and make jams.
But her husband and daughters
have started to tease her with a
new nickname: Cavia, which is
Italian for guinea pig. Fuso says
she doesn’t mind it a bit. Surviving
cancer was a blessing, but her
giving something back to help
other people was an even more
unexpected bounty.
