Watching the Race to Find the Breast Cancer Genes

Abstract

This article focuses on a crucial development in genetic research that occurred in the 1990s: the identification of the first two of the genes responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Issues addressed touch on the evolution of the subfield, its potential impact on cancer treatment, and industry involvement. The article follows the activities of the various research groups competing in the race to identify the genes and depicts the frequent conflicts between them. Data are derived chiefly from a bibliometric database. The results show a diversity of research practices. Industrial researchers interacted within far more tightly knit networks than their counterparts working in public organizations. The patenting and commercial exploitation of results led to fierce battles, with one group capturing most of the benefits.

Breast cancer research output, 1945-2008: a bibliometric and density-equalizing analysis

“…Despite its aforementioned disease burden, relatively little effort has previously been made to understand the trends emanating from the breast cancer-associated literature. While there has been some concentration on the bibliometrics of cancer research generally [5,6], just three publications have evaluated breast-related output specifically; Dalpe et al focused on the identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the 1990 s [7], while Donato et al published an analysis of the Portuguese contribution [8], and Li and McCain focused specifically on the development of research themes in the radiological detection of breast cancer [9]. The primary aim of this present work was thus to provide an in-depth evaluation of research yield in breast cancer from 1945 to 2008, using large-scale data analysis, the employment of bibliometric indicators of production and quality, and density-equalizing mapping.…”

Breast cancer research output, 1945-2008: a bibliometric and density-equalizing analysis

“…While there has been some concentration on the bibliometrics of cancer research generally [5,6], just three publications have evaluated breast-related output specifically; Dalpe et al . focused on the identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the 1990 s [7], while Donato et al . published an analysis of the Portuguese contribution [8], and Li and McCain focused specifically on the development of research themes in the radiological detection of breast cancer [9].…”

The Neoliberal Regulatory State, Industry Interests, and the Ideological Penetration of Scientific Knowledge

“…That these types of alternative tests were available as prominent alternatives was due to the ''molecularization'' of toxicology in the aftermath of the geneticization of cancer causation, together with the extent to which some government scientists, especially at the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the FDA, promoted and ''translated'' genetically engineered animal models for use in risk assessment and regulatory decision making (Dalpe et al 2003;Frickel 2004;Shostak 2005Shostak , 2007. The FDA was able to push this new conceptualization of carcinogenicity testing through to acceptance at ICH because the agency is responsible for governing the largest pharmaceutical market-nearly half the world market-which all major drug companies seek to access.…”