Medical data indicates that approximately 30 percent of breast cancers have high levels of a HER2, a human epidermal growth factor receptor. Research conducted by Griffith University's School of Medicine has found that these breast cancer cells may be fought with a precursor of vitamin E.

The HER2 feature found in this types of cancer is resistant to many treatments such as chemotherapy.

The experimental research study was done on mice. Results show that pro-vitamin E or alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) can reduce the number of these tumors.

This pro-vitamin E form of treatment may be an inexpensive and safe alternative to treating these types of breast cancer cells. This potential for this treatment is promising and it is not likely to cause dangerous side effects such as those from chemotherapy treatments.

According to the lead researcher, Associate Professor Jiri Neuzil, "Alpha-TOS has already shown promise as a potent anticancer agent in diseases such as colon cancer and mesothelioma. It induces controlled cell death or apoptosis in tumor cells."

Neuzil notes that the study results also indicated another benefit of the use of alpha-TOS as a potential anti-cancer fighting mechanism "by metabolizing in the liver to vitamin E."