A specific genetic signature has been linked to a high risk for recurrence of non-small cell lung caner following surgery, according to a team of researchers led by pathologist Dr. Ming Tsao. The discovery provides an avenue for identifying high-risk patients who may benefit from chemotherapy treatments once surgical removal of the tumor has occurred.
Previous studies have shown that post-surgical chemotherapy does not necessarily improve a lung cancer patient’s survival rate. Thanks to the newly identified biomarker, Tsao and his colleagues believe doctors can now identify which patients are most likely to benefit from additional chemotherapy, while sparing low-risk candidates from “the potentially debilitating side effects of this treatment.”
The study builds on a previous research study (dubbed JBR.10) conducted by the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) that concluded non-small cell lung cancer patients enjoyed improved survival outcomes with the help of chemotherapy drugs such as vinorelbine and cisplatin following surgery.
To come to their conclusions, Tsao and team reviewed the genetic data of 133 patients who took part in the 2005 JBR.10 research study. Through this analysis, the team was able to identify 15 genes that correlated to a high recurrence of cancer in cases where chemotherapy was not administered following surgery.
A randomized review of the JBR.10 results also allowed researchers to effectively “predict” which patients eventually experienced the most benefit from chemotherapy following surgery. The research indicates that both stage-I and stage-II lung cancer patients may benefit from chemotherapy following surgery.
The study was funded in part by the NCIC and U.S. National Cancer Institute. Research was performed in conjunction with researchers from the Princess Margaret Hospital Cancer Program and Ontario Cancer Institute.
Sources: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/568122
http://topnews.co.uk/212581-gene-responsible-recurrence-cancer-among-patients