A group of scientists from the Cima (Center for Applied Medical Research) of the University of Navarra and the University Clinic of Navarra (CUN) have identified a group of proteins that predict the prognosis of patients with the two most common types of lung cancer: adenocarcinoma and carcinoma flaky lung. This detection could improve treatments, in these patients, to predict a relapse of this disease because until now, there is no marker, in practise, that indicates which patients are at higher risk of suffering from the disease over time, after having passed by operating rooms, according to Cima.
Spanish scientists of the Cima
Cima
Clinica Universidad de Navarraa
In a study of 557 patients, the researchers analysed the tumor samples of 239 patients with adenocarcinoma and 318 with squamous cell carcinoma, from the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, MD Anderson in Houston (United States) and the multicenter series of the CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES) and of the international clinical trial NATCH.
A scientist analysing carcinomas
Adenocarcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
According to the senior researcher of the Program of Solid Tumors of the University of Navarra and head of the CIBER group of Oncology (CIBERONC), Dr. Luis Montuenga, the objective of this study is "to detect those patients with lung cancer, who are at greater risk of relapse after surgery. For which, we have assessed the expression of two groups of proteins (three in adenocarcinoma and five in squamous carcinoma)".
Luis Montuenga
The results obtained confirm that when high amounts of these proteins are detected together, there is a worse prognosis of patients with lung cancer. "These data are especially useful to guide a personalised follow-up, so that clinical specialists can consider starting a treatment of complementary chemotherapy, after surgery, in surgical patients at higher risk, although they are in initial stages".
Also, in adenocarcinoma samples, preliminary data suggest that these groups of proteins could predict the response of patients to chemotherapy. From now on, the researchers will confirm the results by applying this "molecular signature", in international multicenter series. These results have been published in two scientific journals of international reference in the field of respiratory medicine and pathology, in “Thorax” and “Journal of Pathology”, respectively.
The method used, as a quantification system, is very simple, according to Cima, and could accelerate its clinical practise inplantation. According to Montuenga, "is based on immunolocalization of proteins, a technique that is carried out in virtually all pathology laboratories in the world. Our work now focuses on finding tools to optimize detection technology and start up systems automated analyses, that allow the robust quantification of these proteins".
Lung cancer is the most common type of tumor, in the world. Specifically, each year around 30,000 new cases are detected, in Spain. However, less than 20% of patients, with lung cancer, are diagnosed in the early stages, when they can be treated by surgery. In addition, after surgery, a percentage of these patients, even those with the earliest stage, may relapse.
Lung cancer
Well, I hope that you will like this hopeful news.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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