Biomarker Discovery Improves Ovarian Cancer Treatment Options

A biomarker that will help predict the success of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients has been discovered, according to a recent study. The findings could catalyze better treatment options for the future in patients with ovarian cancer.

“Recent successes in harnessing the immune system to combat cancer are evidence for the significant roles of a cancer patient’s immune responses in fighting cancer,” said Madhuri Koti, PhD, an author of the study and researcher at Queen’s University.^{1
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“Many of these success are based on boosting anti-cancer immunity via different therapies. Such therapies would prove to be most effective when coupled with markers predicting a patient’s eventual response to a specific therapy,” she said. ¹

Using cutting-edge detection technology, researchers analyzed frozen tumor tissue from over 200 ovarian cancer patients. ^1,2

Researchers are currently conducting Phase II validations in retrospective cohorts including over 500 ovarian cancer patient tumors collected from the Canadian Ovarian Experimental Unified Resource. ^1,2

According to researchers, the markers will help gynecologic oncologist choose better treatments for patients when they are used at the initial treatment stage. This should increase the potential for the patients to survive. ¹

The complete study is published in the March issue of the British Journal of Cancer.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

References:

1. Queens University. A cancer research breakthrough. March 24, 2015. www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/cancer-research-breakthrough. Accessed March 26, 2015.

2. Koti M, Siu A, Clement I, et al. A distinct pre-existing inflammatory tumour microenvironment is associated with chemotherapy resistance in high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer. BJC. 2015 March [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1038/bjc.2015.81.