Genetic Screening Might Predict Response to Chemotherapy
Posted Mar 02 2010 7:41am
The concept of personalized medicine continues to grow in the health profession. This can range from personalized nutrition to personalized cancer treatments. However, personalized medicine requires knowledge of an individual's specific characteristics, particularly in relation to a specific health condition.
New research published yesterday in The Lancet: Oncology reports that a new genetic screening test might predict which breast cancer patients will benefit the most from chemotherapy with paclitaxel. In this study, researchers used a technique called RNA interference where genes are silenced one at a time in order to determine the response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy with that particular gene not working correctly. By using this molecular technique, the breast cancer researchers were able to identify 6 genes that, when not working properly, prevented paclitaxel-based chemotherapy from being effective. Therefore, when these 6 genes did not work correctly, treatment with paclitaxel was not as effective for treating breast cancer.
This new research is another step forward in the personalization of breast cancer treatment. While chemotherapy is an important part of breast cancer therapy, many individuals do not respond to specific chemotherapy drugs. However, it is currently difficult to determine which breast cancer patients will not respond before treatment is begun. This can lead to some breast cancer patients receiving ineffective treatments, potentially leading to poorer outcomes. Designing genetic tests that can determine if a breast cancer patient will respond to a particular chemotherapy drug is an important step in improving breast cancer treatments and breast cancer outcomes.
In addition to advances in breast cancer therapy, health professionals continue to discover lifestyle factors that increase breast cancer risk. By avoiding or minimizing these factors in our lives, we can reduce our breast cancer risk. To learn more about the type of things you can do to reduce your personal risk of breast cancer, read my book Fight Now: Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer at www.fightBCnow.com .
New research published yesterday in The Lancet: Oncology reports that a new genetic screening test might predict which breast cancer patients will benefit the most from chemotherapy with paclitaxel. In this study, researchers used a technique called RNA interference where genes are silenced one at a time in order to determine the response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy with that particular gene not working correctly. By using this molecular technique, the breast cancer researchers were able to identify 6 genes that, when not working properly, prevented paclitaxel-based chemotherapy from being effective. Therefore, when these 6 genes did not work correctly, treatment with paclitaxel was not as effective for treating breast cancer.
This new research is another step forward in the personalization of breast cancer treatment. While chemotherapy is an important part of breast cancer therapy, many individuals do not respond to specific chemotherapy drugs. However, it is currently difficult to determine which breast cancer patients will not respond before treatment is begun. This can lead to some breast cancer patients receiving ineffective treatments, potentially leading to poorer outcomes. Designing genetic tests that can determine if a breast cancer patient will respond to a particular chemotherapy drug is an important step in improving breast cancer treatments and breast cancer outcomes.
In addition to advances in breast cancer therapy, health professionals continue to discover lifestyle factors that increase breast cancer risk. By avoiding or minimizing these factors in our lives, we can reduce our breast cancer risk. To learn more about the type of things you can do to reduce your personal risk of breast cancer, read my book Fight Now: Eat & Live Proactively Against Breast Cancer at www.fightBCnow.com .