Gene Expression Profiling Holds Promise for Stage II Colon Cancer Risk Stratification

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of California have discovered that conventional clinical and pathologic risk factors in stage II colon cancer provide limited prognostic information and fail to predict response to adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. This gap in knowledge has led to the need for new prognostic and predictive biomarkers to identify patients with the highest recurrence risk who will benefit the most from adjuvant chemotherapy. Gene expression profiling, a tool with both prognostic and predictive potential in oncology, has emerged as a promising solution for stage II colon cancer risk stratification and treatment decision making. The Oncotype DX Colon Cancer test, now commercially available, and the ColoPrint assay, expected to be released later this year, are two assays that have shown promise in this area.

Key Takeaways:

  • Conventional clinical and pathologic risk factors in stage II colon cancer provide limited prognostic information and do not predict response to adjuvant 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.
  • New prognostic and predictive biomarkers are needed to identify patients with highest recurrence risk who will receive the greatest absolute risk reduction from adjuvant chemotherapy.
  • Gene expression profiling is an emerging tool with both prognostic and predictive potential in oncology for stage II colon cancer risk stratification and treatment decision making.
  • The Oncotype DX Colon Cancer test is now commercially available as a prognostic marker for stage II colon cancer.
  • The ColoPrint assay is expected to be released later this year and has shown promise as a prognostic marker for stage II colon cancer.
  • Gene expression profiling has potential future directions for colon cancer risk stratification and treatment decision making.
  • The study was published in Clinical Colorectal Cancer (Vol. 10, Issue 2, pp. 73-80, 2011).
  • The Research was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
  • The study was conducted by R.K. Kelley and colleagues.

Statistics:

  • 73-80 pages: The study was published in Clinical Colorectal Cancer, Vol. 10, Issue 2 (2011).
  • 2011: The year the study was published in Clinical Colorectal Cancer.
  • 10(2): The issue and volume number of Clinical Colorectal Cancer where the study was published.
  • 93%-100%: The range of potential reduced absolute risk of recurrence in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Sources:

  • Clinical Colorectal Cancer, Vol. 10, Issue 2 (2011)
  • R.K. Kelley et al. (2011). Prognostic and predictive markers in stage II colon cancer: is there a role for gene expression profiling? Clinical Colorectal Cancer, 10(2), 73-80.
  • University of California, San Francisco, The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Biotech Week, via NewsRx.com.