Researchers from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital completed a study of a four-gene expression ratio test that potentially predict the survival in cancer patients diagnosed with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
The researcher team tested the four-gene expression ratio test on 120 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Participants had to agree to undergo aggressive surgery and the study excluded patients unwilling to do so. Multiple samples from the patient’s tumors were gathered during surgery or through pleural biopsy. Researchers evaluated the test on the collected samples, using two separate micro array platforms (large gene samples) and two different biopsy procedures.
After adjusting for other clinical factors, the test was able to forecast survival for the mesothelioma patients. Once gene-ratio test results were combined with known mesothelioma prognosis information, patients could be separated into high-risk and low-risk groups. High-risk patients yielded a median survival rate of 6.9 months. The low-risk group median survival rate reported 31.9 months.
The results of the tests could allow patients to better understand their treatment options. Mesothelioma patients whose tests suggested poor outcomes and are not prime candidates for surgery could be persuaded towards other supportive treatments. Patients with better test results may be more apt to select surgical treatments and may gain a psychological edge from the results.
Source: Asbestos |
