Genetic Marker Predicts Taxane-Induced Neuropathy - OncologySTAT

Genetic Marker Predicts Taxane-Induced Neuropathy - OncologySTAT

This is from May 2011:

Optimism for a Genetic Predictor of Taxane Neurotoxicity

"The first potential biomarker useful in predicting taxane neurotoxicity may be near. A marker in the RWDD3 gene was identified in an ECOG study of 2204 patients with early-stage breast cancer after 12 weeks of weekly paclitaxel. Results are to be presented at ASCO. Divided into 3 genetic subgroups, neuropathy occurred in 27%, 40%, and 60% of patients at 15 months. A subset analysis is underway for African American patients, who had a twofold increase in neuropathy.
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Older people and blacks, the same study found, are at elevated risk of developing neuropathy, which affects up to a third of people receiving chemotherapy with taxane drugs such as paclitaxel.
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By looking at more than 1.2 million SNPs in each patient, Dr. Schneider and his colleagues were able to identify genetic subgroups most likely to develop neuropathy. "Those who carried two normal nucleotides in a specific regulatory gene had a 27% chance of experiencing neuropathy," the investigators wrote in their abstract. "But those who carried one normal nucleotide and one SNP had a 40% chance and those who carried two SNPs had a 60% chance."

Dr. Schneider and his colleagues also found that older patients and blacks were much more likely to have peripheral neuropathy. The likelihood of neuropathy increased 12.9% with every decade of age. Blacks saw a twofold increase in the likelihood of developing neuropathy.

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New Genetic Markers May Tailor Leukemia Treatment - OncologySTAT

New Genetic Markers May Tailor Leukemia Treatment - OncologySTAT


SAN DIEGO (EGMN) - "Novel genetic alterations have been identified in a new subtype of high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia that could be effectively targeted with existing therapies.
The subtype, termed Ph-like ALL, was first identified by the Children's Oncology Group in 2009 (N. Engl. J. Med. 2009;360:470-80), and accounts for up to 15% of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases.

"Until this study, the genetic basis of Ph-like ALL was unknown," said Kathryn G. Roberts, Ph.D., lead author of the cooperative research study.

Ph-like ALL is associated with alteration of lymphoid transcription factors, most commonly IKZF1, and has a gene expression profile similar to that of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ALL. Ph+ ALL accounts for just 5% of pediatric ALL cases, but because it is driven by the oncogenic tyrosine kinase, BCR-ABL1, it can be effectively treated with available tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as imatinib (Gleevec).

Ph-like ALL, however, is BCR-ABL negative, so patients with this poor-outcome subtype are currently treated with conventional chemotherapy. Higher doses and intensified regimens are limited by toxicity."

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http://www.oncologystat.com/news/New_Genetic_Markers_May_Tailor_Leukemia_Treatment_US.html

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Tissue Drug Level May Hold Key to NSCLC Response - in Meeting Coverage, AACR-IASLC from MedPage Today

Medical News: Tissue Drug Level May Hold Key to NSCLC Response - in Meeting Coverage, AACR-IASLC from MedPage Today

Action Points

- This study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

- In this study, tumor levels of platinum-based chemotherapy proved to be the best predictor of response in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

- Patients whose tumors had low platinum concentrations also had a shorter time to recurrence and worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival.

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