Bowel cancer indicator should lead to better treatment
Contact: Claire Whitelaw
media.relations@
44-191-334-6075
Public Library of Science
STEM cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of
identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually
lead to better treatment and survival rates.
The UK-led team, headed by scientists from Durham University and the
North East England Stem Cell Institute, (NESCI*), studied tissue
samples from 700 colorectal cancer patients and tracked their
progress.
They found that patients who had a stem cell marker protein called
Lamin A present in their tissue were more likely to have an
aggressive form of the disease.
The team concluded that if the marker is detected in the early forms
of colorectal cancer, these patients should be given chemotherapy in
addition to the surgery normally offered to ensure a better survival
predicament.
The team now aims to develop a robust prognostic tool for use in the
health service.
The study, funded by the Association for International Cancer
Research and NHS Research and Development funds, is published in the
open-access scientific journal PLoS ONE.
The Durham University/NESCI scientists worked with colleagues from
The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, and the
Departments of Pathology and Epidemiology at the University of
Maastricht in the Netherlands.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, where each
year more than 36,000 people are diagnosed with the disease.
Worldwide over a million new cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed in
2002.
Almost three-quarters of bowel cancer cases occur in people aged 65
and over. The development of disease is linked with diet, lifestyle
and environmental factors. (Source of statistics: Cancer Research UK
fact sheet).
In colorectal cancer, there are four key stages of the disease. The
stage of a patient's cancer is determined by a series of hospital
tests, the results of which inform the treatment they are given.
In the two earlier stages, before the cancer involves the lymph
nodes, patients normally have an operation to remove the cancer from
the bowel. They are rarely given chemotherapy in addition to the
surgery. This is because for many patients, who are often elderly and
frail, chemotherapy may cause more harm than benefit. It's therefore
critical to know when and in whom it should be used.
However, the new study suggests that around one third of these
patients will express the Lamin A stem cell marker, which indicates a
more serious form of the cancer. These patients, argue the
scientists, should be given chemotherapy to target these stem cells,
which should ultimately improve their recovery and survival rates.
Professor Chris Hutchison, of Durham University and NESCI,
said: "Currently the hospitals use a standard test to work out how
far the cancer has progressed and then they use this to determine the
treatment the patient should receive. However, we are potentially
able to more accurately predict who would benefit from chemotherapy.
Dr Stefan Przyborski, of Durham University and NESCI, said: "We now
aim to carry out more work in this area to develop a prognostic tool
which we hope will eventually be for widespread use by the health
services in the treatment of bowel cancer."
Professor Robert Wilson, a consultant surgeon and bowel cancer
specialist at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough,
said: "We have a very high number of patients with bowel cancer in
the north east of England in particular. We know the best treatment
for very early and very late disease but there are still a lot of
unknowns in-between these two extremes.
"Chemotherapy can be very useful but can have a number of side
effects, so we only want to use it where we think there's a good
chance it will help. This test will help us determine that."
###
* 'The North-east England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) draws together
Durham and Newcastle Universities, the Newcastle-upon-
NHS Foundation Trust and other partners in a unique interdisciplinary
collaboration to convert stem cell research and technologies into
cost-effective, ethically-robust 21st century health solutions to
ameliorate degenerative diseases, the effects of ageing and serious
injury. The Institute has received substantial funding and other
support from the Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast and is
partly based at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle.'
http://www.nesci.
MEDIA INFORMATION:
Interviews:
Professor Chris Hutchison: +44(0) 191 334 1270; Availability: 2pm-5pm
Tuesday August 19; 9-2pm Wednesday August 20. Or contact Durham
University Media Relations Office +44(0) 191 334 6075;
media.relations@
Prof Robert Wilson, consultant surgeon, The James Cook University
Hospital, Middlesbrough: Contact the hospital's Public Relations
Department: Lesley Connor: +44(0) 1642 854 343.
Images available from Durham University media relations office:
North News pictures of Prof Chris Hutchison and Dr Stefan Przyborski
in a laboratory setting
A head shot of Prof Robert Wilson
Scientific image from the paper: This shows bowel cancer tissue
stained for the presence of the stem cell marker lamin A. (The top
four panels show cancers that are negative for lamin A and these
patients showed high rates of survival. The bottom four panels show
cancers that were positive for lamin A and these patients showed poor
rates of survival).
Contact:
Durham University Media Relations Office:
Tel: +44(0) 191 334 6075
Email: media.relations@
Web: www.durham.ac.
Citation: Willis ND, Cox TR, Rahman-Casas SF, Smits K, Przyborski SA,
et al. (2008) Lamin A/C Is a Risk Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer.
PLoS ONE 3(8): e2988. doi:10.1371/
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