Blood test predicts lung cancer treatment success.Testing the blood of a patient with lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell. could help doctors predict the likely success of chemotherapy treatment. Scientists have identified a molecule made by an aggressive form of the disease that is less likely to respond to drugs. The study investigated small cell lung cancer Lung Cancer, Small Cell Definition Small cell lung cancer is a disease in which the cells of the lung tissues grow uncontrollably and form tumors. Description Lung cancer is divided into two main types: small cell and non-small cell. , which accounts for 15%-20% of all cases and is one of the most difficult types of lung cancer to treat. Small cell lung cancer comes in different forms, with the version called neuroendrocrine being the least likely to be treated successfully. According to the researchers, a molecule called SCG SCG Serbia and Montenegro SCG Srbija I Crna Gora (Servian: Serbia and Montenegro) SCG Sydney Cricket Ground SCG Service Canadien des Glaces (Canadian Ice Service) SCG superior cervical ganglion 3 mRNA was more likely to be found in the blood of people with neuroendocrine neuroendocrine /neu·ro·en·do·crine/ (-en´do-krin) pertaining to neural and endocrine influence, and particularly to the interaction between the nervous and endocrine systems. neu·ro·en·do·crine adj. small cell cancer. If future studies confirm this finding, it could mean that patients could take a blood test that would predict the likely success of treatment or predict when a patient will relapse before other signs emerge. It might also make it easier for scientists, when looking at new chemotherapy treatments in trials, to compare their effectiveness in different groups of patients with small cell lung cancer. According to the researchers, no blood-based markers currently are available to monitor patients with this type of cancer. Moss, A.C., Jacobson, G.M., Walker, L.E., Blake, N.W., Marshall, E., & Coulson, J.M. (2009). SCG-3 transcript in peripheral blood is a prognostic biomarker for REST-deficient small cell lung cancer. Clinical Cancer Research, 15(1), 274-283. Contributing Editor Deborah McBride, RN, MSN (1) (MicroSoft Network) A family of Internet-based services from Microsoft, which includes a search engine, e-mail (Hotmail), instant messaging (Windows Live Messaging) and a general-purpose portal with news, information and shopping (MSN Directory). , CPON CPON Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse [R], is a nurse at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and a faculty member at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA. |
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