Biomarker may hold key to early diagnosis of lung cancer
October 15th, 2010 - 5:08 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Oct 15 (ANI): Early-stage lung cancer diagnosis may now be possible- as scientists have suggested that a biomarker may be used to develop a potential screening test.
A collaboration between physicians and scientists at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has demonstrated that a biomarker called TCF21 may be used to develop a potential screening test for early-stage lung cancer.
TCF21 is a transcription factor - a protein that binds to DNA, allowing it to reproduce itself accurately, allowing cells to multiply and replace themselves in a consistent manner.
When these transcription factors don’t work properly, cellular growth mechanisms can be disrupted, leading to cancer.
“We were very excited to find evidence of TCF21 hypermethylation in 105 non-small-cell lung cancers of different stages and types, which we then validated by looking at another 300 cases using a tissue microarray,” said Kristy Richards, who led the research.
“More than 80 percent of these cancers show some abnormal expression of this biomarker, meaning that it is a promising target for developing a screening tool.
“This is important to physicians and patients because surgery and other treatments can be much more effective before the cancer has the opportunity to spread,” he said. (ANI)
- New colon cancer marker identified - Mar 26, 2011
- Powerful biomarker panel for early detection of breast cancer discovered - Dec 17, 2010
- Possible biomarker and therapeutic target for melanoma identified - Mar 18, 2011
- Long-term lung cancer survivors' breathlessness woes - Aug 03, 2010
- New technology could serve as a future cancer predisposition test - Feb 23, 2011
- Key culprit in breast cancer metastasis identified - Feb 17, 2011
- Protein biomarkers in exhaled air to help detect lung cancer early - Feb 03, 2011
- Protein important in diabetes may have an even broader role in heart disease - Jul 22, 2010
- Early warning signs for prostate cancer identified - Nov 07, 2010
- Lung cancer culprit could offer therapeutic target - Sep 14, 2010
- Oral tongue cancer increasing in young, white females: US study - Mar 09, 2011
- Potential new method for early lung cancer detection - Oct 06, 2010
- Cheek swab may spot lung cancer - Oct 08, 2010
- Body fluid odours may help detect lung cancer in early stages - Jan 27, 2010
- New protein analysis technique may help in early diagnosis of lung cancer - Dec 03, 2010
Tags: anderson cancer center, cell lung, cellular growth, comprehensive cancer center, consistent manner, diagnosis of lung cancer, growth mechanisms, lineberger comprehensive cancer center, lung cancer diagnosis, lung cancers, m d anderson, m d anderson cancer center, screening test, screening tool, target, tissue microarray, transcription factor, transcription factors, unc lineberger, university of texas m d anderson cancer center