Blood Test Helps Docs Assess Breast Cancer... ( New tool could allow physicians to de...)

Blood Test Helps Docs Assess Breast Cancer Treatment

Date:5/16/2008

New tool could allow physicians to determine much sooner if therapy is working

FRIDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- A simple blood test to check levels of circulating tumor cells can help doctors more accurately assess how well treatments are working in women with metastatic breast cancer, according to a Georgetown University Medical Center study.

"It can take several weeks, and sometimes months, to determine if a particular cancer treatment is working, because it can take that long to observe any significant radiographic changes in tumor size or appearance," principal investigator Dr. Minetta Liu, of Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a prepared statement.

"Right now, we have to rely on radiology studies such as CT scans, ultrasound, and the like to determine whether or not there is disease progression. With this new blood test, we have another reliable tool that may allow us to determine much sooner if a therapy is ineffective, so that we can change therapy earlier and potentially make more significant improvements in survival," Liu explained.

In this study, Liu and colleagues measured the number of circulating tumor cells (CTC) in blood samples collected from metastatic breast cancer patients every three to four weeks. The women were receiving various treatments, including chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, and combination therapy with a biologic agent.

The researchers found that 71 percent of patients with a CTC count of five or greater had disease progression, compared with 66 percent of patients with a CTC count of less than five.

"A CTC count of five or greater at the time of restaging was associated with a 5.32-fold increase in a patient's chances of having disease progression compared to CTC counts of less than five," Liu said. "CTC assessments should be used as a surrogate marker for treatment efficacy and disease responsiveness. Changes in CTC results from less th
'/>"/>

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Study suggests blood test can help improve treatment outcomes for breast cancer patients
2. CardioDynamics Announces Significant ICG Study with Nearly Three Times the National Average Blood Pressure Control Rates at the American Society for Hypertension Annual Scientific Meeting
3. Pollution Particles Impair Blood Vessel Function
4. Aspirin at Bedtime Lowers Blood Pressure
5. Blood-Thinner No Help for Dialysis Treatment
6. High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol Associated With Eye Disease
7. Air Pollution Linked to Blood Clots in Legs
8. High Blood Pressure Still Slipping Past Doctors
9. Omron Makes Blood Pressure Monitoring Easy for Women at Any Stage of Life, Including Pregnancy
10. NxStage Announces Supply Agreement With Kawasumi Laboratories for Blood Tubing Sets
11. High Blood Sugar Tied to Pregnancy Complications

Post Your Comments:

Blood Test Helps Docs Assess Breast Cancer...( New tool could allow physicians to de...),Health