Breakthrough for survival rates.

• Position: Ovarian Cancer

A series of 10 genes that may signify a trifecta of benefits for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and ultimately reflect improved survival outcomes has been identified by researchers, led by Dong-Joo (Ellen) Cheon, and published in Clinical Cancer Research. It was found that a 10-gene biomarker panel may identify the aggressiveness of a patient's disease, help predict survival outcomes, and result in novel therapeutic strategies tailored to patients with the most adverse survival outcomes.

When a patient's tumor is identified as having elevated levels of these 10 specific genes, doctors may be able to predict better which treatments would be most effective. That is an important advance because ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer and often is diagnosed in later, more aggressive stages, resulting in poor prognosis and survival. These outcomes differ due to development of tumors that become resistant to chemotherapy. By identifying chemo-resistant tumors and identifying the risk of poor survival outcomes during the diagnostic process, investigators hope to extend lives as well as improve treatment responses.

"The...