Introduction

The invention consists in quantifying the expression of 10 genes from tumor cells to detect patients eligible for platinum treatment at higher risk of developing drug resistance and disease progression. Drugs such as cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin are used to treat various types of worldwide common cancer, but resistance is a frequent event. Patient stratification based on tumor gene expression profile allows to personalize treatment reducing side effects and costs.

Technical features

Inventors observed a correlation between the expression of 10 genes in tumor cells of patients eligible for platinum treatment and the risk of developing drug resistance
and disease progression. (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav3235)
“Platinum agents comprise…in 80% of clinical anticancer regimens as a single agent or combined with other anticancer drugs.” (DOI: 10.7497/j.issn.2095-3941.2015.0063) “Unfortunately, the development of platinum-resistant tumor recurrences represents a very frequent event.” (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav3235) Moreover costs of platinum-free treatment can be lower than platinum based treatment. (DOI: 10.1200/JOP.2015.006700)
In this context, having the possibility to identify patients who will most benefit from drug specific treatment is economically and clinically relevant.

Possible Applications

Disease: Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Triple Negative Breast Cancer and potentially applicable to other cancer treatable with platinum
Sample: mRNA
Technology: any technique to quantify nucleic acids

Advantages

Gene expression quantification can be performed with high throughput, widespread techniques
Applicability in different tumor types treated with platinum
Reduction of treatment costs
Improvement of patients life quality by avoiding ineffective treatment and potentially serious, useless side effects