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- Posted Wednesday July 6, 2011
First whole-genome and transcriptome lung cancer study by TGen and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center set for conference
Review of lung tumor from a patient who never smoked revealed at
IASLC meeting in Amsterdam
PHOENIX, Ariz. - July 6, 2011 - A first-of-its-kind study of a
patient with lung cancer who never smoked will be presented today
by TGen and the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale
Healthcare at the 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, July 3-7 in
Amsterdam.
Researchers for the first time sequenced the entire DNA and RNA of
a patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, said Dr. Glen
Weiss, the first author of the study, which will be published in a
special supplement of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Dr. Weiss
also is Director of Thoracic Oncology at Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center Clinical Trials, a partnership between TGen and Scottsdale
Healthcare that treats cancer patients with promising new
drugs.
The patient is a 61-year-old woman who never smoked whose lung
cancer had entered her bloodstream and spread to other parts of her
body. She had been treated with several types of
chemotherapy.
The study, Advanced Never Smoker Adenocarcinoma of the Lung: Report
of paired normal and tumor whole genome and transcriptome
sequencing, will be presented at the conference today, July 6. The
study used Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), also called
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), to look at all 3 billion chemical
bases of the patient's normal, as well as the patient's tumor,
DNA.
The study went further by examining the normal and tumor RNA for
whole transcriptome sequencing, which can reveal the possible
defects in how proteins are synthesized. This provided an even more
intricate view of the tumors biological make up and what might have
led to her cancer.
"Evidently, this is very exciting. Next-Generation Sequencing now
offers us the ability to survey the global landscape of cancer,"
said Dr. John Carpten, Director of TGen's Integrated Cancer
Genomics Division and senior author of the presentation.
The results of the patient's sequencing were discussed with her
treating oncologist and may be used along with other information to
help decide the best course of future treatment.
A review of well-characterized cancer-related genes found that a
mutation resided in the TP53 gene, a mutation in the tumor (one
base change in the genetic code), and that the mutation was always
present in both the DNA and RNA. Such a mutation can halt the
creation of tumor suppressor genes and result in the generation of
a tumor. Interestingly, the cancer specimen showed no loss of
heterozygosity (LOH), in which one side of the DNA's chromosome
becomes inactive because of a mutation.
"This observation highlights the complexity of cancer and how
different genetic mechanisms can alter a gene. This novel finding
would not have been readily determined without the combined DNA and
RNA integration approach," said Dr. David Craig, Associate Director
of TGen's Neurogenomics Division, and also a senior author of the
presentation.
Dr. Weiss said these investigative techniques will be used more
often to pinpoint the origins of disease.
"In the future, with improved infrastructure and decreased costs,
we anticipate that using NGS techniques will become more
commonplace," Dr. Weiss said. "NGS has the potential to identify
unique tumor aberrations at an unprecedented depth."
The conference is sponsored by the International Association for
the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), which hosts a meeting every two
years.
The study was funded, in part, by the National Foundation for
Cancer Research.
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About the National Foundation for Cancer Research
For nearly four decades, the National Foundation for Cancer
Research has been committed to discovery-oriented scientific
research - Research for a Cure. We believe that in order to fully
conquer this devastating disease, we need to encourage innovative
scientists to study cancer at its most fundamental level. Our
funding of over 50 laboratories worldwide has led to some of the
most significant breakthroughs in cancer research, including new
approaches such as targeted cancer therapies.
Press Contact:
Silas Deane
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
1-301- 961-9105 or 1-615- 244-8035
[email protected]
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About The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale
Healthcare
The Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare in
Scottsdale, Ariz. offers comprehensive cancer care and research
through Phase I clinical trials, diagnosis, treatment, prevention
and support services in collaboration with leading scientific
researchers and community oncologists. Scottsdale Healthcare is the
nonprofit parent organization of the Virginia G. Piper Cancer
Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research
Institute, Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale
Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson
Peak Hospital. For more information, visit www.shc.org.
Press Contact:
Keith Jones
Public Relations Director, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center
480-323-1383
[email protected]