Gene Can Help Predict Chemotherapy Outcomes For Breast Cancer Patients, Study Shows

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Genetics
Article Date: 12 Jun 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Testing for genetic mutations can help identify breast cancer patients who do not benefit from a certain type of chemotherapy, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, Reuters reports. The study included 588 breast cancer patients in the U.S. and Norway. Some of the subjects received chemotherapy, while some did not. The study found that chemotherapy patients with a certain mutation of the SOD2 gene had a higher risk of dying than those with no SOD2 mutation. It also found that those with a second type of SOD2 variation were the most likely to die. The researchers also divided the groups based on the type of chemotherapy drugs they received. The SOD2 mutations were the best indicator of who would fare better from treatment with the drug cyclophosphamide, they found. Women in this group who had a certain variant of the SOD2 mutation were the most likely to die, according to the study.

The researchers suggested that testing patients for the SOD2 gene mutations before beginning treatment with cyclophosphamide could be helpful. Stefan Ambs of the National Cancer Institute, who took part in the study, said, "In the future, such tests may be used to guide the treatment of patients with the SOD2 variation, ensuring that they receive a therapy that is more effective than cyclophosphamide-based therapies" (Reuters, 6/9).

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