abstract: Pre-Treatment Tumor Expression of ERCC1 in Women with Advanced Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer is Not Predictive of Clinical Outcomes: A GOG study

Conclusions

ERCC1 expression, measured by IHC in pre-treatment tumor specimens, using a highly specific antibody, has limited clinical value in patients with advanced EOC treated with platinum and taxane based chemotherapy.

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Highlights

► ERCC1 tumor expression in advanced EOC is not associated with patient survival.
► Common polymorphisms in ERCC1 were not associated with ERCC1 immunohistochemical expression.

Treatment-related protein biomarker expression differs between primary and recurrent ovarian carcinomas

Editorial - no abstract/pay-per-view: - Gynecologic Oncology : More than a biomarker: CA125 may contribute to ovarian cancer pathogenesis

Abstract

Gynecologic Oncology
Volume 121, Issue 3, 1 June 2011, Pages 429-430

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Editorial

More than a biomarker: CA125 may contribute to ovarian cancer pathogenesis

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Robert C. Bast Jr.^{a, ,} and David R. Spriggs^b

^a Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
^b Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA

Available online 19 May 2011.

References

Corresponding author. Unit 1439, U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Fax: +1 713 792 7864.

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Copyright © 2011 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Interleukin (IL)-18, a biomarker of human ovarian carcinoma, is predominantly released as biologically inactive precursor (negative study)

In research - Georgia Tech Team Claims 100 Percent Accuracy for Metabolomic Ovarian Cancer Test in Initial Trial ProteoMonitor GenomeWeb

........"In ovarian cancer, the single protein that's commonly used [as a biomarker], CA-125, is not a very accurate test," he said. "The reason for that is that all cancers are variable. So if you're relying on a single biomarker, it's very unlikely that that single biomarker will be 100 percent accurate or even 99 or 95 percent accurate."
"Even going from one to five [biomarkers] increases accuracy tremendously. In our case we're using at the minimum 2,000 to 3,000 features. That should in theory give us an even higher degree of accuracy," he said.
By comparison, most protein-based tests that are commercially available or under development use a handful of markers. Vermillion's OVA1, for example, analyzes five protein markers, including CA-125. The HealthLinx OvPlex test also uses five proteins, including CA-125, and the company is currently evaluating two additional markers to add to the test (PM 6/18/2010)....cont'd

Arresting Development: Blood Biomarker Patterns May Aid Early Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer: Scientific American

Note: in research

Expert Opinion on Medical Diagnostics - KRAS mutations - Summary

What the reader will gain: KRAS mutations in mCRC and NSCLC primary tumors predict resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy. In pancreatic cancer, KRAS may prove useful as a diagnostic biomarker to screen for early neoplasia. Furthermore, quantitative KRAS mutation analysis could have the potential to distinguish pancreatic cancer from other conditions such as chronic pancreatitis.

With respect to ovarian and endometrial cancer, further studies should focus on determining reliable biomarkers for predicting response to EGFR-targeted therapy. Besides EGFR inhibition, KRAS may also serve as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker for evolving therapies directed against mutant RAS proteins.

Take home message: KRAS has been recognized as an outstanding predictive biomarker to select mCRC and NSCLC patients for EGFR-targeted therapies; however, multi-determinant approaches including other molecular markers should facilitate the identification of patients likely to respond to such therapies.

See also blog post:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

A KRAS-Variant in Ovarian Cancer Acts as a Genetic Marker of Cancer Risk (full access)

A KRAS-Variant in Ovarian Cancer Acts as a Genetic Marker of Cancer Risk (full access)

full free access: - Women's Health - Ovarian cancer biomarker screening: still too early to tell

"In 2004, the US Preventive Services Task Force (amongst other countries/guidelines) recommended against routine ovarian cancer screening [102]. None of the more recent findings overide this guideline. We must await the results of the two large-scale trials. Whether the results are positive or not, these trials will yield vital data to guide the next steps in biomarker research and subsequent guidelines for practice."

abstract: Clinical Biochemistry : Nidogen-2: A new serum biomarker for ovarian cancer (multinational study)

Conclusions:
Nidogen-2 is a new biomarker for ovarian cancer which correlates closely with CA125.

p53 autoantibodies as potential detection and prognostic biomarkers in serous ovarian cancer

IMPACT: Although their utility as a preoperative diagnostic biomarker, beyond CA 125 and HE4, is limited, p53-AAb are prognostic for improved overall survival.

A KRAS-variant as a biomarker of ovarian cancer risk

Note: KRAS has been studied in colorectal cancer impacting on treatment program/no indication if ovarian cancer/Lynch Syndrome patients were included

Conclusions: These findings strongly support the hypothesis that the KRAS-variant is a genetic marker of an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, and suggests that the KRAS- variant may be a new biomarker of risk for HBOC families without other known genetic abnormalities. In addition, the KRAS-variant predicts for the most deadly ovarian cancers, which are likely the most important to prevent or catch early.

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Announces Three New Equity Investments -- TORONTO, April 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Note: press release has further information on the investments:

1)Novel Cellular Immunotherapy for Cancer;
2)Next Generation Biomarker Analysis Technology;
3)Rapid, Sensitive Technology for Biomarker Analysis

Editorial: A Step Forward for Two-Step Screening for Ovarian Cancer - Journal of Clinical Oncology

A Step Forward for Two-Step Screening for Ovarian Cancer
  Martee L. Hensley, Department of Medicine, Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

See accompanying article doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.2484

HE4: a new potential early biomarker for the recurrent ovarian cancer

"The follow-up study showed an increase of HE4 5-8 months before CA125 increment in five of the eight patients, this early expression being strictly associated to a relapse of the disease. In conclusion, this study showed that HE4, compared to CA125, potentially is a better marker for the diagnosis of OC and could be an important early indicator of the recurrence of the disease."