Classification Of Endometrial Tumors Could Guide Treatment

Classification Of Endometrial Tumors Could Guide Treatment

Genomic classification of endometrial tumors could help guide treatment strategies, according to a new analysis. The study also revealed 4 novel endometrial tumor subtypes and found similarities to other cancers.

Cancer of the endometrium, the tissue that lines the uterus, is the fourth most common cancer among women in the United States. Experts predict that close to 50,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2013, with more than 8,000 deaths.

Clinically, endometrial cancers fall into 2 categories: endometrioid (type I) and serous (type II) tumors. Type I is linked to excess estrogen, obesity and a favorable prognosis. Type II is more common in older women and generally has a less favorable outcome. Pathologists currently classify endometrial tumors by examining tissue under a microscope. Categorizing these tissues can be difficult, and specialists often disagree on the diagnosis.

Investigators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network undertook a comprehensive genomic analysis of nearly 400 endometrial tumors. TCGA is funded and managed by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).


 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

The researchers found that about 25% of tumors classified by pathologists as high-grade endometrioid have a pattern of genetic alterations much like that of serous tumors. This suggests these tumors may benefit from a similar course of treatment.

The researchers found many genomic characteristics that endometrial cancers share with other tumor types. Previous TCGA research showed that a form of ovarian cancer (high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma) and a subtype of breast cancer (basal-like breast cancer) share many genomic features. The new study revealed that endometrial serous carcinoma also has some of these characteristics. Surprisingly, the researchers found similarities between endometrioid and colorectal tumors as well. These parallels might now be exploited for future therapies.

Four novel genomic-based subtypes of endometrial cancer also emerged from the analysis. This knowledge could help inform new diagnostic and treatment approaches.

This study highlights the fact that some tumors with the same characterization by pathologists may have very different molecular features. That’s where these findings will be directly implemented in additional research, and also in the context of clinical trials,” says study co-leader Dr. ouglas A. Levine of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Each tumor subtype might warrant dedicated clinical trials because of the marked genomic differences between them that are indicative of different drivers of cancer,” says study co-leader Dr. Elaine Mardis, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Developing therapies for each subtype independent of the other may improve outcomes, as has been shown in breast cancer. Article Source: NIH Research Matters

AVAILABLE LANGUAGES

English Afrikaans Arabic Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Danish Dutch Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Malay Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Ukrainian Urdu Vietnamese

follow InnerSelf on

facebook icontwitter iconyoutube iconinstagram iconpintrest iconrss icon

 Get The Latest By Email

Weekly Magazine Daily Inspiration

Saturday, 03 April 2021 08:08

Coffee, green tea and other caffeinated drinks are a popular way to start the morning. Not only does it give many people a much-needed boost, but caffeine can also help when it comes to fitness.

Wednesday, 21 April 2021 07:23

Whether it’s your arthritic relative who knows rain is on the way when their knees ache or your lifelong pal who gets a headache when a storm is approaching, we all know somebody who claims they...

Thursday, 15 April 2021 07:10

Blooming flowers, chirping birds and long-awaited rays of sunshine: The first signs of spring are often greeted with joy. But soon comes the realization that with warm weather comes ticks. 

Wednesday, 19 May 2021 09:40

To “cry poor mouth” is an expression used to habitually complain about a lack of money. A literal poor mouth, however, represents one of the most widespread global diseases: tooth decay.

Sunday, 16 May 2021 14:24

The human body is an amazing thing, full of systems, organs, nerves, and vessels that work together in harmony. You’ve seen the body described as a machine, as a city, or even as a factory....

Friday, 28 July 2023 17:45

Respiratory viruses like influenza virus (flu), SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can make us sick by infecting our respiratory system, including the nose, upper...

New Attitudes - New Possibilities

InnerSelf.comClimateImpactNews.com | InnerPower.net
MightyNatural.com | WholisticPolitics.com | InnerSelf Market
Copyright ©1985 - 2021 InnerSelf Publications. All Rights Reserved.