Genetic Analysis of Lesions Provides Accurate Esophageal Cancer Test
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 31 Aug 2016 |

Image: A histopathology showing simple columnar metaplasia of the epithelium of Barrett\'s Esophagus characterized by goblet cell (Photo courtesy of Nephron).
Barrett's Esophagus is a common condition that affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK alone, although many are undiagnosed. This condition involves normal cells in the esophagus being replaced by an unusual cell type called Barrett's Esophagus, and is thought to be a consequence of chronic reflux or heartburn.
People with Barrett's have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, a neoplasm that has a five year survival of 15% and although the overall lifetime risk of developing esophageal cancer in people with Barrett's is significant, most Barrett's patients will not develop cancer in their lifetime. It is the unfortunate few who will develop an aggressive cancer.
An international team of scientists led by those at the Queen Mary University of London (UK) followed up more than 300 Barrett's patients over three years, and analyzed around 50,000 cells in the process. They performed genetic analysis of individual cells and measured the genetic diversity in each lesion to track it over time. The results validated a previous group's discovery that measurement of the genetic diversity between Barrett's cells in any given lesion is a good predictor of which patients are at high risk of developing cancer. Genetic diversity describes how diverse the genetic make-up of individual cells is in any given group of cells.
In addition, the team found that there were no significant changes in genetic diversity during the three years that the patients were followed. Clonal expansions are rare, being detected once every 36.8 patient years, and growing at an average rate of 1.58 cm2 per year, often involving the p16 locus. This suggests that the genetic diversity amongst a person's Barrett's cells is essentially fixed over time, and mutations have little impact on the lesion's development. Whenever someone's Barrett's is tested, their future risk can be predicted regardless of how soon it is after the appearance of abnormal cells.
Trevor A. Graham PhD, a lecturer in Tumor Biology and senior author of the study said, “Our findings are important because they imply that a person's risk of developing esophageal cancer is fixed over time. In other words, we can predict from the outset which Barrett's patients fall into a high risk group of developing cancer and that risk does not change thereafter.” The study was published on August 19, 2016, in the journal Nature Communications.
Related Links:
Queen Mary University of London
People with Barrett's have an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer, a neoplasm that has a five year survival of 15% and although the overall lifetime risk of developing esophageal cancer in people with Barrett's is significant, most Barrett's patients will not develop cancer in their lifetime. It is the unfortunate few who will develop an aggressive cancer.
An international team of scientists led by those at the Queen Mary University of London (UK) followed up more than 300 Barrett's patients over three years, and analyzed around 50,000 cells in the process. They performed genetic analysis of individual cells and measured the genetic diversity in each lesion to track it over time. The results validated a previous group's discovery that measurement of the genetic diversity between Barrett's cells in any given lesion is a good predictor of which patients are at high risk of developing cancer. Genetic diversity describes how diverse the genetic make-up of individual cells is in any given group of cells.
In addition, the team found that there were no significant changes in genetic diversity during the three years that the patients were followed. Clonal expansions are rare, being detected once every 36.8 patient years, and growing at an average rate of 1.58 cm2 per year, often involving the p16 locus. This suggests that the genetic diversity amongst a person's Barrett's cells is essentially fixed over time, and mutations have little impact on the lesion's development. Whenever someone's Barrett's is tested, their future risk can be predicted regardless of how soon it is after the appearance of abnormal cells.
Trevor A. Graham PhD, a lecturer in Tumor Biology and senior author of the study said, “Our findings are important because they imply that a person's risk of developing esophageal cancer is fixed over time. In other words, we can predict from the outset which Barrett's patients fall into a high risk group of developing cancer and that risk does not change thereafter.” The study was published on August 19, 2016, in the journal Nature Communications.
Related Links:
Queen Mary University of London
Latest Molecular Diagnostics News
- RNA-Seq Based Diagnostic Test Enhances Diagnostic Accuracy of Pediatric Leukemia
- New Technique for Measuring Acidic Glycan in Blood Simplifies Schizophrenia Diagnosis
- Injury Molecular Fingerprint Enables Real-Time Diagnostics for On-Site Treatment
- Blood Test Could Predict Likelihood of Breast Cancer Spreading to The Bone
- New Infectious Disease Analytics Platform Speeds Up Clinical Decision-Making at POC
- Genetic Test Could Predict Poor Outcomes in Lung Transplant Patients
- Breakthrough Blood Test Enables Early Pancreatic Cancer Detection
- Genomic Testing in NICU Reduces Missed Diagnoses
- New Genetic Test Improves Diabetes Prediction and Classification
- New Blood Test for Leukemia Risk Detection Could Replace Bone Marrow Sampling
- Blood Test Detects Preeclampsia Risk Months Before Symptoms Appear
- mNGS CSF Test Outperforms Traditional Microbiological Testing for Infectious Diseases
- Point-Of-Care Test to Transform Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
- PET/ctDNA-Guided Approach Helps Determine Lymphoma Treatment
- Next-Generation 'Agnostic Diagnostics' to Detect Respiratory Viruses at POC
- First-Ever Test of Cure for Chagas Disease Determines Treatment Effectiveness
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
New Clinical Chemistry Analyzer Designed to Meet Growing Demands of Modern Labs
A new clinical chemistry analyzer is designed to provide outstanding performance and maximum efficiency, without compromising affordability, to meet the growing demands of modern laboratories.... Read more
New Reference Measurement Procedure Standardizes Nucleic Acid Amplification Test Results
Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) play a key role in diagnosing a wide range of infectious diseases. These tests are generally known for their high sensitivity and specificity, and they can be developed... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
RNA-Seq Based Diagnostic Test Enhances Diagnostic Accuracy of Pediatric Leukemia
A new unique test is set to reshape the way Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (BCP-ALL) samples can be analyzed. Qlucore (Lund, Sweden) has launched the first CE-marked RNA-seq based diagnostic test for pediatric... Read more
New Technique for Measuring Acidic Glycan in Blood Simplifies Schizophrenia Diagnosis
Polysialic acid is a unique acidic glycan predominantly found in brain regions associated with memory and emotion, but it is also present in the bloodstream. Research has shown that blood levels of polysialic... Read moreHematology
view channel
Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results
Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more
First Point-of-Care Heparin Monitoring Test Provides Results in Under 15 Minutes
Heparin dosing requires careful management to avoid both bleeding and clotting complications. In high-risk situations like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), mortality rates can reach about 50%,... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients
Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more
Liquid Biopsy Approach to Transform Diagnosis, Monitoring and Treatment of Lung Cancer
Lung cancer continues to be a major contributor to cancer-related deaths globally, with its biological complexity and diverse regulatory processes making diagnosis and treatment particularly difficult.... Read more
Computational Tool Exposes Hidden Cancer DNA Changes Influencing Treatment Resistance
Structural changes in tumor DNA are among the most damaging genetic alterations in cancer, yet they often go undetected, particularly when tissue samples are degraded or of low quality. These hidden genomic... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Viral Load Tests Can Help Predict Mpox Severity
Mpox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and a characteristic rash, which evolves significantly over time and varies between patients. The disease spreads mainly through direct contact with... Read more
Gut Microbiota Analysis Enables Early and Non-Invasive Detection of Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder marked by abnormal glucose metabolism during pregnancy, typically emerging in the mid to late stages. It significantly heightens the risk of... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Inexpensive DNA Coated Electrode Paves Way for Disposable Diagnostics
Many people around the world still lack access to affordable, easy-to-use diagnostics for diseases like cancer, HIV, and influenza. Conventional sensors, while accurate, often rely on expensive equipment... Read more
New Miniature Device to Transform Testing of Blood Cancer Treatments
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a groundbreaking treatment for blood cancers like leukemia, offering hope to patients when other treatments fail. However, despite its promise,... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Lunit and Microsoft Collaborate to Advance AI-Driven Cancer Diagnosis
Lunit (Seoul, South Korea) and Microsoft (Redmond, WA, USA) have entered into a collaboration to accelerate the delivery of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered healthcare solutions. In conjunction with... Read more