Genetic Signature to Stratify Patients with Early NSCLC

Scientists plan to generate a gene-expression signature that will allow clinicians to stratify patients with early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (stages I and II) into those who will relapse after surgery and those who will have disease-free survival with surgery alone. The gene expression signature developed will form the basis of a clinical test to identify patients at high risk of lung cancer recurrence after surgery and who may therefore benefit from adjuvant treatment.

Dr. Dean Fennell, a UK cancer researcher and senior lecturer in thoracic medical oncology at Queen's University Belfast (Belfast, UK), will lead the study that will be performed in partnership with Almac Diagnostics (Craigavon, UK). More than 1,500 NSCLC tumor samples from 15 different centers will be analyzed using Almac's DSA technology--a microarray platform designed to measure gene expression in archived formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE). This has clear clinical utility, as frozen tissue is not routinely collected during surgery.

Almac's cancer DSA tools are high-density transcriptome based microarrays that focus on the transcriptome of a particular disease. They contain the most comprehensive information available for the disease under investigation on a single array and enable the obtaining of robust data from FFPE and formalin-fixed (FF) samples, while delivering additional information on the disease setting.

The microarray platform identifies tens of thousands of transcripts that are specific to lung cancer and not available on conventional commercial arrays. The use of FFPE tissue samples will enable Almac to retrospectively generate and validate the prognostic test.

Most prognostic gene expression signatures have been developed using relatively small numbers of samples. Being able to access large numbers of archive samples retrospectively will enable identification of molecular sub-types that are likely to influence the patient's prognosis.

Prof. Paul Harkin President and managing director of Almac Diagnostics explained, "This is the largest transcriptional study of its type and has the potential to benefit many thousands of patients worldwide. Our microarray technology means we can now access a wide range of genetic material, previously not available through commercial array analysis, in order to validate prognostic tests.”

Related Links:
Queens University Belfast
Almac Diagnostics