A team of UK researchers dug deep into the genomic roots of more than 550 cases of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (EAC), the type of Esophageal Cancer most prevalent in the US today.
What they found could dramatically change the way doctors treat Esophageal Cancer in the future.
Potential Targets in Nearly All Cases: Researchers searched for specific mutations that drive the early development of cancer. They identified “driver mutations” in 99% of the EAC patients. That matters because now that they are identified, those mutations may serve as targets for new, potentially life-saving, therapies.
Personalized Therapies: That opens the door for future treatment based on the specific profile of a patient’s cancer.
On the Right Track: Even more encouraging, more than 50% of the mutations found showed sensitivity to drugs that are already being tested with breast cancer patients
Differences found between Men and Women: Researchers discovered some mutations among women that are not found among men.
Much more research will be necessary before these findings will have impact on patient care, but they are a place to begin that has rarely been seen in Esophageal Cancer research.
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