Not all brain cancers are the same but together they
represent a deadly disease that has been difficult to identify and
treat. Scientists at multiple institutions have found a new way of
classifying brain cancers that could very well change how the illness is
diagnosed and treated.
"We found molecular signatures that better define clinical behavior
based on our analysis," said W.K. Alfred Yung, M.D., chair of
Neuro-Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Center. "We hope
this will impact how physicians both diagnose and plan therapies for brain cancer."The study looked at the molecular makeup of brain tumors including gene mutations, chromosomal abnormalities and other alterations. Results from the study were published in the June 10, 2015 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study represents a major step in classifying and treating brain tumors more precisely based on their genetic makeup, said Daniel J. Brat, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher and neuropathologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, and co-leader of the study. The scientists believe that the use of the biomarkers in the diagnosis of these forms of brain tumors will lead to a much more consistent manner of diagnosis and patient management. The study, which involved 44 institutions, concluded that molecular tests in addition to standard histopathological examination under the microscope will be more accurate in indicating whether the disease is more aggressive or will respond to certain chemotherapies.
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