Scientists from the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica (IBI)
[Institute of Biomedical Research], in Galicia (Spain), have made
progress in the identification of new biomarkers for improving
prevention of colorectal cancer. In Spain, colorectal tumours are the most common malignant form and constitute the second most frequent cause of death from cancer, after lung cancer.
It is one of the cancers against which preventive strategies could be
most effective, as generally it develops from a previous benign polyp
called adenoma, which can be detected and removed prior to evolution to
cancer. Worldwide, colon cancer
is the third most common type of cancer and the second in terms of
deaths caused, although the survival rate varies very much from country
to country. In the USA the survival rate is 62%, whereas in Europe it is
only 43%.
Within the overall structure of the project, the Galician group, led by
Professor Javier Rodríguez Berrocal, is undertaking a sub-study of
protein biomarkers in the serum of healthy individuals. This research
will assess the efficacy of certain proteins in the early detection of
colon cancer and adenomas. In a first phase, work begun in 2009 will be
completed to identify potentially effective markers. In a second phase,
the validity of these markers will be confirmed in a group of
individuals who participate in screening programs for this type of
cancer.
No comments:
Post a Comment