US Pharm. 2009;34(11)(Oncology suppl):14.
According to a study published online in Cancer Prevention Research, small molecules in blood called microRNAs (miRNAs) might help doctors identify patients with pancreatic cancer. MiRNAs regulate gene expression by controlling the translation of messenger RNA, which relays instructions for making protein. In most patients with pancreatic cancer, symptoms do not appear until the cancer is advanced. “The development of a minimally invasive test for the early detection and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is greatly needed,” said Sudhir Srivastava, PhD, chief of the Cancer Biomarkers Research Group in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Division of Cancer Prevention.
Levels of four miRNAs were assessed in blood samples from 28 patients with pancreatic cancer and 19 healthy volunteers between 2002 and 2008. The ability to accurately detect pancreatic cancer using a panel of four miRNAs was 64%. The panel also correctly identified 89% of the patients who did not have pancreatic cancer. Researchers have observed altered patterns of miRNA expression in other cancers, as well. The study was conducted by scientists at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and was supported by the NCI.
