Technology: Currently, cancer recurrence in solid malignancies occurs in many patients after complete curative surgery despite no additional histological evidence of remaining cancer outside the area of resection, especially in the surrounding lymph nodes. It is believed that in patients with recurrent disease, micrometastases reside that are undetectable upon microscopic examination. To address these shortfalls in cancer staging, scientists at The Johns Hopkins University devised a novel paradigm of molecular tumor grading using hypermethylation markers. The methodology utilizes methylation markers to predict the recurrence of solid malignancies based solely on the tumor, and also detects micrometastases of solid malignancies in peripherally located lymph nodes. This invention enhances the current T-N-M staging system that relies primarily on microscopic examination of solid malignancies.
Key Features:
• Methylation markers predict the recurrence of solid malignancies
• Detects micrometastases of solid malignancies in peripherally located lymph nodes
Commercial Applicability: A diagnostic kit could be made for all tumor types with specific DNA methylation markers that would predict disease recurrence for solid tumors. Patients exhibiting a positive test result would be recommended for additional cancer chemotherapy treatment in order to prevent recurrence.
Publication: US 20100278772
